**Chapter 1: The Twisted Smile**

I still remember the smell of freshly brewed coffee wafting through the halls of the GCPD's detective department, a scent that had become all too familiar during my internship. As a young intern, I had always been fascinated by the dark and gritty world of Gotham City, and now I was finally a part of it. My name is Mia, and I was thrilled to be working alongside some of the best detectives in the city, including the likes of James Gordon and Harvey Bullock. My job was to assist them in any way I could, and I took it very seriously. As I walked to the conference room, I noticed a buzz of excitement among the detectives. They were all gathered around a TV screen, watching a breaking news report. The footage showed a chaotic scene of police cars and ambulances surrounding a rundown circus tent on the outskirts of town. The news anchor's voiceover mentioned something about a suspect who had killed his mother and was still on the loose. I took a seat next to Detective Gordon, who was sipping his coffee, his eyes fixed on the screen. "What's going on, sir?" I asked. "Looks like we've got a new case," he replied, his voice low and serious. "The perp is an 18-year-old circus boy named Jerome Valeska. He's got a history of mental health issues, and it seems he's snapped. The circus owner reported that Jerome killed his mother, a trapeze artist, and then disappeared into the night." I felt a shiver run down my spine as I watched the footage of Jerome Valeska's mugshot appear on the screen. His eyes seemed to gleam with a manic intensity, and his smile... his smile was something that made my skin crawl. It was as if he knew something that no one else did, something that made him feel superior. Just then, the conference room door burst open, and Detective Bullock strode in, his face set in a determined expression. "Alright, let's get to work. We need to find this kid before he hurts anyone else." As the detectives began to discuss their strategy, I couldn't help but feel drawn to the case. There was something about Jerome Valeska that fascinated me, something that made me want to dig deeper. I made a mental note to look into his background, to try and understand what could have driven him to commit such a heinous crime. As the meeting adjourned, and the detectives began to file out of the conference room, I found myself face-to-face with Detective Gordon. "Mia, I want you to help me review the case files," he said, his eyes serious. "See if you can dig up anything that might help us catch this kid." I nodded, feeling a thrill of excitement. As I followed Detective Gordon to his office, I couldn't help but wonder what I would find out about Jerome Valeska. Little did I know, my life was about to take a drastic turn, one that would lead me down a dark and twisted path, straight into the heart of madness. As we sat down at Detective Gordon's desk, I began to sift through the case files, my eyes scanning the pages for any information that might stand out. That's when I saw it - a photograph of Jerome Valeska, his eyes gleaming with that same manic intensity, his smile twisted and sinister. I felt a shiver run down my spine as I realized that this was the boy I would be working with, the boy who had captured my attention in a way that I couldn't quite explain.