Name

Jake entered with his body covered in soot and holding a big hammer in his left hand. 

He dropped the hammer at one side of the door and went straight to sit on the seat that is next to Allen.

Allen shifted slightly, not because he was afraid of Jake but rather because he was smelling very bad.

"Fuck. You smell like a shithole. At least you should have taken a bath before coming here." Allen said this while pinching his nose.

"Oh, shut up; I don't smell so bad. Don't overreact like a little girl. What do you think, boy? Do I smell that bad?" Jake replied while turning to look at Scelus.

Scelus didn't answer him but asked, "What would you like to have today, mister Jake?"

"A cafe corretto with your special syrup for me, and can I see your machine again for one last time?" Jake asked this with a pleading tone in his voice.

Before Scelus can answer him. Allen beat him to it and said, "Jake, every time you come, you will ask him to show you that thing. What's so special about that? It's just a coffee machine. You can find more advanced automatic ones in the market."

"You don't know how precious that thing is. It's impossible to find anything made before the war. So I want to study it and find out how the machines worked before." Said, Jake.

As the war turned the whole earth upside down, many things got destroyed with no way to make them again. After the strange mutation started happening, kingdoms experienced a rapid growth in technology, which resulted in much mechanical knowledge becoming a thing of the past.

Scelus let them continue talking and went to make the coffee.

Seeing as Scelus was busy, Jake asked in a low voice, "Aren't you both friends? Why don't you tell him to lend the machine to me? In return, I can make a good weapon of your choice for you."

"Sigh... Although we are friends, I almost don't know anything about him, nor can I convince him," said Allen while taking the last sip of his coffee.

After placing the cup down on the table, he got up, while Scelus too finished making Jake's cup of coffee.

"Are you leaving?"

"Yes. There are lots of unsolved cases that need my attention, so I had to go soon," said Allen.

"Here's your order, sir," said Scelus after placing the cup in front of Jake.

He turned around and said to Allen, "Take care, and pay attention to the rats hiding under your roof."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Allen asked, puzzled.

"He is telling you to be aware of moles hiding near you," replied Jake.

"Ohh. Who do you suspect? I know you won't say anything unnecessary until you are sure of it. Tell me who it is; it will save me a lot of trouble." Allen asked Scelus.

..."It's your lieutenant."

"No way. He can't be! He will never do anything like this. Are you sure you didn't get it wrong?" 

"...." Scelus didn't reply to him.

"It's too hard to believe. But I will be careful. Thanks, Scelus; now I shall get going because I need to prepare if what you said is true. Bye. Bye Jake."

He waved to both of them and turned around to leave the shop. Just as he was about to open the door, it opened itself, and a girl wearing a school uniform walked in.

Allen brushed past her and left the shop. He couldn't help but think about who the girl was because he had never seen her before.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

(A day before)

Hestia has never imagined that there will be a coffee shop in this part of the city. 

It was her first time visiting the south district, but she has heard from her classmates that, although it was a good place to live, it was only better compared to the slums.

She hesitated for a while before moving toward the coffee shop.

As she reached the door, she heard a strange melody coming from inside. It reminded her of the tune her teacher played to them during a lesson on old musical instruments.

'Umm, what's it called? I think the piano is right.' She remembered that her teacher had called it a piano. 

She pushed the door open and went in. 

What greeted her was a man sitting on the piano with his back facing her. His hair was messy, and he wore a plain white shirt. His long, slender fingers danced on the keyboard.

The man was playing a tune that was unknown to her, but strangely, she found it pleasing to the ears.

She didn't take a step forward from the doorway and watched him finish the piece.

After finishing the tune he was playing, Scelus turned around and greeted her, "Welcome to the Grind House."

Hestia didn't reply. 

In her mind, the scene of his playing was still going on. 

She only came back to her senses when Scelus got up and went to the counter.

'So cold.'

That's what she thought when she took another glance at him.

There was no expression on his face even when he greeted her. Hestia doesn't like such people.

She went to the counter and sat on the chair opposite him.

"What would you like to order, mam?"

She saw that there was a menu beside her. Hestia picked it up and glanced at it. The names on it were foreign to her, so she just ordered randomly.

"Can I get an espresso, please? With extra sugar too."

Hestia doesn't like her coffee without the extra sugar, which is embarrassing, but she has a sweet tooth.

Scelus nodded and turned around to make the coffee.

With his back facing Hestia, she noticed that he has a lean body and pale skin like a corpse.

'It must be because of mutation...' she thought.

As humans mutated, their bodies changed in many ways. Some people grew horns; some got an extra pair of hands. With mutation, people unlocked different powers only mentioned in comics from the past.

As they gained power, people started doing all kinds of evil deeds. Still, some good people fought them and made them retreat to the other continent.

That way, it leads to the southern continent giving birth to the 'House of Evil,' an organization made up of people who choose to use their powers in a bad way.

The people who fought them in the past restored the order of society and founded 'The League,' which controls the ascenders on the northern continent known as Alkia.

Alkia has a vast landmass that borders the southern continent in the south. There is no man's land between both continents, known as the dividing line. 

In the east, Alkia borders the Great Sea, which houses many different species of aquatic life. 

In the west, there is a desert that is uncharted territory. To this day, no one has seen the real end of it.

In the north of Alkia is the Jungle of Beasts, which is home to mutated animals.

Georgia is the capital of Alkia, which is in the center of the continent and is home to most people. The headquarters of the League stood proudly in the western district of Georgia. In the east, there is an academy for new ascenders, where Hestia is studying.

The north and south districts are completely different from each other. North is a place for wealthy people to live. And in the south, there is the biggest slum in the history of mankind, whose exact population is still unknown. All kinds of evil happen there.

Hestia lives in the north district because her parents work for the league and are in a high position. Hestia comes from the Lockvud family, whose fame is well-known in Alkia. Hestia's grandfather, William Lockvud, was the man who defended the south from rouges for many years.

"Clank"

The sound of a cup being placed on the table brought Hestia back from her thoughts.

"Here's your order, mam." Scelus placed the cup in front of Hestia.

Hestia didn't raise her head because she was embarrassed, and she picked up the cup to take a sip from it.

"Pffft...." Hestia spits out the coffee she had drunk.

"What's this?" "What do you mix in it?"