Shapeshifter stared at Alice.
Then, he laughed.
"You almost got me. But I'm not stupid, Alice. Considering your age and how little you know about the Sky, I doubt you're much of a threat to me right now."
"So... you're not going to help me ?"
"Yeah."
Alice closed her eyes, sorry, her eye.
If Shapeshifter refused to help her, then she only had to choices: fight him or... wait.
Alice was somewhat tempted by the first option: after all, Shapeshifter was a monster who deserved to die. But sadly, this choice was probably a bad end.
Alice had no idea how strong Shapeshifter truly was, as these kind of things were hard to evaluate, but she knew enough about him to be sure that fighting him would be a bad idea.
He was able to change forms according to his will, regenerate, and even read minds in some way. He also killed a few thousand people, including at least one Lightbringer.
Shapeshifter was a dangerous thing, maybe as dangerous as Brandon and Lotus.
Sure, Alice also wasn't just a weak teenage girl. Her Name, Killer, her dagger, soul selling, even her curse... she had plenty of weapons.
But was that enough to win against Shapeshifter ? Alice really doubted it, and even if she won, at what cost would that win be ? If Mirror teached her that nothing was impossible, she also showed Alice the kind of cost one had to pay to create that slight chance to achieve the impossible.
And Alice just wasn't willing to pay.
But then, how was she going to get out of this Room ?
"You looks focused. What are you thinking about ?"
"Could you leave me alone for a little, please ? I want to think."
Alice's tone was polite.
She was really great at this: hiding her feelings, making people think she did not hate them. Even then, it was extremly hard to stay calm while talking with a monster that ate thousands of people, and did not even blink at the idea of making a young girl his dinner.
There were very few people on Earth able to compete with that level of evil. Even if Alice's mother was horrible, she never wanted to eat her.
That was way she previously lost her cool and insulted him, almost causing a fight.
But the thing with evil persons... was that they were still persons. Shapeshifter was conscious, and capable of speech and thought. He was a person.
An horrible person yet.... but so what ? He had no reason to not allow Alice to have at least a bit of time alone.
He probably thought the young Lightbringer needed time to adapt to her new home.
To accept him.
If he knew how wrong he was....
"Yes, I can leave you alone for a bit if you want." replied Shapeshifter.
Shapeshifter left towards nowhere. He was far now. Very far.
Alone, Alice thought for a while.
But no solution came to mind.
"Alice..."
"Killer ? What do you have to say ?"
"I'm sorry."
"Sorry ? For what ?"
"After Mirror's death... I overreacted. You're not crazy, Alice. At least... you're not as crazy as that guy."
Alice was surprised by Killer's sudden change in behavior. Maybe seeing how insane Shapeshifter was had a big effect on her ?
Was Killer... soft ?
Come to think of it, how did Names works ? Alice knew that they were given by the Godess of Light, and that they were very powerful weapons. But why was her Name Seer ? Was it random ? And how did Mirror figure out that her Name was Seer in the first place ?
"Well, of course I'm not as crazy as Shapeshifter. I never killed anyone, you know."
"Yes, I know."
Alice still had her eye closed. Her Sixth Sense was enough to notice if Shapeshifter was spying on her, and for Alice, it was easier to think this way.
"So, Killer, any idea ?"
"Yes."
"Do tell."
"I think you should do the same thing you did to figure out the password of the red tower, back in the City of Flowers."
"But I can't ! There is that wall..."
"Seer... I mean, Alice. Trust me. We can break that wall."
"Why do you think that ?"
"Don't you feel it too ? The wall is getting weaker and weaker, Seer."
"You know what this wall is, and why it's here, don't you ?"
Killer stayed silent for a bit.
"I might be wrong, Alice."
"Tell me anyway."
"In my opinion, this wall is a cooldown."
"A cooldown ?"
"Think about it... it appeared just after you tried to find a way to enter the tower in the City of Flowers with your power."
"But after I got my very first vision, there was no such things, objected Alice. Therefore, your theory is probably wrong."
"No, the first time you got a vision, it was different. You didn't try to get one, it just... happened."
Alice thought for a bit. What Killer said made... sense, strangely. Her first vision, the one where Isa and Stranger where talking, was something that happened to her out of nowhere, whereas she was the one to seek the knowledge of a way to leave the City of Flowers.
Come to think of it, Mirror never looked like she had the same ability as Alice to just force a vision capable of suiting her goal. Alice smiled. She surpassed her dead friend in at least one area.
Not only that, but that ability was extremly powerful, even if she was then unable to use her Name (outside the Sixth Sense) for several weeks.
Without that power, Alice and Mirror would have probably died both in the City of Flowers, unable to leave it.
"So... if I recap, my Name give me access to three power for now: the Seer's Sixth Sense, the visions that happens out of the blue for no apparent reason, and the vision that I get when I materialize my Name in my own mind and use it. However, using that third ability forbid me from using any ability other than the first for a long period of time."
"You seems to follow what I'm saying..."
"And you ?" asked Alice, curious.
"Me ?"
"Yeah. You have a Name, right ? What kind of abilities do you have ? Since you're Killer, I guess it must be something related to murder... By the way, what's your true name ? Your parents did not name you Killer, right ?"
"..."
"Killer ?"
"Sorry, Alice, but I did not unlock any of my Name's power. I don't even understand how you did it... As for the name my parents gave me... I don't know it."
Alice smiled.
"That's okay, Killer. That's not important right now. We need to get out of here as soon as possible, else, Shapeshifter might try something. Every second I pass in the same Room as that mass-murderer is stressful."
"Okay."
Alice focused.
Like the time where Mirror was asleep and she tried to find a way out of the City of Flowers, Alice emptied her mind.
Then, she imagined the powers of her Name. What being a Seer meant.
Then she found a goal.
Getting out of this Room. Getting out of Shapeshifter's reach.
But there was a problem.
The invisible wall was still standing, beetween her and what she wanted.
"It's weaker than before. You can break it. I believe in you, Seer." whispered Killer.
It didn't looked like it, but then again, the wall was invisible, so she could be right.
Alice punched the wall with all she had. Her mental fists, her Name... everything. Yet, it still wasn't enough.
But Alice continued.
She continued.
And Killer was at her side, helping her.
She looked a lot like Mirror...
And then, the wall collapsed, in a loud sound.
Alice smiled.
And then, she was taken in another place.
The way to leave this damn Room... she was going to know it.