Jace didn't sleep.
Every time he closed his eyes, visions flickered—threads stretching, breaking, looping. The café, once warm and dimly magical, now haunted the corners of his mind like a persistent whisper. He walked toward it at dawn with a hollow pit in his chest, knowing the building would feel him approaching. It always did lately.
When he pushed open the door, the café responded instantly. Lights brightened, then dimmed. A low hum vibrated under the floorboards, almost like relief.
Ren was already there. He didn't greet Jace with a joke or a casual wave—instead he watched him with cautious eyes.
"You look haunted," Ren said.
Jace slid behind the counter and tied his apron. Even that small gesture felt like the café exhaled through him. "I'm… fine."
"You're not," Ren said. "You haven't been for days."
Jace didn't answer. He couldn't. His thoughts weren't his own anymore—they were tangled with glimpses of the Loom, with echoes of other people's fates. Even standing still made the world swim with possibilities.
The door chimed. A gust of cold air swept in, carrying with it a man Jace didn't recognize. Middle-aged. Sharply dressed. But the important part wasn't how he looked—it was what Jace saw hovering faintly behind him: threads coiling like a storm.
The man walked straight to the counter.
"Are you Jace?"
Jace's stomach dropped. "Who's asking?"
The man's lips tightened. "One of the watchers."
Ren tensed. "Not again."
The watcher ignored him and focused entirely on Jace. "You've destabilized the Loom more than you understand. The effects spread beyond the city now. You're at the center of it."
"I didn't mean to," Jace said, breath shaking.
"Intent changes nothing," the watcher replied. "You have one final window to stop this from escalating. But if you remain in the café much longer, it will claim you."
The café creaked sharply at that—like a warning growl.
The watcher lowered his voice. "Choose soon. Or others will choose for you."
He left as silently as he came, and the café doors shut with a heavy thud.
Ren grabbed Jace by the elbow. "He's right, isn't he? This place is trying to tie itself to you."
Jace stared at the empty doorway.
He knew.
And now Ren did too.