Despite having several theories about the bizarre situation I was witnessing, I was honestly inclined to believe only one of them. Although, at first, I had considered the possibility of multiple anomalies, I quickly dismissed that idea. After all, my eyes were functioning perfectly as I observed both the snow and the trees.


    Instead of identifying a weak point as usual, what I saw were faint lines indicating where it was located. In short, the entire area — including the snow and the trees — was part of a single anomaly. This left me deep in thought. What exactly were they trying to trap here?


    Moreover, from the conversations I overheard inside the jet, this specific anomaly cannot move, although I don''t know why. This is why Base 17 was built around it. I couldn''t figure out what its anomalous powers were or anything that might indicate its appearance. Whenever this topic came up, Emily, Laura, and Victor seemed uncomfortable.


    As Laura moved my aquarium, my eyes scanned every corner within reach, searching for something different. However, no matter how much I watched every tree or analyzed the distance of the surrounding snow, I couldn’t find anything. The only thing that stood out was a faint, shining line, glowing brightly and following a single direction.


    At this point, it became pretty clear to me: although I still didn’t know exactly what it was, it was evident that the anomaly at Base 17 was within the forest. I won’t lie, I was very curious, perhaps with a feeling similar to buying your first childhood toy or something like that.


    “Ughh... Every time I come here, I feel like my body is getting the chills, like something’s watching me all the time”


    Laura''s comment caught my attention. Honestly, I couldn’t perceive anything like she described, but considering that both the snow and the trees were part of the same anomaly, her words might have made more sense than I initially thought.


    Setting aside the part about the forest being an anomaly, I focused on the building we were heading toward. The closer we got, the more impressive it became. Although its exterior appeared metallic, it didn’t look like any metal I knew.


    As I’ve mentioned, these people are far more advanced technologically than they seem... although, honestly, it matters little when you''re dealing with things that are worse than a nuclear warhead or simply teleport or phase through walls.


    When I set aside my thoughts, I realized we were in front of the massive metal box. I couldn’t imagine another way to describe it: it was literally a huge, square box made of metal. I wondered how exactly we’d get in since there was no one outside and I couldn’t see any entrance.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    To my surprise, a door unexpectedly appeared, spiraling open. Emily simply touched the wall, and suddenly, the door appeared. However, this didn’t lessen my doubts; after all, why was this place, which had seemed completely sealed until that moment, now opening? At least until then, I couldn’t find a plausible explanation for why they needed to do this.


    Anyway, when the spiral door opened, a long corridor stretched out before us. The environment wasn’t much different from what I had seen in the other facility, but it seemed more modern — or perhaps “technological” was the right word. Though, can a corridor even be considered technological? After all, it’s just a corridor, you know.


    ***


    (POV - Emily Parker)


    It had been quite a while since Emily set foot in Base 17 again, and, as always, the discomfort she felt about that place remained. However, this wasn’t necessarily her fault. Certain incidents that had occurred in the past at that facility had made Emily always keep a wary eye on Base 17.


    And indeed, the scientists working for the organization, in general, knew the risks involved, but still accepted the challenge. Although there are some differences between them, the main reason was always the same: research into conventional phenomena would never be enough to quench their thirst for knowledge.


    The scientists working for the organization are generally known by the other staff as "lab crazies" because, even if something might cost their lives, they still take the risk if it could help them discover just a bit more about anomalies.


    Of course, it wasn’t as if scientists and regular staff didn’t communicate with each other. There had been cases where scientists explained why they couldn’t give up, even though they were getting closer to discovering the secrets surrounding anomalies. However, in general, they would still be seen as crazy.


    There was no way around it; they simply couldn’t understand. The scientists at the organization had an insatiable thirst for knowledge, something that prevented them from holding back in the face of a potential universal truth. After all, if it weren’t for this hunger to learn, it was unlikely they’d accept such a risky job.


    Moreover, although it was true that Emily felt uncomfortable at Base 17, there was another reason for her unease: Graham Vickers. The man was a crafty serpent, and his order to bring the newly discovered anomaly from the forest to the base was at least suspicious.


    Emily was convinced the man was up to something. The new anomaly hadn’t even been properly studied yet; its preliminary classification made sense, but what they really knew about its anomalous powers was almost nothing. Although some theories had already been formulated, in the end, they were just that: theories.


    There was no convincing reason to bring the new anomaly to Base 17, especially considering how risky the location was. Emily couldn’t understand how Graham had managed to convince the council to push this idea forward; to her, it just didn’t make sense.


    Emily''s footsteps echoed softly down the corridor, her expression reflecting a cautious and suspicious look. To her, something was about to happen, and the newly discovered anomaly needed to be at Base 17. The place, being high-risk, rarely had people present, and, to make things worse, the cameras around the perimeter of Base 17 weren’t working due to the anomaly present at the site.


    (Graham, what the hell are you plotting? Have you finally decided to reveal your true intentions?)