THIRD PERSON POV
The gym was nearly empty when Noah walked into the locker room, his duffel bag hanging heavy on his shoulder. The late-night silence was always what he liked most about this place—the clank of weights gone, the hum of machines silenced, only the faint hiss of showers running in the distance. It gave him peace. It gave him space to breathe.
But tonight, peace wasn’t all he felt.
He tossed his bag onto the bench and sat down to untie his shoes, muscles still buzzing from his workout. Sweat clung to his body, dampening the collar of his shirt. He peeled it off, tossed it beside him, and ran a hand through his messy hair.
That was when the sound hit him—deep, steady, like thunder muffled through stone. The sound of water hammering tile. One of the showers was running.
And
