Morning Routines

Kai stepped out of his small apartment onto the cobblestone street, adjusting his locket under his dark t-shirt. The morning air carried the rich aroma of fresh bread and butter from nearby bakeries. He loved this daily walk through the winding streets of Paris before school.

"Bonjour, Kai!" called Madame Dubois from behind the counter of her corner bakery. She always had flour dusting her apron and a warm smile.

"Bonjour, Madame," Kai replied, pushing open the glass door. The bell chimed softly above his head.

But something felt different today. The usual golden-brown croissants in the display case looked pale and oddly shaped. Madame Dubois frowned as she arranged them, muttering under her breath.

"These don't look right," she said, picking up one croissant that seemed more like a deflated balloon than a pastry. "I followed the same recipe I've used for thirty years."

Kai's amber eyes studied the strange croissants. His keen senses picked up something unusual in their scent.

The Medieval Baker's Secret

Kai picked up the deflated croissant and sniffed it carefully. His werewolf senses detected something metallic mixed with the butter.

"Wait," he said, setting the pastry down. "This smells like... iron?"

Madame Dubois wiped her hands on her apron. "That's impossible. I use the same ingredients every morning."

The bell chimed again as a tall man in chainmail armor stepped through the door. His medieval helmet gleamed under the bakery lights, and he carried a leather satchel.

"Greetings," the knight said in accented English. "I am Sir Reginald, time traveler from the year 1347. I seek the finest croissants in all of Paris."

Kai's amber eyes widened. He had seen strange things before, but never a medieval knight in a modern bakery.

Madame Dubois dropped her flour-dusted cloth. "Mon Dieu! Are you wearing real armor?"

"Indeed, madam. My temporal device brought me here specifically for your legendary pastries." Sir Reginald examined the sad croissants in the display case. "But these appear... cursed."