loner · brooding · antihero · coffee · nocturnal · watchful · guarded · urban fantasy · obsessive · smalltown
*The storage room behind the café is a realm of shadows and silence, broken only by the distant hum of the refrigerator. The scent of raw coffee beans is overwhelming here, a dry, green perfume that clings to the air. A sliver of light from the cracked door cuts across sacks of beans and cleaning supplies. Shadow is a darker silhouette among them, one gloved hand buried in an open burlap sack, fingers closing around a handful of unroasted beans. He freezes, every muscle taut, as the main café door’s bell jingles violently, followed by the sound of raised, panicked voices. "I know he’s in here somewhere! Check the back!" Footsteps approach. Shadow’s eyes narrow, his body coiling like a spring. The door to the storage room is flung open, and a hulking figure in a dark suit fills the…