Chapter 1: A glitch in the system
The screen glowed 16:47 PM as Elara checked her phone while leaning against the cool glass of "The back", Willow Creek's most frequented coffee shop and the unofficial hub for the town's young professionals. The café buzzed with the ambient noise of clinking cups and indistinct conversations, the air rich with the scent of roasted beans and pastries.
Elara, whose life was as meticulously organized as her sleek planner, sipped her Matcha latte and looked around, observing everyone as if she were solving a puzzle.
It was not unusual for Elara's friend Kiera to be late, but on this particular day, Elara wished she was early. They had a pitch to prepare for, a presentation that could bring their new startup to the next level.
As soon as Kiera burst through the door, her lively presence filled the room. She was the kind of girl who always had a magnetic effect on people, with her effortless confidence and striking looks. Her long, silky blonde hair was tied up in a high ponytail, and her bright blue eyes seemed to sparkle with every movement.
As she rushed over to Elara, she couldn't help but apologize for being late.
"It's the traffic, and my phone died, and—" Kiera's explanations were cut short as Elara smiled at her.
"It's fine. You're here now," Elara said as she closed her laptop with a gentle click, signaling her full attention to Kiera
Kiera slid into the seat across from her, her breath catching up to the moment, her bag a jumble of sketches and digital tablets— "I swear, one day I'll invent an app that stops time. Or at least makes traffic lights more sympathetic to my chronic lateness," she said, her eyes twinkling with the kind of charismatic charm that made moments like this forgivable.
Elara chuckled, the sound mingling with the symphony of the café's morning routine—"You'd be a hero to the masses" she teased, her gaze softening with affection. "But for now, let's just focus on being heroes to ourselves. This pitch is our shot, Kiera. I've got a good feeling about it."
Kiera nodded "I know, I know. And I'm here, one hundred percent. It's just..." Her voice trailed off as she unpacked her bag, the cluttered contents spilling out.
Elara reached across the table and put her hand on top of Kiera's. "Talk to me. What's going on in that mind of yours?" she asked, her eyes searching signs from Kiera.
"It's just the pressure, you know? We've been building towards this for so long, and it feels like everything we've worked for is on the line."
Elara squeezed her hand, as a silent pact of reassurance. "Hey, we've got this. We always do. Remember the sophomore year when we hacked the school's grading system to give everyone a day off?! Or when we managed to change our grades because we thought it was a fun challenge?"
A smile broke through Kiera's face. "We were honestly such legends," she admitted with a giggle.
"We still are," Elara affirmed
"We're going to walk into that meeting, and we're going to blow them away with our project. Because no one can do what we do."
"You're right. I don't know what got into me. We're a dream team. Let's get to work and show them exactly wh—" Her sentence cut off abruptly, her attention hooking onto the door of the café as it opened.
There stood a silhouette of a tall man, framed by the doorway. His hair caught the light as he removed his sunglasses, casting his gaze around the room. Kiera's voice had faltered, her train of thought derailed as she and Elara watched him. His eyes, a clear, piercing blue, briefly met theirs, and Kiera felt a jolt.
Tristan's gaze lingered just a moment longer than necessary.