《Anomaly》


 Chapter 1 - First Contact [1]

    Have you ever had a strong feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu? Like when it seems like you¡¯ve been somewhere before, but you¡¯ve never actually been there? It¡¯s a strange sensation that can happen quite often. Curiously, I¡¯m experiencing it right now, but I¡¯ve never felt such an intense d¨¦j¨¤ vu as I am at this moment.


    In the complete darkness of the night, the moon shines brightly in the sky. In front of me, there¡¯s nothing but trees. I¡¯m in a forest, sitting on a tree branch, swinging my feet while one finger is close to my mouth.


    My eyes wander around, trying to find some kind of path. Honestly, I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m doing something as childish as swinging my feet while sitting. By the time I realized it, I was already doing it.


    Looking at the tree leaves, it¡¯s probably windy right now. And since it¡¯s night, it should be quite cold. I say ¡°probably¡± because I can¡¯t feel anything. I don¡¯t feel cold, heat, or hunger. I¡¯ve been in this forest for four hours, and I don¡¯t even feel the need to drink water.


    Moreover, I am a bright white spot glowing in the dark forest, but not as bright as my golden eyes. My body is strangely transparent, but not to the point of looking like a ghost.


    I didn¡¯t need to look in a mirror or the reflection in the water to know my appearance. My way of seeing is not normal; in short, I don¡¯t see through my eyes alone.


    Although I have eyes, I¡¯m not seeing only through them. At this very moment, I can also see what¡¯s behind me. I won¡¯t go into details as I don¡¯t fully understand how it works and don¡¯t think I could explain it clearly.


    Anyway, the point is that I¡¯ve been in this forest for hours and can¡¯t find a way out. No matter how long I walk or which path I take; the forest seems endless.


    If that were the only problem, maybe I wouldn¡¯t complain so much. However, the real issue is those little guys down there, who are making things even more complicated.


    On a nearby tree where I was, a small creature was peeking out from behind the trunk. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary puppy.


    However, when I approached to investigate, the result was shocking: now, that thing has my arm inside its stomach.


    I was stunned to see the cute puppy suddenly grow arms and stand up, while its belly opened, revealing a multitude of sharp teeth.


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    With this information, you¡¯re probably wondering how I can stay so calm while my arm is being torn off. Honestly, I don¡¯t even know why.


    To be honest, I didn¡¯t feel any pain when my arm was torn off. Besides, my body is strangely limp, but not to the point of being compared to jelly. I think the more fitting term would be ¡°soft¡± ¡ª something like that.


    (How should I proceed from here?)


    Honestly, I have no idea what to do. I¡¯m afraid of being devoured until nothing is left. These monsters also don¡¯t seem intelligent enough to communicate. In the end, it seems like I¡¯ll have to wait for them to leave on their own. This is going to be quite tiring.


    Sitting on the tree branch, I was almost resigning myself to my fate. From any angle I looked at it, it seemed impossible for my thin arms to inflict any damage on the monster, even if I tried to attack it. Moreover, its appearance was honestly quite frightening.


    A few minutes passed while I distracted myself by observing the monsters. Honestly, I thought I would be stuck in this situation for a long time, but suddenly, something changed. The monsters turned their heads towards some point in the forest. I didn¡¯t know exactly what they were looking at. Although my vision is special, it¡¯s not like I can see long distances or anything like that.


    Additionally, my other senses also seem quite sharp, but nothing extraordinary. If I had to describe myself, I would say I¡¯m a cute figure resembling a girl, but without any notable strength or special abilities.


    But back to the matter at hand, the monsters around the tree where I was sheltering suddenly started to run ¡ª all of them, without exception, dashed in the same direction.


    That would definitely be a good time to run, but honestly, where would I go if I just ran aimlessly? I was starting to doubt I would ever get out of this forest. The more I walked, the more it seemed like I was getting lost. That¡¯s why I decided to follow those monsters.


    Jumping from branch to branch, I began to follow the monsters running quickly. Although I was sure they knew I was following them, they seemed determined to ignore me. It¡¯s worth mentioning that I was physically quite strong and apparently incapable of feeling pain. I confirmed this when I hit a tree with all my might, creating a small hole in the trunk, and still felt nothing from the impact.


    As I approached, a loud noise echoed through the forest. I wasn¡¯t sure what it was, but it sounded vaguely like gunshots. However, although I recognized the sound, I didn¡¯t have a clear understanding of what a tree was. It was like my memory recalled the shape of the object, but at the same time, I had no concrete information about it.


    The loud noise echoed again, and again, repeatedly. As I got closer, the sound became increasingly intense and constant. Additionally, I began to notice that there were several of those monsters around. Were they gathering up ahead? With this thought, I continued jumping between branches until I finally reached the area where the monsters were concentrated.


    It was a relatively open area where the moonlight could penetrate. Of course, I could see in the dark, so it didn¡¯t make much difference to me. What really surprised me was seeing other forms of life besides the monsters ¡ª there were humans in the forest. Moreover, the loud noises from before were coming from them. However, no matter how I analyzed the situation, they seemed to be at a complete disadvantage against the monsters.

 Chapter 2 - First Contact [2]

    (If things keep going like this, the humans will be wiped out, won''t they?)


    Calmly observing the situation from atop a tree trunk, I concluded that the humans would probably last no more than five more minutes, at most. I was being optimistic, it''s true. Anyway, I kept thinking about what to do in this situation.


    As I analyzed the situation, some humans continued to die. Personally, I wasn¡¯t too worried about it, but there was a reason that inclined me to help: they seemed to know how to get out of the forest. More specifically, one human among them seemed to have that knowledge.


    It was a woman, wearing a white lab coat and glasses on her face. Her current look was one of despair, but I remember hearing her say, some time ago, that they needed to get out of the forest. This was before the monsters started appearing behind them.


    Hearing what she said, I decided to focus my attention on her rather than on the others. As I mentioned, my senses worked differently. To be honest, focusing on one thing was harder for me than simply perceiving everything around me. Still, I managed to do it.


    However, there was something strange about the woman. More specifically, her body was covered in glowing spheres that constantly changed color. There was one on her head, another on her neck, and a third on the left side of her chest.


    Of course, I didn¡¯t know exactly what these glowing spots were; to be honest, it was the first time I had seen them. However, observing the glowing spots on the woman, no matter how I looked at them, it seemed clear that they were all vital points.


    Curious, I turned my gaze to the monster that had ripped off one of my arms. Just like with the woman, the monster also had a glowing sphere, but unlike her, there was only one, located at a specific point. Based on this, I concluded that these spheres were its weak points. Somehow, it seemed that I could see them clearly.


    Even knowing where the monsters'' weak points were, I felt a bit hesitant to act. They had ripped off one of my arms, and while it didn¡¯t hurt, the sight was quite frightening. However, to be honest, I didn¡¯t actually feel truly scared or disturbed.


    I have no idea how long I was lost in thought about whether or not to help, but when my attention returned to the situation, the number of humans had drastically decreased. There were almost 20 of them before; now, including the woman I mentioned, only three more remained by her side.


    Although I was still reluctant about whether to help or not, in the end, my desire to get out of the forest outweighed any fear¡ªwhich, by the way, I wasn¡¯t even feeling. I decided to fight again, even at the risk of losing another part of my body. With that in mind, I clung to the tree trunk like a koala and began to descend slowly.


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    ***


    (POV - Laura Cavendish)


    At that very moment, Laura Cavendish felt completely powerless in the face of the situation. Her despair had begun weeks ago when her boss¡ªwhom Laura, by the way, loathed¡ªassigned her to a field mission in a forest near the city. This forest, however, was closed to the public due to its anomalous nature.


    In summary, those who entered the forest could no longer leave unless they had some sort of material from the forest itself and truly wished to exit. Because of this, many anomalies ended up falling into the forest and getting trapped.


    The forest was a fascinating anomaly for study, and the association Laura was affiliated with conducted experiments using the forest and its peculiarities. However, when Laura received a high-level order to investigate the strange behavior of the creatures in the forest, she knew the situation couldn¡¯t end well.


    Within the association, Laura was just a rookie researcher. However, this did not diminish the fact that she was extremely promising and important to the team. Instead of simply refusing her boss¡¯s request, Laura¡¯s curiosity drove her to go into the forest. Now, she was bitterly regretting the decision she had made.


    ¡°Researcher Laura, we¡¯re running out of ammunition. If we keep this up, they¡¯ll corner us. You need to escape while we hold them off¡±


    Laura quickly snapped out of her daze upon hearing the voice of one of the association¡¯s soldiers who accompanied her. Looking around, she was shocked by what she saw: the scene was a bloodbath. No matter where she looked, there was blood everywhere, and the monsters were voraciously feeding on the corpses of the former soldiers.


    Even if Laura tried to escape, what would the final outcome be? She would probably die before reaching the exit, a victim of another anomaly along the way. Laura knew there was no way to escape the forest alive.


    However, it was at that moment that something strange happened: the sounds of flesh being devoured and the terrifying screams of the monsters suddenly ceased. Even the three surviving soldiers seemed to be in shock, staring at something unknown.


    Laura also directed her gaze in that direction and saw two small glowing spheres in the darkness of the forest, emitting intense reflections of various colors. Her eyes followed the spheres as they slowly approached.


    What Laura found seconds later was simply a little girl, who didn¡¯t seem to be more than 10 or 12 years old. Her body was so transparent that it was possible to see what was behind her through her ethereal figure.


    When the little girl¡¯s gaze locked onto Laura, an instinctive and irrational fear overcame her, similar to a child¡¯s fear of the dark. Her eyes, undeniably beautiful with their vibrant colors, seemed to penetrate Laura¡¯s soul, as if they could see the thread connecting her life to theirs.


    ¡°A... anomaly?¡±


    One of the soldiers exclaimed in complete confusion. Laura noticed that the monsters were also observing the new figure with extreme caution, even stepping away from her. On the other hand, the entity seemed to have a look of bewilderment, as if it didn¡¯t know what to do at that moment. Despite the clearly frightening situation, Laura found it curious and even a bit cute to see how the new anomaly brought her finger close to her mouth, reminiscent of a baby.

 Chapter 3 - First Contact [3]

    (Well, now that I''m here and have everyone''s attention, what exactly am I supposed to do?)


    Honestly, it wasn¡¯t as if I had decided to help after coming up with some miraculous plan. In fact, I didn¡¯t even believe I could escape if something went wrong. But I just couldn¡¯t stand by and watch as my last hope of getting out of this cursed forest was devoured by these monsters.


    By the way, besides not feeling pain¡ªwhich, honestly, is pretty comforting¡ªand my newly discovered ability to see weak points, I have one more power. Unlike the other two, this one was discovered in a rather peculiar way.


    From the start, for some reason, I was able to use this last power. It¡¯s not like I knew exactly what it did, but I just knew it was there, and I could activate it whenever I wanted. For me, activating this power was as natural as breathing.


    As if connected to my thoughts, a golden field began to expand from my body, stopping exactly a meter away from me. Honestly, I had no idea what this field actually did. To be frank, it seemed useless. Besides the fact that, for some reason, I was the only one who could see it, there was nothing to suggest that it could help me in this situation.


    Anyway, I decided to keep the field active¡ªafter all, it was better to use everything I had at my disposal. I really didn¡¯t want to regret it later if something went wrong and I ended up dying.


    (But why aren''t they attacking?)


    As if they sensed my thoughts, the monsters started to back away slowly, like a top predator had just arrived. Wait, they were afraid of me? On the outside, I looked like just a defenseless little girl who glowed a bit in the dark, but observing how they were acting, it was clear they were genuinely scared of me.


    For a moment, I thought I could get out of this situation without doing anything. But, as usual, things rarely go the way we expect. And, to confirm that, one of the monsters started moving toward me. Its steps were slow and cautious, but still, it was definitely coming closer.


    As the monster approached and realized I wasn¡¯t attacking, it seemed to gain more courage. No, seriously, it was really coming toward me. My bluff had been called. At that moment, I was probably making a horrified face, but to be honest, it was hard to move the muscles in my face. So, my expression remained as always: a perfect poker face.


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    Even the three soldiers and the scientist who were still alive were watching me with worried expressions. I didn¡¯t know exactly why, but I imagined the sight of a little girl being torn apart, even if she wasn¡¯t human, wouldn¡¯t be pleasant to watch.


    The next moment after my thoughts, the monster leaped at me. At that moment, it occurred to me that my happiest moments were when I was sitting on a tree branch, swinging my feet. Was this the famous situation described by the phrase "your life flashes before your eyes"? Ironically, it seems the only "life" I had was getting to this forest.


    I closed my eyes, waiting for my sad end, but no matter how long I waited, the end never came. When I finally opened my eyes, the scene before me surprised me. However, since I couldn¡¯t change my expression, my face remained impassive as always.


    The monster was frozen in the air, its bizarre mouth, located in its belly, wide open, revealing rows of sharp teeth as it tried to approach me. It was as if time had suddenly stopped. Looking closer, I realized it had stopped when it entered the golden field emanating from my body.


    Looking around, everything seemed completely normal, which was strange. No one seemed surprised by the fact that there was a monster floating right in front of me. My first explanation for this phenomenon was the golden field emanating from my body. I had never tried using it on monsters before, and honestly, after the first time, I dismissed it as useless.


    Anyway, although I didn¡¯t know exactly what was happening, this was definitely my chance. With the monster paralyzed, I started to walk slowly towards it. Up close, it was even more terrifying, especially with its mouth open at an angle that revealed all of its sharp teeth.


    Anyway, my goal was clear: the glowing orb inside that thing. It seemed to be where the heart would be, though I couldn¡¯t be sure if this monster actually had one. I carefully circled around it and positioned myself behind it, at what seemed to be the ideal spot. With my hand raised, I prepared to act.


    (Is it around here?)


    With that thought in mind, I threw the hardest punch I could. My arm penetrated the monster¡¯s body with precision, stopping only when it touched the glowing orb. Without hesitation, I pulled the object out of the creature. Now, in my hand, I held a pulsating heart that radiated the colors of the rainbow.


    As I held what seemed to be the monster''s heart in my hand, I reflected intensely on what to do next. Honestly, I hadn¡¯t planned what to do after pulling the orb out of the creature, and I never imagined I would actually get out of that situation alive.


    Suddenly, while pondering what to do next, I felt something strange above my head. Confused, I looked up and saw a golden orb spinning gently. Without understanding why, I watched as the orb began to absorb the colors from the heart in my hand. I had no idea what was happening, so I decided to wait and see what would happen.


    After the orb absorbed the colors from the heart, it returned to its original state. It didn¡¯t seem like the heart had undergone any significant transformation; it simply went back to being an ordinary heart, devoid of any color. Additionally, it no longer pulsed like it did the first time I touched it.

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 Chapter 4 - First Contact [4]

    (Pov - Laura Cavendish)


    Laura had always been a researcher. Ever since she could remember, her curiosity had driven her to explore the mysteries of the world. This led her to discover a universe known by few: the world of anomalies, phenomena that were impossible to explain by science. These phenomena weren''t limited to objects or creatures; sometimes, they encompassed entire locations.


    The forest in question was one of these anomalies. While creatures ended up trapped in it, unable to escape, the forest itself seemed to generate its own beings. Among them were the monsters that decimated almost the entire security team assigned to protect Laura.


    Though they resembled dogs, their actual mouths were located on their stomachs, and they had horrifying human-like arms. These were creatures that seemed to have come straight out of horror stories. However, despite their terrifying appearance, these creatures were relatively weak. Although they were more resilient than an average human, they could still be killed by bullets.


    What made the situation truly complicated was the regenerative ability of these monsters. Laura couldn''t fully understand how this regeneration worked; sometimes, a single shot was enough to kill them, while at other times, even dozens of shots wouldn¡¯t put them down, as if nothing was happening.


    Laura had never seen so many of these monsters gathered in one place. They weren''t intelligent, only hunting by instinct and usually solitary. A horde of these creatures was something unexpected. This led to the annihilation of the security team, who weren''t equipped to handle a situation like this.


    Faced with an extremely bizarre anomaly, Laura couldn''t hide her curiosity. Just seconds ago, the creature that looked like an innocent little girl was now holding the heart of one of the monsters in her hand. Everything happened so fast that even Laura, confident in her ability to catch the smallest details of any anomaly, couldn¡¯t fully comprehend what occurred.


    The monster lunged at the girl, but in the next instant, she was already behind it. And, in an even quicker movement, the monster¡¯s heart appeared in the little girl¡¯s hand.


    Laura wondered if the previous scene was part of the little girl''s anomalous powers. She wanted to understand her, study her. Even in a situation that would be terrifying to many, Laura¡¯s fear wasn''t of death, but of not discovering more about this new anomaly.


    ¡°The forest anomalies... are retreating!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Laura looked around. As the soldier had mentioned, the other monsters, which were already wary of the new anomaly, were now visibly frightened at the sight of one of their own being brutally destroyed.


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    Then, when the new anomaly cast a glance at one of the monsters, it immediately turned and began to run. Like a domino effect, all the others followed, seeming like prey in panic before their natural predator.


    ¡°Could it be... we¡¯re saved?¡±


    When one of the men¡¯s voices broke the silence, everyone finally released the breaths they hadn¡¯t even realized they were holding. The metallic scent of blood around them started to invade their nostrils, and somehow, it felt as if they were finally waking up from a nightmare.


    Although the sight of a little girl holding a still-beating heart in her hands was incredibly frightening, Laura and the three soldiers couldn¡¯t help but think an unexpected thought: with her confused and innocent expression, the girl actually seemed like the cutest thing they¡¯d ever seen.


    ***


    (Pov - Protagonist)


    Well, that was a pleasant surprise. After killing one of the monsters, just a single look was enough to make the others flee. Although I didn¡¯t know why they suddenly turned cowardly, it worked perfectly for me, as I had no idea what would¡¯ve happened if they had all attacked at once.


    Speaking of which, absorbing the heart sphere from that monster wasn¡¯t entirely useless. Reflecting on this, I looked at my arm. Although I expected this, it¡¯s still strange to see my arm ripped off and somehow still be able to feel it. Of course, it¡¯s not like I could move it or anything.


    Then, as if waiting for a signal, my arm began to regenerate. There was no sound or peculiar sensation; it simply grew back, returning to normal, as if it had never been ripped off. Somehow, by absorbing the monster¡¯s heart, I acquired a new ability.


    It¡¯s pretty obvious, but my new ability involves regeneration. I don¡¯t know exactly what the limits of this power are, but I¡¯m confident I can regenerate any part of my body quickly. Putting that aside, I turned my attention back to the four remaining humans. Their expressions were of surprise, but the scientist seemed more curious than shocked.


    (Now, what to do... I imagine that seeing me kill one of the monsters didn¡¯t leave a very good impression... Should I just act like an innocent, obedient little girl?)


    As I was immersed in my thoughts, the four remaining humans seemed to be discussing something among themselves. Since I perceive things differently, I could notice their expressions and hear some murmurs from their conversation. However, the words weren¡¯t clear enough to understand the content of their discussion.


    Still, I noticed that the three soldiers seemed dissatisfied with something the scientist had said. To my surprise, the scientist turned and looked directly at me. With a determined expression, she started walking toward me.


    (Gentlemen soldiers, pointing guns at me can be a little scary, you know? After all, I¡¯m just a cute and innocent girl right now)


    I watched closely as the woman approached, both hands raised in a gesture of surrender. She probably wanted to show that she had no hostile intentions. When she finally stopped in front of me, she took a deep breath, as if gathering all the courage she had.


    ¡°You... can you understand me?¡±


    That was her first question to me. Of course, I understood everything perfectly, but even if I wanted to, I couldn¡¯t respond. Literally, I had no lungs to breathe or vocal cords to make sounds. Not even a heartbeat echoed in my chest. So, all I did was tilt my head slightly to the side as I observed her, perfectly playing the role of an innocent and cute little girl, hoping to gain her sympathy.

 Chapter 5 - First Contact [5]

    (Pov - Laura Cavendish)


    Honestly, Laura began to question her own sanity. Although she had been indirectly saved by that anomaly who seemed like a simple, cute child, she knew that anomalies were generally hostile to humans¡ªor rather, hostile to almost anything.


    Moreover, despite its human-like appearance, it was clear that it was not human. After all, humans don¡¯t have bodies as pale and translucent as to look like ghosts. Although its eyes were normal now, Laura couldn¡¯t forget the swirling, glowing eyes from moments earlier, which seemed to pierce right through her soul.


    Even with all these uncertainties, Laura saw a small glimmer of hope in the situation. If that anomaly really was hostile, it would have attacked by now. Moreover, with the speed it had demonstrated before, neither Laura nor the security team would have had any chance of defense¡ªthey¡¯d probably have died without even understanding what hit them.


    While she was lost in thought, Laura heard footsteps from behind. Turning around, she saw one of the security guards who had been accompanying her. Despite the critical situation, the man was much more skilled than he appeared. After all, he was the one who had practically decimated most of the dog-like monsters earlier.


    "Are you really trying to communicate with an anomaly? Do you even think it can understand us?"


    Laura couldn¡¯t answer that question. From her perspective, the anomaly seemed innocent at first glance. In a way, the earlier scene, with the anomaly removing the heart from the monster with its own hands, seemed almost like a hallucination.


    "Do you have a better idea, Victor? Besides, if it really wanted to kill us, we¡¯d already be dead. Did you see how it moved? I barely kept up"


    Victor quickly made a scowl as he recognized that Laura was right. Even with several years of experience dealing with ¡°fast¡± creatures, he hadn¡¯t been able to perceive any movement from the anomaly in front of him; it was as if time had stopped for a moment.


    "Well, I don¡¯t think we need to worry too much. Just looking at it, you can tell it doesn¡¯t seem to want to hurt us"


    Upon hearing Laura¡¯s words, Victor raised an eyebrow, expressing doubt.


    "How can you seem so confident saying that?"


    Despite asking the question, Victor wasn¡¯t prepared for what Laura would say next.


    "Well... it¡¯s cute and doesn¡¯t seem like the type of kid that would hurt us, right?"


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    The question wasn¡¯t directed at Victor but at the anomaly. However, all the creature did was tilt its head again, showing confusion. Victor couldn¡¯t deny that it was incredibly cute. Compared to other anomalies¡ªand even other children of the same age¡ªits cuteness was remarkable.


    "Laura, you haven¡¯t suffered any kind of mental attack, have you? Aren¡¯t you forgetting that just two minutes ago it ripped out the heart of one of the monsters and made the others flee in panic?"


    "Now you¡¯re just being rude. Even so, I¡¯m a respected researcher. I¡¯m proud to say I¡¯m one of the most promising"


    Victor sighed upon hearing Laura¡¯s words and watched her adopt a relatively confident posture. It was typical of her to become so absorbed in a new research subject that she ignored everything else. However, even Victor had to admit that the anomaly was indeed strange.


    As Laura had mentioned, the anomaly didn¡¯t seem particularly interested in them, or rather, didn¡¯t seem interested in anything in particular. While they were talking, its gaze was distant, wandering around in an almost ethereal way. The sight was somewhat unsettling.


    "How adorable!"


    Victor looked at Laura with a worried expression as he saw her gaze so absorbed and passionate towards the anomaly.


    "Ah, whatever. Let¡¯s get out of here. I don¡¯t want to be here if those things come back. This forest gives me the creeps every time I¡¯m in it"


    Saying this, Victor went back to the other two remaining agents, instructing them to prepare for the withdrawal. Laura, on the other hand, kept her gaze fixed on the small anomaly in front of her. From the beginning, her goal had been to understand the reason for the strange behavior of anomalies in the forest.


    This strange behavior had started a few days ago. Teams were periodically sent into the forest to report any changes, even the most subtle ones. So far, however, there had been no information about an anomaly like the one in front of them at that moment.


    "Can you understand what I¡¯m saying?"


    Laura watched the anomaly in front of her with expectant eyes, but the response was only a curious, confused look, maintaining its cute demeanor. Laura wondered if she was suffering some kind of mental attack. Although it looked like a human child, it was still an anomaly. What intrigued her most was the anomaly¡¯s similarity to a human; she had never seen anything like it before.


    "Laura, everything is ready. We can leave now. I¡¯ve communicated with the rest of the team outside the forest, and they said nothing unusual has occurred. It seems that the anomalies¡¯ unusual behavior hasn¡¯t affected the anomaly in the forest"


    Laura sighed in relief upon hearing Victor¡¯s words. She could hardly imagine the chaos that would unfold if the monsters managed to escape the forest. The world would likely plunge into complete disorder.


