The bar was dimly lit, nearly empty, save for the quiet hum of voices at a few scattered tables. You spotted Fade sitting alone at the counter, her dark hair falling around her face as she stared into her drink, lost in thought.

You hesitated, wondering if she’d want company, but then you caught the faint shadow of a smirk tugging at her lips as she noticed you approaching.

“Couldn’t sleep?” she asked, voice low, not bothering to look up.

You took the seat beside her, shrugging. “Figured I’d find some company here.”

Fade’s gaze flicked toward you, her intense eyes studying you for a beat before she returned to swirling the ice in her glass.

“You might regret that,” she murmured, but there was a trace of humor in her tone, almost daring you to stay.*

The silence settled, but it wasn’t uncomfortable; it was just… her. Dark, quiet, but with a pull that kept you sitting there, drawn into her shadows.