The door to the breakfast shop swung open, accompanied by a squeak that echoed through the cosy space. A small bell fastened to the entrance chimed merrily, announcing the arrival of a new customer. Amused by the old-fashioned charm of the shop, a smile played at the corners of his lips. The seating arrangement hugged the walls, offering a panoramic view of the bustling New York street through large windows. Casting a glance at the lively scene outside, he couldn’t help but reminisce about a time when life felt unburdened, devoid of impending doom in Airodia.
Warm rays of the summer sun gently streamed in through the windows, casting a soft glow across the room. In the distance, a live band filled the bakery with melodious tunes. Eager to gain exposure and secure more gigs, the band convinced the owner to let them perform in the shop. Despite the lively atmosphere, the owner faced challenges running the bakery, as Martin had previously briefed him.
If only he possessed the power to freeze time and transport himself back to an era of tranquillity, he would do so in a heartbeat. A time when the air resonated with the joyous sounds of children playing and the sun never ceased to shine. In this idyllic place, vibrant birds soared through the sky, carrying love messages with each landing at someone’s doorstep, bringing a wave of anticipation and affection. The mesmerizing cloud fall, where clouds intertwined to form a unique cascade, was a spectacle that people eagerly paid to witness. Children revelled in sliding down the fall, laughter filling the air. Recalling his own childhood memories, he couldn’t help but worry that his own children might never experience such wonder. Now, however, the days were filled with confinement and fear, as the weakening barrier of Airodia could no longer protect its people from an impending threat.
Finding an unoccupied table in the sparsely populated shop proved effortless. He pulled out a seat and settled down, a newspaper lazily sprawled before him. For nearly half an hour, he pretended to immerse himself in the scripted words on the pages, desperately attempting to keep his mind from wandering. His mission involved leading an army to bring the new Queen back to their homeland, and he dreaded making a terrible impression if she happened to be his future wife. There was an undeniable challenge in encountering a stranger, having to explain his origins and identity from the mysterious land of Airodia. Airodia, absent from the world map, remained an enigma. Should he have chosen his initial plan, dispatching his five-thousand-strong army? No, that seemed excessive for a single person. Perhaps he could have sent Tarius to escort her against her will, but the thought of kidnapping a Queen felt unfitting. These conflicting thoughts swirled in his mind, clouding his judgment.
“Good day, welcome to Mel’s Breakfast Shop. How may I assist you?” a warm voice broke through his reverie. Lowering the newspaper, he lifted his gaze to meet the voice that had interrupted his thoughts. Captivated, he found himself immersed in the depths of the most mesmerizing pair of blue eyes he had ever encountered. Those eyes reflected the smile adorning her face, a stark contrast to the image he had formed of her in his mind. Realizing that she didn’t recognize him, he felt a pang of disappointment despite the countless introductions he had staged through her dreams over the past few months. What had he expected? A grand embrace? After all, she was an Airodian. Discarding the newspaper, he replaced it with the menu, skimming through it, pretending he had come into the breakfast shop to have a meal.
He cleared his throat, catching her attention, and said, “I would like a cup of coffee and some waffles, please.” He observed as she jotted down his order on a notepad and carefully tucked the note into the pocket of her apron.
“I’ll be right back with your order,” she replied, sensing his gaze following her every move. There was an unmistakable intensity in the way he looked at her as if he held a secret. She couldn’t shake off the feeling that he resembled the man who had been appearing in her dreams lately, but this man standing before her seemed even more captivating. His refined appearance seemed out of place for a local breakfast shop in New York, especially considering the multitude of other enticing options available. Her shop wasn’t situated in the heart of the bustling city, where business thrived. It appeared he had made a slight mistake in choosing to visit her establishment.
Rushing into the back room, she quickly dialled Tessy’s number, eager to share the uncanny occurrence unfolding before her. The man from her dreams was seated in her breakfast shop, and she was about to serve him a meal. Unfortunately, Tessy didn’t pick up, as she was dealing with her child’s custody hearing, a challenging battle with her estranged lover. Mel felt a pang of guilt for forgetting such an important day in Tessy’s life, silently praying that the ruling would be in her favour. Scott’s cheating scandal had taken a toll on Tessy, leaving her worry-ridden and losing weight. It felt as though she was babysitting a grown man.