    "Alright, let¡¯s go"


    Laura turned around again and was surprised to find that the anomaly had disappeared. She quickly looked around until she finally spotted the anomaly behind one of the agents who was checking his equipment.


    In a matter of seconds, a shot rang out in the area. The soldier had fired directly at the anomaly, creating a hole in its body. However, the anomaly continued to stare at the agent, who trembled in fear. The gun fell from his hands as he collapsed on the ground, sitting awkwardly.


    At that moment, everyone present shared the same thought: the man was definitely dead. However, as everyone watched, the wound on the anomaly healed completely within seconds. Nothing else happened; the anomaly continued to stare at the agent for a while before losing interest and returning to Laura¡¯s side, this time holding a part of her white lab coat.


    "... What exactly just happened?"

 Chapter 6 - First Contact [6]

    (POV ¨C Protagonist)


    While the woman in the lab coat, whom I recently discovered was named Laura, was talking with the scowling agent, whose name I learned was Victor, I approached one of the other agents who was checking his equipment. Of course, I wouldn''t have approached him without a specific reason.


    The reason I approached him was simple: he was speaking to someone over the radio. My hearing is extremely sensitive, so I could hear from a distance, but I decided to get closer anyway. I managed to pick up some important information from the conversation, but honestly, nothing that really clarified my current situation.


    In summary, this world seems to host extraordinary beings and phenomena that defy scientific explanations. These beings and events are commonly referred to as "anomalies" Additionally, if one of these anomalies has some kind of special power, it is known as an "anomalous ability".


    From this conversation, I came to a conclusion: somehow, I have become one of these anomalies. I say "somehow" because I don''t remember how it happened. My memories are hazy; I remember attending college, but to be honest, I can''t even recall what my gender was in that memory.


    Since my body doesn''t have any defined characteristics, I wonder if that means I have both? It''s a somewhat strange question. Anyway, back to the main point, I got a lot of information from that soldier and thought about going back, but honestly, I didn¡¯t expect him to just shoot me as soon as he saw me.


    "Ah, n-no! I mean... sorry! Please, don¡¯t kill me!"


    Personally, I didn''t feel anything from the shot. Although it made a small hole in my body, it didn¡¯t really seem like a wound. Besides, the wound was already starting to heal, thanks to the power I gained from one of those anomalies that resemble dogs.


    However, he seemed to think otherwise. His eyes widened as soon as he shot me, and his body began to tremble while he sweat profusely. He dropped the gun almost instantly. With all these signs, it was clear he was terrified of me. Probably, if I just breathed now, he¡¯d faint on the spot. Well, not that I breathe, after all, I don''t even have lungs.


    Moreover, they are my only chance to get out of this endless forest. So, I want them to see me as someone friendly, or at least, not a threat to them. With that thought in mind, I went back to Laura and held onto a part of her lab coat.


    ¡°...¡±


    A silence hung in the air for a few seconds. Noticing that I wasn¡¯t going to do anything, the man who had shot me stood up and began adjusting his equipment again. However, his fixed gaze on me was unmistakable; he seemed to be watching me with special attention, probably because he was the one who fired. Well, even if I wanted to say I didn¡¯t care, I can¡¯t make any sound.


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    "She really doesn¡¯t seem hostile to us"


    "That¡¯s what I said. If she were, we¡¯d probably already be dead"


    "I think you¡¯re right. But why does she seem so attached to you?"


    "I have no idea, but I think that¡¯s lucky. We can take her with us!"


    "Are you serious?... Well, it makes sense. Since she¡¯s so friendly, maybe we can bring her back. I just hope she doesn¡¯t change her mind on the way"


    "It¡¯ll be fine"


    "Again, how can you be so confident?"


    "Intuition. Anyway, if everything is ready, let¡¯s get out of the forest"


    After the conversation between Laura and Victor ended, we began to prepare to leave. I stayed by Laura¡¯s side the entire time. Of course, everyone kept watch around me, but I think holding onto Laura¡¯s lab coat had some effect, as I clearly noticed they relaxed a bit.


    Putting that aside, my thoughts turned to how exactly we would get out of this forest. I literally tried everything but couldn¡¯t find a way out. This led me to believe there was a specific method to escape. While reflecting on this, still holding Laura¡¯s lab coat, she crouched down and picked up a fallen leaf from one of the many trees around us.


    "All set. Let¡¯s go"


    With Laura¡¯s words, we started walking. I still followed Laura, holding onto a part of her lab coat, but where exactly were we going? Honestly, it seemed like we weren¡¯t following a specific direction. In fact, I was almost certain we were going in circles.


    Suddenly, as I reflected on this, I began to notice the way out of the place. It wasn¡¯t a sudden event, but gradual: the trees started to spread apart, and the feeling of us walking in circles simply disappeared. Before I knew it, we were out of the forest.


    At first, I thought we were in a forest within a national park or something like that, but I couldn¡¯t have been more wrong. As soon as we exited the forest, the first thing I noticed was people¡ªmany of them, to be honest.


    In general, most of the people were wearing protective gear and carrying weapons, probably belonging to the organization that Laura and Victor frequently mentioned. However, what really surprised me was realizing that we were in a relatively hilly area.


    More precisely, we were on top of a broad hill. The city lights were visible on the horizon, though we weren¡¯t that far away, we were definitely farther from the city than I initially thought. We weren¡¯t even close to a forest park or anything like that.


    "How exactly are we going to do this? If we just show up with an anomaly, the place will probably turn into complete chaos"


    Putting my thoughts aside, we still hadn¡¯t completely left the forest. Although I don¡¯t like to admit it, Victor was right. It¡¯s very likely that, as soon as others see me, they¡¯ll panic. However, I believe my innocent appearance might help to ease the situation.


    As I reflected, Laura, who had been silent with a thoughtful expression until then, finally seemed to have an idea.


    "Can¡¯t we just introduce her to the others? She¡¯s so cute that I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll see her as a threat. It wouldn¡¯t be a problem for us to arrive with her, right?"


    As Laura¡¯s words echoed, Victor and I exchanged glances, each with a different expression but with the same thought. Victor had a look of disbelief, while I maintained my usual poker face. However, it was likely that both of us were thinking exactly the same thing.


    (Laura seems quite scatterbrained, apparently)


    "Laura¡­ are you sure you¡¯re not under the influence of some mental anomalous ability?"


    Okay, maybe we weren¡¯t thinking exactly the same thing, but our ideas were quite similar.

 Chapter 7 - Outbreak [1]

    In the end, we stayed at the edge of the forest while Laura and Victor tried to figure out exactly how to take me with them. Honestly, upon realizing that we had finally exited the forest, my first reaction was to think about running towards the city. However, I was quickly reminded that I¡¯m no longer even human. If I went to the city, it would cause a huge commotion.


    Even though I technically look human on the outside, my body is white and translucent like a ghost''s. My golden eyes shine brightly, standing out even more in the dark. Furthermore, I don''t have reproductive organs, lungs, or even a heart. No matter how hard I try, I no longer fit into the category of "human" This leads me to question: if I¡¯m not human, then what exactly am I?.


    I became so lost in my own thoughts that I barely paid attention to what was happening around me. Laura and Victor were still debating what to do with me, but it seemed they had finally reached a conclusion. From the smile on Laura¡¯s face, it was likely she had won the argument.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t think this is going to work. She passed through an anomaly using just her hands. Do you really think a glass container will hold her?¡±


    ¡°My dear Victor, you¡¯re missing the point. We don¡¯t want to contain her, we just want to give the impression that she¡¯s contained. As long as the glass remains intact, won¡¯t everything be fine?¡±


    ¡°I get that part. I just don¡¯t see why you¡¯re so confident she won¡¯t just smash the glass with a punch if she gets bored or something¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. From what I¡¯ve observed so far, she seems to understand us to some extent, or perhaps ¡®feel¡¯ is the right word? Anyway, she seems friendly with humans¡­ though I don¡¯t have any concrete proof of that¡±


    I watched the situation unfold with my usual poker face. Victor designated one of the men with us¡ªspecifically the one who had shot me¡ªto fetch something. About five minutes later, he returned carrying a sort of mobile aquarium. Although it wasn¡¯t very large, it was spacious enough for me to fit inside, and as long as I didn¡¯t stand up, it would probably be comfortable.


    I briefly diverted my gaze to Laura. As I suspected, she was watching me with shining eyes, alternating her gaze between me and the aquarium. I mimicked the gesture, looking back at her and the aquarium, which seemed to make her even happier. I figured she was trying to tell me to get in there. Well, considering she doesn¡¯t know I can understand, my reasoning seems to make sense.


    For now, I have no personal objections. It¡¯s better to investigate further to understand what¡¯s happening. My memories are hazy, but as far as I recall, anomalies didn¡¯t exist¡ªat least not before I awoke in this body.


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    With slow steps and a curious expression on my face¡ªwhich was actually my usual poker face¡ªI walked towards the glass. As I got close enough, Victor, who was standing beside it, opened the lid, giving me space to enter. His eyes followed me with every step. Without hesitation, I entered the glass and watched as Victor closed it.


    "... I can¡¯t believe she actually went in by herself"


    ¡°See? Didn¡¯t I tell you she was a good girl?¡±


    (I¡¯m not a girl, though)


    ¡°Alright, honestly, I don¡¯t even care anymore. I just want to get out of here as soon as possible¡±


    Victor was the first to leave the forest, followed by the two agents who began to drift away behind him. I watched them as they deliberately tried to avoid my gaze whenever they noticed I was staring at them. I then noticed that the aquarium started to move. Looking back, I saw that it was Laura who was pushing it, with a more serious expression than usual.


    As we moved through the area, several curious glances turned towards me¡ªsome cautious, others more intrigued. There seemed to be a pattern: people dressed like Laura showed more curiosity, while those armed were visibly more cautious, which wasn¡¯t surprising given the situation.


    The aquarium finally stopped in front of a relatively large building with a huge antenna on top. Although I had some suspicions about what they were trying to pick up with that antenna, I chose not to speculate for now. Laura gave two light knocks on the door, which was soon opened by another woman.


    Unlike Laura, who had a more innocent and determined look, this woman had a fearless and weary demeanor, typical of someone who had seen a lot in her line of work¡ªif it could even be called work.


    ¡°Ah, Laura, you finally returned¡±


    ¡°Hi, boss, I¡¯m back with the fieldwork data¡±


    ¡°Very well. Come in...!¡±


    Laura and the woman chatted casually, suggesting they had known each other for a while. However, as soon as the woman saw me inside the aquarium, her eyes widened in surprise and shock. Moreover, an intense curiosity began to shine in her gaze.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Laura finally noticed the reason for the woman¡¯s surprise and turned to me. Somehow, it seemed Laura had momentarily forgotten that I was also there.


    ¡°Boss, I found her in the forest. It¡¯s likely she¡¯s related to the strange behavior of the anomalies there. Plus, she seems friendly with humans, so I decided to bring her¡±


    As Laura explained the situation, the woman circled the aquarium, her eyes fixed on me as she analyzed me. The intensity of her gaze made me wonder if this was how lab rats must feel. To be honest, I was starting to feel a bit scared by the intense way she was watching me.


    ¡°This is fascinating. I¡¯ve never seen an anomaly that looks so much like a human. Even humanoid anomalies are usually not so human-like. This one has all the characteristics of a¡­ Well, she looks more like a ghost than a human, but still...¡±


    To be honest, I also wonder why I look so much like a human. For me, I have no complaints, as this form is easier to move around in and, in a way, is convenient because it resembles what I was before. It makes adaptation much simpler in various ways.

 Chapter 8 - Outbreak [2]

    (Pov - Emily Parker)


    Emily Parker had always been driven by an insatiable curiosity since she could remember. In childhood, her voracious appetite for knowledge earned her the affectionate nickname of "book devourer." Her eagerness to understand how the world worked seemed limitless, which probably led her to accept the invitation to join the anomaly organization.


    Emily never imagined a world like this could exist, where creatures and inexplicable phenomena are studied. The more she learned about these anomalies, the more her interest grew. It has been about eight years since Emily joined the organization.


    Although it might not seem like it, eight years is a significant amount of time, and Emily took pride in that. After all, surviving a year was already a point of pride; three years was usually the limit for most. Though she was reluctant to admit it, only the insane enjoyed this kind of work.


    Anyway, Emily was already a respected veteran in the organization, having seen countless, perhaps even hundreds, of anomalies with varied abilities. However, despite all her experience, she could not comprehend the small anomaly before her.


    Among all the humanoid anomalies she had encountered, this one was by far the closest to a human, which made it even more intriguing in Emily''s eyes.


    "So, you found her in the forest?"


    Emily¡¯s eyes sparkled with curiosity as she asked Laura. Though her interest had waned over time, the organization''s scientists still held a desire to understand the origin and creator of the anomalies, a topic that had been extensively debated at various times.


    While some believed that anomalies suddenly emerged from another dimension, others argued that these creatures were, in fact, the materialization of humanity''s greatest fears, with the most powerful anomalies representing the deepest terrors of humankind.


    Despite differing views, both groups shared the belief that all anomalies have a creator. They believe that all originate from a primordial entity referred to by scientists as "the Anomaly of the Beginning".


    "Yes, she appeared out of nowhere when we were cornered by the forest anomalies and saved us!"


    Emily had trouble believing Laura¡¯s words. In all her years with the organization, she had never encountered a friendly anomaly. Although some anomalies were harmless, it was usually because they were objects without the direct ability to cause harm or had a specific activation method that made them "harmless" to humans.


    "I''m telling you, Emily, she¡¯s friendly with humans. I¡¯m sure of it. If she wanted, she could have killed us when the monsters fled from her, but instead, she seemed even attached to me"


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    Of all that Laura had said, one word in particular captured Emily¡¯s attention.


    "Wait, what do you mean by ¡°they fled¡±?"


    "Oh! I forgot to tell you. When she first appeared, one of the anomalies tried to attack her but was killed almost instantly. It was so fast that I couldn¡¯t even see what happened. After that, the other anomalies fled, probably out of fear or something like that"


    Emily was completely incredulous at Laura¡¯s words. The forest anomalies were generally crude and instinctively aggressive, attacking anything that crossed their path. They were often more primitive than wild animals, making it hard to believe they had the capacity to feel fear.


    However, Emily did not consider it entirely impossible. For a forest anomaly to understand it had no chance of winning, something truly terrifying would be needed, something capable of overcoming its instinctive aggressiveness and making it recognize its own helplessness.


    With that thought, Emily watched the anomaly inside the aquarium. Her golden, curious eyes examined the surroundings while her hand rested near her mouth, as if trying to understand what was happening. No matter how Emily looked at it, it was hard to believe that such an apparently innocent anomaly could make such a deep impression.


    "No matter how much I observe, this anomaly doesn¡¯t seem dangerous at all. In fact, I¡¯d say its appearance is quite cute and friendly. Are you sure it was the one who actually killed the other anomaly?"


    Laura remained silent for a few seconds, reflecting on what had happened. No matter how she recalled it, the anomaly was dead, while the seemingly friendly one held the first one''s heart in her hands. From that perspective, it was impossible not to conclude that it had been responsible.


    "As I mentioned, it was too quick to perceive anything. Even Victor couldn¡¯t keep up. One moment she was already holding the anomaly¡¯s heart in her hand... Oh, I remember seeing her eyes glowing in rainbow colors a few seconds before the other anomaly died"


    Though Emily knew this information might be the most important, she chose not to comment. She was more interested in the anomaly itself. Emily was sure that the creature¡¯s eyes, glowing in rainbow colors, were somehow linked to its anomalous abilities.


    "So, what do we do with her? Can we keep her?"


    Lost in her thoughts, Emily blinked when she heard Laura¡¯s request. She was stunned by how Laura was treating the anomaly like a pet, something that, ironically, would hardly try to rip out her heart.


    "Let¡¯s take her with us. I want to study her more closely to understand why she resembles a human so much. Maybe this will bring us closer to discovering more about anomalies in general... Also, redo the mental test, just in case"


    Upon hearing her superior¡¯s words, Laura puffed her cheeks slightly, frustrated. No matter what she did, everyone always assumed she had some kind of mental breakdown. Why couldn¡¯t she just say something was cute? From Laura¡¯s perspective, it was the others who were strange for not admitting that the anomaly was, in fact, cute.


    However, at that moment, a relatively loud noise echoed through the room, catching Laura and Emily¡¯s attention, who immediately turned their gazes to the source of the noise¡ªthe computer. When Emily approached, her expression quickly turned strange.


    "What happened?"


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either... The forest readings suddenly became abnormal. Something must have happened from the moment you came back from the forest until now; some change must have occurred...¡±


    Emily and Laura¡¯s eyes automatically shifted to the aquarium. Inside it, the anomaly seemed oblivious to its surroundings. Noticing Emily and Laura¡¯s attention, the anomaly briefly stared at them before tilting its head to the side in an adorable manner.

 Chapter 9 - Outbreak [3]

    (POV ¨C Protagonist)


    Honestly, even though they kept staring at me, I had no idea what was going on either. After Laura took me to her superior, Emily, the computer started emitting incessant alerts. Shortly after, a siren was activated outside, heightening the sense of urgency in the air.


    "Let¡¯s... rule out that possibility for now. Honestly, if it¡¯s true, then we¡¯re involved in something much more dangerous than we thought"


    Anyway, it¡¯s not like I could say anything. All I could do was watch Emily and Laura run back and forth, frantically inspecting the computers scattered around the room.


    "This is definitely not normal. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen these readings since I started researching this damn forest two years ago"


    Emily seemed a bit anxious, and honestly, I¡¯d probably be too if I were in her place. The only reason I wasn¡¯t feeling anxious was simple: fear no longer existed within me. When I first appeared in the forest, I was terrified¡ªafter all, who wouldn¡¯t be?.


    After being attacked by those anomalies that resembled dogs and having one of my arms torn off, fear simply vanished. This happened for two reasons. First, I don¡¯t feel pain, or at least no specific physical pain. Second, it¡¯s normal to fear the unknown, which in my case were the anomalies. But since the moment I became one of them, fear ceased to exist.


    I have eyes, but I don¡¯t see with them. My body resembles that of a human, but I¡¯m definitely not one. I ¡°breathe¡± even though I don¡¯t have lungs, and I don¡¯t have a heart either. Inside, my body is simply empty. If that¡¯s not scary, then I really don¡¯t know what I am.


    By the way, I¡¯ve been hearing various noises coming from outside for a while now. It sounds like something really serious is happening. Are we being attacked? Although my vision works quite differently from that of humans, I¡¯m not able to see through walls.


    "Ugh... why did all this have to happen right when I¡¯m assigned to research this anomalous forest for the first time?"


    "Complain later, Laura. First, we need to figure out what¡¯s causing these strange readings in the forest"


    As the chaos unfolded outside, I remained trapped inside the tank, watching Laura complain about the situation with discreet tears running down her face. Nearby, Emily seemed ready to smash the computers at any moment.


    It was exactly at that moment that something happened. Suddenly, a piercing sound echoed through the room¡ªthe same one I had heard earlier in the forest. It was the sound of a gun being fired. Soon after the first shot, a sequence of gunshots filled the environment.


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    The sharp sounds quickly caught the attention of Laura and Emily, whose faces now reflected pure terror as they stared at the door of the small room we were in.


    "... What the hell is happening out there?"


    Laura finally broke the silence, asking the question that hung in the air. However, no answer came. I couldn¡¯t speak, and Emily seemed as confused as Laura about what might be happening outside. Suddenly, the door was thrown open forcefully, startling both of them.


    "Kyaaaaaa"


    "Kyaaaaaa"


    Emily and Laura¡¯s screams lasted only a few seconds. They quickly realized it was Victor who had opened the door, not whatever they had imagined. Victor was gasping for breath, visibly terrified.


    "Thank God, you¡¯re okay! Quick, we need to get out of here as soon as possible!"


    Victor¡¯s voice sounded urgent, which only made Laura and Emily more confused about the real situation outside. With the door open, the sound of gunshots and voices became much clearer and more intense.


    ¡°Victor, is that you? What¡¯s happening outside? The computers are going crazy, picking up all sorts of readings from the forest!¡±


    Emily¡¯s tone was urgent. I had a faint idea of what might be happening, and indeed, no other possibility occurred to me at that moment. Confirming my suspicions, Victor¡¯s next words were exactly what I expected.


    ¡°It¡¯s the anomalies. They¡¯ve started coming out of the forest. We don¡¯t know exactly how many there are, but it¡¯s probably enough to destroy this whole place. If we don¡¯t get out of here quickly, we¡¯ll all die¡±


    Emily and Laura¡¯s eyes widened in shock and disbelief. I wasn¡¯t much different, though my face remained impassive, I was filled with doubts inside. The situation was just too strange. During the time I spent in the forest, I realized that it was impossible to leave it by normal means.


    Suddenly, the monsters were pouring out of the forest. Something clearly abnormal was happening, making the escape of the monsters possible. Amidst all this confusion, I observed the situation from a more relaxed perspective.


    Honestly, I wasn¡¯t as anxious as they were. I knew the monsters¡¯ weak points and somehow I could now regenerate. There was no more reason to be afraid, although facing a horde of those creatures was still a completely different challenge.


    Anyway, the way the events unfolded gave me the impression that this wasn¡¯t the first time they had faced such a situation. Emily acted quickly upon hearing Victor¡¯s words and rushed towards the computer.


    ¡°Emily, what the hell are you doing? We need to get out of here now!¡±


    ¡°Just a minute, I need to get the data I collected. Maybe we can figure something out later with it¡±


    ¡°Are you serious? In a situation like this? Why are all you scientists obsessed with data? You know, the fact that you take a job like this is proof enough of how abnormal you all are¡±


    As Emily and Victor argued, I felt the tank move. I looked back and saw Laura pushing it with a terrified look on her face. Honestly, I was a bit surprised. I thought she¡¯d leave me there, considering that moving it would require effort and could cost her life.


    ¡°We can¡¯t take her; it¡¯ll just delay our movement¡±


    Of course, Victor opposed. As I mentioned, taking me with them would definitely slow down the group and, worse, might open a gap for one of those creatures to attack them.

 Chapter 10 - Outbreak [4]

    (Pov ¨C Dr. Laura Cavendish)


    At this very moment, Laura was deeply frightened. In fact, "frightened" wasn¡¯t a strong enough term to describe her emotional state; "terrified" seemed more appropriate. Of course, this wasn¡¯t the first time she¡¯d faced a situation like this.


    Laura could confidently say she¡¯d survived much worse situations involving anomalies even more incomprehensible than those running outside. However, that didn¡¯t change the fact that the current situation was terrifying. Strangely, despite everything, compared to other situations, Laura didn¡¯t feel more fear than before.


    The reason for this was simple and even a bit funny. It all came down to the small anomaly still inside the aquarium, observing its surroundings with a cute gaze. Laura had no concrete evidence or conducted tests to confirm her theory, but she felt that the anomaly wasn¡¯t as fierce when it came to humans.


    Laura didn¡¯t believe the anomaly actually favored humans or anything like that. However, it was clear that it wasn¡¯t extremely aggressive, because otherwise, Laura would have been dead a long time ago. Besides, she had encountered many anomalies, some with enough intelligence to establish some form of communication. Although this communication wasn¡¯t as clear or cooperative as scientists would have liked, it still showed a certain level of understanding.


    Laura theorized that the anomaly wasn¡¯t exactly peaceful with humans but saw them as something relatively close or even similar. Perhaps that was why it hadn¡¯t attacked them in the forest earlier. However, these were just Laura¡¯s speculations, without concrete evidence. Therefore, she had already prepared an answer for Victor¡¯s words.


    ¡°We can¡¯t just leave it here; we need to take it with us¡±


    Laura was resolute in her decision; there was no going back. Besides, this was a new anomaly, never before seen by them, with invaluable research potential. It was unlikely they would find another like it, so Laura knew she needed to take it for further study.


    ¡°Are you serious? If those creatures catch us while we¡¯re carrying this aquarium, we¡¯ll all be dead¡±


    Laura acknowledged that Victor was right, but her decision was made. This was clear in her determined look as she fixed her eyes on Victor. No matter what happened, she wouldn¡¯t back down.


