Chapter 02: A Familiar Face
The next day, Kiera couldn’t shake the memory of the mysterious traveler. She found herself glancing toward the door of the Nebula Café every time it chimed, half-expecting him to walk through it again. But the hours passed, and there was no sign of him. Maybe it had been a fleeting encounter, a momentary lapse in the universe that didn’t need to be dissected. After all, in a place like the Nebula Café, people came and went all the time. Still, she couldn’t ignore the nagging feeling that this particular visitor had left something behind—something that tugged at her curiosity.
The usual crowd filled the café: a diplomat from Andromeda sipping on a hazy latte, a pair of merchant twins discussing their latest haul of rare beans from the distant moons of Ceres. Kiera worked her usual rhythm behind the counter, crafting drinks with precision and ease. But her thoughts kept drifting back to him, the traveler with the silver eyes.
Just as the sun began to set, casting a warm orange glow through the café’s windows, the door chimed again.
Her heart skipped a beat.
And there he was, walking through the door with the same calm stride. The same confident smile that made Kiera’s stomach flutter. He was wearing the same flight jacket, though the insignia was slightly different today, as if it had been updated in the last few hours.
Kiera swallowed her surprise and forced herself to focus. “Back for more?” she asked, trying to sound casual as she wiped her hands on the cloth towel hanging from her apron.
He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, his silver eyes met hers, and for a moment, there was only silence—like the entire universe was holding its breath. Then he smiled, slow and easy. “I had to,” he said. “You have the best coffee in this part of the galaxy.”
There it was again. That smile that sent a shiver down her spine. It was charming, but there was something about it that felt… otherworldly.
Kiera shook her head, trying to push past the odd sensation creeping along her neck. “What can I get you today?” she asked, keeping her voice steady.
His gaze flickered to the menu before settling back on her. “The Nebula Brew, same as yesterday. It’s… fitting.”
“Fitting?” Kiera asked, raising an eyebrow. She hadn’t expected him to explain his choice, but there was that same cryptic tone to his voice. She wasn’t sure why, but she was starting to enjoy the mystery.
“Just trust me on this one,” he said with a wink, as if they were part of some shared secret that no one else understood.
Kiera turned to prepare the coffee, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. It wasn’t often she met someone who could make her feel so… intrigued. As she worked, her hands moving effortlessly with the coffee machine, she couldn’t help but think about the peculiar connection she felt to this stranger. Was it just her imagination? Or was there more to him than met the eye?
She slid the mug of Nebula Brew across the counter to him, and this time, their fingers brushed lightly as he took it. She looked up at him, catching a fleeting glimpse of something—something unspoken—flashing in his eyes.
He took a sip, his expression softening with enjoyment. “Perfect,” he murmured, as if the taste of the coffee was the key to some larger puzzle he was trying to solve.
“Glad you like it,” Kiera replied, her voice a little softer than usual. She wasn’t sure why, but something about him made her feel… connected. There was no explanation for it, and she wasn’t one to believe in fate, but she couldn’t deny the magnetic pull she felt when he was near.
The door chimed again, breaking the moment. The café was beginning to fill with customers, and Kiera quickly turned to take their orders. But when she glanced back, the traveler hadn’t moved from his spot. He was watching her, an unreadable expression on his face.
“Are you here for long?” Kiera asked, trying to fill the silence between them. It was a harmless question, though her curiosity was growing by the second.
He set his mug down and leaned forward slightly, as if sharing a secret. “I’m not sure yet. I like to stay in places… until I feel like I’ve learned everything I need to.” He paused, his gaze holding hers with an intensity that made her breath catch. “But I think I’ll stay long enough to see where this… leads.”
The air between them shifted, the words hanging in the space around them, weighted with unspoken meaning. Kiera felt the heat of a thousand questions bubbling in her chest. What did he mean by that? Why did he keep showing up? And why did it feel like he wasn’t just talking about coffee?
Before she could ask anything else, the traveler stood up and placed a few credits on the counter. “I’ll be seeing you tomorrow, Kiera,” he said, his voice warm and low.
She blinked, taken aback. “How did you—”
“I know your name,” he interrupted with a smile that was both reassuring and unnerving. “And I’ll be back. Don’t worry.”
With that, he turned and walked out of the café, leaving Kiera standing behind the counter, her mind racing.
Tomorrow. He was coming back tomorrow. But what did that mean? And why was he so intent on returning?
The questions lingered in the air, unanswered for now. But Kiera couldn’t help but feel a stirring in her chest—a sense that something important was unfolding, something bigger than just a coffee order. Whatever it was, it had only just begun.
