1 Prologue : The Time Where It Stopped

A young lady is seen running out of a bus while holding her bag that has been swung to left and right.

She bumped into a man when she tried to properly hold her bag.

"Be careful lady"

The man with hazel eyes looked straight into her eyes.

"S- sorry…"

She makes a quick bow to say sorry and then rush her feet again.

Her running feet only stop in front of a fine carved wood door.

There's a sign made from silver plates, with a word carved under her hands that touch the door.

"ROSEWOODS"

It was a street walk café where she worked as a part-timer.

She greeted her manager who has a perfect figure like any model at any magazine would.

Mr. William gave her a simple nod and pointed to a woman who looked sour in the end of the room.

"Ayanna you were late"

Miranda took a towel and threw it to Ayanna's hand and she somehow looked annoyed.

Ayanna gave a cute puppy eyes and Miranda sighed.

"I'm not gonna scold you but you're gonna stay late tonight".

Miranda gave a smack at her forehead.

"You need this part time job for your fee next semester, don't make me cut your salary".

Ayanna squeezed her favorite co-worker and she was pushed away.

While she was cleaning a table, she saw an old man sitting in the corner writing in his journal.

"Grandpa... He was alone again…"

Her eyes can't stop staring at the figure who keeps writing silently at his seat.

She always saw that old man sitting there for hours alone. Sometimes if the café has no customers, she will sit with him and play some riddles together.

"He was writing in his journal again, how old is he still writing using that ink pen and paper in this digital world".

Her deep thought is interrupted by an old lady who comes inside the café. Ayanna went to welcome her. When the old lady takes a seat her purse falls to her heels.

Ayanna bowed down to pick up the purse and saw a circle red tattoo on her ankle, it was small but she can recognize it as a snake in a circle.

For some unexplained reason in her heart, her instinct tells her that the old woman was a young woman who disguised herself.

"I think she is not that old… Why would she go that far? Is it to stalk someone?"

Ayanna passed the order to the kitchen and told William about the strange woman.

"What makes you say so?"

William calmly takes the piece of paper from Ayanna's hand and pat her head.

"Don't fill your head with others' problems."

He gave a gentle smile and started preparing the food.

Ayanna goes to grandpa Orion, the old man gives her a warm smile and asks her to make him do the same things every time he comes to the place.

"Black coffee for this old man please sweetie…"

"Well surprisingly, I seem to be able to read your mind…"

Ayanna poured the black coffee into the cup in front of him.

"Grandpa, what do you have today?"

"Well dear lovely Ayanna… I have a riddle for greedy people".

And he showed the riddle to her, Ayanna took a look and tried to solve it but the riddle was so funny that it made her laugh.

It's 9 pm already but the old woman is still sitting there alone while playing with her earring. The old woman has been sitting for more than 2 hours alone.

"Alright my dear Ayanna, it is time to leave. Somehow I felt sad with tonight's farewell."

The old man put his hat on and wore his dark brown coat.

"Why… we are not gonna see each other again?"

Ayanna felt slightly embarrassed for sounding a bit childish. But who cares, she really likes this old man. He gave her the warm embrace a grandfather should give.

"Oh my sweet pumpkin, this man is too old already… We never know how far I can take my step tonight"

He gently patted her head.

"Remember… don't fill your head with others' problems. Until it is your life at risk or your heart that could be break".

"I am someone who only has both her hands to feed herself and two feet to survive in this life and one head to study. How can I have time to care about others, other than myself?"

The old man stares at her and gives a nod to what she says.

"It's good then… and remember…"

"Have a strong leg when you have a weak heart to survive"

Ayanna finished the sentence, she always heard this every time they parted.

She gives a hug to the old man and is kinda sad without reason as she stares at the old man walking slowly to the door.

Ayanna saw a weird gesture from William and she saw Miranda make a call outside the café.

Frankie, the chef is nowhere to be seen.

