Chapter 2: Shadows and Strangers
Morning sunlight dripped through the windows of the café like melted gold, toasting the distressed wooden interior. The aroma of warm bread, roasted coffee, and cinnamon swirled around—familiar and comforting. Emma dried her hands on the flour-dusted apron and leaned against the counter, observing the city wake up slowly
The doorbell over the entrance jingled gently. She swiveled with a practiced grin, but it wavered when their eyes locke
There he was agai
The man from yesterday. The man in the long black coat with eyes of frozen fire—red and pointed, as if they'd fought in a war and never forgotten it. His presence was a quiet tempest, unnerving and unspoke
"Seth," he said gruffly, as if the name had a bitter tast
"Emma," she replied, recovering. "So… you're back
He nodded, glancing at the pastries in the display. "Your scones were tolerable
Emma raised an eyebrow. "That's high praise coming from you
A flicker of something crossed his face—was that amusement? Regret? She couldn't tell. He looked like he didn't smile often, maybe hadn't in year
She wrapped two scones in a box and passed them over. When their fingers touched, a shiver ran up her arm. It wasn't fear. It was something else—like touching something old and deadly, like being at the edge of a cliff and not knowing if you'd fall or fl
"You always sound like you're accustomed to being let down," she blurted ou
His jaw clenched. "That's because I am
Emma blinked. "Sorry. That was… intrusive
He took the box, his fingers lingering just slightly too long. "You're not wrong
She watched him leave, his coat billowing behind him like a shadow trying to catch u
Seth walked the city streets, blending with the gray drizzle and concrete. The cursed pocket watch burned against his chest, though it was cold to the touch. He had 358 days lef
Seven days had already passed since the demon had awakene
"Charming," the voice spat in his head. "You think a cinnamon-haired girl will redeem you
Seth clenched his teeth. The demon's voice was oil in his veins—thick, choking, and smolderin
"She's innocent," Seth spoke out loud. "Leave her alone
A laugh resonated in his head. "That's not how curses work, little prince. Sacrifice doesn't come without redemption. You knew that when you made the deal
He recalled the evening he pleaded for additional tim
His blood-soaked hands, his broken heart, a heap of corpses at his back—his foes, indeed, but innocents as well. And then the demon had appeared. Not with flames and brimstone, but with a mirror. Seth had beheld himself within it, all of him—his transgressions, his brutality, his hollowness. And the demon had smile
"Three hundred sixty-five days," it had written. "Find love. Real love. Redemption. Or lose your soul forever
And now, here he was. Tormented, pursued, blesse
Emma relived the morning at the café while she worked with the dough. Seth was. peculiar. Not unfriendly, not really. Just hurt. The sort of hurt that put invisible bruises everywhere on someone's sou
Why did he keep returnin
She attempted to get the idea out of her head. But when she looked at the clock, she was counting down until he could walk in agai
That evening, Seth stood in his apartment—bare walls, no pictures, a bottle of unopened whiskey on the counter. He opened the watc
The demon's eye glowed weakly within the glass, churning like smoke behind the shattered face. "She's curious," it whispered. "Bait her. Make her see who you truly are
"No
"Scared she'll flee screaming?" The voice tightened into a snake. "Or scared she won't
He clapped the watch shut. But he couldn't dispel the uncertainty insinuating itsel
Why was she differen
He'd met dozens of women in the past week. Charmed a few. Lied to more. But Emma… she saw him. And worse, she didn't flinc
Two days later, Emma caught up with him on the bench outside her sho
"You okay?" she asked, startle
"I need help
That wasn't what she'd anticipated. He appeared… not weak, per se, but exhausted. Like a man who had been battling something in secret for too lon
"With wha
He hesitated. "I'd like to learn how to bake
She blinked. "You… want to bake
"Something simple. Scones. The ones you did
Emma chuckled, but it wasn't mean. "Okay. But you'll get your hands dirty
Seth didn't smile, but the corner of his mouth quivered. "I've done worse
He was a horrible bake
By the end of the hour, there was flour in his hair, a cracked egg on the floor, and burnt batter stuck to the edge of the counter. But for the first time, he looked aliv
Emma laughed freely, wiping batter off his nose. "You're hopeless
Seth stared at her hand—how close it was. How war
"I like your laugh," he said quietl
Emma stopped. Their eyes clashed. Something flickered between them—soft, tentative, ne
"You don't look like the type of person who offers compliments," she sai
"I don't. Typically
She glanced away, cheeks flushed. "Why me
He said nothing. Couldn'
Because you remind me of who I once wa
Because your light makes the darkness within me shriek
That evening, the demon was angr
"You're hesitating," it snarled. "You'll fail
"I'm trying
"You're feeling," it sneered. "Do you think love will save you
Seth stood in the bathroom, gazing at the mirror. His reflection did not blink. The demon's eyes glared bac
"No," he whispered. "But she might
Outside, it rained again—soft, steady, purgin
Inside a tiny café, a woman with a dusting of flour in her hair smiled to herself over a man she hardly kne
And far away, that man wondered whether, perhaps, he still had a soul that was worth salvaging.Chapter 2: Shadows and Stranger
