Rain dripped from the Paris rooftops like the city itself was crying.

Emo Marinette Dupain-Cheng walked with her hood pulled low, black sleeves hiding hands that shook from exhaustion. The streets were nearly empty—too late for tourists, too early for morning. This was the hour she preferred. No smiles to fake. No expectations to meet.

Saving Paris was supposed to feel heroic.

Tonight, it just felt heavy.

Her earrings rested cold against her skin, a reminder of the mask she wore every day. Shadybug. The symbol of hope. The lie she kept alive while everything inside her slowly broke apart.

She turned down a narrow alley, hoping the darkness would swallow her thoughts.

A boy slumped against the brick wall, knees pulled to his chest, soaked through. His hair hung messily over his eyes, clothes torn and dirty like he’d been dragged through the night itself. A small duffel bag lay open beside him, empty—as if whatever life he had left was already gone.

He looked… abandoned.

Emo Marinette froze.

She should have walked away. Paris wasn’t kind to heroes who lingered too long. But something in her chest twisted painfully. Because she knew that posture. The way his shoulders curved inward, like he was trying to disappear.

She stepped closer.

“Hey,” she said quietly, her voice almost swallowed by the rain. “Are you… alive?”

The boy lifted his head slowly. His eyes were dull—not frightened, not angry—just empty. Like someone who’d already accepted that nothing good was coming.

“Yeah,” he muttered. “Unfortunately.”

That answer hit harder than it should have.

Emo Marinette crouched a few feet away, careful not to scare him. “You shouldn’t sleep here. It’s dangerous.”

He let out a weak laugh. “So is everywhere else.”

Silence stretched between them, thick and uncomfortable. The city hummed in the distance, uncaring.

“What’s your name?” she asked.

“…Jaden.”

She nodded. “I’m Marinette.”

He didn’t look impressed. Didn’t look relieved either. Just nodded like names didn’t matter anymore.

“Did someone hurt you?”

Jaden glanced away. “Dropped me off. Said I’d ‘figure it out.’” His fingers clenched around nothing. “Guess this is me figuring it out.”

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Kwami