Mazes Of Red

CHAPTER 28 : Echoes Of Lose Healing

In the years that followed  the echoes of Jason's tragic death reverberated through Gotham City.

 The bodies now returned were laid to rest in the somber embrace of the city.

 The funeral was  a solemn affair a painful reminder of the loss that lingered.

For Batman the pain was palpable. 

He couldn't shake the weight of Jason's death haunted by the memory.

 Jason's Robin costume remained on display in the Batcave, a constant reminder of Batman's greatest failure— his inability to properly guide and protect Jason to shield him from the Joker's ruthless grasp.

As for Dick after that night he left and never returned.

 The last I heard he resurfaced in Blüdhaven occasionally crossing paths with the Teen Titans.

 His absence a silent void eft a gaping hole in our circle—a wound that never quite healed.

For me the pain festered in ways I couldn't comprehend......

 After the funeral I withdrew into a shell shutting out the world. 

I stopped talking to people  cocooning myself in isolation. 

I threw myself further into studies diving into medicine and other normal school activities, using them as a distraction, an escape from the searing pain.

Even my job at Pennies slipped away—I couldn't hold on to it  my mind elsewhere consumed by grief. 

Alfred became my pillar of emotional support yet  over time I even found myself withdrawn unable to express the overwhelming turmoil within.

The world seemed dulled colors faded to grey as I grappled with the aftermath of loss.

 Jason's absence echoed in every corner an ache that never subsided.

 I felt lost in the silent echoes of his absence adrift in a world that had lost its vibrancy.

only when i started to feel like the world was gaining its color back did the world once again drain it.

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1 year after Jason's death

Lauren  Age 15 

Jason Age 16

I dashed through the hospital corridors my pulse racing  a knot of dread tightening in my chest with every step.

 Bursting into the room I saw Mum  looking so fragile lines of exhaustion etched into her face. 

Tears welled up in my eyes as I hurried to her side.

"Mum," I trembled, reaching for her frail hand. "I'm here. I'm right here."

She managed a weak smile her voice a mere whisper. "Lauren, my sweet girl..."

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I clutched her hand trying to convey all the love and comfort I could. "Remember the flower field, Mum? Our special place where we picked flowers?"

Her eyes fluttered open, a glint of recognition shining through. "Yes, the one with endless colors."

A heavy silence hung in the room broken only by the rhythmic beeping of the machines by her side.

"I'll take you there again," I promised, my voice breaking. "We'll go again, I promise."

Her breaths grew shallow her grip weakening.