Chapter one.

Xena weaved her way through the crowded airplane aisle, her ticket clutched tightly in her hand. She scanned the row numbers, her eyes darting left and right, silently praying her seat would be by the window.

Finally, she spotted it—a window seat. Relief washed over her as she approached, only to notice a woman already seated in the adjacent seat, headphones on, eyes closed, seemingly lost in her music.

“Um… sorry, excuse me.” Xena said softly, her voice laced with politeness. The woman’s eyes fluttered open, and she quickly straightened up.

“Oh! Sure, sure, sorry about that.” the woman replied, moving aside to let Xena pass. Xena offered a polite smile and slid into her seat, settling in with a deep breath.

As soon as she was seated, Xena turned her gaze out the window. The hum of activity around her faded as a wave of melancholy crept in.

This was the first time she would travel so far from home, leaving behind her Nana and her little brother Diego, who was just eleven.

The thought tugged at her heart, a mixture of excitement and sadness swirling within her.

A soft beeping from her phone snapped her out of her thoughts. Shifting slightly, she pulled it out of her back pocket.

The screen lit up with a message, and as she read it, a soft giggle escaped her lips. It was a picture of Diego and Nana making silly faces, accompanied by a note:

“Have fun, sis! I can’t wait to see you next week!”

“Aww, that’s adorable.” came a voice from beside her. Xena’s head turned sharply to find the woman beside her peeking at her phone. She stiffened slightly, her smile fading.

No privacy, huh?

The woman seemed to catch on to Xena’s discomfort and quickly apologized.

“Oh, sorry. That was nosy of me.”

Xena gave a noncommittal hum and returned her attention to her phone, determined to mind her own business. But the woman wasn’t done.

“First time going to New York?” she asked, her tone light and conversational.

Xena debated ignoring her but decided against it.

At least the woman seemed to be trying to make friendly conversation. She gave a small nod. “Yeah.”

“Was that your brother in the picture?” the woman continued, gesturing subtly toward Xena’s phone.

“Yeah.” Xena replied, her voice softening. “That’s Diego. And this is my first time leaving him and my Nana.”

“Oh, I get that. Family is hard to leave behind. Are you visiting someone in New York?”

“My best friend.” Xena answered, glancing at the woman.

There was something curious about the way she stared at her, as though trying to read between the lines of her words. It made Xena a bit uneasy.

“She thinks my life is boring.” Xena added with a small laugh.

“She insisted I come and spend a week with her, just to get out and not miss out on life.”

The woman’s gaze didn’t waver. Instead, her lips curved into a knowing smile.

“You don’t seem thrilled about the idea.”

Xena blinked. “Excuse me?”

“Your voice says, ‘I’m excited to visit my friend,’ but your eyes… they say, ‘I don’t really want to go.’ Am I wrong?”

Xena’s mouth fell open in disbelief. How did this woman pick up on that?

“I’m fine with going.” she said firmly, her tone signaling that the subject was closed.

The woman raised her hands slightly in a gesture of surrender.

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to overstep. But let me just say this… be careful in New York. It’s a great place to have fun, but danger… danger roams freely there too.”

Xena’s brow furrowed. “Every country has danger roaming around. You just have to be cautious.”

The woman chuckled lightly, her tone shifting to something almost playful yet ominous.

“True. But you… you’re beautiful. The kind of beauty that turns heads… and makes you the perfect target. Just… watch your back.”

With that, the woman popped her earbuds back in and leaned against her seat, closing her eyes as if the conversation never happened. Xena stared at her for a long moment, unease prickling at the back of her mind.

Why would a complete stranger warn me like that? she wondered.

And why did her words feel like more than just idle advice?