Chapter 31: Damaged Compass

Alix surveyed her surroundings.

She was in the huge Blue City shopping mall and was in the superhero clothing and costume section.

In the middle were benches to sit on and the aisle through which all visitors walked, while on either side were commercial stores.

Some stores projected heroes wearing different costumes designed by the brands the stores sold and others had robotic models, which wore different outfits.

The good thing about those models was that they had different proportions and someone like Alix who had a slim and not so prominent physique could see herself reflected in those robots.

At the top were stairs connecting each side of the different floors and leaving most of it open, allowing her to see how people walked through the different floors.

The good thing was that each floor had a barrier, so, if anyone or anyone threw something, it would not fall, but the barriers would hold it up.

“Good thing there are protections for people wearing skirts. There must be a lot of perverts constantly watching,” Alix muttered helplessly.

The paths where people passed by couldn’t be watched from below and even someone like her couldn’t watch people, which meant that women had protected looks under their skirts.

And they had to be protected, as there were paths under the open sky where people walked on a transparent floor, giving the impression that they were walking on air.

“I hope you enjoy the view.”

Alix heard a voice at her back and she straightened up to turn to the person she was accompanying.

The woman was in her mid-twenties and was quite pretty. She had black hair that reached her waist and was completely straight and even seemed to shine with subtlety.

The woman was voluptuous, especially in her hips, and while she wore baggy clothes, she still stood out, though what was most impressive was the woman’s black eyes and countenance.

“Sorry... I don’t get out too much around the city,” Alix said, lowering her head and lifting it back up, she added. “I assure you I will keep you safe, Prophet.”

How could she make the mistake at this moment? Her master gave her the mission to accompany and protect Prophet Melissa and the first thing she did upon entering a place like this was act like a country girl.

“It’s not for you to be tense,” the Prophet said, noticing her and giving a sigh, she murmured. “Don’t worry. I’ve been anxious lately... Today is just another stressful day.”

Instead of scolding her, it was the Prophet who apologized and Alix nodded, returning to Prophet Melissa’s side, raising her guard all the way.

“Relax. You’ll make me feel bad if you’re so nervous,” Prophet Melissa said. “I heard from your master that you come from a rural area. I guess you don’t get out much since you’ve been here.”

The voice was soothing and full of calm.

“Yes, and with the recent work, it’s been more complicated,” Alix replied in a professional tone.

Actually, she didn’t go out too much because she had no friends, but to state such a fact openly would make them look at her with pity, and she didn’t want that.

So she chose to blame the job, which in a way was true.

“Donovan the Nightmare, I guess,” Melissa said and, seeing her nod, added. “I hope they’re not that much trouble. It’s too late to say that, though. I heard they hung a man to give a warning.”

They hung him and cut out his stomach so that the viscera would fall out... Alix gave no details of the case and remained silent.

Melissa continued with the walk and now and then stopped, closing her eyes and walking back again.

“What are you looking for?” Alix asked as she couldn’t resist her curiosity.

“The end of the world,” Melissa replied and, seeing her tense, muttered. “Or its salvation. I really don’t know.”

Alix, who was tense hearing about the end of the world, blinked blankly at what she was referring to and Melissa let out a gentle laugh.

“You remind me of my little sister when she was so expressive. Too bad when she grew up, she became so independent,” Melissa murmured, letting out a laugh and then explained. “As for what I’m looking for. That’s what I answered.”

She continued walking through the mall until they reached the center of the building in an open area.

Through the air were flying rockets with children inside traveling everywhere, and those rockets were part of the play center.

Several heroes were walking openly and guarding the area, along with police standing nearby.

Alix noticed Melissa observing the quiet, the families with their children, the laughter of the children and practically heard the bustle of the surroundings.

“My power is not that accurate. Sometimes I have prophecies of the end of the world like the last one I had and I see the world being destroyed with clarity, but other times I don’t and I simply see possibilities for the future,” said the Prophet and looking back, she added. “I am now delving into this possibility, seeking to find out more.”

Such power sounded overwhelming and yet extremely powerful.

The responsibility Melissa carried was high and Alix felt the pressure, even though it was someone else’s burden.

“I will protect you,” Alix stated in a serious tone.

The Prophet stopped and turned to look at her, but realizing she was speaking seriously, she let out a soft laugh.

“Don’t worry, I’m not getting anywhere. When I delve into prophecy, I only see distinct and meaningless shapes. I can hardly tell what I’m looking for. Like now, I’m guided here without understanding the reason,” Melissa replied, sighing and closing her eyes again.

Alix stopped disturbing her and turned to observe her surroundings, no longer enjoying the view, but more seriously.

She could hear conversations from much of the mall and observed with spectacular clarity.

She noticed the man eating an ice cream with his wife, saw members of security and superheroes signing autographs and her gaze, as she passed through it all, suddenly stopped on a child.

