Kai leaned against the counter of the Willow Creek Coffee Shop, the rich, dark aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingling with the sweeter scent of cinnamon rolls. He gazed out the window, his attention captured by the woman sketching in the park. He'd seen her there before, often alone, always sketching, her brow furrowed in concentration. There was something about her, an air of quiet intensity, that captivated him. Her long, dark hair, the way she tilted her head as she studied her subject, the almost ethereal beauty in her profile – all these details drew him in. He felt an inexplicable pull towards her, a sense of recognition so strong it bordered on unsettling. He'd never worked up the nerve to speak to her, content to observe her from a distance. Today, however, a strange impulse, a feeling he couldn't explain, compelled him.
He watched as a gust of wind scattered her drawings, a pang of sympathy tightening his chest. As she gathered them, he noticed a glint of metal in the grass. An amulet. He watched, fascinated, as she picked it up, her expression shifting from annoyance to something else – surprise, perhaps, or even a flicker of fear. He couldn't quite decipher it. But something in her reaction, a subtle change in her posture, told him it was more than just a lost trinket. He felt a sudden urge to go to her, to offer help, to understand the strange emotion that had crossed her face. He pushed himself away from the counter, a sense of urgency he couldn't explain urging him forward.