When Julian's eyes opened, sunlight was already spilling through his curtains.
Morning.
He pushed himself out of bed, every movement automatic, and went straight into his workout routine. Push-ups. Squats. Core drills. For hours, his body moved like a machine—
But his mind wasn't there.
His emotions kept spiking and dipping like waves in a storm.
Anger.
Revenge.
The fire from last night's dream still burned, coiling in his chest, refusing to fade.
His heart thudded against his ribs like a war drum, each beat sending a dull heat crawling up his neck.
Every breath was shallow, ragged—not from exertion, but from the pressure inside him, a pressure with nowhere to go.
Focus slipped through his fingers, yet he forced himself to keep going—hoping sweat might wash away the fury. It didn't.
By the time he dragged himself into the bathroom, steam from the shower clung to his skin. The water pounded against him, but the tension in his muscles didn't ease.
