A man who looked to be in his twenties pushed through the glass café door.
The scent of roasted coffee hit him first. Steam hissed from a vintage machine and conversation echoed from scattered tables.
Behind the counter, the barista looked up from wiping and forgot what she was doing. Her cheeks warmed as she looked into his dark almond eyes.
The white monk robe did not make him less noticeable. It stood out like a spotlight against his black hair, which was pulled into a single long braid that reached his waist
"What can I get you?" The words came out shakier than she intended.
"Coffee. Dark Roast"
He paid before she could start the usual small talk and headed toward the corner.
A woman in a black blazer rose from her seat as he approached.
"Master Rain." She bowed and didn't sit until he did.
His eyes swept the café. Others at nearby tables. Six total, positioned with clear sightlines to their corner. Her security.
"Is this necessary for a friendly chat?"He leaned back, completely at ease despite being surrounded.
"Master, I beg your pardon. But since this concerns classified information, such security is essential."
"Fair enough. How many years has it been?"
"Twenty years. I was eighteen when you left. I'm thirty-eight now…" Her coffee cup tilted slightly in her grip. "…and you still look the same."
A light chuckle escaped his lips. "Don't envy me. Growing old is a gift."
She realized her mistake too late. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that."
"Don't worry about it."
Elaine's mouth opened. Another apology forming, but the waitress arrived with his order. The interruption gave her time to collect herself.
He lifted the cup and drank deeply. The bitter taste would make most people grimace, but his expression remained pleased.
"Master, what have you been up to these past twenty years?" she asked, steering toward safer ground.
"Ah, the usual. Reading, learning, sleeping. You can only do so much when you're like me."
The lightness in his tone didn't match the exhaustion in his eyes.
Taking a steadying breath, she reached into her bag, and slid a black card across the table.
(Department of Defense - Supernatural Division. )
Casually, he picked it up and smiled. The same group had chased him for years before giving up.
"Please give me a chance to explain."
"Very well. I'll grant you the opportunity, given our history."
"Thank you." She took out a tablet, displaying a series of photos.
Young people in hospital beds. Eyes closed. IVs attached. Every single one looked peaceful—like they were simply sleeping.
"Is this some kind of sleeping sickness? Like encephalitis lethargica in 1915?"
"No, Master. This is worse. Within weeks, 95% of those affected die. We believe it's a curse."
"A curse?" his eyebrow arched.
"Master. You know better than anyone that there are things in this world that can't be explained. You're one of them."
"Maybe that's how you see it. But what people call supernatural is just science we haven't understood yet."
She said nothing, aware she was speaking to a man whose knowledge surpassed every book in the world. Convincing him without solid proof would be pointless.
Instead, she switched the images to a video showing humans displaying strange powers.
He studied the footage frame by frame, searching for flaws. No signs of manipulation.
"The few who survive wake up with unique abilities." she added.
Subtly, he focused on her breathing, the rate of her heartbeat, and the small changes in her expression. He already mastered reading people to a terrifying degree, and only a few could fool him.
She wasn't lying at all.
"Unique abilities?"A wide grin spread across his face. "I wonder how powerful they are compared to me…"
Her security detail reached for their guns in fear. Elaine waved them down.
This was the man she remembered. The one who'd walked through a sea of bodies wearing that same innocent smile.
The most dangerous man in the planet 'ENDLESS RAIN'