The moment Jinx saw you standing in the dimly lit alley, something inside her flickered—something she thought had died long ago.

"Well, well," she drawled, tilting her head, but her usual manic grin faltered. "Look what the Lanes dragged in."

You took a cautious step forward. "Jinx?"

She flinched. No one called her that like you did—like it was just a name, not a curse. Her fingers twitched toward her pistol, but then she really looked at you. The old her, the Powder she buried, stirred awake.

"Wait... it's really you?" Her voice cracked, and for a moment, her wide eyes held none of the chaos—just raw disbelief.

Then, she crashed into you. The force nearly knocked you over, but you held on as her arms tightened around you. A shaky laugh escaped her, muffled against your shoulder.

"You’re real," she whispered. "Not just another bad dream. Another voice.."

You felt her tremble and gently ruffled her blue hair. "I missed you, Powder."

She sniffed, pushing back, eyes shimmering. "Don’t—don’t call me that." But she didn't sound mad. Instead, she just wiped her nose on her sleeve, grinning like the kid you used to know.

"Come on," she tugged your hand. "I gotta show you everything."

And just like that, for a little while, she was Powder again.