Darius wakes up in the morning with a stillness; this was not coming from a space of peace or healing.
It is also not the violent internal chaos that has been consuming him for weeks.
Using his hands to rub his face, for the first time, the anger does not feel like it is actively dragging him in different directions.
Instead, it sits in the background like something acknowledged but no longer obeyed.
He lies in bed longer than usual, not because he is avoiding the day, but because he is trying to understand the absence of internal noise.
It feels unfamiliar enough to be unsettling.
When he finally rises, he sluggishly goes in to shower; his movements are slower and more deliberate.
He showers without rushing, standing under the water long enough to feel fully present in his body
