Demien's alarm went off at 5:00 AM. He quickly turned it off before it could wake anyone else. His hand moved fast from years of early morning training.
The morning light came weakly through his curtains. He got out of bed and felt the cool air on his skin. It helped wake him up as he thought about the big day ahead.
He walked to the bathroom and turned on the shower. He let the room fill with steam before stepping under the hot water. The shower helped relax his muscles. He washed slowly while thinking about what would happen today.
When he came out with a towel wrapped around him, he could smell breakfast from the kitchen. His mother was already dressed and cooking at the stove.
"Morning," she said without turning around as she flipped an omelet with expert precision, and her voice was warm but also sad as she watched her son prepare to leave.
