*sigh*

"It's raining again," said a 25-year-old man sitting on a wooden chair near the glass window. He is Gaius Cyrus, with short black hair and gray eyes.

While he fiddled with the pen in his hand, he lookedd own and stared at a piece of art he was working on at his table.

"Something is missing, hmmm..."

*Grrrrrrrrr*

"Oh, I forgot again."

He stood up, checked his fridge, and found one egg and a bottle of water. He dozed off.

*sigh*

"If I can't find work these days, I'm going part-time again."

He closed the fridge, put on his black jacket, picked the only black umbrella near his doorway, and went out.

The sky was cloudy, and there was light rain. People could be seen walking on the streets with their umbrellas in varying colors, and cars were going back and forth on the road near his house.

Although Kallisteia is known for its calming and relaxing environment, it is still a busy city for most people who want to get rich in life.

*pitter-patter*

Gaius looked up at the wooden plaque at the cafe entrance, "Bliss Café".

*bell rings*

He went inside and approached the counter.

"One latte, please, and hmmm, a Kallisteian

Morning."

Kallisteian Morning is a breakfast dish popular in Kallisteia. It is made up of rice, fried chicken, scrambled eggs, potatoes, and onions. It looks like a blooming flower when served.

"Oh, Gaius, forgot your breakfast again?" a man in his thirties behind the counter said with a smile, looking at Gaius.

"Don't mention it, Joe," Gaius replied helplessly.

"Hahaha, you're still the same kid as back then," said Joe.

"Here's your order, Gaius. Don't graze like a cow in the fields," Joe advised.

"Got it, old man. Thanks."

Almost all the tables were occupied, except for the one near the window. Gaius went to that table and took a seat. He inadvertently looked outside the window and dozed off.

The world started to slow down until the raindrops came to a sudden halt. Everything came to a standstill. The voices of people in the cafe vanished, followed by an ensuing silence. Only the echoes of the rain remained.

-------

*pitter-patter*

*sobs*

A child in a rain-soaked shirt was seen kneeling beside two tombstones, crying while clutching the muddied grass.

A drenched young man stood behind the boy, holding an umbrella in his right hand, staring sadly at the boy's small, sorry figure.

"Why, WHYYYY?" The child stared at the rain-filled sky, shouting while tears streaked down his innocent face.

-------

*pitter-patter*

Gaius' heart tightened, and his palms started sweating. His body went cold, as if he were standing in the eye of a blizzard. His cloudy eyes suddenly gained clarity as his mind returned to reality, noticing the slender figure of a person standing opposite him.

"Hello, can I take this seat?" asked a youthful, vibrant lady in a yellow shirt and jeans with a canvas bag, holding a coffee and a laptop.

"Oh, yeah, sure," Gaius said, snapping out of his stupor, his eyes unconsciously drawn to the lady's coffee cup with the name "Patricia" on it.

"Thanks," said the woman.

Not paying any more attention to the intruder, he quickly finished his meal and went to the market to buy this week's food supply. He arrived home at 2 p.m.

As he was about to start his work, his phone rang. He picked it up and answered the call.

After listening for a minute or so, he was surprised and almost dropped his phone on the tiled floor.

"WHAAAT? Is it true?"

"HAHAHAHA"

After the call ended, Gaius jumped up and down, laughing hysterically.