The candle's faint glow pulsed like a heartbeat.
Kai knelt beside the espresso machine, toolkit open, sleeves rolled up, and curses softly escaping under his breath.
> [Side Quest: Barista Blues – Active]
Objective: Repair the ancient espresso machine.
Reward: ???
Optional Condition: Don't blow anything up. Again.
He stared into the back of the machine where a bundle of wires looked like a nest made by a drunk squirrel.
"Who the hell wires a steam valve through a dreamcore socket…?" he muttered.
> [System Hint: This device partially exists in two realms. Adjust the brew setting before recalibrating the temperature rune.]
"Oh, now you're helpful?"
He twisted a knob labeled 'Ethereal Roast – Cursed Blend', yanked the dreamcore cable, and immediately ducked.
PFFHTHTH.
Steam exploded from the nozzle like a dragon with bronchitis.
Kai coughed and wiped his face. "I swear if this café is haunted by a barista spirit, I will exorcise it with instant coffee."
From across the room, the shadow-cat yawned from its perch on the bookshelf, clearly unimpressed.
---
A faint chime rang above the door.
Kai froze.
It was the first time the café door had opened without a summoning since he arrived.
He stood up slowly, towel in one hand, spanner in the other, heart tapping a cautious rhythm.
A figure stepped in.
A young man—mid-twenties, maybe—dressed in mismatched armor pieces and a cloak that looked like it had lost a fight with a moth. His boots were muddy. His left eye glowed faintly blue.
"Uh… hi," the stranger said, brushing mist off his shoulders. "Is this… is this a real place?"
Kai blinked. "Define real."
The stranger stared for a moment, then walked up to the counter like someone who wasn't sure if they were dreaming or lost.
"I was just—sleeping in a temple ruin. Then I woke up here. There's a sign outside, says 'Open' but the street doesn't exist on my map."
"Sounds like you had a rough nap," Kai said, setting the wrench down. "Coffee?"
The man hesitated. "I… I don't know what that is."
Kai narrowed his eyes. "Right. Different realm."
He pressed the machine's button experimentally.
It shuddered. Groaned. Hissed.
Then, miraculously… it worked. A rich aroma of roasted beans and soul warmth filled the air.
> [Quest Complete: Barista Blues]
Reward Acquired: Dream Brew (Consumable – Restores clarity. Cures minor dream bleed.)
> Passive Buff: Café Somnium now generates ambient warmth and calming aura.
Customers will recover mental fatigue faster.
Kai poured the drink into a ceramic mug etched with moons and handed it over.
The man took a sip.
He blinked.
"…Oh," he breathed. "That's… peaceful."
Kai leaned on the counter. "So, what's your name?"
The man looked up slowly. "I'm Talin. I'm a Seeker. I hunt lost things."
Kai smiled faintly. "Then I guess you found one."
Talin nodded slowly, eyes wandering to the flickering candle.
"…You're not normal," he said.
Kai shrugged. "Neither's the coffee."
---
Later, Talin would drift to sleep in one of the booths.
Kai would tuck a blanket over him and return to the counter.
He sat with the candle in front of him, its flame dancing like it was listening.
> [SYSTEM NOTICE]
Dream Codex Progress: 3.1%
Summon Probability Rising – 7%
Dreamwalker Status: Stabilized
World Thread Alert: You are being watched.
Kai frowned. "Watched?"
> [No origin traceable.]
He stood up slowly, walked to the window.
Across the fog-veiled street, a figure stood in shadow—tall, wearing a long coat and a wide-brimmed hat.
He blinked once—and they were gone.
Kai exhaled.
"Alright," he muttered, turning back toward the café's warmth, "let's add 'creepy watchers in the mist' to the list."
> [New Side Objective: Identify the Watcher.]
He lit a second candle. Just in case.
The café hummed softly around him. The mist swirled.
And somewhere, across the veils of sleep, another desperate dreamer began to stir.