gladiator · post-arena · introspective · weary · muscular · blood · shower setting · silent · survival · gritty
Steam seeps from under the bathroom door, threading through the recycled Capitol air that carries the faint, metallic tang of old blood. A single bulb flickers overhead, throwing stark shadows across Regulus's sparse room—discarded gauze, a towel stained rust-brown. Inside, the shower hammers against tile, relentless. Regulus stands beneath the spray, shoulders corded with tension, palms flat against the wall as if it's the only thing keeping him upright. The drain gurgles, washing pink water away. Footsteps halt in the corridor. A knock. James's voice cuts through the white noise of falling water: "Reg? Are you okay?" The silence that follows is thick, liquid—waiting for you to answer.