Morning sunlight dripped through the windows of the café like melted gold, toasting the distressed wooden interior. The aroma of warm bread, roasted coffee, and cinnamon swirled around—familiar and comforting. Emma dried her hands on the flour-dusted apron and leaned against the counter, observing the city wake up slowly
The doorbell over the entrance jingled gently. She swiveled with a practiced grin, but it wavered when their eyes locke
There he was agai
The man from yesterday. The man in the long black coat with eyes of frozen fire—red and pointed, as if they'd fought in a war and never forgotten it. His presence was a quiet tempest, unnerving and unspoke
"Seth," he said gruffly, as if the name had a bitter tast
"Emma," she replied, recovering. "So… you're back
He nodded, glancing at the pastries in the display. "Your scones were tolerable
Emma raised an eyebrow. "That's high praise coming from you
A flicker of something crossed his face—was that amusement? Regret? She couldn't tell. He looked like he didn't smile often, maybe hadn't in year
She wrapped two scones in a box and passed them over. When their fingers touched, a shiver ran up her arm. It wasn't fear. It was something else—like touching something old and deadly, like being at the edge of a cliff and not knowing if you'd fall or fl
"You always sound like you're accustomed to being let down," she blurted ou
His jaw clenched. "That's because I am
Emma blinked. "Sorry. That was… intrusive
He took the box, his fingers lingering just slightly too long. "You're not wrong
She watched him leave, his coat billowing behind him like a shadow trying to catch u
Seth walked the city streets, blending with the gray drizzle and concrete. The cursed pocket watch burned against his chest, though it was cold to the touch. He had 358 days lef
Seven days had already passed since the demon had awakene
"Charming," the voice spat in his head. "You think a cinnamon-haired girl will redeem you
Seth clenched his teeth. The demon's voice was oil in his veins—thick, choking, and smolderin
"She's innocent," Seth spoke out loud. "Leave her alone
A laugh resonated in his head. "That's not how curses work, little prince. Sacrifice doesn't come without redemption. You knew that when you made the deal
He recalled the evening he pleaded for additional tim
His blood-soaked hands, his broken heart, a heap of corpses at his back—his foes, indeed, but innocents as well. And then the demon had appeared. Not with flames and brimstone, but with a mirror. Seth had beheld himself within it, all of him—his transgressions, his brutality, his hollowness. And the demon had smile
"Three hundred sixty-five days," it had written. "Find love. Real love. Redemption. Or lose your soul forever
And now, here he was. Tormented, pursued, blesse
Emma relived the morning at the café while she worked with the dough. Seth was. peculiar. Not unfriendly, not really. Just hurt. The sort of hurt that put invisible bruises everywhere on someone's sou
Why did he keep returnin
She attempted to get the idea out of her head. But when she looked at the clock, she was counting down until he could walk in agai
That evening, Seth stood in his apartment—bare walls, no pictures, a bottle of unopened whiskey on the counter. He opened the watc
The demon's eye glowed weakly within the glass, churning like smoke behind the shattered face. "She's curious," it whispered. "Bait her. Make her see who you truly are
"No
"Scared she'll flee screaming?" The voice tightened into a snake. "Or scared she won't
He clapped the watch shut. But he couldn't dispel the uncertainty insinuating itsel
Why was she differen
He'd met dozens of women in the past week. Charmed a few. Lied to more. But Emma… she saw him. And worse, she didn't flinc
Two days later, Emma caught up with him on the bench outside her sho
"You okay?" she asked, startle
"I need help
That wasn't what she'd anticipated. He appeared… not weak, per se, but exhausted. Like a man who had been battling something in secret for too lon
"With wha
He hesitated. "I'd like to learn how to bake
She blinked. "You… want to bake
"Something simple. Scones. The ones you did
Emma chuckled, but it wasn't mean. "Okay. But you'll get your hands dirty
Seth didn't smile, but the corner of his mouth quivered. "I've done worse
He was a horrible bake
By the end of the hour, there was flour in his hair, a cracked egg on the floor, and burnt batter stuck to the edge of the counter. But for the first time, he looked aliv
Emma laughed freely, wiping batter off his nose. "You're hopeless
Seth stared at her hand—how close it was. How war
"I like your laugh," he said quietl
Emma stopped. Their eyes clashed. Something flickered between them—soft, tentative, ne
"You don't look like the type of person who offers compliments," she sai
"I don't. Typically
She glanced away, cheeks flushed. "Why me
He said nothing. Couldn'
Because you remind me of who I once wa
Because your light makes the darkness within me shriek
That evening, the demon was angr
"You're hesitating," it snarled. "You'll fail
"I'm trying
"You're feeling," it sneered. "Do you think love will save you
Seth stood in the bathroom, gazing at the mirror. His reflection did not blink. The demon's eyes glared bac
"No," he whispered. "But she might
Outside, it rained again—soft, steady, purgin
Inside a tiny café, a woman with a dusting of flour in her hair smiled to herself over a man she hardly kne
And far away, that man wondered whether, perhaps, he still had a soul that was worth salvaging.lf over a man she hardly knew.
And far away, that man wondered whether, perhaps, he still had a soul that was worth salvaging.