Returning with his order, Mel found him staring at the faulty wash hand basin, with water dripping from the faucet due to its poor drainage. The repairs were scheduled, but the handyman had demanded an exorbitant fee that she simply couldn’t afford. Any profits she hoped to make this week would have to cover the expenses.
“That will be 20 dollars,” she said, placing the coffee and waffles on his table. “We’ll have it fixed this weekend,” she added, gesturing toward the drainage.
“That will be fine,” he replied, meeting her gaze with his striking sky-blue eyes, impossible to forget. As he took in the fullness of her lips, he couldn’t help but imagine kissing her. He cautioned himself, realizing the need for restraint. After all, she had already been chosen as his future wife. However, he couldn’t help but be bothered by her failure to recognize him. Tarius would surely mock him when he realized how accurate his prediction had been. Perhaps he should have personally approached her and drawn her to him, utilizing the ancestral ability passed down through his bloodline, which made it easy for people to fall in love with him. Instead, he had chosen the path of revealing himself through dreams, a decision he now regretted. Time was running out, with the impending threat of the Talaticans looming over them. If he wasn’t careful, the streets of Airodian would soon be bathed in blood. An idea suddenly sparked in his mind, considering this as the perfect opportunity to entice her.
“You have such beautiful eyes,” he uttered, locking his gaze with hers, flashing a set of teeth, and willing her to look into his soul. However, an unfamiliar and potent force obstructed his connection to her soul. Shocked, he withdrew, attempting to conceal the surprise etched on his face, but she had already noticed.
“Thank you,” she responded awkwardly before hastily excusing herself. There was something in the way he looked at her that made her feel uneasy.
If there was something he was known to be good at, it was finding a cause for something and not giving up. Women loved compliments, but perhaps his attempt hadn’t reached her enough to grant him access. Rising from his seat without touching his meal, he walked over to where she stood by the counter. Seeing him approaching, she pretended to dust the counter, but he swiftly took the towel from her hands and leaned his weight on one shoulder against the counter, tilting his head in her direction.
“Let me help you clean. I’m good at cleaning, and other things too. I could show you,” he said, winking at her. Mel felt disgusted by his approach. If that was his best attempt at a pickup line, he was failing miserably. She already had enough on her plate, and finding a man was not part of her priorities.
He did come across as a pervert, and she was on the verge of losing her cool. The way he approached her with his inappropriate comments and advances was infuriating. Mel couldn’t understand why some men thought it was acceptable to behave that way. She had dealt with her fair share of such encounters, but this one felt particularly unpleasant.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Mel mustered all her composure and responded firmly, “Sir, I won’t tolerate such behaviour. Please return to your table and enjoy your meal. If you continue to harass me, I will not hesitate to involve the authorities.”
Her words carried a strong warning, and her eyes locked onto him, conveying her determination. She refused to let anyone disrespect her or make her feel uncomfortable in her own workplace. The man seemed taken aback by her assertiveness, his smirk fading from his face.
Realizing that she wouldn’t entertain his inappropriate advances, he reluctantly backed off. With a slight nod, he turned around and made his way back to his table, defeated. Mel watched him closely, ensuring that he didn’t try anything else.
As she continued her work behind the counter, her mind was still reeling from the encounter. She couldn’t fathom why some people thought it was acceptable to treat others with such disrespect. It was disheartening to face such behaviour, but she refused to let it dampen her spirits or affect her day.
However, halfway there, he stopped. If he couldn’t lure her, he would engage her in conversation. If she truly was Airodian, she wouldn’t deny the call to serve. He scoffed, considering it nearly impossible to refuse a call to serve once the details had been communicated. That was how he himself had been commissioned. He walked back toward her, taking her hand in his and etching a message on her palm with his index finger. Mel quickly became aware of his presence and managed to read the words written on her palm, which she concealed. Nobody knew about her powers, and she wasn’t prepared to reveal them to a complete stranger.
“What are you doing? You can’t just grab people’s hands like that. It’s impolite and inappropriate,” she pulled her hand away from his. Disappointment and horror were evident on his face. Mel slid the cleaning cloth across the counter, being careful not to wipe off anything he had written.
“If that’s all, sir, enjoy your meal,” she said as she walked away, disappearing behind the double-barrel door that led to the staff’s inner workroom.
