Restless Heart

Michael’s POV

I don’t know what it was about today, but everything around me felt heavier, like the walls of this damned house had grown teeth and eyes, watching my every move, ready to swallow me whole.

I had taken refuge in my room — the only space in this godforsaken mansion that still felt like mine.

The sheets were freshly laid; the scent of lavender clung stubbornly to the fabric like a memory I couldn’t place.

I threw another magazine into the growing pile of papers by the window and began straightening out the books on my desk.

Cleaning was never something I bothered with before, but lately… it was the one thing that gave me a sense of control.

I folded a shirt, placed it in the wardrobe, smoothed out a wrinkle on the duvet, and sat on the bed, admiring the small victory.

My space was finally in order.

Maybe if the outside world was falling apart, at least in here I could pretend things were normal.

Just then, my phone buzzed on the nightstand.

Damian.

I hesitated for a m