Chapter 1

Rain poured down heavily on the city of New York. People ran around on the streets looking for shelter, some trying to get them a taxi to reach home as soon as possible. Despite being late hours of afternoon when the sun should have still been pretty high up the day seemed as bleak as if night would engulf everything into darkness in a matter of seconds.

Amidst this chaos a young girl ran across the street trying to avoid the traffic which was now almost starting to come to a standstill .The girl ran on the pavement and across a bus stop just as a bus was coming to a halt. She jumped over the steps of the bus, narrowly avoiding being hit by the door which swung open and slammed shut again. The girl ran for about two hundred meters before she stopped in front of a small quaint looking shop on top of which name of the shop was written as Kings Brew café. The girl pulled the door open and ran inside.

"Good evening Emily seems we are in a hurry today!" A short old man asked her from behind the counter with a warm smile on his wrinkled face before he looked down at his empty coffee cup. Emily gave him an apologetic smile. "I-I-I am really sorry... "Emily tried to say catching her breath, "Rain...Car won't start ... traffic", She added barely above a whisper, which was enough for the old man to understand what she was asking for.

The café was a quaint little place. The inside wasn't a very large space but the careful assortment of tables made it a very cozy place. Usually it wasn't crowded by any extent, just the usual people who would frequent it to have a nice time with people, and one of the reasons why Emily chose it as a part time work to help pay off her college tuitions. Even after attending classes the whole day, this place seemed like a second home even though she hadn't been here for longer than 2 months. Talking to the customers and generally enjoying her time here had almost become a daily routine for her after classes. Today things were a bit different though with the increased number to customers who occupied the chairs who had most probably entered the shop to escape the rain.

Emily took a deep breath and looked around the room and found her friend Liz rushing around between crouched spaces to deliver the customers' orders while other customers had seemingly started to grow impatient. "I should hurry Mr. Adam and get ready to help out, or Liz is going to kill me as soon she notices me", Emily whispered to old man.

"You definitely should, she has already asked me to lay you off thrice by now", Mr. Adam replied with his usual carefree smile. All this time Emily had worked under Mr. Adam he always seemed to be in this good mood as if nothing bad could ever occur in this world. Emily just gave him a nervous smile to that as she proceeded towards the changing room to get out of her soaked clothes into her work uniform, but just before leaving she give a glimpse towards the empty seat at the very corner of the café, by the window. After a few seconds she tore her gaze from the spot and proceeded onwards towards her task.

While on her way to the changing room she almost crashed into Oliver who was coming out of storage room.

"Good Afternoon Emily, Running late; ha!" Oliver commented.

"Why is everyone fixated on that, it's not like I always do that" Emily retorted.

"Not everyday; but yes two weeks earlier yes it did" Oliver replied. Oliver was usually a very nice guy and a really good friend of Emily's; they started working at King's Brew from the same day. But Oliver tended to be a stickler for rules and tended to annoy her almost over everything.

"Fine, It won't happen again" Emily said as she rushed into the changing room shutting the door behind her before Oliver could start ranting on her, which she knew was obviously coming.

Emily got out of her soaked clothes and into her work uniform and then with a sigh she stared at herself in the mirror wearing a white shirt and deep red skirt and a black apron on top. She adjusted her orange curls until she was satisfied and then smiled at herself and headed towards the door.

Going out Emily saw that it was still raining heavily the whole place was bustling with the sound of chatter and laughter, while she could smell the strong scent of coffee in the air and headed towards the kitchen to take the orders to the respective table.

In the kitchen Oliver was rushing around juggling his task between making a coffee and making a grilled cheese sandwich. Currently Oliver was the only cook here considering the lack of customers on regular days. 

Emily went in and started to deliver the orders that were ready to the customers. She served the grilled cheese sandwich to Mr. Mathew; one of their regular customers, he had set up his chess board today. It was usual for him to come up with something new ever day and would try to interest anyone willing to play.

Mr. Mathew looked out of the window and said with a slight French accent, "Strange day missy, it hasn't rained in weeks and now... it pours."

The comment makes Emily take a look outside the window and a certain worried expression passes over her face for almost a second before she again turns back to Mr. Mathew and smiles back as she says, "It always makes me feel so calm, its always beautiful", while she said this she took a glance back again at the secluded corner but this time the seat had be occupied by a young boy.

"Yes, that is so true, the smell of the rain is always very mesmerizing.", Mr. Mathew continued, pulling Emily back into the conversation. "I creates a great atmosphere for a nice game, wont you take a seat today?"

"I would love to Mr. Mathew, but I am running late today.", Emily said apologetically and rushed along towards the service area where Liz was standing and found her talking to Oliver in a very animated manner as usual. Oliver was on the other side of the counter hardly paying any attention to Liz while he whipped up a parfait. 

 Emily looked around checking if anything needed to be done and finally made her way to the last table where the boy was sitting in the cozy corner. The rain was still falling and it had made the windows completely foggy making the outside completely visible. The boy was siting there leaning with his head on the glass window; his focus completely absorbed by a copy of the Grimms Fairy Tails; he seemed completely oblivious to the hustle and bustle of the café around him. The pages of the book were slightly damp from the rain, but the boy didn't seem to mind. 