    ¡°Laura¡¯s right. This anomaly seems different from the others¡ªwhy does it resemble a human so much? And why didn¡¯t it attack us? We need to take it with us to study it further. We must find out what its anomalous powers are and how this can help us understand anomalies better¡±


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    Laura breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Emily coming to her aid. Regardless of the reasons, the end result was what really mattered. With Emily by her side, Laura turned her gaze back to Victor, feeling her confidence grow even more.


    ¡°... Why are you all so reckless and suicidal? And more importantly, why the hell do I still accept working this horrible job?¡±


    ¡°Could it be because we offer good pay?¡±


    Laura watched Victor sigh, resigned to his fate. In the end, he accepted the situation since there wasn¡¯t much choice. Even though Laura and Victor had been friends for some time, the hierarchy within the organization was clear: Victor had to obey Laura¡¯s orders, and especially Emily¡¯s.


    ¡°Since we¡¯re going to face this crazy situation, I might as well take charge of pushing. I¡¯m the strongest, so maybe we can reach the van before those things catch up with us. But just to be clear, I still think this is a bad idea¡±


    As she listened to Victor¡¯s lectures, Laura stepped aside to let him take control of the aquarium. She looked inside again and noticed the anomaly seemed curious about something. Its gaze constantly shifted between Laura, Emily, and Victor. Laura wasn¡¯t sure if the anomaly understood them, but it seemed to grasp that something was happening.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s set. I got the data we needed. We can leave now¡±


    Emily¡¯s words brought a more serious tone to the environment. She, Victor, and Laura exchanged looks, and in silence, all nodded. Emily walked to the door and slowly opened it. The frightening sounds from outside grew louder, intensifying Laura¡¯s tension.


    ¡°For now, I can¡¯t see the anomalies. It¡¯s probably safe to go out now. Let¡¯s go¡±


    With that, they were now outside. Victor pushed the aquarium while Laura and Emily ran a bit ahead, checking the path. Across the ground, mutilated bodies were scattered: monsters with holes through their bodies and humans with missing heads or limbs.


    The path was soaked in blood, and with each step, Laura¡¯s shoes became even more stained. The increasingly frequent screams and gunshots echoed from the forest, suggesting that the containment team was desperately trying to hold off the monsters.


    ¡°I¡¯ve contacted the organization. They should arrive in a few minutes to contain these things. Our exit will likely coincide with their arrival¡±


    Laura felt immediate relief at those words¡ªonce they reached the main entrance, everyone would be safe. However, as she turned the corner leading directly to the gate, her hopes were completely shattered.


    Resembling a dog but with human arms and walking on two legs, the creature had a grotesque mouth on its stomach, chewing contentedly on a severed piece of arm¡ªor perhaps leg. Laura couldn¡¯t tell, as there was almost nothing left but bone.


    However, the same scene repeated several times, not with one but with over 20 of those monsters. In short, the place was infested. Laura felt her legs tremble and her breath grow heavy.


    ¡°Laura, what¡¯s happening? Why aren¡¯t you responding? I asked if everything was okay¡­ What the hell!¡±


    Victor couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. Emily, beside him, had a similarly worried expression. At that exact moment, Laura, Emily, and Victor shared the same thought: they were completely screwed.


    While all this chaos was unfolding, the small anomaly inside the aquarium watched the scene. Its usual expression of indifference was still clearly visible on its face. However, unlike its outward expression, only one thought was running through its mind as it observed the situation.


    (Are these abominations multiplying, or what?)

 Chapter 11 - Outbreak [5]

    (POV ¨C Protagonist)


    Honestly, I was as surprised as Laura, Emily, and Victor. Where the hell were all these creatures coming from, and why were there so many? Even when I was in the forest, they weren¡¯t this numerous. Yet, the unanswered question remained: how exactly did they manage to get out of the forest, given that, as we¡¯ve been told, it¡¯s nearly impossible to escape by normal means?.


    "Victor... what exactly should we do in a situation like this?"


    Although Emily was clearly shocked, she hadn''t yet been completely overtaken by fear and managed to gesture her question to Victor. I, on the other hand, still trapped inside the aquarium, wanted to help, but even if they got me out of here, I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d be able to defeat all those monsters while protecting the humans. Sure, they could escape like last time, but relying on luck wasn¡¯t wise.


    I turned my golden eyes, which were glowing with an unusual intensity, towards Victor, trying to anticipate his answer. However, from his expression, it was clear that it wouldn¡¯t be as satisfactory as we hoped.


    "I warned you we should leave quietly to avoid a situation like this"


    Victor¡¯s words were like the last drop of water in a dry desert. In short, Victor, Laura, and Emily were completely screwed. I can say this from experience since one of these creatures tore off one of my arms. Escaping isn¡¯t easy¡ªthey¡¯re hard to shake off.


    I felt the aquarium I was in start to shake. Victor was trying to pull me back, slowly retreating with Emily taking cautious steps. I wasn¡¯t sure what they were planning, but I was almost certain it wouldn¡¯t work.


    Laura, however, couldn¡¯t move. Her legs were shaking so much that I was surprised she was still standing. We slowly moved away in silence, but it didn¡¯t last long.


    A thunderous noise echoed right above us. We were pressed against a wall, facing a building. Suddenly, bloodied hands grabbed the edge of the roof, and a blood-covered face appeared right after. The scene was grotesque and terrifying.


    My golden eyes turned to the monster as I tilted my head, trying to understand where this creature had come from. When the monster noticed my gaze, it suddenly leaped towards the glass, colliding with it and causing it to spin towards the other monsters.


    My small compartment, with a view of the outside, stopped next to Laura, who remained motionless as the monsters approached. I shook my head and looked around: the glass lid was open, and some cracks had formed where the monster collided.


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    (I guess there¡¯s no more reason to stay trapped in here)


    I dragged myself out of the compartment, almost crawling. Once outside, I briefly looked around. Even though I could see perfectly without turning, it felt more natural to observe the environment head-on rather than from behind.


    The situation was as follows: Emily and Victor were cornered, unable to retreat due to the building behind them. In front, some monsters were approaching slowly. Their dark stares conveyed a disturbing certainty about how they planned to tear apart the humans before them.


    Finally, Laura was close to me, her legs still trembling and seeming incapable of moving easily. Additionally, the monsters, who had finished their previous meals, now watched Laura with a gaze that suggested she might be their next dessert.


    Also, there was the monster that leaped onto my aquarium. It seemed to be regrouping, shaking its head, but as soon as it regained its composure, its gaze fixed back on me. This was not good¡ªit clearly saw me as prey.


    As I mentioned before, these monsters are surprisingly agile for their size. In the forest, I only managed to escape by luck, climbing a tree. Now, this monster had the same predatory look as the one that devoured my arm.


    As expected, the monster started heading my way. Naturally, I wasn¡¯t going to stay still and began running to get away from it. Whenever it got closer, I turned and ran in the opposite direction. In summary, I was running in circles, with my arms extended in front of me. Don¡¯t ask why my arms were like that; I think my subconscious was trying to keep them away from the monster¡¯s mouth.


    However, after a while, I was truly exhausted. I mean, I had never defeated one of them before, so why not try the same approach? With that thought, I stopped and turned around. The golden field expanded from my body, as before. Just like before, it seemed that only I could see or perceive this field.


    Perhaps that¡¯s why the monster kept advancing towards me without hesitation. Just like the previous one, once it entered my golden field, its body simply stopped. Or rather, it became so slow it seemed to freeze in mid-air.


    To confirm, I observed the outside: Laura was still trembling, and Emily and Victor were about to be devoured by the monsters. Ignoring this, I focused on the monster in front of me. My golden eyes fixed on it, and seconds later, a rainbow-colored glow appeared. The location was the same, exactly at the same point where the monster I killed in the forest was.


    My work was almost complete. I raised my hand, aimed at the point where the rainbow colors shone on the monster¡¯s body, and, with all the strength I could muster, struck. My hand passed through the monster¡¯s body and then I removed its heart with a firm motion.


    In the end, I threw the heart on the ground; there was no reason to keep it. Besides, nothing happened like last time when I absorbed the colors, so it seemed pointless. Retracting the golden field back into my body, I looked around with my usual poker face.


    Both the monsters and Laura, Victor, and Emily looked at me with expressions of astonishment. Around me, various weak points glowed in rainbow colors, and at that moment, I wondered how my own eyes looked.

 Chapter 12 - Outbreak [6]

    (Pov ¨C Emily Parker)


    Emily simply couldn¡¯t pinpoint when things started going wrong or the exact moment they reached this point. She wasn¡¯t naive; she knew that sooner or later, she would die due to the nature of her work. Furthermore, she was fully aware that her death wouldn¡¯t be a typical one.


    Being devoured alive, melted, having her soul ripped out, vanishing from existence as if she had never been... or perhaps dying in ways Emily couldn¡¯t even conceive. Still, she always imagined that her death wouldn¡¯t come so soon. No, on the contrary, Emily didn¡¯t want her life to end so abruptly.


    (There are still so many anomalies I want to study... If only I could get 1% closer to the truth...)


    Even in the face of that situation, Emily¡¯s thoughts were those of a true scientist. She wasn¡¯t necessarily sad about dying, but rather about not getting closer to the truth that everyone in the organization pursued with such passion and dedication.


    All of Emily¡¯s dreams were about to end at that very moment. The monster, a grotesque and distorted creature, advanced slowly toward her, cornering her. Its body resembled that of a large dog, with dark, matted fur, emitting a stench of decay.


    What made the creature even more terrifying were the two human arms dangling from its canine torso, covered in scars, with bony fingers flexing in a disturbing manner as if savoring the proximity of their prey.


    As it rose on its hind legs, the true abomination of the creature was revealed: a gigantic mouth in the middle of its abdomen, with jaws wide open displaying rows of crooked, sharp teeth, glistening with saliva that dripped onto the floor with a chilling, gurgling sound.


    Each step was accompanied by bone-crunching noises, while its yellowed, glazed eyes fixed on Emily with insatiable hunger. Cornered, she pressed herself against the cold wall, her heart racing as the monster drew closer, a low, increasing growl reverberating through the air.


    However, in stark contrast to the terrifying atmosphere, a loud sound echoed through the space¡ªthe unmistakable noise of something being torn, followed by a dry, muffled snap. Emily, Victor, and the creatures around instinctively turned their gaze toward the noise.


    There, completely out of place in the scene, a small, white, translucent creature with an innocent look on its face held a still-beating heart in its hand. Tilting its head as if it didn¡¯t understand what it was holding, the creature looked at the heart for a moment before dropping it to the ground.


    When the being turned toward Emily, her eyes widened in shock. The small creature¡¯s golden, shining eyes had transformed into spirals of color, radiating all the shades of the rainbow. Though the sight was stunning and beautiful, Emily couldn¡¯t help but feel a wave of fear.


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    It was a terror that sprang from the depths of her being, similar to the primordial fear a baby feels of the dark. Emily¡¯s legs trembled incessantly as she stared at the creature. However, the small entity seemed disinterested in Emily, its gaze exploring the surrounding environment.


    Every time the small being looked at one of the creatures, they trembled and backed away as if faced with their natural predator. It wasn¡¯t long before the monsters began to flee in all directions, as if they preferred anywhere to being near the small being.


    A silence followed the previous scene. Emily didn¡¯t know how to describe what had just happened, and probably Laura and Victor were at a loss for words as well. None of them could fully grasp what had occurred.


    ¡°Are we... saved?¡±


    Victor was the first to break the silence. His face, previously pale, began to regain color, and his breath, which had been ragged, started to steady. Emily still couldn¡¯t fully comprehend what had happened; the monsters had simply fled.


    Emily, Laura, and Victor turned their gazes to the small being that had made it all possible. In contrast, the being was yawning, with a tired look on its face as it tried to ward off drowsiness by rubbing its eyes in an adorable manner.


    After that, the small anomaly walked over to the toppled aquarium and climbed inside. Then it curled up and lay down, sinking into a deep sleep. The place fell silent again; no matter how you looked at it, the anomaly was definitely asleep.


    ¡°What the hell just happened here?¡±


    Victor was the first to break the silence that had settled in. Everyone was stunned by the events that had unfolded: first, the anomaly had defeated the other one in a strangely brutal manner, and then it went back to the aquarium and simply fell asleep. Even with all her experience, Emily couldn¡¯t understand or explain what had just happened.


    However, Emily was able to extract something positive from the situation. Although she still didn¡¯t believe that the anomaly was really defending them, she observed that from her point of view, the anomaly seemed to be merely reacting.


    The fact that the anomaly showed no intention of harming humans was significant. As Laura had mentioned earlier, it was likely that the anomaly saw them as equals, and only by conducting more tests could Emily find a definitive answer.


    ¡°You know what, screw it. Let¡¯s get out of here before those things come back¡±


    Victor headed for the aquarium, lifting it again after his words. Despite his movements, the small being inside the aquarium showed no signs of waking up. Emily wondered if the little anomaly was dreaming. After all, was it possible that anomalies could dream? That was another question Emily would like to answer if given the chance.


    Emily also stood up. Though her legs still trembled a bit, the situation had improved considerably compared to before. She went over to Laura, who was still lying on the ground.


    ¡°Laura, are you okay? Can you hear me?¡±


    Emily had a worried expression as she looked at Laura, who seemed on the verge of tears at any moment. Slowly, Laura tried to move her lips, trying to form a few words.


    ¡°... that¡±


    ¡°... that?¡±


    ¡°... was so scary! I really thought I was going to die. Thank goodness our little anomaly was here¡±


    Emily, despite everything, managed a wry smile. Although it wasn¡¯t intentional, it was an undeniable fact: they had all been saved by the anomaly that was now peacefully sleeping inside the aquarium.

 Chapter 13 - Adaptation period [1]

    (POV ¨C Protagonist)


    After taking down that thing, I looked around. Even though I could sense everything without moving my head, I figured that looking directly at them would have a more intimidating effect. Not that my appearance was particularly menacing¡ªactually, I¡¯d have to admit that I¡¯m quite cute, which gives me 0% power to scare others.


    Speaking of which, the same forest scene repeated itself. As soon as one of the monsters was defeated, the others began to flee from me. Am I really that terrifying? Honestly, I don¡¯t see myself as scary. On the contrary, my body is somewhat squishy, so I imagine I¡¯d be great for hugs.


    (The situation seems to have stabilized¡­ but, for some reason, I¡¯m starting to feel a bit sleepy)


    I tried rubbing my eyes to shake off the drowsiness, but that only made me feel even more tired. Anyway, the monsters had already fled, so I could sleep, right? There was no one to stop me, and, to be honest, I couldn¡¯t speak. In the end, I went back to the tank and lay down as comfortably as possible.


    After that, I only remember Victor telling Laura and Emily that they needed to get out of there, while Laura expressed her fear. Also, it seems Laura thinks I saved them. Well, if she wants to think that, fine. In reality, I just took out the monster that tried to eat me, and the others simply ran away.


    After that, my mind slipped into the world of dreams. However, I couldn¡¯t even dream. My situation was strange: although I knew I was sleeping, it felt like my mind was only partially asleep. I knew this because I could sense, to some extent, what was happening around me.


    Victor, Emily, and Laura met outside with the team Victor had called. I could feel the stares on me, but I didn¡¯t pay attention to what they were saying; honestly, I wasn¡¯t interested. Then, I was placed in the back of a van. Although spacious, the van wasn¡¯t big enough to be like a truck.


    From that moment, I decided to block my perception to try to enter a sleep-like state. My mind shut off as if it had been unplugged. I don¡¯t know how much time passed, but eventually, I opened my golden eyes again.


    The first thing I noticed was that everything around me was bathed in a soft, comforting white that didn¡¯t dazzle but conveyed a sense of peace, tranquility, and cleanliness. To my surprise, I was no longer inside the tank; I was now lying on the floor as if I were sleeping peacefully.


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    (Where am I?)


    No matter how much I looked around, there were no windows or doors, just immaculate white. Had I died? Was I in heaven? I had many questions, but unfortunately, there was no one to answer them.


    At that moment, something suddenly became transparent a few steps from where I was. I tilted my head, trying to understand what it was, and soon realized: it was a huge pane of glass. On the other side, several people, including Laura and Emily, were watching me.


    From where I was, it seemed like they were talking about something. Strangely, even with my sensitive hearing, I couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying. I decided to get closer and, with slow steps, walked up to the glass.


    (I guess this is how zoo animals must feel)


    The eyes of the humans on the other side watched me with great interest. I felt like an animal in a zoo. Although I wasn¡¯t really an animal, the feeling was similar. When I got close enough to the glass, I began to think about what exactly I should do.


    While pondering the situation, something opened a little further away but still near the glass. It looked like a door, although I hadn¡¯t seen anything like it before it opened. From there, something entered. I say ¡°something¡± because the figure was dressed in a strange outfit.


    I couldn¡¯t tell if it was a man or a woman, and I wondered if it was even human. The figure was completely covered from head to toe in an outfit that resembled a radiation suit. The purpose of this person was still unclear, so almost instantly, I became alert. Moreover, the suit was not at all welcoming; if I had to describe it, the words that would come to mind were ¡°scary¡±.


    However, there was a way to find out what it was. I focused my attention on the new visitor, and soon my field of vision expanded. Specific points glowing with rainbow colors appeared, and I realized these points were aligned with the positions of the humans behind the glass. Whoever was wearing that suit stepped back a few steps as I observed.


    The scientists behind the glass also seemed scared, with some even turning away to avoid my gaze. It seemed they somehow felt I was watching their vital points. That was the impression I got, although I wasn¡¯t sure.


    Anyway, I blinked my eyes, making the vital points disappear. Then, I tilted my head and approached the person in the strange outfit in front of me. I was still perplexed by the reason behind that bizarre attire. Was my body emitting radiation or something? Honestly, I didn¡¯t feel like I was emitting radiation.


    Speaking of which, the person in the suit still seemed frightened, visibly trembling. Since I was right in front of them, they were probably unsure whether to back away or not, like a bear. Seriously, were they perceiving me as an animal? I really didn¡¯t know how to react to that.


    In the end, it seemed the person couldn¡¯t move, perhaps too terrified of me to even breathe. I decided to ignore them and started exploring my surroundings. Honestly, I was bored waiting for any action from them and preferred to make use of the little space I had to move around.


    Not that I had many complaints, but the place seemed a bit cramped. As the man behind me ran back through the passage he came from, only one thought crossed my mind.


    (I wonder if, if I ask, they¡¯ll move me to a bigger room?)

 Chapter 14 - Adaptation period [2]

    (POV - Emily Parker)


    Emily never imagined she would feel so much joy returning to her old workplace. As they approached the research center, she finally let out a sigh of relief, as if she had been holding her breath for years. Her exhaustion mysteriously vanished upon seeing something familiar.


    The place in question was a poultry factory in the city center. Of course, that wasn¡¯t the real base, just one of many posts used to make a stop before proceeding with the standard procedures for classifying and transporting a newly discovered anomaly.


    As the truck Emily was in drove through the huge door leading to the warehouse, she waited calmly in the passenger seat. Her gaze briefly shifted to the back of the vehicle, where an aquarium revealed a small creature, curled up like a kitten, sleeping peacefully.


    Even if Emily told her friends that this creature had extracted the heart of a classified dangerous anomaly and made dozens of others flee, none of them would believe her. Even she still struggled to believe what she had witnessed. Could it have been a dream? But Emily knew it had been real¡ªjust as real as the fact that she should have died that night.


    ¡°We¡¯re here¡±


    Emily nodded at Victor¡¯s announcement, unlocked the door, and got out of the car. The surroundings were exactly like the back of a poultry factory: machines scattered everywhere and the unbearable noise of their operation. That always bothered her, especially the fact that they used places like this as auxiliary bases for their main operations.


    Emily walked to the back of the truck, where Victor was already opening the doors. Soon, Laura appeared, carefully pushing the aquarium. Together, they moved it slowly to a wall. Emily then took her badge and pointed it at the wall, revealing a hidden door that led to an elevator.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go down now¡±


    Following Emily¡¯s instructions, Victor and Laura entered the elevator along with the anomaly. Emily pressed the only available button, and the elevator began to descend slowly. No one said anything¡ªthis procedure was already standard for them.


    ¡°Today was really unusual...¡±


    Laura broke the silence, and Emily glanced at her. Normally, in situations like this, there were two possibilities: the scientist present at the time of the incident either got killed by the anomalies themselves or resigned sometime later. Looking at Laura, Emily doubted she would choose the latter, and besides, Emily had already experienced the first possibility.


    Emily had faced similar situations before. Working in this field, you see and hear many things. It wasn¡¯t the first time Emily found herself in imminent danger while studying an anomaly. However, she had to admit this was the first time she had been so close to dying.


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    ¡°Is there ever a day when this job isn¡¯t weird? After all, we deal with strange things all the time¡±


    ¡°Hehe, I guess you¡¯re right¡±


    The conversation helped to ease the strange atmosphere that had settled in. Emily didn¡¯t find the situation bad; in fact, conversations like this were necessary to maintain sanity in a job like hers. Sometimes, it was these interactions that prevented despair and a sense of isolation.


    ¡°So, boss, what are we going to do with our little anomaly? Should we leave it here or move it to our main research base?¡±


    ¡°For now, we¡¯ll do some tests here. Although we don¡¯t have all our equipment, we can perform basic tests, like checking if it eats, needs to use the bathroom, and if it can understand us¡±


    Of course, there were other tests Emily wanted to conduct, such as assessing the durability and exploring the anomaly¡¯s anomalous powers. Emily turned her face toward the aquarium and watched the anomaly, still sleeping peacefully, oblivious to the outside world. Seeing the creature so serene made Emily feel a twinge of remorse for the physical tests she would have to conduct, but she knew there was nothing she could do to change that.


    (... wait, when did I start caring about this kind of thing when it comes to anomalies?)


    These thoughts suddenly crossed Emily¡¯s mind. She cast a quick glance at the anomaly, feeling her heart race and her cheeks warm. After that, she decided to perform a test to check if she had suffered any mental attack from an anomaly.


    When the elevator doors opened, a long white hallway was revealed. Emily, Laura, and Victor, who was pushing the aquarium, proceeded down the hallway with confident steps. At the end, they found a door. As soon as the door opened, several groups of scientists and soldiers appeared on the other side.


    The soldiers patrolled the area while the scientists read data on clipboards or tablets. Emily, Victor, and Laura¡¯s presence immediately caught attention, especially due to the aquarium with something inside. This sight was undoubtedly not subtle.


    ¡°A new anomaly? But why is it in an aquarium?¡±


    ¡°And more importantly, is it safe? It¡¯s just glass; it could easily break the container¡±


    The scientists¡¯ murmurs attracted the attention of the stationed soldiers, who immediately formed a barrier and pointed their weapons at the anomaly. Emily sighed; even she had to admit that if she were in their place, she would have reacted the same way.


    ¡°It¡¯s all under control. The anomaly doesn¡¯t seem interested in attacking humans¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, our little one won¡¯t attack. She¡¯s gentle, likes humans, and besides, she¡¯s extremely cute!¡±


    Everyone was even more confused by Emily and Laura¡¯s words, which were well known at almost every auxiliary base. Emily, in particular, had made significant discoveries about anomalies over the years, contributing greatly to the advancement in understanding these beings and phenomena.


    The soldiers, still puzzled by the situation, turned their gazes to Victor. As the leader of the anomaly response team, Victor did not work directly at the bases where anomalies were kept but was responsible for coordinating and commanding the teams sent to handle new occurrences. This made him a high-ranking figure among the regular soldiers guarding the bases.


    ¡°Let them through; everything is under control. As Dr. Laura Cavendish and Dr. Emily Parker said, there¡¯s no reason to worry¡±


    With Victor¡¯s words, the soldiers had no more reasons to block the way and quickly stepped aside, allowing Emily, Laura, and Victor to continue.

 Chapter 15 - Adaptation period [3]

    (Pov - Laura Cavendish)


    Laura walked down the corridors with steady steps, following Emily, her boss, and Victor, her long-time friend. Victor pushed the aquarium containing the anomaly Laura had found in the forest. Despite what many said, Laura was convinced that the anomaly had, in fact, saved them.


    Since they had been in the forest, the anomaly had consistently protected Laura, preventing her from being killed. Laura not only felt deeply grateful but also considered herself lucky to have discovered this new anomaly. Perhaps this fact had created a special bond between her and the anomaly, especially considering that the anomaly seemed to have had no contact with other humans.


    Laura wasn¡¯t sure if her assumption was correct or not, but what she was certain of was that, for some reason, the anomaly seemed to have positive feelings towards humans. However, as a scientist, Laura was equally interested in understanding more about the anomaly and discovering why it was the way it was.