Ayanna cleaned the table where the old man sat and she found an old silver locket.

"I am shivering. The air conditioner was too cold or is it me who has fallen sick?"

Ayanna felt dizzy.

"Come here, let me check"

William put his hand on Ayanna's forehead and looked worried.

"You are indeed catching a cold. You better leave now, don't worry I will explain to Miranda".

"Alright. I am gonna get some meds on my way home. Better get going before you catch it from me"

"Sorry… Catch what?"

William frowned. He doesn't really understand these young lady words sometimes.

"My heart"

Ayanna makes a heart shape with her hand.

"Silly girl… I'm afraid I don't enough time to catch it properly"

His eyes looked sad. William takes a black brown scarf.

It is his favorite scarf, he has worn it for years already. He put Ayanna's neck and kissed her forehead.

"Take care silly girl"

William then walked away leaving the lady alone who was now startled by the sudden kiss in the kitchen.

"Is this a dream?"

Ayanna pinch her own cheek and smile.

She walked out of the café with heavy steps. She felt uneasy, but still walked away from the café slowly. After a few steps she sensed something strange as she saw someone laying across the street.

She takes a few more steps and notices that the coat was the same as the old man wearing, while running to the old man she prays hard that nothing serious has happened.

"Please hold this and only trust the guy who know the right answer for the greedy people"

The old man is still alive and takes her hand and gives her a pen, as he gathers all his last breath.

"Please no… hold on, I'm gonna get some help. Hang on, old man."

Her hand and shirt soaked with blood. Her head only has William.

'Move the feet fast, grab William fast, get the phone. Call an ambulance.' All those things rush instantly in her head.

She wanted to speed up her feet running to the café, but later she felt her hand being grabbed to a wall.

The concrete wall at her back felt so cold, it was as cold as the pair of eyes staring at her in the dark.

Everything was so fast, her heart breath crazily but she can only stare back at the eyes.

"This will paralyze you for hours, I am sorry but you will be a witness to a horrible thing. But it is the only way for you to survive this".

Ayanna felt something stung in her neck. Her body felt heavy. Ayanna cannot move and her eyes wide open, her back leaning at the wall.

As her body slowly fell the man carefully held Ayanna until she sat on the floor. As soon as Ayanna's body was firmly still on the floor the café that vaguely she saw through the man's shoulder suddenly exploded.

"William… Miranda… your guys"

She can hear her own voice screaming in her head, her throat feels dry because of the anger that is burning inside and she cannot move even just for an inch.

The man stared at her then took out something and put it under her jacket. Then she could smell blood where she was coating it.

The man took out a book from his coat and he hesitated for a moment and then he ran when some people were shouting at him.

"Idiot… go after him!"

She heard Miranda's voice, she was trying so hard to call her. She felt so terrible and angry but as soon she saw Miranda eyes staring at her stiff body with blood, she might have hope. Miranda will come to her. She can ask for help.

"Tch... tch… how pitiful to die without knowing anything"

Miranda just looked at her from afar with cold eyes. She just gives her a glance and orders the guys to catch that man and take the book from him.

Ayanna was devastated, the feeling of betrayal made her feel worse.

Miranda took a step to the old man, then there was William, he tried to stop her but Miranda shot him.

She saw William on his knees, Miranda wanted to shoot again, with the gun at William's head Ayanna screamed so hard from the bottom of her heart burst out her lung praying her voice could be heard.

"Finish it so we can go home… I am tired with these clothes on my body. Make me feel old…"

The old woman approached Miranda and gave a disgusting look to William as he was just a pitiful rat that was caught by a master.

"Oh… that girl died? She was stabbed?"

That old woman stared at Ayanna's bloody shirt.

"Poor her, I like her… she is polite"

She still can smell the perfume, with the smell of blood it was so stink that made her want to throw up.

She was crying as her eyes were clouded by the tears. She only hears the sound of a gun and her world slowly becomes dark.