A two-year-old boy wearing a purple-colored suit and who was sitting on a rocket that was carefully going up and down while crossing his arms as if he didn’t like the ride.

The boy’s eyes were a purple color, but it was not the eyes that caught Alix’s attention, but the head, which was bigger than average.

“Oh, poor little thing. He may have some kind of disease,” Melissa murmured and, shaking her head ruefully, added. “Even from here I can see his head and that my eyes aren’t as developed.”

Alix noticed how the child’s eyebrows trembled and the look he gave became more intense, as if.... He was listening.

Such an idea struck her as comical, but she couldn’t take her eyes off the child.

“I don’t think he has such a big head... I guess,” Alix said calmly.

The boy was big head, but his head wasn’t abnormally giant, it was just big for a boy his age.

Was it because of her comment?

The boy’s eyebrow lowered subtly, but he kept looking at her anyway and for some reason Alix felt intimidated.

Wasn’t it weird? Was she starting to get delirious? Was it because of the nonstop training?

Alix tried to avert her eyes, but she couldn’t and was drawn to the little guy’s purple eyes.

“Melissa... I think the boy is looking at me,” Alix murmured, feeling her hairs were standing on end.

The boy’s eyes were fixed on her even though they were both a considerable distance away... Alix felt uncomfortable and nudged the person she was supposed to be protecting.

“Wait... I think I’m seeing something...”

Alix heard Melissa murmur next to her and then someone came and held the little boy in her arms, pulling him out of the game rocket.

The man allowed Alix to stop looking at the child and when she wondered what was going on; she looked at the man.

A normal man... Clear eyes, simple look and common features were so normal that it was impossible not to see the falseness of the appearance.

Was he using an artifact to protect his identity? Perhaps she was not the most capable person, but her senses were sharp and her instincts were very good.

Now she could sense the strangeness.

“I think I see it... Its face is taking shape and... I think it’s looking back at me... And it’s smiling.”

Melissa’s voice was low, but it was enough for Alix to hear the trembling and concern, but she couldn’t do anything.

Not when she saw the smile on the boy’s face watching him.

Something was happening... Such an idea made her take a step forward and then another and another until, in a moment, a figure was in her way and she collided with a man’s chest.

Alix was strong and at this moment she was in a state of caution, which meant that her body exerted considerable strength and anyone who stopped her would be pushed back, but now it was she who stepped back.

A man stood in front of her and the man moved a ring and the cloak that covered him disappeared, revealing the true appearance, the first thing being the strange grey hair.

He was tall, close to six feet, maybe ninety, and was certainly taller than her, and while he was slender, his body exuded a tall natural strength.

Alix had met him before and, unlike the time she saw him during that night, she heard a voice. This time, the blue eyes revealed an enigmatic depth.

They were pure, bright blue eyes that glowed with a unique strength.

“Always following a damaged compass, Miss Melissa.”

Investigator Austin spoke loudly and Alix turned to Melissa, who had opened her eyes as she paled completely.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to look at you, sir... My powers are...”

“A complete failure,” replied the man with an indifferent tone and observing the Prophet, he questioned. “And what did you see, Miss Melissa? If you can, tell me.”

The voice carried a unique force, not from someone threatening, but from a senior teacher or instructor who was questioning a young student who was making the same mistake again.

Melissa lowered her head and did so quickly, making it obvious that this was not the first time she had been scolded.

“I... I saw you, sir,” Melissa said and raising her head, she explained. “I had a prophecy of the end of the world and...”

“You don’t have to explain it to me, Miss Melissa,” interrupted Investigator Austin and when Melissa wanted to reply, he raised his hand again. “Take it up with my wife and please stop believing that everything you see could be the end of the world... Or its salvation.”

The voice was clear and cold, in a sense more of an annoyance than criticism, and Melissa was simply silent.

The man, as he said all he had to say, gave a half smile, a rare thing for someone as serious as he was.

“If you’ll excuse me, I have to take my leave. I have a tour with my son,” said the man as he withdrew.

Son?

Alix opened her eyes and looked back at the gray hair boy who was already in the baby stroller, struggling with the tentacles of an octopus that appeared to be the cleaner of this mall.

Was it because of his child that the man was so serious? Alix turned to look at Melissa and she gave her a half smile.

“Didn’t I tell you? Sometimes I see the end of the world or its salvation. Apparently, this time it was the last,” Melissa muttered and shaking her head, she murmured. “Let’s go back.”

Alix gave a glance back at the man who had gone back to hiding with those rings that looked like some kind of artifact and then followed Melissa watching that woman’s back.

Melissa was a prophetess who saw possibilities of the future and sometimes those possibilities were of the end of the world and sometimes salvation for that end of the world... And the man from before or the wife of this one could be the saviors.

And they probably were many times before and would continue to be.

After all, the two of them seemed to have settled in this world and would surely defend it from all hardships as they had always been doing.

Alix walked more calmly and was somewhat excited to learn that two great and prestigious supers had a son.