A QUEST OF DEATH : Dawning Darkness

24 | Chocolate Crepes (new.unedited)

Golden hues of setting sun painted the sky, casting a warm glow over the city and Brew Heaven came alive for the late noon shift. Ada moved through the cafe, clad in a soft apron adorned with subtle coffee stains, a notepad in hand, as she approached each table with a warm smile.

The gentle hum of satisfaction accompanied her, punctuated by a symphony of clinking cups, murmured conversations, an occasional laughter that erupted like a melody in the background and the tantalising aroma of freshly ground coffee beans. The espresso machine hissed and hummed, releasing plumes of steam that curled into intricate patterns as Lucy went on with creating master arts on coffee, her hands moving with rhythmic precision.

On the opposite side, David stood at the cashier, settling bills and typing away orders as he loudly repeated them for Lucy and Ada. His voice, though commanding, harmonised seamlessly with the ambient sounds, becoming part of the rhythmic cadence of the cafe's inner workings.

Life had not been kind to Ada of late, and when she sought an escape, Death himself declined her request. Instead he made certain she was nursed back to health and made sure she was safe. He had promised he would stay beside her no matter what. And he showed no intention of disappearing without a farewell-in a literal sense.

The day he returned Ada back home in Serenel, he had come with his own luggage. Now he had taken up residence at Ada's palace, and Ada wasn't sure how to feel about it. It wasn't like The Dark Lord was a stranger to her life but now she was more accustomed to having her life flowing without anyone by her side.

However she had been tapping into her powers more frequently than before. Every night Devereaux would wait for her to be back from work and help her with training before he left for his tasks. Every session so far had made her realise how weakened she had got, as one would after years without any training, if anything trying to suppress her powers.

Ada wasn't sure how long she had stayed in the Land of Shadows with Denizen. Time seemed to slip away there, blending into an endless twilight. However long it was, Kaya had stayed with her, never leaving her side until the Dark Lord had finally deemed her healthy enough to return to the human world.

Coming back home had been strange, almost surreal. Her time in the Land of Shadows had done something to her-healed her in ways she didn't fully understand. It was a place of decay and departure, a world where things went to fade away, yet it had somehow nourished her. Color had returned to her face, her mind clearer than it had been in years.

She believed it was the fragment of Gan within her, that piece of ancient power, that had been restless until it had touched the land of its origin. It had been the root of so many of her struggles, its dormant energy clashing with her own, making her vulnerable.

But the moment she stepped back into the human world, walking through the door of her apartment, Ada could feel the fragment of Gan stir in displeasure. It had been satisfied in the Land of Shadows, content to rest, but now that it was back in the human realm, it bristled, unsettled once more.

But it wasn't as bad as before. She could push it down easier and focus on her dormant energy better. The realisation relaxed her. The moment she would get this fragment out she'd crush it to oblivion.

Auden was still out there. Devereaux knew where he was, and more importantly, he was alive. But Ada couldn't shake the feeling that Auden wasn't alright. That boy wasn't built for this life-for the darkness, the danger. It worried her, weighed on her heart every moment of every day. But she couldn't just rush in, reckless and unprepared. She needed to be stronger, she needed to be ready.

Until then, all she could do was pray. She prayed for Auden's safety, for his resilience. She prayed that he would hold on, just a little longer, until she could bring him back. Day and night, she prayed for him. Devereaux had helped her see that some things couldn't be undone with tears. She couldn't run anymore. She had to be strong, and for the first time, she had set her mind to fight.