Aleena Collins and the Secrets of Time

Now Boarding: Sydney to London

The streets of Sydney always had a certain energy that I loved—especially on my days off. It felt like freedom, a rare luxury since I'd taken on a second job after graduating from university. Today, the sun was out, casting a warm glow over the city, and I had nowhere to be. I moved out of my parent's place last year, and honestly, living alone was the best decision I've ever made. The steady rhythm of my shoes against the pavement was oddly comforting as I wove through the crowd, not paying attention to where I was going, just enjoying the moment.

Something feels off. Stop.

I stopped, frowning slightly, and a woman appeared out of nowhere before I could even look around. She stepped into my path, so close that I could feel her breath as she stood there, unblinking. She wore a long cloak—who even wears cloaks these days?—and as she pulled off the hood, her dark eyes locked onto mine. My breath caught. For a split second, I could've sworn I was looking at... me.

But before I could make sense of it, I blinked, and suddenly, it wasn't my face at all—just a stranger with familiar eyes that seemed to bore into mine. Everything around us froze. The people, the cars, the city's constant buzz—all of it just... stopped.

I blinked again, trying to process it, but my mind struggled to catch up. It was as if time itself had paused. What the hell?

"Finally," the woman said, breaking the silence with a dramatic sigh, like we'd been waiting for this moment for years. "Aleena Collins." She had a British accent.

"How do you know my name?" I asked, my voice shaky with disbelief.

"I've been watching you for a long time," she said with a smile that sent a shiver down my spine. She spoke like we were old friends, as if this bizarre encounter was the most natural thing in the world. "You're very important, you know. Saviour of humanity, no less." She said it so... casually, like she was asking me about the weather.

I let out a small, incredulous laugh. "Excuse me?"

She gave me a look, a pout on her glossy lips, one that screamed, Oh, you poor thing. "You, Aleena, are going to help us save the world."

The friendly tone wasn't so endearing anymore. My brows knitted together. "Right. I don't know who you are, but you're clearly mistaking me for someone else."

"I don't make mistakes," she said, brushing aside my protest with an irritating wave of her hand. "I'm Selene, by the way."

"Yeah, no. This conversation is over." I turned on my heel, trying to get away, but she kept up with me easily, her voice still dripping with forced cheerfulness.

"Aleena, listen. You're the key to stopping all this."

"This what?

"The deaths? Killings?" She lets out an over-exaggerated gasp. "Murders?"

I stopped again, my patience wearing thin. "Killings?"

"Yes, you've heard about the mysterious deaths, haven't you? The ones no one can explain? How does a normal serial killer manage that in today's world? Technology? Surveillance cameras? Shouldn't they be caught already? It's because they're not normal." She shrugged.

I blinked, feeling a faint chill creep up my spine. Everyone had heard of those cases. Bodies found with no visible wounds, no clues—just dead, as if life had simply been snatched away from them. They started in London, slowly spreading to everywhere around the world. But it was a stretch, right? "So... what? You expect me to catch some kind of supernatural killer?" I asked, crossing my arms. "What are you, some secret police?"

"Something better," she said, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "I'm... well, that's a little complicated. But you're the only one who can stop this." Her tone became more serious, intense. "And we leave now. We're running out of time."