LOCKED DOWN

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 6

DAMSEL IN DISTRESS

"You going somewhere?"

Pixel heard a voice echo along the corridors of that cold way out of Night's castle. It was already almost noon time and no one has been waking up, so she decide to take a stroll by herself. She tilted her head to see it was Sam.

His eyes look heavy that he was trying to open up. With the way he walk, he still kind of sleepy and his head is still hazy. He is not yet fully waken up. But then, he still tried to open his dried lids that quite blinded by the morning rays of the sun passing through the opened wide windows of the towers.

"I'm going to the Center Circle," she said, almost a whisper.

"Alone?" he asked as his brows met in the middle top part of his nose.

She nodded casually. "Yeah?"

He shook his head and finally popped out those red half awake eyes of him. "I can't let a lady go alone. Would you care to spare me a minute?"

Her brows arched in confusion. "I guess I'll be waiting for you at the garden."

Sam nodded continuously as he drifted towards his room.

That made her smile. Sam never really changes. He was still into girls but still a gentleman in every way.

What will he react to when he finds out that she was Odin's sister? She giggled at the thought.

A minute passed and Sam came out and he was in his best attire, plastering the cutest smile on his face.

They went on the Center Circle together and went to the dress shop to upgrade herself. The dresser automatically gave her some selection that she can afford. While Sam sat near the door and made himself busy by looking at the people passing by.

She was surprise to see that there are plenty of clothes to choose from and these can give her a great defense. She settled with the cloth that looks comfortable yet has pretty high defense. She even upgrade her hair and two jade pins were placed at her braided hair. Now, she looks like a Chinese princess or more like a concubine who was dressed in sparkling jewels on the long satin dress.

She already made the purchase and looked at where she left Sam, but he was gone. She went out, tried to see if he just went out for air, but there was no sign of him on the street.

“It will not bad if I look for him myself,” she muttered to herself. Besides, she never toured around the Center Circle entirely. She needs to discover the places she could go to. Might as well find out something she can achieve.

The long way of the fruit stand caught her attention. The fruits looks fresh and were polished one by one with extra effort. They look juicy in the displays that shines with the sun shining on top.

She began walking to see if she could buy something for her teammates. Just in the middle of her stroll, a certain alley caught her attention. Her feet halted and her head tilted towards it.

There she witnessed two adult men beating up a child who was about eight years of age. Their hand were on the little boy's collar and it really is struggling so hard.

"Return it!" the man ordered the kid.

"Is there something wrong?" She can't hold herself anymore. She tried to be bullied in the real world and she will not hesitate to fight back.

She just could not believe that even in the virtual world, this incident still happens. And what could be worse is that it was just a kid.

The man who was holding the kid's collar let go and stood to face her.

"It is not what you think lady," he said.

"I saw what I saw and I won't stand watching you do that to him." She raised an eyebrow. "Then I guess you have to fight me then." She raised her hand. A magical purple flame appeared on her palm.

"We don't want any trouble. We don't want to fight a girl."

"Then you better not mess with him. Or you will have to face me," she said firmly.

The men just walked away shaking their heads. It was obvious they did not get what they wanted.

She then looked at the little boy. His eyes began to sparkle with the tears on the corner of his eyes.

"It's okay now. There are gone. My name is Pixel. Just tell me if they will bother you again. I will not tolerate such bullies."

"Can I hold your hand, big sister?" he asked. His puppy eyes are pleading and it was the cutest thing she saw that day.

"Come on. Let's go. I will buy you an ice cream," she said as she tapped and shake the top of his head.

He nodded happily. He even walks jumping in joy while they stroll for a minute at the market.

"I have to go home, big sister. Thanks for the treat," said Flynn, the boy she just saved from the bullies.

"I can take you home. Just show me the way."

Flynn stared at her like she said something that she must not say. Seconds after, he smiled again.

"My home was not as pleasant as you think. But you can take me up to the entrance." He began walking, leading their way. But then, after a few steps, he stopped. He looked at her and looked in her eyes.

She does not if it was really fear that she saw in those pair of eyes, but she was sure she saw it.

"Can I hold your hand?" he asked. And the puppy eyes were there again.

"Sure," she replied smiling, lending her hand for him to take.

She did not notice how far they walked because the kid keeps on talking to her like they were really close friends. They stopped at a very remote area, by the outskirts of the Center Circle. The surrounding are dark and the trees are shady. She cannot see a single house or shelter around the area.

"This place also exists?" she said in her mind.

The kid finally let go of her hand.

"So, this is where we part our ways," she uttered. "I will see you around then."

Flynn nodded. "I hope so. But I don't think you would want to see me again. Thanks for everything, big sister. You helped me so much today."

He talked so fast that she did not have any time to ask further about his vague farewell. He took his way inside the gloomy forest, while she headed back to the Center Circle.

She walked for a few minutes but still had no sight of the guy she was with this morning. It was already almost twilight and the sky was milky purple.

She tapped her watch to message Sam, but her finger stopped pressing further on her tab. Her jaw dropped and her eyes grew bigger.

"Where the hell are my items?" she blurted out upon seeing that her tab was empty.