Chapter 9: Can It Cut Through A Human?
As they walked, side by side, the city pulsed around them, but an odd stillness clung to their path.
People milled about, vendors shouting, kids darting through crowds, but no one approached them.
Eyes darted their way, lingering on Charlotte’s vibrant hair, her vibrant presence, but they kept their distance, like an Invisible wall held them back.
Mika noticed it, the subtle tension in the air, the way pedestrians veered away, their steps hesitant.
But he ignored it knowing that it was because the faint aura of her blessing was in full swing, a radiant force that repelled the unblessed and weaker-willed people. Ordinary folk didn’t dare look too long, let alone approach, their instincts screaming to avoid the divine predator at his side.
Back at the park, she’d let her guard down, her worry for him shattering her control, allowing the crowd to swarm. But now, her blessing hummed like a low, frequency pulse, keeping the world at bay.
Only the boldest, hardcore fans or those with blessings of their own, might brave that pressure, driven by obsession or courage. Mika caught a few such gazes, starstruck teens whispering, a man with a camera hesitating at a corner, but they stayed back, cowed by her power.
And just as he was thinking standing beside Charlotte made it seem like he was invisible, Charlotte paused mid-step, her head turning back toward the park, her brow furrowing. Mika doubtful of what he was doing, followed her gaze, the wreckage of the crash now a distant blur of twisted metal and scattered debris.
"What’s up?" He asked, his voice casual but alert. "Forget something back there?"
"No, it’s just...I was thinking about the ambulance that was over there." She shook her head, but her tone was tinged with confusion. She then frowned, her eyes narrowing as she pieced something together. "You see, Mika, I would’ve preferred to take you to the hospital in one, you know, just to be safe. But I sent everyone away, so the one that arrived also went away. But thing is..."
She glanced at him, her voice dropping.
"Right before the accident, I saw an ambulance parked near the park, super close. I noticed the driver inside, he was staring at me, which isn’t weird, but it was...intense."