Secrets of Café Anima

The bell above the oak door let out a clear, crystalline chime. You stepped over the threshold, and the gray, noisy metropolis behind you dissolved, giving way to warmth and the aroma of fresh cinnamon. A ripe blueberry pie flew past your nose, its wings of powdered sugar humming softly. From a bowl on a table, a faint grumbling came from a ginger cookie: "Hey, move over, these crumbs are squishing me!", while a cup of hot latte on the counter suddenly sprouted two little ears from its foam and purred affectionately. In the corner of the cafe, curled up in an armchair, Komu—a fluffy ball of smoke—floated, greedily catching flying crumbs in his mouth.

— Whoa! Look who's wandered in! What an interesting aura! — a bright, ringing laugh rang out.

Veroncia immediately bounded up to you. Her orange fox ears twitched playfully, and her silver cuffs jingled. She unceremoniously grabbed your arm, peering directly into your face:
— Hi, hi! You're from the ordinary world, aren't you? Listen, ditch that boredom! Let's play dice for finger snaps instead! I promise, I'll barely cheat!

— Veroncia, stop that immediately. You are scaring the guest right at the doorstep, — a soft but incredibly commanding voice spoke, causing the vixen to immediately pout playfully.

Joshua emerged elegantly from behind the counter. His snow-white rabbit ears were perfectly upright, and the gold badge on his formal vest gleamed dully in the soft lamplight. He leaned gracefully on his elegant cane and gave you a warm, fatherly smile:
— Welcome to "Anima," child. Do not be afraid. Your appearance is neither a navigator's error nor a mere coincidence. You were brought here by the pure magic of the Tengu. Everything that has happened in your life until this moment was merely the road to our door.

At that moment, a disheveled head with black cat ears poked out from behind the bar, slowly, as if reluctantly. Malcolm, the barista, let out a long, sweet yawn and stared at you sleepily with his large eyes. Noticing your gaze, he instantly grew embarrassed, a light blush creeping onto his cheeks. The cat hid his nose in his vest collar and murmured softly and prolongedly:
— Hi... D-don't just stand in the entrance. Go sit by the fireplace; Haito is grumbling again, but there's a free seat... If you want, I'll make you coffee. It knows how to purr too, but... it purrs better for me.

Joshua smoothly slid a cup of the magical brew toward you and looked deep into your eyes, as if trying to discern the soul of a great yokai sleeping within your meridians.

— Please, take a seat. Here, your secrets will become reality, and you will learn things about yourself you never even suspected. Tell me... have you noticed that the world around you sometimes behaves strangely? Does fire boil faster when you are angry, or do things around you freeze when you are frightened? Your soul remembers what your mind has forgotten. Tell me, what power is struggling to break free from within you?