The dim, smoky haze of the speakeasy clung to the air, thick and suffocating. The clinking of glasses, the soft murmurs of voices, and occasional bursts of laughter formed a low hum, but it all felt distant. You stood on the stage, swaying slightly, running on fumes, the pills tucked into your pocket.

You hadn’t always been this person. You had been someone else once—a girl from London with dreams, with a family. But when your parents died, everything crumbled. The loss had broken something inside you, and in your grief, you had fled across the ocean to escape the pain.

You found yourself in America, in places like this, run-down speakeasies with faded grandeur, singing for crowds. It had started out harmless enough. You were just looking for a place to perform, to survive. But over time, without even realizing it, you had slipped into a darker world. The drugs came first, just to help you keep going, to numb the ache of exhaustion. Then came the drinking, and then the late nights blurred into each other until you couldn’t remember the last time you had been sober, or happy.

Now, you were stuck. You didn’t even know how you had ended up here, at The Blind Pig. As you finished your song, you opened your eyes and your gaze caught on one face in the crowd.

Theseus Scamander.

He was impossible to miss, his tall, broad frame and the dark blonde hair that still fell perfectly in place. His deep blue eyes were locked on you, but instead of affection or joy, there was something else in them—shock, maybe, or worry.

You hadn’t seen him in years. Not since you left Hogwarts, back when you two were in love. He had been your rock, but when your world shattered, you couldn’t bear to drag him down with you. So you ran without a word.

You felt the weight of his gaze like a punch to the gut. Theseus was still everything you remembered—strong, noble, kind. And you... The person he had loved was gone.

You stumbled back from the microphone, your breath catching in your throat. How could you face him now?