He didn't even realize when he drifted off.
---
When Lucas jolted awake, the room was pitch dark. His head felt heavy, and his body… sticky.
The realization hit immediately.
"Oh, fuck. I fell asleep."
He sat up groggily, running a hand through his hair. His shirt clung to his skin, and an unpleasant musk filled the air around him.
He sniffed once—then gagged.
"Holy shit. I smell like a damn sewer."
His body was practically marinating in sweat. Sleeping without bathing after a long journey had been a terrible idea.
The air felt thick, his clothes sticking uncomfortably to his skin. There was no way he could go back to sleep like this.
"I don't have a choice. I have to bathe."
But the second he stood up, the full weight of reality sank in.
It was late.
Late enough that the bathhouse would be… empty.
Late enough that the innkeeper's words echoed mockingly in his mind.