Where the Peace Ends

The Death of Quiet

Coffee shop (The Past)

The coffee shop was perfectly quiet, which is exactly why Chloe loved it there. Sitting by the frosted window with her notebook open on the table, she let her mind drift into her favorite daydream: a peaceful, predictable future. She imagined herself landing in her dream internship and living in a little apartment full of beautiful plants and, of course, a cat, as she is a cat mother, and finally living a life where nothing unexpected occurs. No chaos. No noise. Just absolute peace.

She took a sip of the hot coffee, a smile forming on her face due to all the amazing things she had just daydreamed about, and while staring at the wet streets through the window, the weather was quite pleasant. She felt like she was in good control of her own world.

Then, the cafe door didn't just open; it practically just rattled onto its hinges.

A gust of wind swept into the warm cafe, carrying with it an unmistakable sound of wet sneakers squeaking loudly against the tiled floor. Chloe blinked, her peaceful trance instantly shattering as a tall figure stepped into her line of sight, shaking rainwater off a dark jacket like a stray dog.

It was Noah.

Of all the people in this crowded city, it had to be him. The person who can dismantle her mood with a single look. He didn't even notice her yet, tossing his dripping umbrella in a nearby plastic with a careless shrug, which made Chloe's jaw tighten with anger; her perfect quiet morning was officially ruined.