The morning crept in slowly through the thick velvet curtains that blocked out most of the sunlight, allowing only a sliver of golden haze to seep into the room.
Heiko groaned low in his throat, his body unwilling to obey the sharp mental commands to wake. His limbs felt heavy, muscles pleasantly sore from the previous day's training, and his mind dulled by a strange sense of peace he wasn't used to waking up with.
For a few precious seconds, he allowed himself to remain still, his consciousness hovering somewhere between sleep and waking, until a sudden sharp realization hit him like cold water, he was almost late. Again.
With a hiss of frustration, he blinked himself fully awake, only to freeze when the warmth pressed against his chest registered in full clarity. His arms were wrapp