His white blende hair seemed to almost glow faintly in the warm gently lighting of the cafe while at the same time his black short and jeans almost made him completely blend in with the serine gloominess; He seemed completely at home there. 

He gently turned a page when Emily walked up to him completely unnoticed and with a gentle smile asked, "What would you like to try today?". The boy looked up, his deep blue eyes meeting Emily's gaze. He seemed to take a moment to register her presence as if he had just been pulled out of a different world.

"Surprise me!" he replied returning her smile, his voice soft and calm, barely audible over the ambient noise of the café. 

Emily considered for a moment and then came back with a plate of Lamingtons and a mug of hot chocolate and placed it on the table in front of him. The boy again looked completely absorbed by the book once again; not wanting to disturb him further Emily was about to leave when the boy asked , "Mind if I ask you something?"

"Sure" Emily replied curious. 

"What is your favorite Fairy tail?"

Emily seemed to be taken aback a bit by the unexpected question. But after a few seconds she replied with a smile. 

"The Wizard of OZ; Seems to always make me appreciate what it means to return home no matter how enchanting the world might seem."

The boy nodded thoughtfully, and a silence settled between them for a moment, broken only by the muffled sounds of raindrops against the windows and the hum of conversations in the bustling café, sounds which had seemed completely non existent to them a few moments ago. As she turned to attend to other customers, Emily couldn't help but steal glances at the boy, a feeling washing over her as if she had known him longer than she should have. He continued reading, occasionally sipping his hot chocolate and nibbling on the Lamingtons. There was an air of tranquility around him that seemed to defy the storm outside.

The evening wore on, and the rain showed no signs of letting up. The café remained a refuge for those seeking shelter from the downpour. Mr. Mathew was deeply engaged in a chess match with another customer, and Oliver continued his meticulous work in the kitchen.

Ding

Came a single sweet chime, announcing the arrival of a new guest. She stood there at the door looking around for a few seconds as if taking in the atmosphere of the room. Liz cheerfully walked up to her offering her a seat near the window; but the offer was declined. Emily watched the newcomer with a newfound curiosity. Completely black clad, the young girl wearing a dress which managed to look modern and Victorian at the same time; marched to the end of the room where the boy was sitting. 

The newcomer's dress, a striking fusion of modern and Victorian styles, immediately drew attention. The fabric flowed gracefully, with intricate lace detailing and a high collar that echoed the elegance of a bygone era. Yet, the silhouette and subtle contemporary touches brought a modern edge to the ensemble. She looked completely untouched by the torrenting rain. 

Emily observed with a mix of fascination and admiration as the girl approached the boy. The contrast between the black-clad newcomer and the serenely gloomy ambiance of the café created an intriguing tableau. The rain outside intensified, its rhythmic patter against the windows providing a dramatic backdrop to the unfolding scene.

The girl in black took the empty seat opposite to him. Her presence seemed to be going completely unnoticed for sometime; until the boy gently closed the book and placed it on the table between them and with a smile playing on his the boy said, "Rachel Gardner, to what do I woe the pleasure of meeting you after such a long time. " 

Rachel gave no reply for sometime. The boy didn't mind her silence and continued sipping his hot chocolate. The boy's words hung in the air, creating an air of mystery and intrigue. Emily, still navigating her duties, couldn't help but steal glances at the duo. The name "Rachel Gardner" carried a sense of familiarity, a connection that seemed to transcend the present moment.

"Have you always been this carefree", Rachel nonchalantly asked. 

The boy chuckled softly, his gaze fixed on the steam rising from his hot chocolate. "Perhaps," he replied. "Carefree of not, now that you have managed to find me. Its nice a familiar face"

"Wish I could say the same to you,". Rachel said, her words held bitterness but she herself seemed unsure who they were directed towards.

"I wonder if things have changed, since I left", the boy said with a dreamy look on his face. 

"More than you can imagine!" Rachel replied. "I am not here to beat around the bush, I am only here because your sister asked me to." and she placed a small box in front of him. "Trust me it doesn't give her any happiness either" 

For sometime the boy just looked at the box placed on the table; he seemed unsure what to do with it but after some time he picked it up. It was no larger than two match boxes stacked together. He opened it and scrutinized the contents for a few moments and then closed it and placed it back. For the first time the boy looked surprised during their exchange. 

This time the girl looked at him and their eyes met. "Why is this here?", The boy asked. 

"Your mother has gone missing" Rachel replied. "The council has already presumed her dead, and her final will has been read and that is what you have received as a part of it."

It took some time for the boy to process Rachels reply, unable to decide which question to ask among all this information. 

"Missing? Presumed dead?" The boy's voice was a mere whisper, carrying a mixture of disbelief and a hint of sorrow. "Tell me what happened"

"I am not at a liberty to reply to that" Rachel simply replied. "The council simply doesn't wants you to have this" Rachel said looking at the box. "and nether does your sister, but still she believes that its a better option for you to have it"

With that Rachel stood up. She didn't seem as if she was interest to divulge any more information and walked towards the door. The other patrons seemed very curious on the ongoings. Emily's attention was completely drawn towards Rachel who was just about to step out of the door. 

At that moment Rachel turned around and looked straight at the boy, ignoring every other person in the room and said one last thing before leaving. 

"Alec Storm, I think its time for you to return home!"