That man

DAYBREAK

My head buzzed like a damaged generator. I paused mid-screw, the drone part in my gauntleted hands freezing. The workshop’s usual hum dimmed behind me, replaced by an insistent vibration under my skull — a low, thrumming pulse that didn’t belong.

I sucked in air. My vision blurred. For a heartbeat, I was no longer at my desk. The room around me dissolved.

A portal cut the sky. Up there, on the roof of the Xandro skyscraper, a swirling violet rift hovered against the morning light, edges crackling like fractured glass. Through it, a man stared — eyes the color of pure amethyst, glowing fiercely, as though burning through the veil of reality. He didn’t blink. Every atom of him radiated an otherworldly stillness; it felt like he was calling into me, into the deep hollow where something ancient churned.

His expression held a terrible calm, as if he knew something I didn’t — or something I had forgotten.

Then, just as suddenly, I was yanked back. The drone part slipped from my fingers, clattering on the metal table below. My chest heaved, sweat slick on my skin. I blinked, tasting acrid fear, trying to steady myself.

“Daybreak—hey, man, you okay?” Rex’s voice cut through the haze. He was leaning over, concern etched in the creases of his brow.

“Yeah,” I said, though it came out ragged. My pulse pounded like a war drum. “Just... something weird.”

Rex didn’t press, but his eyes stayed locked on me for a long moment. Maybe he knew.

By the time lunch rolled around, I couldn’t shake the dread. The memory — or vision — lingered, coiling around my thoughts, whispering that something was coming.

I left the building and headed to the convenience store downstairs. My palms were clammy as I picked something cheap — instant noodles, a bottled water. I shuffled to the counter, mind racing. When the cashier rang me up, I fumbled for my wallet. But it wasn’t there.

Heart leaping, I cursed under my breath. “Shit,” I muttered. “Did I leave it at the office?” I felt heat rush up my neck: stupid mistake. Of all the days.

The cashier gave me a sympathetic look. “Cash or card?” she asked.

“Um — right now, I got neither,” I mumbled, alarm in my chest.

Before I could dig further, a shadow blocked my view. A tall figure stood beside me — a man with dark brown hair, face half-hidden in a hoodie. He was quiet, calm. When I looked over, he just nodded, like he’d been waiting.

He scanned something on his phone. Then, with a single, simple motion, he paid for my entire purchase. The screen flicked over, the transaction confirmed.

I stared. “Thank you,” I said, voice flat. Surprised, more than anything.

He shrugged, glancing away toward the street. “No problem.” His voice was soft, but firm — no mockery, no judgment.

I fumbled to return the gratitude. “I — I owe you.”

He gave me a brief smile, then turned and left the store, hoodie swallowing him up.

Outside, I leaned against the cool concrete wall, the grocery bag heavy in my hand. My heart still raced — not just from forgetting my wallet, but from that vision, and from him. The man with violet eyes. And now this stranger who’d paid for my meal.

I couldn’t shake it: something was coming. Something big. And today, it felt like I was inching closer to it than ever.

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