The warehouse interior had been transformed into a labyrinth of light and sound, steel beams now wrapped in luminescent coils that pulsed in time with the music. Those same beams, Juniper realized, formed some kind of unintentional Faraday cage, the metal mesh above them blocking out the digital world beyond. It felt oddly fitting - this industrial cocoon where modern connectivity went to sleep, leaving them untethered from everything except the present moment and each other.

Even Daniel seemed affected by the electronic isolation, his hand unconsciously checking his empty device before letting it fall away uselessly. Juniper caught the gesture and felt an easing in her chest at this small sign of shared vulnerability.

Daniel instinctively moved between them as they entered the crush of bodies, his height making him a beacon in the crowd. Juniper noticed several women tracking his movement, their eyes drawn to his suit jacket as it caught the strobing lights. The professional cut of his clothing somehow made him more striking here, like a wolf among butterflies.