Once she was safely away from the man in the stylish tuxedo, she opened her hand. The words were not written in English, but she understood them perfectly. What worried her was not the fact that the message was in a foreign language, but rather that the stranger knew she would understand it. A single word: that meant help. She peered through the door, hoping to catch a glimpse of the man in the tuxedo. He must know who she was. She had questions for him. She dashed out of the room and into the breakfast area, in pursuit of the stranger.
Meanwhile, Pedro, feeling disappointed and conflicted, walked out of the bakery, gazing up at the bright summer sky. He couldn’t help but notice how out of place he seemed in his formal suit and tie amidst the casual attire of the people passing by. He pondered why he had chosen such attire, blaming his friend Tarius for letting him down once again. Doubts crept into his mind, questioning whether Mel was truly the one he had been searching for all this time.
Engaging in their extraordinary mind-to-mind connection, Pedro expressed his conviction to Tarius, “She isn’t the one, Tarius.” He spoke with a sense of certainty, hoping to find some reassurance in his words.
However, Tarius responded firmly over the mental link, contradicting Pedro’s doubts, “She’s the one. The child of Queen Layla. The Talaticans are closing in, and we need her before they do. Use every means at your disposal to get her to open up and apprehend her right away.”
Pedro argued back, frustrated, “But she doesn’t understand the language of Airodia.”
Tarius’s response was unwavering, “She is first and foremost human, not Airodian. Time is running out, and we must act now.”
Exasperated, Pedro let out a sigh, feeling perplexed about Mel’s role in the war against the Talaticans. Airodia had managed to fend off the Talaticans for three years without her, and Pedro couldn’t fully comprehend why she was suddenly deemed essential. As the future king of Airodia, he had the weight of his people’s expectations on his shoulders, and he was willing to sacrifice everything to protect his homeland from the impending threat.
Turning back towards the breakfast shop, Pedro contemplated how to approach Mel with the truth of her heritage. He realized that straightforwardly revealing his identity as the heir to the Airodian throne and her destiny as the chosen queen would likely lead to disbelief or even hostility.
Mel, on the other hand, had walked a few blocks away from the breakfast shop, thinking that Pedro had left. However, to her surprise, she spotted him just ten meters away, heading in her direction. She paused, realizing he had come after her, and wondered what they had to discuss. Observing him closely, she noticed that he didn’t appear to be in distress but wore a knowing smile on his lips.
“Hello Mel,” Pedro’s voice echoed in his mind, reaching Mel with a surprising clarity. The familiarity of his voice sent a shiver down her spine, and she couldn’t help but feel a deep connection to him. The bond they shared through their Airodian heritage manifested itself in this telepathic conversation.
Mel’s eyes widened as she realized that not only could she hear Pedro’s thoughts, but he could also hear hers. It was an extraordinary phenomenon that transcended conventional communication.
Caught off guard, Mel cautiously replied in her mind, “How do you know my name? And how are we able to communicate like this?”
Pedro’s smile broadened, his eyes sparkling with a blend of relief and excitement. The pieces were coming together, and their fates seemed intertwined. With a sense of certainty, he answered back through their shared mind-to-mind connection, “Mel, we are both Airodians. Our minds are connected through this ancient method of communication. It seems we have a lot to discuss.”
Mel’s mind raced with a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. She had always sensed there was something different about her, something beyond the ordinary. Now, confronted with Pedro and this extraordinary connection, it all started to make sense. Her powers, her unanswered questions about her past, and the deeper purpose she had yet to discover—all of it was tied to her Airodian heritage.
Overwhelmed by a surge of curiosity and longing for answers, Mel took a deep breath and asked, “Who am I, Pedro? What is my role in all of this?”
Pedro’s smile widened, his excitement evident despite their unconventional means of interaction. The confirmation of her Airodian nature and her recognition of their mental connection filled him with a renewed sense of purpose and determination. This unexpected encounter had the potential to shape the course of their lives and the destiny of Airodia.
“It’s a long story, Mel,” Pedro projected, his thoughts resonating with a mixture of anticipation and urgency. “But we have important matters to discuss. Airodia is in dire need of your help..”
Mel’s mind buzzed with a myriad of questions, her curiosity overriding any scepticism she may have initially harboured. She sensed the gravity of Pedro’s words, the weight of responsibility hanging in the air. Aware that her life was about to change in ways she couldn’t yet comprehend, Mel took a deep breath, ready to embark on a journey that would unravel the secrets of her heritage and thrust her into a world of danger and destiny.
Read the next chapter here: MY PRIDE 1
