The cafe was bustling, the rich aroma of coffee mixing with the hum of quiet chatter and the occasional clatter of cups. Elias pushed the door open, his shoulders slouched as he made his way to the counter. The events of the past week had left him raw, his nerves stretched thin and his mind constantly replaying fragments of things he couldn’t fully understand.

He ordered a simple black coffee and turned toward the tables, scanning for an empty spot. That’s when he saw her.

She was standing at the counter, her dark hair pulled into a loose braid, her sharp, striking features unmistakable. Elias’s heart skipped a beat. It was her. The Oni. The woman who had pulled him out of the chaos, who had fought alongside him against the Axiom agents. But something was off. She wasn’t wearing her mask, wasn’t dressed in her flowing robes. Instead, she wore a casual jacket over a plain blouse, jeans, and scuffed boots. She looked… ordinary.

Elias froze, his coffee in hand, watching as she fumbled through her purse, her brow furrowing in frustration.

“I’m so sorry,” she said to the barista, her voice tinged with embarrassment. “I’m a dollar short. Can I just—”

“I got it,” Elias said abruptly, stepping forward before he even realized what he was doing. He slid a crumpled bill across the counter, his hand shaking slightly. “Add it to my tab.”

The woman looked up at him, her dark eyes locking onto his. For a moment, Elias expected recognition to flash across her face, for her to say his name or pull him aside. But she didn’t. Her expression was one of surprise and gratitude, nothing more.

“Thank you,” she said, offering him a warm smile. “That’s really kind of you.”

Elias forced a nod, his throat dry. “No problem.”

He stepped back quickly, clutching his coffee like a lifeline as he made his way to an empty table near the window. His mind raced as he sat down, opening his laptop and pulling up his architectural designs in an attempt to ground himself. The familiar lines and shapes of his mockups offered a small measure of comfort, but his eyes kept darting toward the counter.

The woman collected her coffee and turned toward the seating area, scanning the room for a place to sit. Elias tensed as her gaze swept past him, his heart pounding. She’s going to recognize me. She has to.

But instead, she walked past him and sat at a table near the corner, her back to him.

Elias exhaled, his shoulders slumping as he turned back to his laptop. Maybe it’s not her, he thought, though the idea didn’t sit well. The resemblance was too perfect—the same sharp jawline, the same piercing eyes. But her demeanor was different, lighter, less guarded. If this was the same woman, she was hiding it exceptionally well.

He forced himself to focus on his work, his fingers tapping at the keys as he adjusted the layout of a virtual blueprint. The flow of creativity was slow, his thoughts weighed down by the strange encounter.

“Mind if I sit here?”

Elias nearly jumped out of his skin. He looked up to see the woman standing beside his table, her coffee in hand. She smiled apologetically. “The other tables are full. I promise I won’t bother you.”

“Uh, sure,” he said, his voice faltering. He closed his laptop halfway, his paranoia rising as she slid into the chair across from him.

“Thanks,” she said, setting her cup down. She glanced at his laptop and raised an eyebrow. “Architectural design?”

Elias nodded stiffly. “Yeah. Just some freelance stuff.”

“That’s impressive,” she said, her tone genuinely interested. “I’m Kaida, by the way.”

The name hit him like a punch to the gut. Elias swallowed hard, his pulse quickening as he stared at her. Kaida. It’s her name. It has to be her.

He hesitated, debating whether to confront her or play along. Finally, he forced a small smile. “Elias.”

“Nice to meet you, Elias,” Kaida said, her smile warm and disarming. She took a sip of her coffee, her gaze drifting toward the window. “So, freelance architecture. That sounds… chaotic.”

“Yeah,” Elias said, his voice tight. He could feel the sweat forming on his palms, the tension in his chest growing with every passing second. “It’s… unpredictable.”

Kaida laughed softly, the sound light and unassuming. “I can imagine. I used to be in marketing. It’s not the same, but the freelance gigs were always the most stressful.”

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Elias watched her carefully, his mind racing. If this was the same Kaida who had fought alongside him, she was playing an incredible game of pretense. But if it wasn’t… He shook his head, trying to make sense of the situation.

“What do you do now?” he asked, his voice steadier this time.

“Oh, I’m in between things,” she said with a shrug. “Looking for the next big opportunity, I guess.”

Elias nodded slowly, her answer only deepening his unease. It was vague, too vague, and the way she said it sent a chill down his spine. But her smile was so genuine, her demeanor so casual, that he couldn’t bring himself to confront her outright.

“Well,” she said, setting her cup down and leaning back slightly. “Thanks again for helping me out earlier. I was ready to just walk out without my coffee.”

“No problem,” Elias said, forcing a faint smile. “I guess I’m just good at being in the right place at the right time.”

