Chapter 0: Prologue
"Alright, Ma'am, that will be $34.66. Would you like a receipt with that?"
Sammy utters as he hands the woman her cup of coffee.
"Ugh, yes..... thank you."
The older woman uttered as she pulled out money from her handbag.
The Cafe was called Casual Coffee, a place where anyone could come and get cheap, quality coffee.
Sammy had inherited it after his mom's passing, rather than selling it for a quick buck.
He decided to turn it into a cafe with whatever he had left in his savings.
Business is never bad nor great, just managing to pay the bills by the month's end.
"Thank you, ma'am."
Sammy gave a weak smile as he handed the woman her coffee.
The woman returned the gesture and left without another word.
Sammy looked around the cafe, which was empty, which wasn't surprising.
He turned around to refill the machine with more coffee beans.
"Business is stable these days.... might have enough by the end of the month to treat myself to dinner....."
He thought as the doorbell chimed slightly.
"Welcome. If you need something, I'll be with you in a moment."
He stated while loading the machine with beans.
Sammy turned back towards them but froze immediately.
The individual pointed a gun right at his face, hands steady and ready.
"Give me everything you have right now!!"
The robber shouted.
"But I haven't really made any significant sales today..."
"I said hand everything over!"
The man emphasised this by shooting once in the air.
Sammy didn't argue as he reached for the register and started pulling out money.
Then the door opened again, and a group of college students entered.
"Hello, Mr Coleman, 8 lattes with...Oh my God!!"
One of the girls screamed as she realised what was going on.
The gunman immediately turned his attention towards them.
Sammy didn't hesitate; he jumped over the counter and pinned the gunman to the floor.
Gunshots were fired aimlessly as Sammy grabbed whatever he could to defend himself.
After a hard struggle, the gunman fled the store with bruises and cuts.
"...Is everyone okay?"
The words left Sammy Coleman's mouth before he even realised he'd spoken them.
As he collapsed onto the floor, his breathing. The café was silent.
A few coffee mugs lay shattered across the floor, their contents slowly spreading between overturned chairs.
The smell of roasted beans mixed with gunpowder filled the air.
One girl was crying, another was screaming.
He tried to turn toward the sound, but his body wouldn't move an inch.
"...Huh?"
A sharp pain bloomed in his chest.
Looking down, he found crimson soaking through his uniform.
"Huh....."
Sammy uttered as he fell towards the floor.
He was shot multiple times in the chest and abdomen.
His life flashed before his eyes in an instant, 27 boring years of living and for what...
Nothing to show for it.
"I don't... want to die..."
He uttered as tears slipped down his face, the warmth in him slowly fading.
Around him, he could hear the voices of frightened girls as they rushed toward the exit, and police sirens echoed from outside.
One of the girls grabbed his shoulder tightly, her hands turning red.
"Stay with me!"
Another voice shouted for an ambulance.
Sammy wanted to answer, to tell them it was okay.
But all he could do was smile softly as the café ceiling blurred into darkness and muffled noises.
....
....
Warmth.
That was the first thing he felt, and it was endless.
Not pain, not fear, just warmth.
A gentle light pressed against his closed eyes, accompanied by soft voices speaking a language he couldn't understand.
He frowned.
Something was off...
He tried to open his eyes, but everything was blurry, distorted, unclear.
Moonlight poured through a circular opening above him.
Then a woman appeared.
Her silver hair flowed over elegant robes embroidered with crescent moons.
Though pale and exhausted, her violet eyes shone with indescribable joy as she cradled him close.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she whispered.
"My son..."
The familiar words somehow reached Sammy's ears
.
"Son....wait, Mom? No, that can't be right...."
He thought for a moment.
The woman smiled as though she had found a miracle in a sea of endless pain and suffering.
Around her.
Dozens of women knelt with trembling hands, many weeping openly as they tried to contain their emotions.
"The prophecy..."
"The Goddess has kept her promise..."
"A son... after all these centuries..."
The voices came from every direction, overloading Sammy's senses.
He wanted to ask what they were talking about.
Instead....
"...Waah..."
A baby's cry escaped his lips.
....What?
He tried to lift an arm, but a tiny hand greeted him instead.
"What the hell is happening? Why is my hand so small!?"
Panic immediately flooded his mind as he cried louder.
"Did I...""Did I really..."
The silver-haired woman kissed his forehead softly.
"You shall be called..."
She closed her eyes, her smile filled with love.
"Ark."
The women lowered their heads as one.
"May the Moon forever watch over our prince."
The moonlight shone heavily upon baby Ark's head over the clear skies.
The wind blew calmly, with a whisper accompanying it.
"The promised child has finally returned."