    Laura wished, if possible, to conduct the tests in such a way that the anomaly would not feel pain or discomfort. However, she knew that this would probably not be feasible. Her greatest desire was for the anomaly to feel nothing or not be severely injured in the process.


    (However, setting that aside, the way it curls up to sleep is just so cute¡ªit looks like a little kitten)


    Laura¡¯s cheeks flushed as she watched the anomaly resting in the aquarium. Everything about the creature was absolutely charming; Laura simply couldn¡¯t find anything about it that wasn¡¯t adorable.


    Laura, Emily, and Victor approached a white door. Along the way, several scientists showed interest in the new anomaly inside the aquarium, while soldiers displayed signs of apprehension, ready to act and fire their weapons at the slightest hint of danger.


    When the door opened, Laura and Emily proceeded to a second door, which was relatively close to the one Victor had passed through. This one was a bit larger. Upon entering, they found a large glass wall ahead, offering a complete view of the interior of the room.


    Victor stopped in the center of the room, which was cuboidal in shape. Although not very large, it was enough to allow movement. Carefully, he opened the aquarium and placed the anomaly on the floor, where it continued to sleep peacefully. Laura was surprised to see that the anomaly was still able to sleep despite everything that had happened.


    When Victor left the room, Laura, Emily, and other scientists who were patiently waiting for the anomaly remained silent. After about 10 minutes, the anomaly finally woke up. With its adorable little hands, it rubbed its large eyes in an equally charming way, eliciting sighs of satisfaction from the team of scientists.


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    Everyone watched with interest as the anomaly explored the room. In fact, it was the first time they had seen one that resembled a human child so closely. In a way, it was refreshing for them to witness something that didn¡¯t squirm, didn¡¯t have an undefined shape, and didn¡¯t try to kill them every five seconds. For everyone in the room, it was practically a moment of relief and tranquility.


    ¡°Bring in the prisoner. I want to see how she reacts to strangers. Also, give him a protective suit. We don''t want her to realize he''s a human¡±


    Laura heard Emily¡¯s order from the side, not paying much attention to it. In fact, none of the scientists seemed to care about what was being discussed, as they were not the ones directly interacting with the anomalies. Emily and Laura were having a unique experience watching the anomaly from the other side of the glass, as they usually studied anomalies only through indirect observations.


    Moreover, none of the scientists seemed to feel guilty about using humans in this way. Even Laura, deep down, knew they were treated like condemned prisoners. The organization promised to release them if they served their sentences without dying, but the prisoners didn¡¯t know that none of those who came before them had actually been freed. In the end, they all ended up being killed by anomalies.


    Everyone watched attentively as the anomaly explored the room, until a sound caught its attention: the door opening. A man dressed in a suit and mask entered the room. Emily and Laura watched the scene, noticing that the anomaly showed discomfort and seemed to be analyzing what was in front of it.


    ¡°Maybe your theory is correct, Laura. It could be that she really is hostile to anything that isn¡¯t human. Even if it has a similar shape, it seems to perceive that something essential is missing for it to be considered truly human¡±


    Of course, Laura and Emily didn¡¯t know that the small anomaly was actually just curious, wondering why someone was wearing a radiation suit near it. The anomaly seemed to be wondering if the presence of the suit meant that it saw her as something similar to a nuclear bomb.


    The scientists watched with interest the anomaly¡¯s next action, eager to find out what would happen next. At that moment, they noticed something strange: the man who had been sent in was trembling. Since the anomaly was positioned in a way that didn¡¯t allow them to see its face, no one knew what was happening.


    The man seemed on the verge of losing control, as if he were facing a terrible monster. Then the anomaly turned towards the glass. Emily had set up the glass to allow visibility from both sides, so just as the scientists could observe the anomaly, it could also see them.


    Everyone was in shock. Their faces paled, and their breathing became rapid. The anomaly¡¯s eyes shone in various colors, but instead of appearing charming, they emanated a dreadful and dark aura, as distant and incomprehensible as the question ¡°what¡¯s on the other side of a black hole?¡± The scientists were paralyzed, unsure of how to react to a fear so primal that had emerged within them.


    The anomaly blinked, and its eyes returned to their original color, a vibrant and charming gold. Meanwhile, the scientists and the man beside her watched with racing hearts. The anomaly tilted its little head to the side, appearing confused, and one of its fingers approached its mouth. Although the scene was undeniably cute, there was something about the way the anomaly behaved that made it even more unsettling.

 Chapter 16 - Adaptation period [4]

    (POV ¨C Protagonist)


    I don¡¯t know exactly how much time has passed, but it¡¯s probably been a few good hours. Since that man in the strange outfit entered, no one else has shown up. The glass through which I was being observed returned to normal, so I couldn¡¯t see if anyone was on the other side.


    With absolutely nothing to do, I tried to entertain myself. I started spinning in circles, then jumped repeatedly, and finally, threw myself on the floor, bored. The place was just a vast, dull white emptiness, and I was beginning to feel like I was about to go crazy.


    (Couldn¡¯t they give me a video game or something to pass the time? It¡¯s not possible they¡¯ve just forgotten me here... could they?)


    The thought that I might be completely alone and abandoned was terrifying. However, the heavens had not yet forsaken me. Just as I thought this, and tiny tears began to form at the corners of my eyes, the door opened again. This time, it was Victor who entered. He wasn¡¯t wearing the special suit like the previous person but regular clothes, similar to what a security guard would wear.


    He was carrying a bag in his hands, and his gaze was fixed on me, while I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off the bag. I seriously wondered what was inside, as the pleasant aroma reaching me suggested it was food. Victor stopped right in front of me, holding the bag.


    He then opened the bag, still with a cautious look directed at me. However, I was more interested in the bag than in his expression. Although I wasn¡¯t hungry, it didn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t want to eat something. Eating would give me satisfaction, even if it wasn¡¯t necessary to stave off hunger, since I didn¡¯t even feel hungry to begin with.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know if you can eat or if you feel hunger, but it¡¯s part of the procedures. We need to find out if you need to eat or not¡±


    Saying this, Victor began taking items out of the bag: a wrapper that clearly contained a hamburger and a can of Coca-Cola. He placed them on the floor right in front of me and then stepped back slowly, keeping me under watch.


    For some reason, I had the feeling that he was treating me like a pet, but honestly, it didn¡¯t matter at the moment. In front of me were a can of Coca-Cola and a hamburger wrapper. I couldn¡¯t even remember the last time I had eaten something.


    I completely ignored Victor¡¯s presence and sat down. First, I took the can of Coca-Cola and opened it. I noticed Victor giving me a strange look, probably surprised that I managed to open the can despite theoretically having never seen one before. I then turned my attention to the wrapper containing the hamburger.


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    I took the wrapper and put it directly in my mouth. Victor gave me a look of surprise. I chewed the hamburger, and as I expected, I was able to filter out the taste of what I wanted to feel. In short, even chewing both the plastic and the hamburger, I only perceived the taste of the hamburger.


    I ate calmly, ignoring Victor¡¯s gaze. At some point, he had already left, but I didn¡¯t care. Anyway, that hamburger was delicious. If possible, I would love to have another one.


    ***


    (POV ¨C Emily Parker)


    On the other side of the glass, Emily watched the scene calmly. She still didn¡¯t understand the reason for the anomaly¡¯s earlier aggressive reaction. Emily felt intensely that she could have died at any moment at the anomaly¡¯s hands if it had wanted to. However, instead, the anomaly simply started ignoring them.


    As she reflected on the possible cause of the anomaly¡¯s negative reaction, Emily heard Laura¡¯s voice beside her, also observing the situation attentively.


    ¡°Maybe the anomaly felt uncomfortable with the presence of a stranger. What if we sent someone it already knows?¡±


    At first, Emily thought this idea was absurd. Was Laura comparing the anomaly to a small child? However, Emily knew that Laura had survived all these years precisely because the absurd often ended up becoming reality.


    ¡°Call Victor, explain the current situation, and ask him to bring some food for the anomaly¡±


    Soon after, Victor entered the anomaly containment room offering food. Emily didn¡¯t know if the anomaly needed to eat, but she thought it was an excellent opportunity to observe its reaction.


    This time, the anomaly didn¡¯t react with aggression. In fact, it even seemed satisfied, its gaze fixed on Victor. Could Laura be right? Emily wasn¡¯t sure, but it was undeniable that the anomaly was showing a much friendlier behavior compared to before.


    Emily wore a satisfied smile, indicating that the anomaly had at least a certain degree of intelligence. It seemed capable of remembering faces and distinguishing between good and bad people, suggesting that its perception went beyond what was expected.


    ¡°Victor, good job. You can go back now¡±


    Emily pondered the next steps. She was eager to conduct various tests as she had never encountered such a fascinating anomaly. Not because it was especially unique¡ªshe had already studied thousands of anomalies that defied all known knowledge¡ªbut because its complexity and behavior intrigued her deeply.


    However, this anomaly seemed to have something distinct from the others. Emily couldn¡¯t pinpoint exactly why she felt this way, but it might be a reflection of her years of experience with anomalies or simply a brief illusion. Either way, she couldn¡¯t contain her excitement.


    ***


    (POV ¨C Protagonist)


    When Victor stepped back, I continued savoring the taste of the hamburger I had just eaten. Honestly, it was delicious. Even though I didn¡¯t need to eat, it didn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t want to. Besides, this experience confirmed that I could still taste food, which was a relief.


    Also, I didn¡¯t know why, but Emily and Laura were watching me with satisfied smiles. At some point, the glass was reinstalled, but this time only Laura and Emily were present. Although I wondered where the other scientists had gone, it wasn¡¯t something I really cared about. Speaking of which...


    (When are they going to bring me more food?)

 Chapter 17 - Adaptation period [5]

    (Pov - Emily Parker)


    Emily found herself in her office, a relatively simple space: a desk with a computer, a calendar beside it, and a photo of her with a younger girl on the desk. In the picture, Emily had not yet reached adulthood.


    The little girl next to Emily wore a sincere, sweet smile. Whenever Emily looked at that photo, the world seemed simpler, and nothing else mattered besides that image. Lost in distant memories, she was pulled back to reality by knocks echoing on her door.


    Emily quickly reorganized herself, leaving those memories behind. She didn¡¯t think they would be useful at that moment; she had goals to achieve, and that was why she had become a researcher of anomalies.


    ¡°Come in!¡±


    With that simple word, the door opened. Laura entered, and as she closed the door behind her, she walked toward Emily¡¯s desk with some papers in hand. Upon entering, Laura noticed the photo on the desk but knew it was a sensitive topic to discuss in Emily¡¯s presence, so she decided to ignore it.


    ¡°Boss, here are the results of the research we¡¯ve gathered so far on the new anomaly. It would be good if you could take a look¡±


    After hearing this, Emily took the papers from Laura¡¯s hand and began to flip through them. About a week had passed since the anomaly arrived at their institute. During this time, they conducted some simple tests that helped them better understand the nature of the anomaly.


    -


    Name: To be determined.


    Anomalous Danger Class: To be classified.


    Gender: The anomaly presents itself externally as a girl, but it is likely to lack distinct feminine traits. Additionally, it has been confirmed that it also does not have masculine traits. It¡¯s possible that the anomaly has neither sex.


    Intelligence: More tests are needed, but the anomaly has shown some understanding in conversations when gestures are used. Its intelligence does not resemble that of an adult; it may be closer to that of a five-year-old child.


    Anomalous Power: Unknown. Possible anomalous power not yet cataloged.


    -


    No matter how much Emily wanted to be optimistic, the information she read about the anomaly was practically nonexistent. In summary, they still had nothing that would allow them to classify it, not even its anomalous power was known. If she had to take a guess, she would say the anomaly¡¯s power was related to its eyes, but Emily couldn¡¯t speculate much beyond that.


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    As Emily attentively observed the papers in her hand, she noticed that Laura seemed uncomfortable. She was shifting from side to side, as if feeling uneasy about something.


    ¡°Laura, do you have something else to tell me?¡±


    Laura finally looked at Emily when she asked the question. Having worked with Laura for some time, Emily knew her way of thinking well. In a way, although Laura was timid, she also displayed remarkable courage when it came to anomalies. In fact, all researchers shared this duality.


    ¡°We received a visitation order from the Central Research Institute¡±


    Emily raised an eyebrow upon hearing that name. After all, the Central Research Institute was practically the base where the most dangerous anomalies were stored, including those that could not be contained. The place where Emily was at the moment only housed less dangerous and more easily controlled anomalies. Therefore, it was surprising that a visitation order had arrived.


    ¡°Who is the order from?¡±


    When Emily asked the question, Laura turned her gaze to the side, clearly uncomfortable. This reaction gave Emily a clue about who it could be.


    ¡°The order... came from the director¡±


    It was exactly who Emily had imagined. To be honest, she didn¡¯t like the director very much, even though he was her superior. They both had a complicated history, especially regarding how they preferred to handle encountered anomalies. Additionally, the director was eccentric and aroused distrust in every sense.


    ¡°If that was all, you didn¡¯t need to be so anxious¡±


    ¡°But... the boss seems to dislike him¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t like him, but what can I do? In the end, he remains my superior¡±


    Emily merely shrugged as she said this. It wasn¡¯t about belittling herself, but the hierarchy within the organization was quite rigid. After all, mistakes could not be made when dealing with anomalies.


    ¡°We still have some time before that old man arrives. Let¡¯s get organized on this side; honestly, I don¡¯t want to give him any reason to complain in my ear after the visit...¡±


    Laura just nodded in response to Emily¡¯s words but still had another question in mind. Taking a deep breath, she spoke, keeping her voice low but still audible.


    ¡°So... about the director, he came to check on the newly discovered anomaly, right?¡±


    Emily gave Laura a brief glance before leaning back on the desk and nodding, confirming her friend¡¯s words. Unfortunately, Laura couldn¡¯t hide her disapproval regarding the director¡¯s actions. This was a common occurrence when it came to him, and his methods were often unwelcome, as they tended to create problems.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Although he is my superior, I¡¯m the one in charge here. He can¡¯t just come in and move the anomaly without my permission and a valid justification... of course, that doesn¡¯t change the fact that he could make something up, but I¡¯ll do my best to prevent that from happening. I¡¯m also interested in this new anomaly¡±


    ***


    (Pov ¨C Protagonist)


    Honestly, I was starting to get tired of this place. It¡¯s been a few days¡ªprobably three to four¡ªsince the only thing I see is the color white. Although scientists occasionally come to visit me, it doesn¡¯t relieve my boredom; in fact, it just makes me feel like a pet trapped in a cage.


    However, there¡¯s a critical problem: if you ask me if I can get out of this place, the answer is no. Not even using all my strength can I break the walls surrounding me. I have no idea what they are made of, but they are incredibly sturdy. The upside of it all is that they always provide me with food¡ªand it¡¯s always different. Thus, mealtime is something I genuinely look forward to.


    Unfortunately, my boredom still persisted. Was there nothing that could just happen in this place? Maybe I was being overly pessimistic, but strangely, just as I thought about this, the light went out. I got up from where I had been lying and looked around. The only visible thing in the darkness was my glowing golden eyes, which looked like lanterns.


    (Did they forget to pay the electricity bill for this place?)

 Chapter 18 - Threat from the shadows [1]

    (POV - Emily Parker)


    Emily and Laura walked through the facility''s corridors with firm, confident steps. The long corridor, with its whitish texture, was quite familiar to both of them. In this sector, only contained anomalies were present, creating an atmosphere of safety, though still full of mystery.


    "I wonder what the director is planning this time"


    Laura, walking beside Emily, couldn¡¯t hide the concern on her face about the director. Although they both knew that no words could truly reassure her, Emily was also fully aware that the director was a cunning fox, always pursuing his own goals within the organization.


    ¡°There¡¯s no point in worrying about it now. The most we can do is try to thwart his plans. Besides, it won¡¯t be the first time, and I doubt it¡¯ll be the last¡±


    Emily sighed resignedly as she shared her thoughts with Laura. With years of experience alongside the director, she had learned to understand his way of thinking and acting. The concern, at a certain point, had become tiring; after all, he had always managed to get by so far. Emily saw no reason for this time to be any different.


    As they walked down the corridor, Emily noticed someone approaching. The figure, dressed in typical staff attire, didn¡¯t immediately catch her attention. However, the person walked with their head slightly down, which was understandable, as the atmosphere of that place often transmitted a depressing vibe. Despite this, Emily couldn¡¯t identify who it was.


    Emily trusted her memory, but the fact that she had never seen that person before was, at the very least, suspicious. In an environment like the one she worked in, suspicions were unacceptable. Shortly after passing the figure, Emily stopped under Laura¡¯s curious gaze and called out.


    ¡°Hey! You! Can you stop for a moment?¡±


    Emily turned after saying those words and noticed that the person was still there. They also casually turned towards Emily, allowing their face to become more visible. Their hair, relatively long, covered part of their face, but not enough to completely conceal it. Emily crossed her arms and stared at the man, sizing him up with interest.


    ¡°What team are you part of?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a member of the cleaning sector, ma¡¯am¡±


    The man calmly answered Emily¡¯s question, but that didn¡¯t lessen her suspicions. Although there was nothing overtly suspicious about his appearance, the feeling of distrust persisted, creating a subtle tension in the air.


    ¡°I trust my memory, and I have a good relationship with the cleaning sector, but I¡¯ve never seen you around¡±


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    ¡°I¡¯m new, arrived yesterday¡±


    The man¡¯s words were concise, and Emily didn¡¯t believe he was lying; it would be easy to verify. Even so, she decided to check. After briefly checking her tablet, she confirmed that the man was indeed telling the truth.


    The man stared at Emily, who returned the gaze. Although she no longer felt a reason to keep him there, a lingering sense of distrust continued to hover over her. Additionally, the upcoming conversation with the director only heightened her anxiety, making her headache worsen quickly amid all the accumulated stress.


    ¡°Alright, you can go. Sorry for stopping you so suddenly¡±


    ¡°No problem, ma¡¯am. If you need me, you know where to find me¡±


    After a polite farewell, the man left. Emily watched him go before turning back and resuming her walk. Laura, with a curious look, remained silent as she followed. The two continued down the corridor for a few minutes until, suddenly, the lights went out completely, leaving them in darkness.


    Although it was dark, Emily¡¯s eyes quickly adjusted to the lack of light. Laura then pulled her phone out of her lab coat pocket and turned on the flashlight.


    ¡°How strange. In all the time I¡¯ve worked here, the lights have never gone out, not even once. Could maintenance have made a mistake?¡±


    Laura received no response to her comment. Confused, she pointed the flashlight at Emily beside her, only to see her face marked by fear and despair. In that moment, even Laura realized something was about to happen.


    ***


    (POV ¨C Protagonist)


    It had been a few minutes since the lights went out. I was sprawled on the floor, waiting for something to happen, but honestly, I was starting to feel like if I stayed lying down any longer, I¡¯d become part of the floor. Determined to act, I got up and looked around.


    Though it was dark, I could see almost perfectly. Even though I still didn¡¯t know how to get out of the room, it wasn¡¯t like I hadn¡¯t thought of ways to do so while I lay on the floor.


    (It was around here, wasn¡¯t it?)


    I started walking towards where I remembered the glass was, through which the scientists observed me. Although it looked like an ordinary wall, I bet it wasn¡¯t as sturdy as the rest of the room. When I got near the spot where I recalled seeing the scientists on the other side, I prepared myself and punched the wall with all the strength I could gather.


    Right after my punch landed, the wall started to crack in random patterns. As I suspected, this side of the room was much thinner than the rest. When the wall finally gave in, it revealed an observation area made of glass, where the scientists had been monitoring me. Without wasting any time, I repeated the motion, punching the glass and shattering it into thousands of fragments.


    With that, I was able to enter the room where the scientists had been watching me. I quickly glanced around, examining the environment. There were several screens scattered around, both at the upper and lower parts of the room. They were probably monitors showing what was happening on my side, even when the glass wasn¡¯t active.


    I quickly scanned the room before leaving and heading toward a door that I imagined led outside. When I opened it, I found myself in a white hallway that stretched in two directions. I paused for a moment, wondering which way to go, when I felt a subtle breeze pass by me. There was nothing there, but I was sure something had just moved near me.


    I looked around but found nothing. No matter where I looked or how hard I tried to observe, it seemed like I was the only person in that hallway¡ªat least at first glance. Ignoring the strange previous event, I started walking in a random direction, hoping to find something or someone.

 Chapter 19 - Threat from the shadows [2]

    I walked through the dark, white hallways, with an attentive yet curious gaze. It was the first time I had left that room, and I can''t be blamed for wanting to explore a bit. Although my goal is to find someone, I doubt that person would be very happy to be found by me.


    I mean, my eyes literally shine in the dark. Plus, while my appearance might be considered cute, it doesn''t change the fact that I look more like a ghost than a human. I¡¯d probably scare anyone who tried to get close, but, well, what can I do?.


    Speaking of the hallway, it was quite long. No matter which way I looked, there were white metal doors everywhere. After seeing them repeatedly, I wondered if they were hiding something. I myself came from one of the rooms equipped with those doors, so it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine what could be on the other side.


    Honestly, my curiosity grew: what would they be like? Would there be another like me, someone I could ask about what we were? But of course, I wasn¡¯t crazy enough to just open all those doors and unleash whatever might be inside.


    As I got lost in thought, I noticed something strange ahead: the shadow near one of the doors had moved. It was the same feeling as witnessing a flicker. However, this was peculiar; the hallway was practically dark, with minimal light, except for my shining eyes. There was no way a shadow could move. Besides, do shadows really move? At least, my common knowledge said that was impossible.


    Yet, there was something indicating that the figure I saw wasn¡¯t just a simple reflection: the shadow had a glowing heart in rainbow colors, similar to what I¡¯d seen in humans and monsters. Well, actually, it didn¡¯t possess a heart in the conventional sense. Instead, there was a faint line moving, leading somewhere, with the shadow as its endpoint. In summary, it seemed there was a starting point... probably.


    I continued walking towards the shadow, watching the line that seemed to stretch further down the hallway. I paused for a few seconds, pondering whether I should approach or not when suddenly, a siren began to echo through the corridor. I didn¡¯t know what the siren meant, so I decided to just ignore it.


    When I looked at the shadow again, it started to twist strangely and somehow just sank into the floor, disappearing completely from the hallway. I glanced around briefly, but there was no sign of it. Moreover, the colored faint line had also vanished. But, whatever; I already had an idea of where that line was going.


    Once again, I moved my little feet down the hallway, heading towards where I remembered the line ended. It didn¡¯t take long; about two minutes later, I found a door that seemed special compared to the others. It was closed, so I tried looking around, but found nothing that could help me open it.


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    But no matter how much I looked, that door clearly stood out from the rest. It was as if it was saying, ¡°Look, I¡¯m special, come open me¡± However, I had no clue how to do that.


    Yet, it wasn¡¯t that I had no idea who could open it. As I walked down the hallway toward this point, I noticed a fork in the path with a sign clearly indicating that from there on, it was the area where the scientists and security team were located.


    I turned back and began following the direction of that corridor, which was relatively close. I quickly arrived at it and walked, observing the environment around me. However, no matter where I looked, there were no scientists, let alone the security team. Strangely, there were many items scattered on the floor, like lab coats, weapons, security clothes, and vests, among others.


    (Seriously, what¡¯s happening with this place? Or, better yet, where did everyone go?)


    As I continued to explore the hallway, I finally found something: an ajar door, through which a faint light was seeping. This light was bright enough to partially illuminate the room, but no more than that.


    I didn¡¯t think much of it and simply opened the door, stepping into the room. To my surprise, I found two people I hadn¡¯t seen in a while: Emily and Laura. I tilted my head towards them, questioning what they were doing there, and both looked at me with the same expression of confusion.


    ***


    (POV - Emily Parker)


    Emily couldn¡¯t hide her surprise upon noticing the small being that had just entered the room. The only question lingering in her mind at that moment was: ¡°How did she manage to get out of her containment?¡± As far as Emily remembered, the walls were made of super-resistant and special metal, capable of containing even Anomalies with anomalous strength powers.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am Anomaly! You came to save us! I was so scared; I really thought this time would be my end!¡±


    Laura, as always, showed an extremely positive attitude towards the Anomaly. Even Emily, who initially considered this absurd, couldn¡¯t deny that now that the Anomaly was with them, for some reason, they both felt much safer.