Her eyes lingered on him for a moment, and he thought he saw a flicker of something deeper—something knowing—but it vanished as quickly as it came.

“Or maybe,” she said, her tone light, “you’re good at helping people when they need it most.”

Elias tensed, his stomach twisting at the subtle weight of her words. He laughed weakly, trying to brush it off. “Yeah. Something like that.”

Kaida smiled again, but this time it felt different—calculated, deliberate. She took another sip of her coffee, her eyes drifting back to the window. Elias watched her closely, his paranoia building as he tried to piece together what was happening.

Was this a coincidence? A trick? Or something far more dangerous?

The tension in Elias’s chest slowly began to ease as their conversation continued. Despite his initial paranoia, Kaida’s demeanor seemed genuine—relaxed, curious, and entirely unguarded. If she was pretending, she was doing an impeccable job. And if she wasn’t the same Kaida he’d encountered before, the coincidence of her name and appearance still gnawed at the edges of his mind.

“So, tell me,” Kaida said, resting her chin on her hand as she leaned forward slightly. “What made you want to go into architecture? It’s not exactly a common dream for most kids.”

Elias hesitated, caught off guard by the question. “Uh… well, it sounds cliché, but I’ve always loved building things. When I was a kid, I’d spend hours with blocks and Legos, just making these… worlds, I guess. It was my way of escaping, of creating something that felt safe and real.”

Kaida smiled softly, her gaze warm. “That’s not cliché at all. That’s… beautiful, actually. You wanted to shape your own reality.”

He chuckled, though the sound was tinged with self-consciousness. “Yeah, well, now I’m just struggling to make a career out of it. Turns out shaping reality doesn’t pay well unless you’re already successful.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Kaida said, her tone encouraging. “Sometimes it just takes one good opportunity, one person to notice your talent, and everything changes.”

Her words struck a chord, a flicker of something deeper passing through her expression before it disappeared. Elias studied her, searching for hidden meaning, but her smile seemed as genuine as ever.

“What about you?” he asked, shifting the focus away from himself. “You said you were in marketing before, but what are you hoping to do next?”

Kaida tilted her head, considering the question. “Honestly? I don’t know. I’ve been jumping between things for so long, trying to find something that feels meaningful. Something where I can make a difference. Marketing was fun for a while, but it never felt… fulfilling.”

Elias nodded, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “I get that. I think everyone’s looking for something meaningful, even if they don’t know what it is.”

They continued talking, their conversation weaving through topics both light and personal. Kaida had a way of drawing him out, asking questions that felt thoughtful rather than intrusive, and Elias found himself relaxing more than he had in weeks. They laughed about the absurdity of freelance work, swapped stories about childhood hobbies, and even debated the merits of certain coffee blends.

Hours passed without either of them noticing. The cafe began to empty as the afternoon sun dipped lower in the sky, casting golden light across the room. Elias glanced at his watch and blinked in surprise. “Wow. We’ve been talking for—what, three hours?”

“Three and a half,” Kaida corrected with a grin. “But who’s counting?”

Elias laughed, shaking his head. “I guess I should let you get back to… whatever it is you’re in between.”

Kaida smiled, but there was a faint hint of reluctance in her eyes. “Yeah, I should probably head out. But I’ve really enjoyed this.”

“Me too,” Elias admitted, his voice soft. “It’s been a while since I’ve had a conversation like this.”

Kaida reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out her phone. “Well, maybe we can do it again sometime.” She handed him her phone, her smile playful. “Here. Put your number in.”

Elias hesitated for a brief moment before taking the phone. He entered his number, the act feeling strangely significant, though he couldn’t pinpoint why. When he handed it back, she saved the contact with a quick tap of her fingers.

“I’ll text you,” she said, slipping the phone back into her pocket as she stood. “That way, you can’t say I ghosted you.”

Elias laughed, rising to his feet as well. “I’ll hold you to that.”

Kaida grabbed her coffee cup, now empty, and glanced toward the door. “Well, Elias, it’s been fun. Try not to overthink your next big design, okay? Sometimes the best ideas come when you stop trying so hard.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Elias said, his smile lingering as he watched her walk away.

She paused at the door, turning back to give him one last wave before stepping outside. The warm glow of the afternoon sun framed her silhouette for a moment, and then she was gone.

Elias stood there for a while, his thoughts a whirlwind of curiosity, relief, and unease. Something about Kaida—her name, her face, her timing—felt too perfect to be a coincidence. But at the same time, she’d been so genuine, so open, that doubting her felt almost wrong.

He sat back down and opened his laptop, but his focus was gone. The screen blurred as his mind replayed their conversation, searching for clues he might have missed.

Who is she really?

The question lingered, unanswered, as the golden light of the setting sun cast long shadows across the cafe.