Chapter 116 Survival of the sun
Richard had been scaring everyone like that of late, he had been easily forgotten by everyone lately, just to pop back out. It wasn't that you didn't know he'd been there from the start, it was as if you just forget over time. Melissa hated it when he did it. She'd asked him the other day and he didn't reply to her. It was probably for a good reason though, he probably hadn't figured it out yet completely.
She looked at him as he stood up. He seemed a bit off and she couldn't really place it. It was as if she was staring at a stranger or more like an otherworldly entity. Something that doesn't necessarily fit into the space they occupy- this was the exact explanation. It was as if he was a jigsaw puzzle that didn't fit into a space but had forced himself into it.
She looked at him with a bird's eye gaze trying to pinpoint what was wrong with him. She couldn't really figure it out per se. He was still Richard, his mannerisms, gesture, posture were still him but he felt off. That was when she discovered it wasn't what she was seeing that was the problem but what she was feeling.
He felt off completely, his presence- his emotions. Melissa looked at him with scrutiny, she discovered she couldn't sense his emotions. It was blank, there was nothing. She flared her abilities the more and all she felt was blankness.
Normally, Melissa always kept a bit of her abilities on, it helped her increase the duration at which she could use it and also helped her body get accustomed to it the more she did. So she could look at a crowd of people and keep most of them in the background of her mind and just choose who she wants to actually see; that was the same way her abilities worked. She could sense everyone's emotions in the room, but they didn't necessarily register to her, but it helped her sense any disturbances. Just as if chaos suddenly happened her eyes would be drawn to it, a spike in any emotion will draw her full attention.
She then discovered she hadn't been sensing Richard's for a while. It had all been just emptiness, no- it was darkness. Melissa raided her eyes and mind telling her it was an addition to Richard's ability. She would ask him later, gouge out his eyes if she had to until he told her.
"Good afternoon," he said, looking at everyone then added. "My friends," he smiled and then continued.
Melissa nodded, he was in a good mood too. She would be worried if he wasn't, even if she was in a good mood, and last night was fun. She shook the images in her head off and then listened to him.
"I have taken the liberty of setting up additional security for the Luna. They would be mostly effective during ceremonies and all when I cannot always be by the Luna's side. They are all capable and have been tested by Beatrice herself," he said.
"But as I have said, I am in charge of the Luna herself," he reaffirmed. "I am going to start out with one of the most intriguing cases surrounding her," he paused and the entire room went silent.
Melissa knew this would happen one way or another, she'd at last going to be the topic of discussion. She couldn't necessarily quantify how she'd been feeling with herself lately. Naturally all she'd wanted to do when she realised she'd been reborn was just have her revenge but the entirety of her character had not allowed for that. She was too kind, too compassionate to just watch her kingdom fall to ruins because of petty vengeance, so she'd decided to rule, as fair and as just as she could.
She'd discovered soon enough that she was a kinder queen than most, a better one in fact. She'd now started to realise as of late that she seemed to be a powerful one too. It all started with the witch when she'd asked her for help. Melissa's first thought was, why her? Why not Richard or Beatrice? Then everyone around her began to give her a certain air of respect, even her enemies.
Her feelings also translated to her court as they began to exude this air of belief in her. She understood she was the ruler and she was important but why would Beatrice want to believe in her and even follow her as a subject willfully without any complaints? What bugged her most was that they were not doing it for the throne but for her in person. They all saw something in her that she was failing to see in herself and today she'd find out what it was.
Because it wasn't just them that saw it. Nathaniel did, the Infernal did and as it would seem even Arabella did. Were her abilities so special it made her so powerful? She relaxed and tried to clear her mind as Richard spoke.
"Melissa's the reason we are all gathered here today and it is because we believe in her. Others are starting to see it," he said. "The sniper that shot from within the Infinite zoos building wasn't an Oracle assassin," he said. "Neither was the one who shot at her from the top of the building," he announced.
"Huh?" Melissa grunted.
"The two sniper attacks seemed to be working for a private person, using the attack of Oracle to incite chaos," he said. "Their bullets were the same brand, and yet they do not have Oracle's insignia with them at all," he explained. "Most agents have a tattoo, or a small earring that possesses the insignia. Both of them had a different insignia all together," he put a red muffler on the table.
"That insignia," he said.
"Oh…" Margaret rose up. "Oh no," she said blankly.
"Oh, no what?" Melissa asked.
"They are not Oracle but they are definitely working with Oracle," Margaret said.
"Why did you say that?” Avalors asked her.
"Vampires, it is a coven of vampires that call themselves Survivors of the light,"she said with a cold look. "They've been trying to seize hold of Dunham for like six years now." She said. "This… this is trouble."