    Emily watched with a serene look as the Anomaly easily freed itself from Laura¡¯s embrace and focused its attention on the projector on the table, which illuminated the place. Luckily, Emily remembered that the projector worked on batteries and that she had brought it with her earlier.


    The Anomaly slowly approached the projector, with a curious look, and extended its hand. Immediately, Emily stood up, feeling that her life was in danger. If, for some reason, that projector broke, she and Laura would definitely meet their end this time.


    In a moment of desperation to save the projector, Emily tripped over the chair due to the darkness and, while trying to balance herself, knocked the projector to the floor with her elbow, shattering it into a thousand pieces. She stared blankly at the remains of the projector as the room plunged back into darkness, with the only visible light coming from the Anomaly¡¯s golden eyes, now blinking in confusion.

 Chapter 20 - Threat from the shadows [3]

    (POV ¨C Protagonist)


    Honestly, it took me a few seconds to comprehend what had just happened. When I found Laura and Emily, I felt a sense of relief for still having company; I genuinely thought everyone had left me behind. Laura then began hugging me like I was a teddy bear.


    Suddenly, Emily broke the projector on the table when I tried to approach it. Was that my fault? No matter how much I thought about what had happened; why the hell did she seem so desperate about the projector? After the incident, the only thing that remained was the guilt I felt. Even though I wasn''t responsible for the destruction of the projector, for some reason, that¡¯s how I felt.


    "It¡¯s over, that was the only source of light still working in this place"


    For some reason, Emily fell to the floor and started lamenting, a terrified expression on her face. I tilted my head in confusion, trying to understand what she was talking about. Laura wasn¡¯t much different; at that moment, she was hugging me even tighter than before.


    ¡°Miss Anomaly!!!¡±


    Laura¡¯s embrace intensified even more; for some reason, she seemed to be using me almost like a talisman. Seriously, could someone please explain to me what was going on here? Also, I wanted to ask about the shadow I saw in the hallway, but I couldn¡¯t find the words.


    At that moment, the door behind me suddenly swung open, as if pushed by a gust of wind. It opened slowly, but there was nothing on the other side, at least nothing I could see. Honestly, I could see in the dark as well as if the light were on.


    I felt Laura and Emily¡¯s breaths become nonexistent; both seemed to be holding their breath. While I tried to understand why, I spotted something at the door: a hand made of black smoke resting on the threshold. In fact, I didn¡¯t know if ¡°smoke¡± was the right word to describe it.


    From the perspective of someone who can¡¯t see in the dark, the feeling would just be that the darkness was moving or something similar. Emily and Laura seemed completely paralyzed; surely, they both had noticed what I saw at the doorframe.


    When the entity fully entered the room, its form resembled nothing I had ever known. If I had to describe it, I¡¯d say it looked like black smoke, although it looked more like a shadow in motion. Either way, its appearance was bizarre, and it writhed, seeming unable to take on a defined corporeal shape.


    ¡°So it really was [Shadow] that escaped... But how was that possible? Its containment room should have its own generators.¡±


    I briefly watched as Emily¡¯s eyes widened, indicating that she finally seemed to understand something. Of course, I still had no idea what she was talking about, so I decided to ignore it. My gaze shifted back to Shadow, as Emily had called it.


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    Then, I managed to see again the thin line glowing in rainbow colors, seemingly heading toward the door I had seen moments ago and couldn¡¯t open. The monster noticed my gaze and turned to me; for some reason, its body began to twist in a strange and disordered way before simply disappearing into the ground. As this happened, all I could do was tilt my head in confusion.


    ***


    (POV - Laura Cavendish)


    This was probably the first time Laura was so happy to have an Anomaly by her side. Unfortunately, she had no choice. The little Anomaly Laura found in the forest really resembled a guardian angel, always showing up to save her.


    ¡°I was so scared! When the projector stopped, I thought we were definitely dead. My legs can¡¯t move anymore¡±


    Laura finally sighed in relief when the shadow Anomaly, nicknamed [Shadow], left. She had knowledge about this Anomaly; even though the place they were in housed only harmless anomalies, the reason [Shadow] was there was that its containment method was extremely simple, which in a way made it harmless.


    ¡°Although we¡¯ve survived for now, that doesn¡¯t change the fact that our situation is the worst possible. We will remain in danger until we restore power to the facility. The problem is that if we walk around carelessly, we¡¯ll probably be captured by [Shadow]¡±


    Laura listened attentively to Emily¡¯s words and nodded, sharing the same thought. Then, she tried to remember the technical sheet about [Shadow]. Apparently, [Shadow] was a formless Anomaly that moved between shadows.


    Its anomalous powers consisted mainly of teleporting in darkness; however, if there was even the slightest bit of light in the area, [Shadow] wouldn¡¯t be able to move anymore, remaining in a dormant state.


    Although everyone had tried to find a way to destroy [Shadow], all attempts had been completely ineffective. To begin with, [Shadow] didn¡¯t have a physical body that could be touched; in fact, it was nothing but darkness in its purest form, a truly strange Anomaly.


    As both reflected on how to get to the location of the main generator that powered the entire facility, the little Anomaly began to move. Laura and Emily watched as it stopped at the door, staring at them with its intense golden gaze.


    ¡°I think it wants us to follow it¡±


    Emily turned her gaze to Laura, who suddenly spoke these words, raising an eyebrow in question.


    ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, it just seems that way to me. Besides, [Shadow] seemed to be afraid of our little Anomaly. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to walk with it than to stay here? Either way, the projector is broken¡±


    Emily thought about this for a few seconds, but in the end, she had no reason to refuse Laura¡¯s words. In fact, if they decided to stay, they would probably both be captured by [Shadow]. Emily didn¡¯t know where the people who got captured went; they just seemed to be swallowed and disappeared, leaving only their clothes behind.


    While Emily was curious about the fate of the missing people, it wasn¡¯t like she wanted to be captured just to satisfy her curiosity. Scientists are naturally curious, but not foolish.


    ¡°Alright, I don¡¯t believe we have any other choice anyway¡±


    Thus, the trio¡ªcomposed of two scientists and a little Anomaly with shining golden eyes¡ªbegan to explore the dark hallways of the facility.

 Chapter 21 - Threat from the shadows [4]

    (POV - Emily Parker)


    Emily could barely see what was ahead; the hallway was completely dark and devoid of life. There was no sound at all, except for the footsteps of the trio. Emily and Laura continued to follow the small Anomaly, which illuminated the path ahead with its bright eyes.


    Emily knew it was sheer madness to follow an Anomaly, no matter how harmless it seemed; it felt like a death sentence. But what other choice did she have? Remaining in the dark meant certain death. Moreover, she didn¡¯t know why, but it was clear that [Shadow] seemed to fear the small Anomaly, which only fueled her curiosity further.


    Could [Shadow] know the true identity of the Anomaly? Or was it merely an instinctive fear? However, another question arose: why would [Shadow] feel fear in the first place? Who, or rather, what exactly was this Anomaly that Emily and Laura were following at that moment?.


    ¡°Boss, where are you going?¡±


    Momentarily lost in her thoughts, Emily didn¡¯t notice when the Anomaly turned down a corridor and nearly passed by it. Looking briefly ahead, she saw only an endless darkness, causing her to shudder. She could feel something moving in the darkness, or rather, the darkness itself seemed to move and watch her. Quickly, Emily returned to where Laura and the small Anomaly were.


    ¡°Sorry, there¡¯s a lot happening. I need a moment to gather my thoughts¡±


    As she said this, Emily cast a brief glance around. The walls had changed slightly; now, the entire corridor ahead had lights embedded in the floor, ceiling, and walls. This new illumination helped Emily orient herself, but the question still lingered: why was the Anomaly leading them to [Shadow]''s containment room?


    ¡°Boss, isn¡¯t this the corridor that leads to [Shadow]''s containment room?¡±


    Emily simply nodded at Laura¡¯s question, who also seemed to realize where they were headed. The walk continued for a few more minutes until the trio finally reached the end of the corridor. In front of them stood a reinforced door with protruding panels. The small Anomaly took a few more steps before stopping in front of the door and turning its gaze toward Emily and Laura.


    Even Laura could understand the Anomaly''s intentions at that moment. It was unlikely that it had come to this place without a purpose. The only plausible explanation was that the Anomaly wanted to enter.


    ¡°Boss, what do we do now?¡±


    Emily thought for a few moments about that. No matter how much she considered it, there was no reason not to open the door. It was indeed strange for an Anomaly to show interest in something, but so far, it hadn¡¯t done anything to harm humans. On the contrary, it had always been cooperative. Thus, Emily saw no reason to refuse the Anomaly¡¯s request.


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    ¡°Let¡¯s open it. Now that [Shadow] has escaped, it¡¯s likely that there¡¯s nothing left in the containment room¡±


    As she said this, Emily walked over to the side of the door, where there was an electronic panel. As she placed her eye near the device, it was scanned, and in the next instant, a message appeared on the panel, stating: ¡°Authorized¡± With that, the door opened, revealing its interior.


    Emily watched closely as the small Anomaly entered the containment room, its curious gaze examining every corner of the space. However, from Laura¡¯s perspective, it seemed that the Anomaly was genuinely searching for something that should be inside.


    Suddenly, the small Anomaly''s eyes fixed on a specific point. Emily also directed her gaze to where the Anomaly''s bright eyes were pointing and was surprised by what she saw.


    Floating in the air was a dome-shaped object emitting a dark, pulsating aura. It appeared as though the dome was made from the shadows themselves. Emily¡¯s mind raced faster than ever as she observed the floating object, and in the end, she managed to reach a small conclusion.


    (Is that [Shadow]''s main body?)


    There were several reasons for Emily to think this. First, after numerous tests conducted with [Shadow], it became clear that its body, capable of moving within shadows and merging with them, was not its main body but rather a form created from the shadows themselves to allow for movement.


    Moreover, why would that object specifically be in [Shadow]''s containment room? Emily couldn¡¯t think of any other alternative. Once again, she was surprised to realize that the small Anomaly seemed to know that [Shadow]''s main body would be right there.


    ¡°What exactly is supposed to happen now?¡±


    A few seconds after Laura asked the question, the small Anomaly began to move toward the floating dome. Its steps were so subtle that they could barely be heard, echoing softly in the environment. Emily wondered, for a moment, how much the small Anomaly actually weighed.


    However, seconds before the Anomaly fully approached the floating dome, the darkness around it began to distort. From within the shadow, something emerged: it was difficult to distinguish, but it clearly resembled a dark mist, even deeper than the darkness itself.


    Emily and Laura remained silent, watching the scene unfold before them. Meanwhile, the small Anomaly fixed its gaze on the shadow with curiosity, tilting its head to the side, its face expressing a strange mix of neutrality and wonder.


    ***


    (POV ¨C Protagonist)


    (Are we not totally in trouble?)


    That was my first thought upon seeing the shadow suddenly emerge from the darkness. To be honest, my plan was just to go back and repeat what I did last time to absorb the powers of that Anomaly. However, there were two problems: first, I had no idea how to absorb powers, since last time the process happened completely automatically.


    Secondly, I didn¡¯t expect the shadow to confront me directly, especially since it seemed scared the last time I saw it. However, this wasn¡¯t so surprising; I didn¡¯t know exactly what that floating thing was, but it seemed important to it. It makes sense that the shadow would return to protect something it considers valuable.

 Chapter 22 - Threat from the shadows [5]

    My current situation could be considered strangely curious. The reason? Even though not much time has passed, the shadow hasn¡¯t attacked us; it just stood there, moving peculiarly back and forth. Of course, I didn''t attack it either.


    And what would be the reason? How exactly does one attack a shadow? Or, better yet, is that even possible? Just imagining it feels odd; my hands would probably pass right through the shadow if I tried to hit it. I wasn¡¯t quite sure why it was afraid of me, but once it realized I was harmless, I would definitely be in trouble.


    ¡°Uhhh... Boss, it¡¯s been a pleasure meeting you and working by your side. I hope we can meet again in the next life¡±


    Laura, behind me, was in total despair, rambling incoherently while crying. Although Emily seemed calmer compared to Laura, it was evident that she was paralyzed with fear; if I touched her, she would probably collapse to the ground due to her trembling legs.


    In the end, I had no choice but to act. The goal was clear: approach that floating sphere. I didn¡¯t expect it to be easy, but it would surely be better than just sitting and waiting for my death.


    Slowly, I began to approach the sphere. The shadow flickered even more with my presence, seeming unsure whether to flee or fight to protect the floating object. I kept my eyes locked on the shadow the entire time, not out of fear, but because I knew that looking away might give it a chance to strike.


    Anyway, when I was just a few steps away from the sphere, the shadow made a sudden move. A part of its body wrapped around my arm. Although I managed to pull away quickly, the arm that had been covered by the shadow simply vanished. Strangely, I could still feel my arm, but I couldn¡¯t see it anywhere.


    But the problems didn¡¯t stop there. After attacking me, the shadow ceased its trembling and rose before me. It probably expected me to retaliate, but upon realizing that I wouldn¡¯t do anything, it must have considered me harmless. However, the last thing I saw was the shadow completely engulfing me.


    (... So, where am I now?)


    When I realized it, I was in a completely new and strange place. There was nothing on the horizon except for black columns that seemed to stretch infinitely toward the sky. Though they were quite far apart from each other, that didn¡¯t lessen the strangeness of the situation.


    Where the ground should have been, there was black, slightly muddy water that, while not hindering movement, made it quite difficult. Moreover, in the sky, a completely dark sun burned; of course, the part about ¡°burning¡± was merely metaphorical, as I felt no heat emanating from it.


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    I didn¡¯t know where to go or what to do, but first, I looked for any weak point in that place. As I expected, a thin line, glowing in various colors, appeared in my line of sight. Without hesitation, I followed the line.


    Currently, I had been walking for at least ten minutes, and by this point, I began to suspect whether I was actually going anywhere. Had my power failed in some way? As I pondered whether to give up or not, I spotted something ahead of me.


    It was one of the thousands of black columns rising toward the sky, but one of them shone brightly in rainbow colors. I looked around to confirm, and noticed that none of the other columns emitted light, only this one in particular. I didn¡¯t think too much about it; the only thing that crossed my mind was that destroying this pillar could be the key to freeing myself from this place.


    I began to approach the pillar, admiring its imposing size. However, before I could reach it, something emerged from the black, muddy water. It was a creature made of the same material as the mud, with a relatively human appearance, except for its face, which looked completely melted.


    Its mouth opened strangely, as if it were melting, and its sunken eyes glowed a bright red. However, unlike other creatures I had observed, which had a specific weak point, this thing emanated an iridescent glow all over its body. The monster moved briefly toward me, and without a second thought, I punched its abdomen.


    Of course, I chose to attack this spot because it was that or aim for its legs. And wanting to keep my dignity intact, I opted for the most ¡°normal¡± point possible. As soon as my punch hit the muddy creature, it instantly disintegrated, blending back into the black water that covered the whole place.


    Finally, I was able to breathe again as I realized the situation had calmed down. In truth, I wasn¡¯t really breathing, but the act brought me a sense of relief. However, seconds later, I found myself surrounded by dozens of those bizarre, muddy monsters.


    (... Am I really screwed now?)


    ***


    (POV - Laura Cavendish)


    When Laura saw the anomaly lady being completely engulfed by the shadow, she felt as if her hopes were dissipating along with her. Before, Laura could see a promising future while the anomaly lady was by her side, but now she could only contemplate the sad fate of that creature being dragged into darkness before her eyes.


    Tears streamed down Laura''s cheeks, and her legs trembled so much that she could only drag herself backward. At that moment, Laura couldn¡¯t see any hope in her situation; she knew she would disappear to an unknown place where not even God could find her.


    Laura couldn¡¯t see Emily¡¯s expression, who was just a few meters away from her. Her vision was completely obscured by the shadow slowly approaching, like a specter¡ªa predator searching for its next prey.


    (I¡¯m doomed! This time, I¡¯m really going to die. Mom, Dad, forgive me for not listening to you and for not choosing to be just an ordinary teacher)


    However, when everything seemed lost, and Laura was sure she would be swallowed up, a white, translucent arm suddenly emerged from the shadow. At that moment, a single word escaped her lips.


    ¡°... what?¡±

 Chapter 23 - Threat from the shadows [6]

    Let¡¯s be honest: it¡¯s human nature to punch something that glows, right? It¡¯s like when you go to an amusement park, hop into a bounce house, and just can¡¯t resist the urge to jump. Similarly, I couldn¡¯t help but punch the glowing pillar in front of me.


    Of course, there was the fact that it was probably my way out of this place, but I can¡¯t deny that I really wanted to hit the pillar. My first punch made the pillar shake slightly, but it wasn¡¯t just it that trembled; I also felt the world around me vibrate.


    Though I didn¡¯t know exactly what this meant, I decided to take it as a sign that something was going right. So, hitting the pillar again became inevitable, and this time I did it with much more force. The pillar shook intensely, and small cracks began to form on its surface.


    I kept hitting the pillar, and with each impact, the world around me trembled, while the cracks in the pillar widened. After a few seconds of relentless punching, I felt a distortion in the environment, and once again, I had no idea what was happening, but I decided to persist. Interestingly, my arm that had been swallowed by the shadow wasn¡¯t regenerating, but suddenly began to recover instantly as soon as I entered this place.


    Regardless, I continued to hit the pillar with all my might. At one point, my arm went right through the pillar; a distortion suddenly appeared, engulfing it completely. However, the distortion was thin enough to allow only my arm to pass through. Surprised I had managed this, I retracted my arm and then grabbed the distortion.


    I decided not to complain and instead used my strength to expand the distortion, at least enough to get through it. To my surprise, opening it was easier than I imagined. Although I exerted quite a bit of force, I still hadn¡¯t come anywhere near my limit. However, one thought crossed my mind now that the distortion was open.


    (Is it really safe to go through this? I won¡¯t get stuck or lost, right?)


    But in the end, did I really have another choice? Gathering a bit of courage, I slowly brought my head closer to the distortion and passed through it. On the other side, the first thing I saw was Laura¡¯s face. She didn¡¯t look well; her hair was messy, and tears were streaming down her cheeks. However, as she looked at me, I noticed a new sparkle in her eyes. I stared at her, tilting my head slightly.


    Then, I looked around. No matter how I observed it, it seemed that this was the same place where I had seen the floating dome. Besides, even Emily was there. At least, this confirmed that I was in a location I recognized. With that in mind, there was no reason to hesitate in crossing over.


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    With that thought, I expanded the distortion and crossed to the other side. As soon as I fully emerged, I looked around and then turned my gaze back. The shadow that had once swallowed me was now shaking incessantly, slowly breaking apart as it sank into the ground.


    In a few seconds, it was just me, Emily, and Laura left in the room; the shadow had completely disappeared, sinking into the ground. I stood there for a moment reflecting on what had just happened. Did I really defeat the shadow? And if so, how did I manage that? All I did was punch a colorful pillar in a strange place, but it was the shadow that took the damage. It was complicated to understand how this anomaly thing worked.


    ¡°Ms. Anomaly! You¡¯re alive! You¡¯ve come back to save us!¡±


    As soon as she saw me, Laura hugged me, and this time, I let her do so because she was trembling, and tears were still streaming from her eyes. However, my attention was completely focused on the floating dome in the center of the room.


    ¡°Laura, now is not the time to celebrate. Though I don¡¯t know exactly what happened, I don¡¯t think [Shadow] is dead or anything like that; it was probably just a temporary escape. We need to move to the generator room to activate the energy while we still have time¡±


    ¡°I know... but Ms. Anomaly...¡±


    While Laura and Emily talked, I approached the floating dome in the center of the room. When I was a few meters away from it, I circled around it for a moment, tilting my head in curiosity.


    (Do I just need to touch it? At least, that¡¯s what I did last time in the forest)


    I was almost 100% sure that this dome was the weak point of that shadow. If it was anything like what happened in the forest, I would probably gain a new power. Though I had no basis for this, what happened in the forest was still fresh in my mind: after absorbing the colors from the weak point of that anomaly resembling a dog, I started to regenerate my body.


    Just like last time, I grabbed the floating dome and looked at it for a few seconds. To be sure, I checked if the dome was indeed glowing in rainbow colors, and it was confirmed. As I pondered what to do next, suddenly I felt something hovering above my head: it was a golden sphere gently spinning.


    Automatically, the colors from the dome began to flow toward the sphere above my head, being absorbed slowly. In a matter of seconds, the dome turned completely dark, with no color remaining. I released the dome, expecting it to float again, but to my shock, it fell to the ground, showing no sign of moving or floating again.


    Honestly, I didn¡¯t care if the dome moved again or not. But thinking back, had I gained some power? I wished I had some visual or physical indication when acquiring new abilities. For example, I discovered my regeneration ability by accident since at that moment I was without my arm. Moreover, this ability is more passive than something I use consciously.


    I sighed, aware that I would need to figure out how to use this new ability. The moment I thought this and took a step forward, I suddenly fell¡ªliterally fell into the ground. Just like the shadow anomaly that could infiltrate the darkness, it seemed that I could now do the same.

 Chapter 24 - Threat from the shadows [7]

    First, imagine a cube. Outside of it, there is nothing but darkness. Those inside the cube cannot see what is outside, but there is something moving in the darkness. This entity can see clearly within the cube and can move around it without difficulty.


    This description is quite close to my current situation. At this moment, I am navigating through the darkness around the room where Laura and Emily are. However, the situation is a bit more complex. Besides being able to swim in the darkness, I have the ability to teleport through it. All I need to do is look at a specific point and wish to be there, and the magic happens: when I open my eyes, I find myself exactly where I wanted to be.


    "Did the anomaly just enter the floor?"


    "Could this be a new anomalous ability? High regeneration capacity and now this? How many anomalous abilities does this creature really possess? It might be much more dangerous than we imagined"


    "But it saved us, didn''t it? Maybe it really is gentle with humans!"


    "Of course, I''m not dismissing that possibility. Besides, everything we''ve seen so far points to that conclusion. However, I think we need to reconsider the level of danger it represents outside the containment room"


    "If that''s the case, can I decorate her room? The last one she stayed in was really boring. I want to put in a bed and some stuffed animals. And maybe a television? Who knows, maybe that would make her more interested in humans!"


    "Or she might get disappointed and decide to eradicate us once and for all"


    "Geez, you''re so pessimistic, boss!"


    I was having fun swimming in the darkness when Laura''s voice caught my attention. For a moment, I had forgotten that she and Emily were nearby, and for some reason, that made me feel a bit uncomfortable. However, it seemed they were having an interesting conversation.


    Now, reflecting on this new ability, I realize it''s really useful. I can teleport to anywhere there''s shadow. It''s true I haven''t tested the distance yet, but at least with the attempts I''ve made so far, I''ve been able to move anywhere within this facility.


    Anyway, I had played enough. Although I didn''t need to sleep, I always found the act comforting, so I decided to continue resting. With that thought in mind, I swam out of the shadow and returned to where Laura and Emily were.


    When my head suddenly popped up from the ceiling, Laura and Emily were momentarily surprised. However, Emily quickly let out a sigh of relief, probably glad to find me instead of another anomaly. As for Laura.


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    "Ms. Anomaly! You¡¯re back!"


    As always, Laura hugged me at the first opportunity. I decided to accept the gesture, recognizing that she was probably scared. However, I couldn''t help but feel like a stuffed animal, something I really didn''t enjoy.


    At that moment, the door suddenly opened, and everyone turned to look. Almost automatically, my trained gaze for identifying weak points activated, revealing the vulnerability of the newcomer. By their pattern, they were clearly human, and I recognized that person.


    "Calm down, it¡¯s me, Victor. I¡¯m not here to hurt you"


    Victor said this while looking intensely at me, but I could see the sweat on his face. Moreover, at some point, his weapon had fallen to the ground; that probably happened when he entered, but I hadn''t even seen him armed. Since it was Victor, I made my eyes return to normal. Noticing this, Victor let out a sigh of relief and then turned his gaze to Emily and Laura.


    "I¡¯m relieved you two are okay. Honestly, I thought you had been swallowed by [Shadow], just like the rest of the facility"


    At that moment, Emily approached me, still being hugged by Laura. Our eyes met, and I blinked, trying to understand if she was about to do something. However, all she did was place her hand on my head and gently stroke it.


