Morning sunlight drifted across Liam's room in soft gold, warming the sheets and brushing his cheek. He opened his eyes slowly, and a genuine smile, brighter than yesterday's, spread across his face.
He stretched his arms lazily, letting the leftover satisfaction from last night linger in his body.
His clubbing experience had been ruined… yes. But his trip down the ocean made up for everything.
He remembered the moment he sank into the abyss, the crushing pressure trying to swallow him whole, the instinctive fear clawing at his chest. He remembered pushing deeper, refusing to run from something as simple as darkness and water.
And he remembered the moment he broke through that fear—standing at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, staring at the black void without trembling.
A part of him felt lighter now and stronger. And he couldn't help but find it funny that he was previously scared of the deep sea. But it was a legit fear.
Liam chuckled at himself.
