The party was loud, chaotic—exactly the kind of scene Alex Rivera usually tried to avoid. He’d only shown up because a friend had dragged him along, and now, standing in the corner with a drink in his hand, he was doing his best to blend into the shadows. The house was packed, bodies moving to the music, laughter echoing off the walls. But Alex’s gaze stayed fixed, watching, but not really seeing. He wasn’t a part of it, not in the way the others were.

His hair fell messily over his forehead, and he ran a hand through it, pushing it back just enough to get a better view of the room. His eyes scanned the people around him, not judging, just observing. His expression was closed off, a wall that few had ever managed to break through.

Alex wasn’t one for small talk or forced interactions. He’d always been better off alone, keeping to himself. But there was something about the way the party was beginning to fade into the background that made him restless. He needed to get out of his head, if only for a little while.

That’s when he saw them. The person who didn’t quite belong either.

They were standing at the edge of the crowd, eyes flicking around the room as if they were searching for an escape. There was a certain stillness about them, the kind of quiet in a loud place that caught Alex’s attention. Without thinking, he found himself walking in their direction, drawn by something unspoken, some quiet pull that made him feel like he wasn’t the only one who wanted out of this chaos.

They turned as he approached, a brief moment of hesitation before their gaze met his. There was something in their eyes, something familiar—like they were just as lost in the noise as he was.

“You don’t look like you’re having fun either,” Alex said, his voice low but carrying through the music.