[VOLUME 11: THE ETERNAL CHASE][LIFE: #48][LOCATION: THE BEAN & BREW]
Elara Vance was fighting a losing battle against a milk steamer.
"Foam," she hissed at the silver pitcher. "Why won't you foam? Do not be difficult. I have a rolling pin in the back."
The machine gurgled defiantly, spitting out hot, flat milk.
The morning rush at The Bean & Brew was in full swing. The line of customers stretched out the door, a snake of caffeine-deprived zombies checking their watches and tapping their feet.
"Order for Kevin!" Elara shouted, sliding a cup down the counter with practiced precision.
"I said Kelvin!" a man in a vest complained, grabbing the cup.
"Close enough!" Elara wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. She felt that phantom ache in her chest again. A longing for... silence? No. A longing for chaos.
The bell above the door jingled.
But it didn't just jingle. It tolled. A deep, resonant sound that seemed to vibrate in the coffee grounds.
