Sora's POV
I woke up before dawn.
The room was still wrapped in darkness, like the world was holding its breath.
For a moment, I didn't even remember where I was.
Then the smell of salt in the air and the faint sound of waves crashing somewhere far beyond the windows slowly pulled me back.
Jiho's beach house.
The fire.
The chaos.
The evacuation.
My body ached with exhaustion as I shifted on the bed and reached blindly for my phone on the side table. The screen lit up the darkness.
5:00 a.m.
I exhaled softly.
Of course.
My body had been trained for years to wake up early, weekdays or not. No alarm needed.
I turned my head slightly and glanced down at the floor. My dogs were still curled up on their beds, little lumps of fur rising and falling with sleepy breaths.
Good. Still asleep.
Maybe I could steal another hour.