    "Thank you for saving us. I don¡¯t know if you understand what gratitude is, but I want you to know how grateful I am for your presence here"


    I certainly understood the meaning of gratitude. I was also thankful for them providing me with tasty food and a place to stay. Besides, I couldn''t complain; all of this was offered for free. In fact, was there really anything to complain about? I just couldn¡¯t see any reason for that.


    "We need to understand what happened here. It was a tragic accident that resulted in the deaths of many of our staff, including researchers. However, in this line of work, we can''t allow ourselves to mourn our losses; we must move forward and dedicate our efforts to the memory of those who are gone"


    Emily had a rather distant mentality, but I imagined that this was a process even Laura would eventually go through. Deaths are probably common occurrences in this line of work.


    "Damn, just when the director''s visit day is approaching, that senile old man will definitely use this as an opportunity to undermine me"


    Emily seemed really worried about this director. I was curious to know who he really was. From what I had heard so far, he seemed to hold a rather high position. Furthermore, Emily clearly didn¡¯t like him; according to her, this was due to his management methods, or something like that.


    "About that... apparently, no one died. All the people who were swallowed by [Shadow] simply resurfaced where they disappeared. In fact, I¡¯m one of them, resurfacing after being swallowed by [Shadow]. I think I really need to look for another job"


    After that, we left the shadow containment room and walked down the hallway. As Victor had mentioned, the people who had been swallowed by the shadow really had come back. The most curious thing was that everyone knew exactly they had been consumed, but beyond that, they didn''t remember anything else; they all just carried that strange feeling.


    They talked about the sensation of sinking into a muddy sea, drowning only to be submerged again, repeatedly. Of course, they didn¡¯t understand what they were saying; it was just a vague impression. However, the description they gave was, in some way, similar to the place I went to after being swallowed by the shadow. This indicated that there might be some connection between the experiences.

 Chapter 25 - The directors visit [1]

    It¡¯s been a week since the shadow incident. I say "probably" because, honestly, I''ve lost track of time. Occasionally, I would overhear conversations between Emily, Laura, and other team members wandering the halls, catching snippets of what they said.


    I established a sort of routine and stuck to it, leading me to believe a week had passed. In any case, a lot had changed over that time. The first was the move to my new "room"; I was now in a relatively deeper part of the facility.


    Moreover, my new "room" came with a bed and several other distractions, like dolls. Just to clarify, I didn¡¯t ask for the dolls; Laura brought them into my room. However, what really entertained me was undoubtedly the television and the video game.


    Honestly, I felt immense pride in having gotten a video game for my room. After all, it took Laura and Emily two whole days to understand what I wanted. I don''t even need to mention how confused they were when they realized what I wanted, probably wondering how I knew about video games and why I wanted one so badly.


    Also, whenever boredom struck, I would simply escape my room and roam around the facility. Thanks to the new power I had acquired, this became possible. That''s how I was able to overhear various conversations among the people in the facility. And I don¡¯t need to mention that the first time I disappeared from my room, the whole place was thrown into complete chaos.


    However, as I continued to do this frequently and appeared randomly in different places, the scientists and workers at the facility began to accept my presence. It''s true that they still found me frightening; some even trembled and stuttered when they saw me. However, most just ignored the fact that I kept escaping since, after all, I always returned to my room.


    You might be wondering why I didn¡¯t run away since I could probably escape the facility easily, right? The truth is, the answer is quite simple: where would I go if I left here? I¡¯m not even human anymore, I have no family¡ªat least none that I remember. The main reason, though, is that here they provide me with everything I want and need. Are there really reasons for me to leave? I simply can''t find any.


    However, strangely enough, today the atmosphere in the facility felt a bit grim. While swimming through the shadows surrounding the place, I overheard a conversation that honestly piqued my interest.


    ¡°I heard the director is coming tomorrow¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I heard that too. In fact, I think everyone has noticed just by looking at the head researcher; she doesn¡¯t seem to like him much¡±


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    ¡°Ah... why are those high-ups like that? Can¡¯t they see that normal people like us get caught in the crossfire and end up being a problem?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡±


    That was where the conversation ended. To be honest, it was the first time I had heard of this so-called director. From the way they spoke about him, it was clear he held a prominent position within the organization. I genuinely hoped this guy wouldn¡¯t cause any problems when he got here.


    ***


    (POV - Emily Parker)


    In the last week, Emily hadn¡¯t had a single minute to rest. If the recent incident with one of the facility¡¯s anomalies, known as [Shadow], wasn¡¯t enough, she now had to deal with the director.


    Whenever this person visited Emily, it felt like they were looking for some problem to complicate her situation even further. Also, she couldn¡¯t say her meetings with the director ended peacefully; most of the time, arguments were inevitable as both had differing opinions on how to handle the issues.


    That was probably why Emily, practically recognized as the director by everyone, and the director, who still didn¡¯t have full command since he hadn¡¯t been promoted to general management, were constantly at odds. After all, if one of them reached the position first, they would end up facing each other directly.


    ¡°You''re making that face again, boss. Is it because of the director¡¯s visit?¡±


    Emily snapped back to reality upon hearing Laura''s voice. After a brief sigh, she nodded in Laura¡¯s direction. In fact, Laura didn¡¯t seem scared or anxious about the director¡¯s visit; her concern came from the possibility that something might go wrong, just like it did with [Shadow]. Thinking about that, Emily fell deep in thought again.


    (Although we investigated and everything points to a technical issue with the generators, why do I still feel like that¡¯s not exactly what happened?)


    At that moment, a memory flashed through Emily''s mind: the event that occurred before the lights went out. In the hallway, she recalled encountering a man but decided to let him pass, thinking she was overthinking things. However, upon reflection, she realized the situation was strange. Emily, who had an excellent memory, couldn¡¯t remember that person, and more importantly, she hadn¡¯t been informed about hiring new staff.


    ¡°Laura¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°That person we encountered in the hallway before the lights went out, you remember him, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡±


    ¡°Have you seen him before or known anything about him before that encounter?¡±


    ¡°... Now that you mention it, I didn¡¯t pay attention at the time because we were in a hurry, but I never really saw him. Besides, when I recently visited the department he said he was assigned to, he wasn¡¯t there... Now that I think about it, that¡¯s really strange, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Laura''s words confirmed Emily¡¯s suspicions. Although she didn¡¯t want to face that possibility, there was no denying the truth anymore.


    (Damn! It seems we were tricked. The technical failure in the generators wasn¡¯t an accident; we were intentionally sabotaged)


    However, even aware of the truth, it was too late for Emily to act. As Laura had mentioned, the man had simply disappeared, as if he had never existed. Yet, one question lingered in Emily¡¯s mind: who had done this and why? She thought of "them" because she was sure it wasn¡¯t just one person responsible. Probably, a group with dark intentions had emerged somewhere and at some time.

 Chapter 26 - The directors visit [2]

    (POV ¨C Protagonist)


    Based on the information I gathered while swimming through the shadows, today was the day the director would finally show up. I don''t know if that explained it, but Emily seemed much darker today compared to yesterday. How could I express that? She seemed more aware of her surroundings.


    Putting that aside, I continued with my routine normally, not doing anything particular. To be honest, there wasn''t much to do, and that was the good part: I didn''t have to work since they provided everything I wanted. Now, if you''re wondering whether I miss my parents or not.


    Honestly, I don''t remember them. Does it make sense to miss something I can''t recall? It''s possible I don''t even have parents. In the end, I decided to make the most of my life by doing whatever I truly wanted.


    "Ms. Anomaly, you look radiant. Did something special happen?"


    Laura, who was in front of me, seemed to notice my happiness. Although I couldn''t respond to her words, my inability to speak didn''t stop my body from revealing my emotional state; I was swaying back and forth while sitting.


    Speaking of which, the reason Laura was in front of me now was that we were conducting a test. It was something quite simple: there were variously shaped objects laid out in front of me, along with containers that matched those shapes. The goal of the test was for me to place the objects in the correct containers, kind of like a game meant for children.


    "You look especially lovely today, Ms. Anomaly. Not that you aren''t cute normally, but the urge to hug you is even stronger than usual"


    Laura hugged me once more. Lately, she had been doing this for no apparent reason; sometimes she just comments that I''m "cute" and wraps me in a hug. Normally, I can easily escape from her using my new anomalous ability, but unfortunately, we were in a corner of my room where there was no shadow.


    While this ability is genuinely powerful, it''s not without its drawbacks. The main¡ªactually, the only¡ªdrawback is that I can''t use it in well-lit places. Typically, to escape from my room, I go under the bed, where the darkness prevails because the bed blocks the light.


    "Now, let''s continue, Ms. Anomaly. If you win, I''ll give you a reward: that new game you had your eye on last time"


    Although it was a children''s game, it was still an intellectual challenge. Ignoring the game just because society categorizes it as for kids would be disrespectful to children around the world. And to be clear, I''m not playing because of the promise Laura made moments before I changed my mind.


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    With that thought in mind, I didn''t hesitate. I picked up the first piece, which was round, and placed it in the container of the same shape. I did the same with the other pieces. In total, there were about ten pieces, and I managed to put nine of them in the correct containers. However, the tenth one seemed impossible to fit, as the shape of the piece didn''t match that of the container, no matter how I looked at it.


    "Very well, Ms. Anomaly. You did great with the previous pieces, but will you be able to uncover the secret of this last one?"


    As Laura spoke these encouraging words, she petted my head. Why did I feel like she was treating me like a child again? Well, it must just be my imagination. Anyway, I just needed to find a way to fit this piece into the container, right? It shouldn''t be that difficult.


    I brought the piece close to the top of the container, under Laura''s curious gaze. Then, I raised my other hand above the one holding the container, creating a small shadow over it. Though modest, the shadow still covered the surface of the container. With that, I used my new anomalous ability to make the object pass through the container. As soon as it was inside, I simply let go of it while deactivating my power.


    Of course, it didn''t come out perfectly. Furthermore, the object and the container, since they didn''t have the same shape, were about to break. However, the goal was achieved. I looked at Laura with a sense of pride, satisfied that I had managed to complete something that clearly wasn''t meant to be completed.


    As I imagined, Laura was staring at me with her mouth agape, a look of surprise on her face. Even she hadn''t thought I could complete the task this way. In fact, this task was clearly not intended for me. As I looked at her, a thought crossed my mind.


    (If you keep your mouth open like that, you might let a fly in, you know?)


    ***


    (POV - Emily Parker)


    ¡°... This is undoubtedly an intriguing way to do this, an approach that only an anomaly would be capable of conceiving and executing¡±


    Emily was genuinely impressed with the images displayed on the security cameras, especially seeing the exact moment when the anomaly cleverly overcame the challenge that had been presented to her.


    Emily had long lost count of how many times she rewound the video to observe the anomaly. Normally, anomalies follow a fixed pattern, without deviating from it. For example, within the facility, there is a seed-shaped anomaly that, when planted, sprouts a small flower. This flower, in turn, produces another seed, and the process repeats indefinitely.


    In summary, there was nothing to study; the anomalous seed was just that: a seed that, when planted, sprouts a flower that generates another seed, repeating the cycle eternally. However, this anomaly was completely different. Emily couldn''t explain why, but she felt that this anomaly didn''t follow a defined pattern. A clearer example was the humanoid anomalies, which, like her, displayed unexpected behaviors.


    Like an anomaly that inhabits a mirror: when someone approaches and uses the reflection, this anomaly emerges, pursuing the person until it finds them and drags them back into the mirror. However, besides that, the anomaly doesn''t cause any other problems or complications. It had been a long time since Emily felt genuinely motivated to study a new anomaly.


    Although Emily was aware that this fact only applied to this facility, at the organization''s main headquarters, there were incomprehensible anomalies whose nature was practically impossible to understand.

 Chapter 27 - The directors visit [3]

    Emily had spent so much time repeatedly watching videos of the newly discovered anomaly in the forest that she didn''t even realize how much time had passed. By the time she noticed, two whole hours had gone by. She was completely absorbed, analyzing the anomaly''s behaviors and trying to learn more about its personality. Maybe this would help her understand why the anomaly seemed so friendly with humans.


    (I feel a bit guilty about this, but soon we will have to move on to more extreme tests to determine its resistance and measure its strength)


    It wasn''t that Emily was trying to postpone the tests, but at the moment, she didn''t believe they would be truly useful in the current situation. For now, Emily knew the anomaly had extraordinary healing abilities, capable of regenerating severed limbs in an instant, as well as demonstrating significant resistance to physical attacks. However, she still didn''t know how far that resistance could go.


    "Chief! It''s me! I need to talk to you; it''s urgent!"


    Lost in her thoughts, Emily blinked when she heard Laura''s voice from the other side of the door. Naturally, she got up from the table and walked over. Upon opening the door, she was confronted by a visibly distressed Laura. Even without hearing a word, Emily could already feel a headache starting to form.


    "Stop shouting. Why are you so frantic? Is there another anomaly escape or something?"


    "Chief! He¡¯s here!"


    With that simple word from Laura, Emily quickly deduced what was happening. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly in annoyance as a mild headache began to creep in. However, she simply sighed in resignation at the end.


    "Okay, thanks for letting me know. You did a great job. Leave it to me; I''ll handle it"


    After saying these words, Emily closed the door behind her and began walking through the long, distant corridors of the facility. Laura followed closely, but she was noticeably quieter than usual.


    Although Laura hadn''t provided additional information about his whereabouts, Emily knew exactly where to find him. After all, he had already shown interest in the matter even before arriving at the facility. As she suspected, as she approached the door of the newly discovered anomaly in the forest, there he was.


    His usual white hair contrasted with his young physique, which always made Emily uncomfortable. His appearance did not match his age, except for the white strands that indicated his aging.


    As Emily got closer to the man, her expression gradually became more serious. The man also noticed her presence, and they both stopped near each other, exchanging a fleeting glance. However, it was Emily who reacted first, putting a professional smile on her face.


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    ¡°Director Graham, it¡¯s a pleasure to welcome you. I hope your trip was safe and smooth¡±


    Emily''s smile was superficial, visibly forced for everyone present, including the director, who regarded her with a serene expression. However, he seemed indifferent to this superficiality and, like Emily, greeted her in return.


    ¡°Chief Researcher Emily, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you and be welcomed by you and your team. It''s unfortunate that you were transferred to this facility, but we have high expectations for your future¡±


    Emily''s eyebrow twitched slightly, though imperceptibly, and her smile faltered momentarily, which did not go unnoticed by Graham. Although Emily already knew this, it was still irritating to hear those words from that man, after all, he was the one who had her transferred to this place.


    Despite being one of the organization¡¯s most esteemed researchers, a single convincing word from Graham was enough for her to be moved. Although this caused initial turmoil, the situation gradually calmed down. Now, until she became the general director of management, she would have to stay in that location.


    Currently, Emily didn¡¯t care much about it anymore, as she had found something much more interesting to study compared to the anomalies present at the organization¡¯s main facility.


    ¡°We did our best to get everything ready before your arrival, but as you can see, it¡¯s still not all set up. Your arrival was quite sudden; I hope you don¡¯t mind¡±


    Although these were Emily''s words, she actually wanted to convey another message. Translating what she said, the meaning would be something like:


    (You showed up out of nowhere and still expect a warm welcome, you old coot? Just go away already and stop bothering me)


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, Ms. Emily. I didn¡¯t come here expecting a reception. I agree that my arrival was unexpected, but putting that aside, I heard that you managed to acquire a rather peculiar new anomalous specimen. If possible, I would like to see it¡±


    Upon hearing those words, Emily thought, ¡°There it is¡± She had been waiting for this moment, or rather, she was already preparing for it, as it was evident that it would happen. After all, what reason would the director have to visit a relatively isolated place with common anomalies? Of course, [Shadow] was an exception; despite its potentially dangerous nature, the containment method was simple. That¡¯s why it was sent to this location, as a precaution in case of an escape.


    This reminded Emily that Graham couldn¡¯t know that [Shadow] was no longer there. How would she explain that? In fact, she had a perfect justification in mind, but she knew that instead of helping, it would only create more problems. Unfortunately, things couldn''t go as Emily hoped.


    ¡°By the way, Chief Researcher Emily, while I was being escorted here, I heard rumors that [Shadow] is no longer under our custody. In fact, it seems that she was destroyed. Could you explain to me what happened?¡±


    A cold sweat ran down Emily¡¯s neck upon hearing this. Her only thought was, ¡°How did this old man find out so quickly? Who told him?¡± Without a proper answer, the situation would become concerning. Against her will, Emily knew she would have to reveal the truth, but she was determined to mix a bit of a lie into her response.


    ¡°As for that... there was a small accident involving [Shadow] and the new anomaly we found in the forest... Unfortunately, [Shadow] did not survive the encounter¡±


    As she spoke those words, Emily noticed a subtle glimmer in Graham''s eyes. That small hint was enough for her to know that more headaches were on the way. After all, the new anomaly was of complete interest to Graham, and his involvement with anomalies usually didn¡¯t end well.

 Chapter 28 - The directors visit [4]

    ¡°Intriguing!¡±


    That was the only word the director uttered after hearing Emily''s words. Normally, they would be just common words, but when spoken to Emily¡ªespecially when coming from the director¡ªshe couldn''t shake the feeling that her day wouldn''t be as calm as she had imagined.


    ¡°I heard the new anomaly has a humanoid form, resembling a little girl about 9 to 10 years old. However, I still haven''t received any photos or detailed information about her¡±


    Although the director''s words might not have seemed significant to an outside observer, what truly resonated with Emily was: ¡°Why haven''t I received any information or photos about the new anomaly yet? Are you hiding something from me?¡± Emily let out a quiet sigh, resigned.


    (Is it already time to panic?)


    But in the end, what could Emily do? She really didn¡¯t like Graham¡¯s methods. Although her disposition toward anomalies wasn¡¯t the best¡ªmost of the time, she wished they would be destroyed for being dangerous¡ªwith Graham, the situation felt a bit different. Behind his superficial smile, Emily sensed that he had other plans for the captured and cataloged anomalies, but she couldn¡¯t figure out what that goal was.


    Yet, Emily would not back down. It was true that Graham held a higher position than hers, but that was just on paper; the reality was quite different. In a way, Emily had an authority level equal to, and sometimes even higher than, Graham''s. Therefore, she would not yield.


    ¡°I apologize for that, Director Graham. Since the anomaly was recently discovered, we are still in the process of cataloging it. We don¡¯t know if it¡¯s friendly or not towards humans, so we cannot invade its personal space without first understanding what we are dealing with¡±


    Emily watched Graham''s expression cautiously and was momentarily surprised to notice that there was no change in his demeanor, even after her words. For some reason, she felt like she had walked into a trap. And just as she predicted, Graham¡¯s next words confirmed that suspicion.


    ¡°Seriously? That¡¯s strange. From what I¡¯ve heard, she seems to be relatively friendly towards humans¡±


    At that moment, Emily¡¯s earlier thoughts materialized: someone was indeed passing information to Graham without her permission. However, she found herself powerless in the situation; after all, there was nothing wrong with it. At the end of the day, Graham was the director.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ it seems we¡¯re facing a little misunderstanding. I know you are extremely professional, Researcher Emily, and I understand you want to be absolutely certain about what you¡¯re dealing with before sending any information. However, don¡¯t forget that we¡¯re a team. In any case, I think I¡¯ll have to check personally to draw my own conclusions¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°... Understood, director¡±


    In the end, Emily had no choice but to agree. After all, she still needed to respect the rules of authority that were fundamental to the organization¡¯s cohesion.


    ¡°Please, follow me. I will take you to the anomaly¡±


    ***


    (POV ¨C Protagonist)


    My days couldn''t be more peaceful and calm. Lately, nothing has happened. I just stay in my room, eating candy and watching TV. By the way, my room is so full of toys now that it''s almost possible to swim among them. Honestly, I don¡¯t know why Laura keeps bringing more, since I never play with any of them. Maybe she just wants to make the environment more aesthetic? I really have no idea.


    Other than that, I can say I¡¯m very lucky with my current situation. They give me everything I ask for¡ªor gesture for, since I can¡¯t speak. The food is delicious, and I can just sleep all day long. Really, I can¡¯t see anything negative about this. Plus, I can even go out and explore whenever I want now.


    By the way, at the moment, I was watching a TV show that really caught my attention. It was a survival reality show on a deserted island, where the participants have to fend for themselves. I was watching, lying on my bed, swinging my feet up and down as I followed the episode.


    At that moment, the large glass screen behind me revealed the other side, reminding me of my old room, where I broke the wall to escape. It¡¯s been a while since I left there, so I don¡¯t know if they fixed it. Anyway, even though I was facing away, I could still feel their presence watching from the other side.


    There were several scientists, but the only ones I had any connection with were Emily and Laura. Furthermore, for some reason, the two seemed nervous while talking to a man with gray hair, yet with a visibly well-preserved physique.


    They appeared to be discussing something, but I couldn''t hear what they were saying, as the place was soundproof. Judging by Laura and Emily¡¯s expressions, it was likely not good news. Moreover, the fact that they were right in my room led me to believe that this ¡°something bad¡± had to do with me in some way.


    I pretended not to pay attention, keeping my gaze fixed on the television, but secretly observed their actions and reactions. Minutes of a heated discussion passed until it seemed an agreement was reached. However, Emily and Laura¡¯s expressions showed resignation. I didn¡¯t know exactly what they wanted, but it looked like they had lost.


    Moments later, the door to my room opened, and a man entered, holding a gun aimed directly at me. He was alone, and from his clothing, he seemed to be from the organization¡¯s suppression force¡ªor something similar, at least that¡¯s the name that came to my mind. In any case, despite being armed.


    His gaze betrayed fear, and he couldn''t stop trembling. Slowly, I shifted my gaze from the television to him, and at that very moment, the man stepped back a pace, aiming the gun more precisely, now directly at my head. I was completely bewildered by the situation; after all, what exactly did he expect me to do?.


    (Can someone please explain what¡¯s going on here?)

 Chapter 29 - The directors visit [5]

    My current situation could only be described as bizarre: there was a man, relatively equipped with a suit and a gun pointed directly at my head. However, despite his aggressive demeanor, his legs trembled so much that I felt he might fall at any moment.


    Putting the man aside, I directed my attention to the scientists observing me through the mirror, focusing especially on the man standing between Laura and Emily. For some reason, I felt he was important. Moreover, during my outings, I couldn''t remember having seen him before.


    However, it wasn¡¯t as if I had no clue who he was. If I wasn¡¯t mistaken, the director was arriving at the facility today. Although I had never seen him in person, Emily and Laura¡ªwho, incredibly, held a relatively high authority here¡ªseemed different around him. My guess was that he was the director. Of course, there was a good chance I was wrong.


    As my imagination ran wild, trying to decipher what was really happening, I noticed Emily talking to who I presumed was the director. At one point, she made an expression of discontent and turned her gaze toward me. In the end, Emily merely nodded at the man, but her eyes revealed visible tension as she stared at me.


    I turned my gaze back to the man, who wore a smirk. Then, he pressed a button in the room he was in and began to speak. To my surprise, his voice echoed inside my room. I honestly didn¡¯t know that place had this function. However, the words he uttered made me question whether I had really heard correctly.


    ¡°You are authorized to open fire¡±


    At that moment, as the orders were given, the man trembled so much that I genuinely thought he might wet himself. But why, all of a sudden, did they want to shoot me? Honestly, I didn¡¯t remember doing anything that warranted such a drastic measure. However, seeing Laura and Emily¡¯s expressions, it became clear that the orders didn¡¯t come from them, but rather from the man I was now certain was the director.


    Still, I had another question: why did they suddenly decide to sacrifice someone from the team? My first thought was that this director had some pretty radical methods. After all, I was technically a threat. Did they expect me to just take a shot and do nothing? Well, not that I was actually going to do anything since, anyway, I didn¡¯t feel pain, and any injury healed within seconds.


    At that moment, I had already gotten out of bed and was standing next to it, watching the man pointing a gun at me with my head tilted. That¡¯s when it happened.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Bang!!!¡±


    While I was lost in thought, a loud noise echoed, making my eyes turn to the man in front of me. As soon as he noticed my gaze, he dropped the gun and fell to the floor, his legs trembling. By the way, he had really wet himself. Was this guy really from security? Maybe Victor was just the odd one out. Honestly, I didn¡¯t know many people from the security team to be sure.


    Anyway, the fact is that he had actually shot me. My chest displayed a small round hole, but as soon as it appeared, it began to close and disappear. My healing powers were activated.


