The Time Traveler’s Coffee

Ethan Gray never intended to become a time traveler. He was just a tired writer looking for a quiet corner to work, drawn to a small, dimly lit café tucked between two towering buildings. The neon sign above the door flickered, caught in a perpetual stutter between “OPEN” and “CLOSED.” The scent of fresh coffee wrapped around him as he stepped inside.

The café was nearly empty, save for a middle-aged barista with silver streaks in his beard, who greeted him with a knowing smile. “Something special today?”

Ethan hesitated. “Sure. Surprise me.”

The barista nodded and slid a steaming cup toward him. “On the house. A rare blend.”

The liquid was deep, almost inky black, shimmering slightly as it swirled in his cup. The aroma was rich, laced with something Ethan couldn’t quite place. He took a cautious sip.

The moment the coffee touched his tongue, the world flickered.

A Leap Through Time

The café was gone.

Ethan found himself standing on the same street, but everything had changed. The buildings were taller, the streetlights brighter, and the neon sign that had once flickered above the café had disappeared completely. People walked by in sleek, modern clothing, their faces illuminated by floating holographic displays. Hovering drones zipped through the air.

A cold dread settled in his stomach. He turned back, searching for the café, but it was nowhere to be found. The space where it had been was now a high-end clothing store.

He stumbled to a nearby bench and pulled out his phone. No signal. Frantically, he stopped a passerby, a woman in a dark coat. “Excuse me, what year is it?”

She gave him an odd look. “2045.”

Ethan staggered back. He had been in 2024 only moments ago.

The Rules of Time

Panic surged through him. He wandered the streets, desperately searching for any trace of the café. But it was as if it had never existed. Hours passed before he ducked into an old bookstore, hoping for some familiarity.

Behind the counter sat an elderly man, his fingers wrapped around a steaming cup of coffee.

Ethan’s heart pounded. “That coffee… where did you get it?”

The man studied him with tired eyes before nodding. “You drank it, didn’t you?”

Ethan nodded.

The old man sighed. “It’s called the Traveler’s Brew. Every sip moves you forward one year. But you can never go back.”

Ethan felt his stomach drop. “There has to be a way.”

The man shook his head. “Not that I’ve found.”

Ethan stared at him, realization dawning. “You drank it too.”

The old man let out a weary chuckle. “A long time ago.”

The Search for Another Cup

Determined, Ethan spent the next year searching for the café. He scoured old records, questioned strangers, followed every whisper of a mysterious coffee shop that appeared and vanished without a trace.

He found nothing.

As the year came to a close, he began to lose hope. Then, on a quiet winter night, he stumbled into a hidden alley and saw it—the flickering neon sign, the scent of coffee curling through the cold air.

With shaking hands, he pushed open the door.

The same barista stood behind the counter, looking no different than before. “Welcome back,” he said.

Ethan rushed forward. “I need another cup.”

The barista’s smile faded. “I can serve you another, but you know the rule.”

Ethan’s breath caught. “It’ll only take me forward.”

The barista nodded. “One sip, one year. You can never go back.”

Desperation clawed at him. “What if I drink more than one sip?”

The barista hesitated. “Then you’ll go further.”

Ethan’s mind raced. He could keep drinking, leap forward until he found a future where they’d discovered a way back. He grabbed the cup, heart pounding.

He took a deep breath—and drank.

The Endless Journey

The café blurred. When the world settled, he was in the same spot—but everything had changed again. The city was unrecognizable. Towering glass spires reached into the sky, and vehicles zipped through the air like streaks of light. He checked a digital billboard.

Year: 2097.

Ethan exhaled shakily. He had jumped forward fifty-two years.

His hands trembled. He turned to where the café had been, but once again, it was gone.

His search began again. For years, he chased whispers of the elusive café, moving from city to city. Some claimed to have seen it. Some thought it was a myth. Every time he found it, he took another sip, leaping forward, hoping one day he’d find a future where he could finally return.

Decades passed. The world changed, technology advanced, but the rule remained the same.

One sip, one year forward.

Never back.

And somewhere, in a future yet to be written, the café waits, brewing another cup, ready to welcome the next lost traveler.