The dark veil of night was torn apart by morning with a grand merciless tenderness.
It began at the edge of the world, beyond the glass walls of Infinity Chaos Hotel, where the first unforgiving rays of sunlight broke across the horizon and spilled gold over the sleeping island, conquered and peeled back from the mountains, the forest, the black silver line of Hell's River and the distant roofs of the city below.
Morning came like a blade wrapped in warmth, cutting through every lingering shadow until the world had no choice but to open its eyes.
Birds rejoiced somewhere beyond the towers, small throats spilling music into the new day as if nature had never heard of grief, secrets, erased memories or boys carrying too many women inside one very overworked heart.
Nature could be offensively cheerful like that.
Phei stretched awake beneath soft sheets, his body slow with the rare heaviness of deep sleep.
For a moment, he did not move:
