Morning sunlight filtered through the thin curtains of Daniel's apartment.
For a moment, he didn't remember where he was.
Then the unfamiliar ceiling came into focus.
Greyford.
The new town.
The new life.
Daniel sat up slowly and ran a hand through his hair. The room was quiet except for the distant sound of cars moving along the street below.
It felt strange waking up in a place where nobody knew him.
Strange… but peaceful.
For the first time in years, he hadn't woken up from a nightmare.
Maybe the distance was helping.
Maybe leaving his old life behind was the right decision.
After getting dressed, Daniel stepped outside and locked the apartment door behind him.
The morning air was cool and fresh.
People were beginning their day—shop owners opening stores, a few cars driving past, a couple walking their dog down the sidewalk.
Normal life.
Exactly what he wanted.
Without thinking much about it, his feet carried him back to the same café from yesterday.
The bell above the door rang softly when he entered.
The smell of coffee filled the room again.
Behind the counter stood Nora.
She looked up and immediately recognized him.
Her smile appeared again.
"Back already?" she said.
Daniel shrugged slightly.
"I guess your coffee was good."
"Only good?"
He smirked a little.
"Good enough to come back."
She laughed and began preparing a cup without even asking.
"One coffee for the mysterious new guy."
Daniel leaned against the counter.
"You call everyone mysterious?"
"Only the ones who show up in town with a suitcase and quiet eyes."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Quiet eyes?"
Nora placed the coffee in front of him.
"Yeah."
She studied him for a moment.
"Like someone who's running from something."
Daniel's smile faded slightly.
For a second, he didn't answer.
Then he simply said, "Maybe I just like quiet towns."
Nora seemed to notice the tension and didn't push the subject further.
Instead, she nodded toward a table near the window.
"You should sit. The morning crowd hasn't arrived yet."
Daniel took his coffee and sat down.
Outside, Greyford looked calm and ordinary.
But inside his mind, Nora's words echoed.
Running from something.
Maybe she was more observant than he expected.
After a few minutes, Nora walked over with a cloth and wiped down the nearby table.
"So," she said casually, "what brought you to Greyford?"
Daniel took a slow sip of his coffee.
"Work."
"What kind?"
"Still figuring that out."
She tilted her head slightly.
"You moved to a new town without a job?"
"Sometimes people need a fresh start."
Nora nodded thoughtfully.
"I get that."
For a brief moment, they sat in comfortable silence.
Then suddenly—
The café door opened again.
A tall man stepped inside.
Something about him immediately felt… wrong.
He wore a dark coat despite the mild weather.
His eyes slowly scanned the room.
When they landed on Daniel, they stayed there for a second too long.
Daniel felt a strange chill crawl up his spine.
The man approached the counter.
Nora greeted him politely.
"Morning. What can I get you?"
"Black coffee."
His voice was calm.
Cold.
Daniel tried to ignore him, but he could feel the man occasionally glancing toward his table.
After a minute, the man paid for his coffee and left.
The bell above the door rang again.
Nora frowned slightly.
"That guy was weird."
Daniel forced a small smile.
"Maybe he's just having a bad day."
But deep inside, a different thought formed.
The man didn't look like a stranger.
He looked like someone who had been searching.
Searching for a long time.
And finally found what he was looking for.
Outside, across the street, the same black car from yesterday sat parked quietly.
The man who had just left the café stepped inside it.
He pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
A voice answered.
"Did you find him?"
The man looked toward the café window where Daniel sat drinking his coffee.
"Yes."
A slow smile spread across his face.
"He's here."