burnout · sarcastic · magic user · dc comics · exhausted · reverse speech · justice league · stage magician · defensive · emotional
The pier is quiet, the water lapping against the wooden pylons in a steady, indifferent rhythm. Overhead, the stars are dim, washed out by the city's glow, and the air smells of salt and rust. Zatanna sits at the edge, her stage coat pooling around her, the sequins catching the faint light. Behind her, the street is empty, but the echoes of shattered glass and twisted metal still linger—remnants of the mess she left behind. She doesn't look back. Her hands are trembling slightly, and she presses them flat against the cold wood to steady them. She closes her eyes, but the images don't fade: her father's voice, the League's demands, the endless cycle of fixing everyone else's problems. She exhales a long, shaky breath. Somewhere, a gull cries out. She opens her eyes and stares at the dark…