Chapter 4 — The Commons Meeting

Paylor

The Commons Café is a strange mix of cozy and chaotic, a place that feels at once grounding and overwhelming. The warm glow of the lights bounces off mismatched chairs and dented tables, the air filled with the faint, comforting aroma of espresso and cinnamon. It reminds me, in some ways, of the small-town diner back home. But this place vibrates with a different kind of energy: students hunched over laptops, others gesturing animatedly over steaming mugs, the clinking of cups and the steady hiss of the espresso machine creating a symphony of life. Everyone seems to belong here in a way I can’t yet fathom.