The Weeknd - Heartless (lyrics) -

He pulled a vial from his pocket, the "codeine cup" long since replaced by harder, colder habits. He was trying to find that feeling again—the one where the world made sense—but all he found was more "money and the fame."

Julian didn't answer immediately. He was thinking about a girl he used to know—the one who tried to "save" him. He remembered the look in her eyes when she realized there was nothing left to reach. He had told her he was heartless, not as a boast, but as a warning. He was a "mister main attraction" who couldn't stand his own company. The Weeknd - Heartless (Lyrics)

The SUV pulled up to the fountain at the Bellagio. He stepped out, the cameras immediately flashing like strobe lights in a nightmare. He put on his designer sunglasses, hiding eyes that hadn't seen a real dream in years. He pulled a vial from his pocket, the

He walked through the lobby, past the gamblers and the dreamers, a ghost in a thousand-dollar suit. He was back in his "regime," back to the "middle of the night" where he felt most alive and most dead at the same time. He remembered the look in her eyes when

"I'm back to my ways," he whispered to the empty room. He poured a drink, sat on the edge of the unmade bed, and waited for the sun to come up—knowing that when it did, he’d still be in the dark.

The city didn’t sleep, and neither did Julian. He sat in the back of a blacked-out SUV, the rhythmic thrum of the engine matching the dull ache in his chest. Outside, the Las Vegas Strip was a blur of electric pink and gold—a playground he had conquered long ago, only to realize he was trapped in it.