    When my injury healed completely, I looked back at the man. His legs trembled more than ever, and he was crying. I won¡¯t lie; even without having done anything, seeing him like that made me feel pity. So, I ignored him and turned back to my bed.


    Meanwhile, the man quickly got up and ran toward the door of my room, banging on it desperately, pleading to be let out. To my surprise, his plea was answered, as seconds later, the door actually opened. However, a question still lingered in the air.


    (What did they expect me to do with this? Kill the man?)


    ***


    (POV - Emily Parker)


    Though Emily appeared relatively calm on the outside, it didn¡¯t reflect how she truly felt on the inside. In short, she knew everything was lost. While the test for the anomaly was simple, intended to assess whether she would display any kind of aggression, it had only served to intensify Graham¡¯s interest in the anomaly even further.


    ¡°Interesting. Even under threat, she displayed no signs of aggression. However, it¡¯s still early to draw conclusions about her true relationship with humans¡±


    At that moment, Emily realized there would be no more escape routes. The testing session was about to escalate to an abnormal level, even for an anomaly like the little one. She could only pray for everyone¡¯s safety, but the director''s next words completely contradicted her common sense.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming in. Researchers Emily and Laura, please accompany me¡±


    As he said this, the man turned and began to walk, not waiting for any response from Emily or Laura. Emily noticed Laura¡¯s anxious gaze on her, but all she could do was muster a forced smile. She was reluctant to admit it, but she had grown attached to the anomaly more than a researcher like her should. Additionally, a possibility lingered in her mind, leading her to seriously ponder whether or not she should carry out more extreme tests.


    (I really hope there¡¯s no chance she becomes aggressive with us after the tests, but honestly, I have no way of knowing that)


    ***


    (POV ¨C Protagonist)


    I really thought no one else would enter my room, but that assumption was quickly dispelled when Laura, Emily, and the director left the observation room and, seconds later, came through the door.


    Was entering the anomaly containment area standard practice, or was this only happening to me? Putting that aside, as I looked at the man now just a few steps away from me, a single thought crossed my mind, intensified even more when I met his eyes fixed on me.


    (This old man is up to something, isn¡¯t he?)

 Chapter 30 - The directors visit [6]

    Honestly, I couldn¡¯t identify what I was feeling or why I felt that way. However, whenever my eyes met the man''s, I had a strong impression that he was plotting something. His gaze seemed distinct, contrasting with Laura''s and Emily''s.


    Unlike the curiosity Emily and Laura expressed whenever they observed me¡ªa common reaction among almost all the scientists I encountered¡ªthe man¡¯s look conveyed something different. Instead of curiosity, it seemed to evaluate whether I would be useful or not. Of course, I could be mistaken, but if I wasn''t, what exactly did he expect me to be capable of?.


    ¡°She really doesn¡¯t seem hostile toward humans. Even when she was hurt earlier, she didn¡¯t react at all. However, according to the report, she is extremely aggressive toward other anomalies, especially if they are also aggressive toward her. I believe we will need more tests to determine how far her tolerance toward humans goes¡±


    I closely observed Laura''s and Emily''s reactions, which were clearly tense as they listened to the director¡¯s words. Although I didn¡¯t care much, I felt a twinge of concern for them, who seemed to struggle to handle this man. I decided, then, to investigate the director''s weaknesses.


    I didn¡¯t expect to find anything different¡ªall the humans I had met had an iridescent glow all over their bodies, making them extremely fragile. However, I couldn¡¯t help but feel surprised when I tried to locate the director''s vulnerabilities, though this didn¡¯t show on my face.


    (Hmmm?)


    My surprise stemmed from the fact that he didn¡¯t show even a single weak point to begin with. No matter where I looked on his body or from what angle, there was no characteristic glow indicating vulnerability. Instead, a thin line signaled the location of his weak point, raising more questions.


    (Is he an anomaly? Or is his main body not here? But¡­ how is that possible in the first place? Did this old man clone himself or something?)


    ***


    (POV - Emily Parker)


    From the moment they entered the containment room, Emily prayed endlessly that nothing bad would happen. Even though the director was there on his own, any incident involving the anomaly would negatively impact her promotion. Emily could only hope that the reports prepared up to that point proved to be true.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the director to conclude his analysis of the anomaly. However, Emily couldn¡¯t understand what exactly he was assessing. If she was already struggling to unravel many aspects of that anomaly, what could Graham really discover just by observing her for a few minutes?.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Fortunately, Graham seemed satisfied and turned to leave. Laura let out a sigh of relief, thinking that this suffocating situation, at least from her perspective, had ended without any issues. However, she regretted that thought seconds later.


    A sudden chill ran down Emily¡¯s back, instantly activating all her survival instincts. With a tense look, she slowly turned around and found the anomaly sitting on the bed, tilting her head cutely. However, this posture only made her seem more terrifying. The anomaly was staring at the director with her bright eyes, reflecting the colors of the rainbow.


    ¡°... What is she doing now? I don¡¯t remember seeing this in the report¡±


    Emily realized it was evident that he wouldn¡¯t know since she hadn¡¯t written anything about it. It wasn¡¯t for lack of will but because the week had been so hectic that she forgot to update the report on the observations made. Additionally, the director¡¯s visit had completely thrown her off track regarding that matter.


    However, what surprised Emily the most at that moment was the director''s apparent indifference to the situation. While she felt her legs might give way at any moment, Laura wasn¡¯t much different, but Graham remained utterly unperturbed.


    Emily could only breathe again when the little anomaly¡¯s eyes returned to their beautiful, bright golden hues, which were so characteristic. However, the strange situation didn¡¯t end there; the anomaly got off the bed and walked toward the director.


    At that moment, Emily was starting to lose her patience. She simply couldn¡¯t understand the logic behind the anomaly¡¯s actions, as it had never behaved that way during Emily''s visits or her own.


    The little anomaly began to circle around the director. Her normally expressionless face remained serene, but it was easy to see the curiosity reflected in that cute, emotionless face.


    ¡°She seems interested in me. I wonder why. And by the way, what was that a moment ago? Her eyes changed color¡±


    Emily managed to smile upon hearing the director¡¯s words, but inside, she was far from happy. She knew well what this little anomaly, who seemed so cute on the outside, was capable of. After all, she had managed to eliminate [Shadow], something that had previously seemed impossible.


    It was discovered that [Shadow]¡¯s main body, which was not its shadow form, only appeared when all the lights were off. During this time, [Shadow] could move freely in its shadow form, essentially becoming an anomaly impossible to eliminate by humans.


    ¡°We¡¯re still not sure, but we speculate that this is one of her anomalous powers. She has displayed those eyes on several occasions, but unfortunately, we haven''t been able to discern exactly what she uses them for¡±


    Moreover, while Emily truly believed that the little anomaly was, to some extent, tolerant and friendly toward humans, that didn¡¯t mean she simply accepted that perception. As a researcher, Emily didn¡¯t believe in anything that couldn¡¯t be proven. As long as there was no concrete evidence, to her, everything was just a theory.


    Just by observing the anomaly''s behavior, Emily began to formulate some ideas about the true function of its eyes. For instance, she suspected they could be used to identify objects. Although she had no concrete evidence, that was her hypothesis at the moment.


    Fortunately or unfortunately, Graham appeared to be satisfied and turned again. However, his next words shattered her smile, replacing it with a look of discontent.


    ¡°We¡¯ll begin full testing tomorrow. For now, you two can return to your posts¡±

 Chapter 31 - Conducting experiments [1]

    On a dark and silent night, strong winds made the trees around sway their leaves and branches. In the heart of the forest, an abandoned factory lay hidden, accessible only to those who dared venture deep among the trees. The factory¡¯s history was not particularly interesting; it had been closed after an investigation.


    The place no longer met the requirements to continue operating, and the case had dragged on for over fifteen years. So much time had passed that the investigation was probably forgotten, perhaps even discarded like a piece of paper in a trash can. However, it was precisely this obscurity that made the factory a point of interest for those wishing to remain in the shadows.


    Footsteps echoed against the factory walls, making the already eerie atmosphere even more horrifying and terrifying. The person in question wore a typical cleaning worker¡¯s outfit, and their bangs were long enough to partially cover their face.


    The man raised his gaze, revealing, beneath the long bangs, black eyes that conveyed no emotion whatsoever. In fact, he seemed utterly devoid of something essential to any human being. In the deep black eyes of the man, there were no traces of humanity or will; only a faint desire glimmered, almost like a spark in the void.


    The man advanced through the abandoned factory until he reached the area where the machines were located. The space was vast, but rust and neglect were evident in every corner. The atmosphere was oppressive, as if at any moment, a monster could emerge from the shadows.


    Amidst this, two more footsteps echoed, and the man turned his gaze toward the source of the sound, which came from the back of the factory. However, no hint of fear showed on his face; in fact, he appeared completely impassive, as cold as ice.


    ¡°Ah! Boss, you¡¯ve already arrived? I apologize for the delay; some unexpected things came up, you know how it is¡±


    Upon hearing the man¡¯s words, the woman turned to him, raising an eyebrow in disdain. She stared at him with such a frosty look that, if she had a superpower, it would certainly be to freeze everything in her sight.


    ¡°Unexpected things? You stopped halfway just because you wanted an ice cream, you idiot!¡±


    A female and a male voice echoed in the dark space. Oliver briefly lifted his gaze toward both. Although there had been no tension before, that simple glance brought a biting chill to the place, causing both the man and the woman to lower their heads.


    ¡°Forgive us, Mr. Oliver. We promise not to repeat this mistake again¡±


    Both knew when it was time to relax and when they should act seriously. Instinctively, they felt that at that moment, it was time to behave gravely. Oliver, looking at the two with a cold expression, sighed before pulling out a photo.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°Forget it. It doesn¡¯t matter to me. Anyway, take a look at this photo¡±


    The man and woman exchanged a brief glance before lifting their heads and fixing their eyes on the photo Oliver held. Their eyes widened at the sight of the image, but soon were replaced with fervent expressions of desire.


    ¡°Sir... could this be?¡±


    Oliver remained silent, simply nodding at the woman¡¯s question as a rare smile spread across his face. Seeing this expression, the man and woman froze, as if their hearts were immersed in a mix of fear and admiration.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! The savior we¡¯ve been waiting for has finally arrived! Our long wait is over. Although brief, I managed to catch a glimpse of him. Ah, haha, ahahahaha!¡±


    Deafening and maniacal screams echoed through the depths of the factory. Both the man and the woman kept their eyes fixed on the man who was laughing crazily, a laugh that blended fear and admiration. It was as if those poor sheep looked at their shepherd, the shepherd who was now guiding them to their final destination.


    ¡°It was simply fantastic! Although it was brief, I glimpsed a fragment of his immense and immeasurable power. It was just as we expected: a blank page, ready to be filled with our desires. If we feed it, we will finally achieve our ultimate goal¡±


    Both the man and the woman changed their expressions, reflecting a mix similar to Oliver¡¯s: a combination of admiration and madness, dancing in perfect harmony in their eyes.


    ¡°So, should we proceed to the second phase of our plan, sir?¡±


    When the woman asked the question, Oliver, with an expression of anticipation on his face, rested his hand on his chin, briefly reflecting on the matter. Although the moment seemed perfect, he shook his head in denial of the woman¡¯s words.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be wise to rush, Sophie. While the plan worked, it was only due to [Him] being by our side. Besides, that researcher, Emily, seemed quite perceptive when I passed her in one of the facility¡¯s corridors. It¡¯s quite possible she has already figured out that [Shadow]¡¯s escape from its containment room was my doing¡±


    Upon hearing this, Sophie and the man beside her exchanged worried glances. It was he who spoke to Oliver, seeking to clarify his doubt.


    ¡°But Oliver, if that¡¯s the case, hasn¡¯t your true identity been leaked to them?¡±


    Oliver heard the man¡¯s words with a subtle smile, not because he found the question amusing, but because he himself had pondered that before initiating his infiltration plan into the organization.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Edward, they wouldn¡¯t be able to, even if they tried. Other members of ours have already infiltrated the organization. We chose the perfect moment for my entry, when Emily Parker would be most susceptible to mistakes. Thanks to [Him], she probably no longer remembers my appearance. Furthermore, even if she tries to gather information about me, all data will be masked and swapped, making it impossible for her to do anything but go in circles¡±


    Though Oliver¡¯s method was simple, often, the most direct approaches are the most effective. People are complex, yet at the same time, simple. By identifying their weaknesses or what makes them vulnerable, it becomes easy to manipulate them as desired.


    Sophie and Edward, who were paying attention to every word Oliver spoke, reaffirmed their convictions that they were on the right side. After all, neither of them wanted to be an enemy of the intimidating man before them.

 Chapter 32 - Conducting experiments [2]

    (POV ¨C Protagonist)


    I have to admit that when I heard the old stranger mention they would be conducting complete tests on me, I ignored his words. Of course, the phrase ¡°complete tests¡± stirred some thoughts, but I decided not to dwell on it. Deep down, I knew it would be difficult for them to hurt me.


    Sure, my body felt like jelly, but hey, I had an incredible regeneration ability and felt no pain whatsoever. Plus, I could always escape by using my power to move through shadows. With all that in mind, I dismissed the possibility that the next day they would try to conduct bizarre experiments on me.


    Unfortunately, the next day arrived. I was peacefully lying in my bed, watching some morning shows, when the door to my room, which also served as a containment room, swung open. The first thing I saw was Laura coming in, carrying a glass aquarium.


    Laura approached me, wearing a guilty look on her face. As soon as I turned my gaze to her, I noticed her remorseful expression intensified; she quickly turned her face away. Although I wasn¡¯t sure why, I suspected it had to do with what the old guy said yesterday.


    ¡°Uhhhhh... Sorry, Ms. Anomaly, but you¡¯re practically invincible, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine, even if they¡¯re a bit rough with you... right?¡±


    No, she didn¡¯t need to ask that, since she knew I wouldn¡¯t respond in any way¡ªafter all, I can¡¯t speak. By the way, Laura had put some candies inside the aquarium, the ones I had consumed the most since arriving at this place. However, I found it curious that she thought I could be convinced just by candies.


    I knew I would get into the aquarium, not because the candies were enticing, but because things could get complicated for Laura and Emily if I didn¡¯t. It¡¯s important to clarify that my decision wasn¡¯t about them.


    Laura began pushing the aquarium. To be honest, I wasn¡¯t particularly nervous, even knowing that I would probably undergo some uncomfortable tests. After all, I wasn¡¯t even human anymore. Plus, I had confidence in my abilities; if things got really serious, I would just run away.


    ¡°Is she? This is the first time I¡¯m seeing her in person. I heard the director is quite interested in her... what was her name again?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve classified her yet, and we¡¯re not sure about her danger level either¡±


    ¡°Anyway, I sincerely hope she¡¯ll be okay. To be honest, spending so much time surrounded by these bizarre anomalies that completely defy logic makes me question whether humans are truly the dominant race. Sometimes, I have nightmares that, from my perspective, are worse than death¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°I know how you feel. I still tremble when I remember the containment breach of [Shadow]. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s good or bad not to remember anything that happened back then¡±


    ¡°Who knows? As they say, sometimes ignorance is bliss¡±


    As Laura led me through the facility¡¯s hallways, conversations flowed naturally as we passed scientists. In fact, this wasn¡¯t the first time this happened. Although I don¡¯t want to brag, I¡¯m pretty popular here.


    Even though I hadn¡¯t encountered any other anomalies besides that shadow¡ªbecause honestly, if I started snooping around, I¡¯d probably cause some disaster¡ªthis awareness kept me from randomly entering other anomalies¡¯ rooms. Getting back to the point, the fact that my appearance closely resembled that of a cute girl made everyone in the facility feel comfortable around me.


    Of course, Laura was the only exception who really got physically close to me. Most of the scientists actually tended to observe me only through the clear glass. Although I didn¡¯t like to admit it, I had become a sort of stress reliever for the scientists and staff.


    Setting that aside, we continued down the hallway until we reached a huge reinforced metal door. To be honest, I hadn¡¯t paid much attention to the path up to this point, as I was focused on the candies. However, I knew this place was relatively far from my room.


    The door opened with a bang, interrupting my thoughts. Honestly, the scene looked like something out of a sci-fi movie¡ªwere we entering Area 51 or something like that? Jokes aside, Laura led me inside. The space was enormous, probably three times larger than my already spacious room. However, despite its size, the environment was bare, with nothing but empty space.


    In the end, Laura just took me to the center of the room and opened the aquarium for me to get out. After that, she walked to the exit and disappeared, leaving the door to close behind her. I, on the other hand, stayed inside the aquarium for a few seconds, processing everything, before finally getting out and looking around, confused.


    (And now? What happens?)


    ***


    (POV - Emily Parker)


    Despite trying to maintain a positive mindset, Emily couldn¡¯t smile and say she would have a good day. Today would mark the start of intensive tests on the new anomaly discovered in the forest, a procedure that she should have initiated as soon as the anomaly was identified. However, various factors piled up, forcing Emily to delay these tests.


    Emily wasn¡¯t hypocritical; her work as a researcher gave meaning to her life. Discovering and studying anomalies was the only way she felt at peace with herself, especially considering that the tragedies of that day were inevitable.


    However, Emily wasn¡¯t ungrateful. Although she didn¡¯t know if the little anomaly¡¯s goal was truly to save her, it was undeniable that, on that day, it kept her from a fate worse than death. Of course, Emily still intended to conduct more intensive tests, albeit with caution. Unfortunately, the director had very different ideas about that.


    In the end, Emily just prayed that the little anomaly would manage to get through the tests without major issues. Although she knew that in the past she would have found it funny if someone told her she would be worried about an anomaly, what could she do about it? The human heart was intrinsically complicated, and in many ways, it could be described as an anomaly.

 Chapter 33 - Conducting experiments [3]

    When Emily reached the door leading to the observation area for the anomalies under experimentation, she took a deep breath, strengthening her resolve. At that moment, she wasn¡¯t there as one of the grateful people who had been saved by an anomaly before; her presence was purely focused on research.


    (Though she is adorable... extremely adorable, ultimately, anomalies need to be studied and cataloged. I can¡¯t lose sight of my work just because I¡¯m a bit attached to something that merely resembles a human)


    Despite all the mental preparations Emily had made, she knew that the human heart didn¡¯t work that way. There was no way to manipulate it to behave conveniently when she wanted. In the end, Emily focused on not revealing any expression that aligned with her true feelings while the experiments were conducted.


    With a firm resolution, Emily stepped into the space. The sounds of keyboards and conversations flooded her ears, and staff members were visible everywhere. However, she ignored them and walked toward the large glass panel in front of her, which completely covered the front of the space.


    The glass reminded her of past events when some anomalies, using methods previously unknown, managed to break through or even shatter it. Emily shuddered at the memories of the massacres that had occurred back then. Since then, the facilities had implemented several changes to the glass to contain all types of anomalies.


    ¡°Chief! We¡¯re here!¡±


    As she approached the glass covering the front of the area, Emily heard Laura¡¯s cheerful voice. When she got closer, she saw Laura bouncing on her toes, waving her hand at her, while Graham kept his eyes fixed on a specific point on the other side of the glass.


    As soon as Emily got close enough to the glass, her gaze naturally shifted to the other side. Inside, a small being was curiously observing its surroundings, one delicate finger resting near its mouth. The being''s gaze was vague, perhaps even curious, but Emily still couldn¡¯t quite define how to describe that expression.


    ¡°You¡¯re late, Chief Researcher Emily. I almost thought you weren¡¯t going to participate in the experiments¡±


    Though his words sounded like a simple courtesy to anyone who heard them, Emily knew he was trying to say, ¡°If you took so long, you didn¡¯t even need to come. Try to be more punctual next time.¡± Naturally, Emily decided to ignore the comment, as this type of exchange was common between them.


    ¡°I apologize for my delay, Director Graham. I had to deal with some important setbacks before arriving¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    In summary, the message Emily intended to convey with her words was something like: ¡°Do you think you can leave me out, you old man? Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m the one who really holds authority at this facility¡± However, Emily didn¡¯t share any of these thoughts with Graham.


    ¡°The reports indicate she has some type of simple regeneration, but there¡¯s no information on how far this regeneration extends or how resilient her body is¡±


    Emily nodded, corroborating Graham¡¯s words. It was true that the tests to assess her body¡¯s resilience and the extent of her regeneration had yet to be conducted. In fact, just before Emily could carry them out, [Shadow] suddenly decided to escape from her containment cell, causing chaos in the facility. Although, at this point, Emily no longer believed that [Shadow] had escaped on her own; that was a matter for another occasion.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s start by assessing her resistance to extreme temperatures. We¡¯ll begin the experiments now. Raise the room temperature to 250 degrees; we need to evaluate how she reacts to heat¡±


    Voices of understanding echoed through the environment, and Emily noticed Laura¡¯s anxious gaze. However, she knew her only option was to observe. Although she didn¡¯t want to be so rigid, Emily didn¡¯t have a convincing enough justification to interrupt the experiments¡¯ progress.


    ¡°Ughhh... even knowing that the anomaly is powerful, I can¡¯t help but worry; she looks so fragile¡±


    Emily rolled her eyes upon hearing Laura¡¯s words. What she really wanted was just a mental health check-up, and everyone in the facility knew these evaluations weren¡¯t always pleasant. Emily wondered if Laura had forgotten that she had killed [Shadow].


    an anomaly everyone once considered impossible to eliminate, besides having faced several other anomalies from the forest with her own hands. However, Emily began to consider that it might be wise for her to undergo a mental check-up herself to ensure there was no trace of alteration in her psyche.


    ***


    (POV ¨C Protagonist)


    I considered myself a patient person. Although I couldn¡¯t recall any moment from my exciting life that required this quality¡ªmy memories begin from the moment I woke up in the forest and extend to now¡ªI was sure I had a naturally calm disposition.


    However, waiting about thirty minutes in a closed space with nothing to do could even irritate a Buddha. Of course, I had never met a Buddha personally, but I imagined it would be like that. So, all I could do was look around, trying to find something in the white room to distract me, but, in fact, there was nothing to do.


    Well, at least the wait didn¡¯t last long. While I thought of ways to annoy Laura during our next encounter, something finally happened: suddenly, a part of the wall above where I was sitting became transparent. Or would it be more appropriate to say it became visible? Considering that the glass was probably there from the beginning, perhaps the word ¡°visible¡± is the most fitting.


    But, anyway, on the other side of the glass were Laura, who was looking at me with a worried expression for some reason; Emily, whose face reflected curiosity mixed with a certain fear; and lastly, the old man who had sent an armed man into my room, who ended up hitting me with a shot.


    No matter how I analyzed the situation, it seemed like a gathering of intelligent people observing a test subject about to undergo some kind of experiment. Honestly, I really wished my thoughts were wrong.

 Chapter 34 - Conducting experiments [4]

    Have you ever wondered how a lab rat feels during testing? Probably not, unless you¡¯re someone who loves animals; in that case, this question might not have crossed your mind. However, what I want to highlight is that right now, I feel like I¡¯m living the same experience as those rats, as I¡¯m seemingly being treated like one of them.


    Just to clarify, I¡¯m not mentioning this because of my size, which resembles that of a child. But, changing the subject, why is this place suddenly turning reddish? Also, I noticed that there was steam coming from various places.


    (Did they turn on the heater or something?)


    Honestly, I couldn''t tell the difference. Ever since I woke up in this body, even though I was in a forest in the middle of the night with winds that should have frozen me, I maintained a neutral temperature. Neither hot nor cold; just neutral. In other words, I felt nothing.


    In the end, those were the only changes I noticed: nothing really happened. Yet, for some reason, the scientists were watching me with surprised expressions. Plus, I remained in a state of pure boredom for about ten minutes until something finally happened. A small hatch opened near where I was, and after watching closely, I saw a white, fluffy object leap out: it was a little rabbit.


    I watched the rabbit carefully, but as soon as it entered the room, it started running back and forth as if it were desperate. I tilted my head, trying to understand that strange behavior. In the end, it ran so much that it collapsed on the floor, exhausted, and didn¡¯t get back up. At that moment, a single thought crossed my mind.


    (... Did it run so much that it ended up dying of exhaustion?)


    I was seriously confused by what had happened. Just to be sure, I approached the rabbit and poked it with my finger, but it showed no signs of waking up. Its tongue was hanging out, and its eyes were glazed over¡ªa rather disturbing scene, to be honest. In short, it was definitely dead.


