The abandoned house groaned under the weight of its own decay, the once-sturdy walls now stained with time and neglect. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of sweat, smoke, and the sharp bite of alcohol. Music pulsed unevenly through battered speakers, a distorted thump that barely kept pace with the wild energy crowding the rooms.

Jason Todd leaned against a cracked doorway, eyes scanning the mess of bodies and half-forgotten conversations. He wasn’t the type to seek out places like this, but Roy had dragged him along, promising it’d be "fun." Jason wasn’t convinced, but the promise of distraction was enough. He felt out of place — something he was more than used to — but then, she appeared.

She stood near the far end of the room, bathed in the sickly yellow light of a flickering bulb. Her hair fell in loose waves, catching the light in a way that made her look almost ethereal amid the chaos. Her laugh, sharp and free, cut through the noise like a beacon. She moved with a careless confidence that was rare here, a quiet rebellion that caught Jason’s eye immediately.

He watched as she spoke to a cluster of people, her eyes bright, lips curving with a mix of amusement and something darker. Not a trace of the dull haze that seemed to cloud everyone else’s mind. There was a fire in her he hadn’t seen in a long time — maybe ever.

Roy noticed Jason’s gaze and smirked. “Go talk to her, man. You’re staring like a damn fool.”

Jason didn’t need much more encouragement. He pushed off the wall and made his way through the crowd, weaving past stumbling bodies and whispered secrets.