A ring came from the door, prompting Olivier to glance over. But when he saw the person stepping foot into the café, he was quite surprised. Rough worker's clothes, a light stubble, about thirty years old – it was actually Sam!
Sam carefully entered the café. His expression was quite weary. Recently his days haven't been quiet. And when this strange card kept appearing in front of him, he finally decided to be proactive. Scrutinizing the room, Sam's face grew solemn as he spotted Old Demon. He stopped his gaze on the gramophone for a moment.
"Walking in shadows, missing your wife. Naturally drowning, what cursed life. Pray tell, are you determined to strive?"
A hoarse, male voice echoed through the room, tugging at everyone's heartstrings. Sam felt it most deeply. He froze in place as a single tear ran down his cheek. A few seconds ticked by before he snapped out of it. Sam berated himself, not knowing if this place was safe. His eyes continued to wander, skipping over Exaner before they landed on Olivier.
Sam was hit with a strange sensation. He felt like this face was familiar, but he couldn't quite remember when he had seen it before. However, the tailcoat…
"It's you!"
Suddenly the pictures of that night came back to him. It was when he almost drowned in the river. A stranger saved him. It was this man. The man in the black and white tailcoat!
Sam still felt weirded out by the situation, but he felt a lot safer now. If this man wanted to hurt him, there would have been no reason to safe him in the first place. Especially since they were complete strangers.
Thus, Sam gathered his courage and approached the counter where Olivier nodded lightly at him.
"It was really you, wasn't it?"
"I guess."
"I… I don't know what to say. I might have been somewhat overwhelmed that day. It's good to see you again. I owe my sincere thanks. If you ever need something don't hesitate to call me."
"Don't worry. There is no need to overthink things."
Over the last few weeks Sam had often thought back to that night. Although the stranger asked some weird questions, he did save Sam's life and Sam regretted how they separated. Luckily Olivier didn't seem to mind.
"I'm not sure if I recall your name…", hinted Sam after calming down.
"You can call me Barista."
"Ok… Barista… what is this place? Was it you who brought me here?"
Olivier grabbed his coffee mill and began to turn the crank while answering:
"This is the Café of Dreams. We sell coffee."
"Coffee…"
Sam was somewhat confused. Could this be it? A place which attracted people in such a strange way was simply selling coffee? No, of course it wasn't that simple! Sam glanced over his shoulder at Old Demon. This strange alien creature alone was an obvious indication that this place wasn't what it looked like on the surface.
"I… don't think I need your coffee. I came here seeking answers. Can you help me?"
"Unlikely. But you can try."
"You see… there have been many strange occurrences lately. The first time was a few years ago when I came across a… demon. I don't know how else to say it. The gendarmes are searching for the Alley Killer, but without success. It's not surprising. They are searching for a human while the real killer is a demon. But this was only one instance. Recently it has gotten worse. There were more victims. Some died to stab wounds, some died to unnatural causes. I got attacked as well. I was supposed to die in the river. Someone hid poison in my room. One day a neighbor of mine went crazy and strangled his wife before stabbing himself to death. An entire noble family went missing. Another noble died mysteriously, his body a shriveled husk when they found him. It's just… too much! I can't form clear thoughts anymore. My sleep is terrible. I… I…"
Towards the end Sam's speech grew increasingly frantic. Olivier could see that he was venting all the pent-up feelings. Perhaps this in itself was already helpful to his mental state.
After getting it all out Sam did indeed feel somewhat more at ease. He took a few deep breaths, imploring Olivier again:
"Please, you must know something, right? I need answers…"
Olivier looked at Sam but unfortunately, he was just as clueless. He softly shook his head.
"I'm sorry to disappoint but I do not have the answers you seek. I only came to your city once. I don't know anything about this Alley Killer or other strange cases."
"No. Please. Is it something you can't talk about? You were there. I'm sure you know something!"
"I can only tell you that there is no need to fear too much. The person who tried to harm you. I have already driven them away."
Sam's mouth gaped open. He was caught between belief and disbelief.
"Did you… really?"
"I don't have a reason to lie to you."
Sam shivered lightly. Although there was no evidence, he indeed hadn't been assaulted since a while ago. Really, the attacks on him appeared in a brief span of a few days but the experience was branded in Sam's mind. He couldn't forget it. The fear was always accompanying him. Thus, he chose to believe. A stone fell from his heart and his soul relaxed.
"Thank you... you saved me!"
Perceiving the intense emotions coming from Sam, Olivier didn't remain cold. He nodded with a light smile, brewed a cup of coffee for Sam and pushed it towards the man.
Sam felt the warmth coming from the cup and a pleasant feeling drove through his body just from the smell. He stared at the brown liquid, his resistance dwindling. Sam's thoughts were still quite chaotic. He grabbed the cup of coffee, sat down at a table and drank sip by sip while sorting out his thoughts.
Only drinking a little at a time made the coffee's effect less intense. Sam felt his whole being elevated, his thoughts flying freely, his body enjoying the warmth. But it wasn't to the point of going crazy.
Silence returned to the café. However, it wouldn't last long. Olivier stood behind the counter, leisurely browsing through his one and only book. By now there was almost no need to read as he knew the contents by heart.
Ding!
The door opened, drawing everyone's attention. Benjamin came in wearing a deep frown on his face. He sat down at his usual place and glanced around the café. For a moment he was surprised to see new faces but then he sank back into his own thoughts. A minute later there was a low thud as a cup of coffee appeared in front of him on the table.
"Thank you, Barista."
"You seem troubled today?"
Benjamin looked up. It was rare that the barista sought a conversation. Perhaps he was just in the mood today. However, Benjamin was indeed somewhat distressed.
"Yes. Recently I have worked so hard to get Aquoria into the various markets but… the sales are terrible."
Benjamin let out a sigh. He had convinced multiple managers with the help of his red beans. Aquoria found its way in the supermarkets of Mecutis, but the people just wouldn't buy it. They had already lowered the price as much as possible, almost making no profit, just to get people used to Aquoria but it didn't work.
Sometimes when Benjamin was resting in his hotel the face of his brother flashed through his mind. Was William right? Was it a matter of image? No! Benjamin couldn't accept it. He couldn't believe that something like reputation could have such an influence. Didn't the people of his home province happily buy Aquoria? Why should Mecutis be any different?
"I just don't understand. I am working my ass off. I pour everything I have into the company. My doctor even advised me to work less. So why am I not rewarded? Why does nothing good ever come my way? Why is it someone like William who easily gets to know a presidential candate?! Or this Miss Fenrich! So useless yet she managed to catch my brother's eye. It's…"
Olivier watched as Benjamin became increasingly agitated. The older man balled his fists, almost to the point of drawing blood. He sighed inwardly, thinking that Benjamin lived a good life but was simply insatiable.
"Why don't you drink a cup of coffee first?"
Olivier's measured voice calmed Benjamin down slightly. He picked up the cup and emptied it in a few sips. He closed his eyes, feeling every cell of his brimming with energy, his mind erupting with pleasure.
Benjamin took a deep breath.
"Another one, please."
Though he sighed inwardly, Olivier didn't show anything on his face. Out of all his customers Benjmain was the only one who hadn't figured out yet that more than one cup of coffee was damaging. Even Marcus had perceived this fact despite only knowing the café for ten days. Should he feel pity?