At exactly 8:00 AM, Lyria stood behind the gleaming espresso machine —the masterpiece Pete had finished just in time. While Tessa took her position behind the counter, Lyria took a deep breath and nodded to Thorne, who reached for the door handle.
Chime.
"Welcome to Moonpetal Coffee & Confections!" Tessa announced with a radiant smile.
The crowd poured in, and the quiet atmosphere was instantly replaced by the hum of conversation and the rhythmic tamp-tamp of the duskbean grounds. Lyria's hands moved in a blur. She pulled shots of espresso, the machine hissing and steaming exactly as she remembered from Earth.
"What is that magnificent creation?" an elderly beastwoman asked, staring at the espresso machine as Lyria handed her a Cloud-Cream Latte.
"It's an espresso machine," Lyria explained with a wink. "It uses pressure to pull the very soul out of the duskbean."
The reaction was immediate. People weren't just eating; they were taking photos with their Clawcoms and calling their friends. Rowan stood in the corner, watching with pride as Lyria managed the chaos like a seasoned professional. Eron was a machine in the kitchen, sending out tray after tray of golden, flaky pastries that disappeared as soon as they hit the counter.
By midday, the line stretched out the door and halfway down Ferin Avenue.
"Lyria! The Starberry Tarts are almost sold out!" Tessa shouted over the noise, her face flushed with excitement.
"Switch to the Honey-Glazed Croissants!" Lyria shouted back, a triumphant grin on her face.
As she worked, she felt a familiar vibration in her mind. She glanced at her system interface, which was updating in real-time.
[REVENUE TRACKER]
Current Sales: ₤1,200 / ₤10,000
Customer Satisfaction: 98%
Status: Trending on Local Social Networks
Lyria caught her father Rowan's eye across the room, and he gave her a thumbs-up. She had done it. The café was alive.
The buzz and energy of the opening lasted well into the night. After the last customer finally left, the "Closed" sign was flipped and the locks clicked into place. The interior of the café felt strangely quiet, filled only with the lingering scent of roasted beans and sugar.
The trio: Lyria, Tessa, and Eron, collapsed into the plush lounge chairs in the corner, too tired to even begin cleaning. Their aprons were stained with flour and coffee splashes, and their feet ached with every heartbeat, but the smiles on their faces couldn't be wiped away.
"I think... I think I forgot how to stand up," Tessa groaned. She was clutching her Clawcom, scrolling through the viral posts about the café. "Lyria, look! People are calling the 'Cloud-Cream Latte' a 'liquid miracle' online."
Eron wiped sweat from his brow. "I've never baked so much in my entire life. We went through six months' worth of flour in ten hours."
"You did amazing, Eron. I knew I was right to hire you," Lyria said sincerely. She stood up and walked toward the counter to pull the final report from the register.
Hearing the rustle of the machine, the rest of the family—Serena, Cyris, Rowan, Thorne, and her brothers emerged from the back, where they had been helping with the dishes and inventory. They gathered around the counter in a tight circle, the air thick with anticipation.
Lyria tapped the screen, and the daily total flashed in bright, golden numbers: GRAND TOTAL— ₤2,850. The room fell silent for a heartbeat.
"Two thousand, eight hundred and fifty?" Finn whispered, his eyes wide.
"Lyria, this is a total hit!" Tessa said with a loud laugh.
Lyria, a silly smile on her face, could only think one thing: At this rate, I won't just hit the milestone; I will crush it.
Serena stepped forward and pulled her daughter into a warm hug. "We are so proud of you," she said softly.
Seeing this touching scene, Thorne acted as if he were wiping tears from his eyes. "My baby has really grown up!"
After sharing the warm moment, they finally closed the shop and headed home.
Three weeks later, the chaotic energy of the first few days had settled into a sophisticated, rhythmic hum. The morning rush was now a coordinated dance.
Eron moved through the kitchen with a confidence that made it hard to believe he had ever been a downtrodden baker in a torn sack. He had mastered the delicate temperature required for the Matcha Moon-Cakes and could now laminate croissant dough with his eyes closed. Tessa, meanwhile, had become a local celebrity. She knew the names of the regulars and exactly how much "Cloud-Cream" each person liked on their lattes.
Lyria stood by the window, watching the street. The sight of people walking by with Moonpetal's signature crescent-moon cups filled her with a quiet pride. She had introduced a seasonal special—a Spiced Duskbean Brew—which had become so popular they were struggling to keep the beans in stock.
One afternoon, while the shop was in a rare moment of quiet, Lyria sat down with her ledger. Tessa joined her, leaning over her shoulder.
"We've had to increase our supply orders from Luca and Nivara three times this month," Tessa noted, pointing at the numbers. "The Starberries are going faster than the orchard can pick them!"
"It's a good problem to have," Lyria laughed. She looked at the final tally for the week. The numbers were staggering. Between the daily foot traffic and the catering orders for local stores and offices , the revenue had climbed steadily.
She opened her system interface to check the final standing of her mission.
[MISSION PROGRESS: 3/4 Tasks Complete]
[TASKS: Acquire a Permanent Location {COMPLETED}
Forge a Supply Contract{COMPLETED}
Hire Workers{COMPLETED}
Achieve a Revenue Milestone: ₤9,250 / ₤10,000]
System Countdown: 28 days, 14 hrs, 30 min
Their conversation was interrupted by the chime of the door. A group of students from the nearby academy walked in, laughing and discussing their exams. Lyria stood up, smoothed her apron, and stepped behind the counter.
"Welcome to Moonpetal," she said, her voice steady and full of warmth. "What can I get for you today?"
"We'd like some tarts and lattes, please!"
The day continued as the evening rush brought in a steady flow of customers. That night, just before Lyria drifted off to sleep, the system chimed in her head.
DING!
[MISSION COMPLETED]
[UNLOCKING REWARDS…]
Ps. Creation is hard cheer me up. 🥺