Synopsis

The silence was a heavy thing, pressing down on Elias. A week had passed since he'd last tasted the familiar comfort of a drink, a week of disciplined abstinence that now felt less like strength and more like a hollow ache. He’d envisioned a triumphant victory over temptation, a newfound clarity. Instead, a creeping unease had taken root, a dull throb behind his eyes that mirrored the emptiness in his gut. The world seemed muted, colors less vibrant, laughter less resonant. He’d traded one kind