Close Encounters
Aelira had settled into her new role at Lou's pub and restaurant, quickly adapting to her tasks with the help of Nancy and her assistant, who continued to guide her through the complexities of human behavior and customs. Today, Lou assigned her a new responsibility: working as a delivery girl for orders placed by local businesses and offices. Though Aelira was unfamiliar with the city's layout, her assistant helped by acting as a discreet navigator, pointing out directions and whispering reminders about Earth's rules and regulations.
Her first assignment was to deliver lunch to a large corporate building across town. She carefully packed the food, adjusted her new Earthly attire, and headed out. Arriving at the grand entrance of the company headquarters, she was awestruck by the imposing skyscrapers and the bustling activity around her. As she approached, two stern security guards stopped her, asking for a gate pass.
Unaware of the need for such credentials, Aelira hesitated, unsure how to proceed. But her assistant quickly reminded her of her abilities. With a small nod, she subtly activated her teleportation power, slipping past the guards and materializing just inside the building's main hallway. She looked around, amazed that her trick had gone unnoticed, and headed toward the elevators with the food package in hand.
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As she approached the lift, she noticed a flurry of activity nearby. A tall man surrounded by security guards and assistants was moving purposefully down the hallway, his presence commanding attention. Her assistant whispered to her that he seemed important—likely an executive or high-ranking individual. But Aelira was focused on her task and paid him little mind, merely noting the protective entourage around him.
Intent on completing her delivery, she quickly activated her freezing power, causing a temporary stasis effect on the people around her so she could enter the lift without interruption. Yet, just as the doors began to close, she noticed the man—the important figure—blink in confusion, as though aware of something strange. For a split second, his eyes seemed to meet hers, filled with brief recognition before everything resumed as normal.
Unaware that this "important man" was, in fact, Arthur—the very man she had saved and been unknowingly drawn to—Aelira focused on her delivery, stepping out of the elevator and making her way through the maze of cubicles and offices. She delivered the food, thanked the employees who received it, and, satisfied with her successful mission, teleported out of the building.
Meanwhile, Arthur stood frozen, trying to make sense of the strange moment he had just experienced. For the briefest second, it was as if time had slowed down, and he was the only one aware of something unusual happening. The faint feeling of an otherworldly presence lingered, haunting him, yet he brushed it off as an effect of his busy schedule.
As Aelira continued her deliveries around the city, she remained blissfully unaware that she had come so close to the man whose life she had once saved—and whose fate was mysteriously entwined with her own. And though Arthur had yet to realize it, a sense of curiosity about the fleeting presence he'd sensed would continue to tug at him, drawing him closer to the truth about the night of his accident.