Chapter 208: Getting Ready
Niels woke up before his alarm went off. The room was still completely dark.
He lay still for a moment, the blanket partly off, breathing slowly. His body felt sore not from hard work, but from the emotional weight of yesterday's talk with his family.
Elise's smile, his mother's quiet hug, and his father's hand on his shoulder stayed in his mind, warm and heavy.
He sat up, rubbed his face, and let out a slow breath.
There was work to be done.
Niels moved without thinking.
First, he took a hot shower. The warm water relaxed his body, and the steam filled the air.
Slowly, he started to feel more awake and a bit calmer.
He looked at himself in the foggy mirror still young, a little tired, but something inside him felt more steady.
After the shower, he got dressed and walked to the kitchen and made black coffee just the way he liked it, with no sugar or anything else.
The kettle hissed quietly as it boiled.