    ***


    (POV - Emily Parker)


    ¡°She¡¯s really fascinating! Despite her outward appearance not showing it, she has an above-average resistance to extreme temperature variations. The rabbit, for example, endured up to a point when we reached 250 degrees but died quickly when we raised it to 500 degrees¡±


    Emily listened intently to Graham¡¯s words, but no matter how hard she thought, the only conclusion she could reach was that his words spelled trouble. Graham''s interest in an anomaly indicated that she would be subjected to increasingly severe tests. Emily didn¡¯t know why, but from her perspective, Graham seemed to be searching for something.


    Emily couldn¡¯t exactly define what that ¡°something¡± was or what its purpose would be once Graham found it, but she was sure it was an anomaly. At first, this didn¡¯t seem strange to her; after all, who didn¡¯t join the organization looking for a specific goal? She herself was like that.


    However, no matter how Emily analyzed the situation, it was simply unsettling. What would Graham do once he found what he was looking for? That question echoed endlessly in her mind.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Normally, we would start with light physical endurance tests, but we observed that she healed quickly after being shot. I believe we can go straight to a more intensive test to assess how far her body can recover from physical injuries¡±


    Unaware of Emily''s thoughts, Graham continued immersed in his reflections. Deep down, she wasn¡¯t so different from him; she was also curious to discover how far the anomaly¡¯s endurance could go. Even Laura, who clearly opposed this type of testing, wore a curious expression on her face. Emily accepted that this restlessness was, in fact, the essence of every scientist.


    ¡°Miss Anomaly, hold steady!¡±


    Laura''s determined voice echoed beside Emily, who also hoped that the little anomaly could get through the remaining tests without difficulties. It was the least she could do in return, considering that the anomaly had saved her earlier.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start the test with lower temperatures. Reduce the temperature! I want any living being that enters that room to freeze instantly!¡±


    Upon hearing Graham¡¯s command, Emily firmly gripped the clipboard in her hands. It contained all the data collected from the little anomaly up to that moment.


    -


    [Anomalous Entity Report]


    Date: September 8


    Reported by: Lead Researcher, Emily Parker


    The currently unnamed anomalous entity exhibits impressive resistance to extreme temperature changes, withstanding an initial temperature of 250 degrees, which eventually reached 500 degrees. Additionally, earlier tests indicate that it has remarkable resilience to physical blows, recovering within seconds after being impacted. Although not yet confirmed, the entity does not appear to feel pain, but this observation needs to be revisited.


    Risk Level Classification: Currently under review.


    Additional Request: None.


    -


    While it wasn¡¯t uncommon to find anomalies whose resilience far exceeded that of humans, there were also those that were indestructible or required inhumane methods to be destroyed. Emily''s curiosity was palpable: in which of these two aspects would the little anomaly fit?.


    ***


    (POV ¨C Protagonist)


    After the rabbit''s death, I remained a few more minutes waiting for something to happen. However, apart from the steam intensifying and the room taking on an increasingly reddish hue, nothing occurred. I continued standing by the rabbit, and when I looked back at the scientists, I noticed that their eyes seemed almost obsessed, as if they were staring at something promising.


    Although I could withstand their gazes, the director''s, for some reason, felt much more intimidating than the others; perhaps the word ¡°fanatic¡± would be more fitting. In the end, they seemed to be discussing something.


    Even without considering that, there was also the fact that the director had no color. It became clear to me then that my eyes were special, although I still didn¡¯t know to what extent. Normally, seeing the weak points of things would be considered something frightening.


    Since I saw no color in the director, he remained a mystery to me. Besides not being able to understand what he was thinking, his gaze since we met seemed like that of a believer before a new god or something similar.


    Emily, on the other hand, appeared focused on taking notes on her clipboard, while Laura shot me encouraging glances. However, I really didn¡¯t understand what exactly she expected me to strive for. Also, why did I suddenly feel like I was being treated like a dog?.


    What happened next was surprising: the room, which had previously displayed a reddish tone, began to take on a bluish hue. Moreover, the steam that had been emanating from various points vanished, replaced by a subtle mist. In a way, I felt like I was inside a freezer.


    I really couldn¡¯t understand their purpose in changing the temperature. Were they trying to find out if I was resistant to heat and cold? However, I couldn¡¯t feel heat or cold. With that in mind, a thought popped into my head.


    (Aren¡¯t these tests completely pointless for me?)

 Chapter 35 - Conducting experiments [5]

    One important detail: I couldn¡¯t breathe. But if I did, a white mist, as translucent as my own body, would probably emerge the instant I tried to speak, given how cold this place felt. Sure, even with the temperature likely around zero degrees Fahrenheit, it still didn¡¯t affect me.


    From the moment I woke up in this body, I realized I didn¡¯t feel things that a normal human would, like warmth, cold, hunger, or thirst. Moreover, it became clear to me over time that my emotional patterns had changed as well: I simply didn¡¯t feel anything when I saw people dying or bizarre creatures.


    I didn¡¯t notice it at the time I woke up in the forest, but my calm thoughts when that dog-shaped monster attacked me were extremely strange. Now, it makes me uncomfortable. Even without feeling any pain at that moment, who, after all, stays so calm after having an arm ripped off? I mean, it¡¯s not like I knew back then that it would grow back.


    Anyway, the point I want to highlight is that these tests are, in fact, ineffective for me¡ªat least from my perspective. It¡¯s not like they knew what my resistances were, and to be honest, I didn¡¯t know I could withstand extreme temperatures of heat and cold as well as I¡¯m managing now.


    However, spending minutes in this room without anything happening was starting to bore me. I genuinely had no idea how much longer I would have to stay here or what other tests they would conduct on me. From the director¡¯s expression, it was clear he intended to run many more experiments.


    When I finally considered leaving the room using my ability to swim through shadows, I noticed the cold air began to gradually lessen until it completely disappeared, returning the room to its usual color instead of the icy blue it had before. At first, I thought the experiments were over. However, from the director¡¯s gaze as he watched me, it was clear they were just getting started.


    ***


    (POV ¨C Emily Parker)


    In the room where the experiments were conducted, a small being tilted its head slightly, observing around. Meanwhile, Emily felt a mix of excitement and apprehension¡ªa fear that seemed shared by almost everyone present.


    Emily couldn¡¯t blame them. After all, aside from her and Laura¡ªwho, in a way, had a special opinion about the anomaly since they had been saved by it¡ªthe rest of the team saw her as just another anomaly. Anyway, no one there seemed to remember what happened when [Shadow] escaped its containment.


    In the end, the anomaly¡¯s resistance to extreme temperature changes only meant it couldn¡¯t be eliminated in that way should a containment breach occur in the future. While Emily saw no reason for the anomaly to act that way, as it seemed quite docile, she also couldn¡¯t simply dismiss that possibility.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°Instead of resistance, she seems to have total immunity to extreme temperature changes. However, this is nothing we haven¡¯t seen before; many anomalies exhibit this characteristic. Let¡¯s move on to the physical resistance experiment¡±


    Graham¡¯s words reached Emily¡¯s ears, and for now, her thoughts aligned with his. The small anomaly really did seem immune to thermal variations. In other words, instead of showing resistance to heat or cold, it seemed like she simply couldn¡¯t feel either. Thus, it was futile to try to harm or eliminate her using those methods.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t like they threw her into a lava bath or set her on fire to test her survival capabilities, but Emily believed that somehow, her body would manage to return to its previous state even in the face of such extreme experiments. As these thoughts occupied Emily¡¯s mind, the other scientists around her prepared for the next experiment. Laura, who stood beside Emily, continued to silently root for the small anomaly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start by gradually increasing the pressure in the room and, over time, intensifying it. This way, we can observe how she reacts¡±


    ***


    (POV ¨C Protagonist)


    As I wondered what the next experiment would be, the scientists seemed focused on operating the computers on the other side of the glass. At times, I seriously considered escaping using the shadows in the corners of the room. However, if I did that, it would probably cause a stir. Let¡¯s be honest: this place clearly traps beings like me who have become something different.


    Although I still hadn¡¯t met many of the other beings inhabiting this place, those I had encountered so far were definitely not friendly. Therefore, it became evident that the prevailing opinion was that practically all beings¡ªor anomalies, as they like to call them¡ªare insane psychopaths eager to eliminate the first thing that crosses their path.


    Moreover, another reason I didn¡¯t want to use my powers in front of them was that all these people, especially Emily and Laura, were extremely intelligent. So far, despite having disappeared from my room a few times, I had never really revealed my ability to swim through shadows to them.


    Of course, I normally disappear as soon as I slide under my bed. The cameras probably catch me at that moment, but since I always return through the same place, they must be convinced they haven¡¯t realized I absorbed the shadow power we found last time when the installation lights went out.


    (???)


    My train of thought was briefly interrupted as I noticed a subtle change in the room, or rather, around me. For some reason, my body felt heavier than usual; although it wasn¡¯t enough to affect me, it was a change I could notice. This was definitely related to the experiments.


    However, the fact that they were able to perform such feats made me realize once again how well-equipped and technologically advanced this organization was. From doors with futuristic designs to force fields, this place seemed to have everything one could imagine. These elements led me to question whether this was really the Earth I remembered or if it was an alternate reality.


    After all, even disregarding the advanced technologies of this place, I really didn¡¯t recall any paranormal occurrences that could justify the existence of some unknown phenomenon.

 Chapter 36 - Conducting experiments [6]

    The experiment that increased the pressure around me continued. I didn¡¯t know exactly how they were doing it, but I figured it was related to the increase in gravity. Honestly, aside from making me feel heavier than normal, it didn¡¯t seem to have any other effects on me.


    I glanced briefly up at the people watching me through the glass. My eyes, glowing a golden hue, blinked rapidly. The director, along with Emily and Laura, was watching me with curiosity. Even Laura, who usually looked at me affectionately when she saw me, now showed a mix of concern and curiosity in her eyes.


    The director seemed to notice my gaze and stared back at me. We held that look for a few seconds until he turned and said something to the scientists behind him, who merely nodded before returning to their equipment. Almost immediately, I felt the pressure on my body increase. At this level, it was honestly hard to stay standing, so I ended up sitting back down while I continued to observe the director.


    By the way, although I didn¡¯t know exactly how this worked, I was personally surprised that my body was holding up. If my memory serves me right, an increase in gravity usually causes muscle and bone overload in a human body, not to mention the countless other problems it could lead to.


    (Well, it¡¯s not like I had those limitations in the first place, so I really don¡¯t need to worry. Although my body feels heavy, I don¡¯t feel any pain)


    In those moments, I really appreciated the fact that my body was what it was¡ªwhich is quite ironic when you think about it. After all, if I had a normal human body, I doubt I would have been going through these situations from the start. However, during my time at the facility, some thoughts began to arise in my mind.


    Does it really make sense to view what I¡¯ve become as something bad? In the end, I don¡¯t even remember my family¡¯s faces. To be honest, I don¡¯t know who I was before waking up in that forest. While I have memories of a human life, the situation is so strange that it makes me question whether what I know is really true. But putting that aside, the form I have now brings many benefits.


    Besides the fact that I don¡¯t need to work¡ªwhich, let¡¯s face it, is almost 95% of the main reason¡ªI had free food and could ask for whatever I wanted, and they would give it to me. Of course, the inability to speak was a bit annoying, but honestly, what could I do about it? It¡¯s not like I could just snap my fingers and suddenly be able to talk again, you know?.


    I was pulled from my thoughts when I noticed that the pressure on my body had increased again. This time, it became so intense that I could no longer keep myself standing¡ªor even sitting. Maybe with some effort I could manage, but it honestly felt too much work. In the end, I opted to just lie down.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Considering I was under immense, almost unbearable pressure, I lay on the floor while staring at the ceiling. Once again, I realized my body was much more resilient than it seemed. After all, I¡¯m soft and squishy like a marshmallow; no one would expect someone like that to withstand all the pressure I was facing at that moment. My thoughts? I was just reflecting that the ceiling looked as white as the rest of the place.


    (Was the choice of this color intended to make the place seem more sanitized than it really is?)


    ***


    (POV - Laura Cavendish)


    Laura was reminded once again of how incredible the anomaly was. Not only was she cute and kind to humans, but she also possessed impressive strength and resilience. After all, she had not only saved Laura from the strange dogs in the forest but had also rescued her when she feared disappearing like the others, being swallowed by [Shadow].


    Watching the small anomaly endure such pressure, Laura wondered if she would be safe from something like an implosion. While these phenomena were different, in some ways, they could both be considered interrelated, even if they weren¡¯t exactly the same thing.


    "It seems that even under intense pressure, her body remains unchanged. We can assert that her functioning is different from ours, despite the similarities. The fact that she has no visible organs is the greatest proof that, although she resembles a human, she has no relation to us... But what is she doing now?"


    The director¡¯s words led Laura to look back at the small anomaly. As soon as she saw her, she understood the reason for both the director¡¯s and Emily¡¯s surprise as she watched from the side. The small anomaly was lying in the center of the room, eyes closed, giving the impression that she was about to sleep. But was that really possible? Even if it didn¡¯t affect her, Laura imagined that the increase in gravity must have been, at the very least, uncomfortable.


    Laura watched from the side as the director rested his chin on his hand, analyzing the anomaly with a subtle smile on his lips. She didn¡¯t know exactly why, but whenever she saw that smile, a shiver ran through her body, bringing an uncomfortable feeling.


    "We''ve reached the limit of pressure that the room can withstand, and even so, she shows no signs of discomfort. It¡¯s truly intriguing"


    Laura leaned in closer, trying to catch every word from the director. However, upon feeling his gaze on her, she quickly composed herself. After checking the clock, she reflected for a moment, as if sensing that the director¡¯s next words wouldn¡¯t be a simple "We¡¯ve finished all the experiments for today; you can go back and rest" As if she could predict what was coming, Laura listened attentively to what the director had to say.


    "We¡¯ve concluded this experiment, but I can¡¯t stay for long. I need to return to our main facilities to work. We¡¯re going to perform the last test. I want to observe how she behaves in front of another aggressive anomaly. This way, we can determine if she really is friendly only to humans or not. After all, even after being shot, she showed no reaction. I want to see if she will behave the same way when she¡¯s not dealing with humans"


    Laura couldn¡¯t say she didn¡¯t expect those words; after all, this was standard procedure in experiments involving anomalies. From time to time, two anomalies were placed face to face to observe their reactions. However, even knowing that, this particular time, Laura couldn¡¯t feel comfortable thinking that the small anomaly would have to fight against another anomaly inside the facility.

 Chapter 37 - Conducting experiments [7]

    (POV ¨C Protagonist)


    Since I was forced to lie on the ground ¡ª not that it was my choice ¡ª I took the time to think about a few things. Honestly, I didn¡¯t come to any revelations or anything; I was just reflecting on who I was and what I was doing before waking up in this body.


    But honestly, the more I tried to remember, the more confused I became. In the end, I simply couldn¡¯t recall anything; my former identity was a complete mystery. Still, that didn¡¯t make me sad ¡ª after all, how can you miss something you don¡¯t remember? From my point of view, it was like I¡¯d never even existed.


    I was snapped out of my thoughts when, suddenly, a wall in the room opened up some distance away from me. I looked over, confused ¡ª did this room have a door? That definitely wasn¡¯t the same door we¡¯d entered through. At the same time, I felt the pressure that had been pinning me down gradually start to ease up until it was completely gone.


    As I got up, I looked at the spot where I¡¯d been lying and saw an imprint on the floor shaped like my body. That¡¯s when I realized how intense the pressure on me had been. Were they trying to crush me? Honestly, if I¡¯d still had a human body, I probably would¡¯ve been flattened like a pancake.


    I brushed it off and turned my attention back to the new door that had opened. Beyond it, everything was pitch-black, but my eyes seemed to adjust, allowing me to see partially, almost like it was daylight. However, there didn¡¯t seem to be anything inside, at least not in the areas I could see. Plus, I had no idea how far that hallway stretched.


    As I tried to imagine what would happen next, something jumped out of the darkness and stopped right in front of the door. It looked like a wolf, but it was clear that this wasn¡¯t any ordinary wolf, at least not any I¡¯d known. Instead of a regular head, it only had a skull, and a faint purple glow emanated from its empty eye sockets.


    The wolf¡¯s size was comparable to that of an elephant, making it quite intimidating. To make things worse, its appearance was terrifying, like something straight out of a horror movie.


    The monster also seemed to have various parts of its body covered in bones; but unlike its head, which was a complete skull, the rest of its body looked relatively normal. The "wolf" glanced around, letting out a deeply unsettling sound. This intrigued me because it didn¡¯t seem to have vocal cords, so where was the sound even coming from? Sadly, there was no one around to answer that question.Stolen story; please report.


    The wolf shifted its gaze back and forth, and its flickering purple eyes settled on the scientists who were observing us from behind the glass. As soon as it spotted them, it growled, emitting that same disturbing and mysterious sound again.


    I still didn¡¯t understand how it was producing it, but it was clear that this wasn¡¯t the first time it had seen this scenario. Judging by the way it was staring at the glass, if it managed to break it, the result definitely wouldn¡¯t be pleasant to witness.


    My thoughts were interrupted when I felt an intense gaze directed at me. I slowly turned my head to face its source and found the wolf¡¯s flickering eyes locked onto me, filled with an unfriendly intensity, just like it had done with the scientists.


    (It looks like it wants to reenact that unpleasant scene with me... doesn¡¯t it?)


    Before I could come up with a plan, the wolf leapt toward me. Watching it approach, I activated my power, and a golden field spread out from my body. As always, its range was only about a meter, but that meter was enough for the wolf¡¯s massive head to enter.


    The result was, as usual, that the wolf became completely motionless in front of me. Out of curiosity, I looked over at the scientists who were observing us. Laura, for some reason, had her head turned to the side, covering her eyes with her hands. Emily, on the other hand, was watching the situation with an analytical expression, though I could detect a hint of worry in her gaze.


    The director, meanwhile, had a look that clearly conveyed his interest and curiosity. I honestly had no idea what he was thinking or what he hoped to accomplish with all these tests. But then again, it¡¯s not like I knew how they usually operated; this could very well be standard procedure for dealing with new anomalies.


    (Well, putting that aside... how exactly am I supposed to kill this thing?)


    Although my initial plan was simply to punch it ¡ª after all, it¡¯s not like I could do much else ¡ª I quickly dismissed that idea. Let¡¯s be honest: despite the surprising strength I had for a soft, jelly-like body, there was no way I¡¯d be able to break the bones covering that thing¡¯s body.


    However, in the end, I didn¡¯t have any other method to try and take it down. So I decided to resort to the last option in situations like this. With that determination, I turned around and ran as fast as I could. As long as my power kept the golden circle active, I had a chance to escape.


    As soon as my feet crossed the boundary of the golden circle, I felt a kind of connection snap. I quickly looked back and saw the monster looking confused because, from its perspective, it probably thought it had managed to catch me.


    I ignored it and kept running as fast as I could, with my arms stretched out in front of me ¡ª losing one in the forest still haunted me, so I did it out of reflex. The monster didn¡¯t stay put for long; as soon as it spotted me again, it started chasing me.


    Each time it got close enough to try biting me, I activated my power, buying myself enough time to escape, keeping the distance. This little ¡°chase¡± of ours went on for quite a while.

 Chapter 38 - Conducting experiments [8]

    (POV - Emily Parker)


    Even though it wasn¡¯t the first time Emily had witnessed something like this, she was still amazed. Even after years of studying and analyzing anomalies, she could count on one hand the times she¡¯d seen an anomaly using its power this close up. After all, in normal situations, all the scientists would have been dead after an experiment like this.


    Despite the reinforced glass, which could withstand the pressure of a bomb, neither Emily nor the scientists felt completely safe behind it. Anomalies, after all, were precisely that: entities that defied every logical notion they held.


    "Fascinating. She may not seem faster than the [Skull Wolf], but whenever she''s about to be caught, she suddenly vanishes and reappears somewhere else. Could that be a second anomalous power, or is it somehow connected to her eyes?"


    For a moment, Emily forgot she wasn¡¯t alone. She cast a discreet glance at Graham, but as always, his expression made it hard to tell what he was thinking.


    "Chief Researcher Emily, I don¡¯t recall reading about this in the reports you sent to headquarters. While there was mention of abnormal speed at certain moments, it was nothing as specific as what I''m seeing now"


    Translating what Emily heard from Graham, his words sounded more like: ¡°Why haven¡¯t I received updated reports on this? Are you withholding information from headquarters? You know that¡¯s a serious violation, right?¡± Emily frowned as she listened to Graham, interpreting his words for herself.


    "At the time we submitted the reports, we didn¡¯t have detailed information about its anomalous powers. In fact, they remain a complete mystery. Since we couldn¡¯t clearly observe what its other ability was, we chose to classify it as super speed. However, seeing this firsthand, I¡¯m reconsidering what this power might really be that it''s using to escape the [Skull Wolf]"


    Graham turned toward Emily with a curious look, a gesture that left her extremely uncomfortable, sending a shiver through her entire body.


    ¡°Interesting. What are your thoughts on this, Chief Researcher Emily?¡±


    Once again, a question emerged that made Emily feel she should avoid answering at all costs. However, even if she decided to lie at that moment, the truth would have to be revealed in the report. Strange things happened to scientists who concealed information; those who were taken often returned completely different from how they had been before.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Of course, the usual Emily would tell the truth since she had no reason to lie. However, she felt compelled to help the little anomaly. Although she¡¯d already done mental contamination tests without finding anything, she had come to accept that her true desire was to aid the little anomaly.


    Considering the possibility of partially revealing what she knew, Emily briefly opened her mouth, but her eyes widened at the same time. She wasn¡¯t the only one; everyone in the room wore similar expressions. The reason for their surprise was simple: the little anomaly had defeated the [Skull Wolf] in a highly unusual and unexpected way.


    ***


    (POV ¨C Protagonist)


    I¡¯d been running around the room for several minutes now. Every time the wolf got close enough to reach me, I activated my power, and while it was frozen in midair, I kept moving. Curiously, even after so much running, I didn¡¯t feel tired at all¡ªa clear sign that I was definitely not human.


    Even though, in theory, I could keep running from it forever thanks to my power, using it was starting to wear me out. While it still wasn¡¯t enough to make me stop, I could feel the gap between me and the wolf starting to close.


    Although it was a good strategy, it wasn¡¯t a permanent solution¡ªI¡¯d probably end up getting caught sooner or later. So I took advantage of a moment when the wolf was frozen to try to spot a weak point. All I found, however, was a small, rainbow-colored glimmer. If that was it, it would still be manageable.


    But the glimmer moved across the wolf¡¯s body. My first thought when I saw it was that this world was completely insane. Seriously, what was that supposed to be? Was that spot supposed to be its weak point? Did it have some kind of ¡°heart¡± that shifted around its body? How did something like that even work? Even the shadow I fought last time didn¡¯t have such a weird weak point.


    I mean, once you realize that the shadow is actually controlled by a main body, it¡¯s easier to accept. But how am I supposed to accept a weak point that moves around inside an elephant-sized wolf with a body coated in bones? Was this fight just a little unbalanced in my favor, or was that just my impression?.


    Still, I didn¡¯t have time to keep pondering these questions. It was clear from how long I¡¯d been running that it was unlikely anyone was coming to help. However, this chase hadn¡¯t been for nothing; during this time, I¡¯d thought up a few ways to deal with the wolf. Most of them involved escaping, but I¡¯d also considered a few strategies to defeat it.


    In the end, I decided to go with the option I felt had the lowest chance of failure. After all, I really didn¡¯t want to get bitten or, worse, eaten. Even if my body could regenerate, would it happen inside the monster¡¯s stomach? Although, if I were still alive in there, I¡¯d probably give it a bad case of indigestion.


    My arms were still stretched out in front of me as my body charged across the room at high speed. Ahead of me, all I saw was a wall, but in that specific spot, a shadow was cast¡ªright beneath the glass where the scientists were watching us. The shadow cast was Emily¡¯s.


    Although I hesitated to reveal more of my powers, in the end, did it really matter? Or rather, why did I even care about them finding out? With these thoughts, I ran as fast as my body could handle and threw myself into Emily¡¯s shadow, which expanded abnormally at my command, now large enough for the wolf to enter as well.

 Chapter 39 - Conducting experiments [9]

    I awkwardly swam through the shadows, trying to get as far away from the giant skeletal wolf as possible. To be honest, my attempt to swim looked more like someone drowning than actually swimming, which, from my perspective, had a kind of cute touch. Anyone watching from the outside would probably think the same.


    In any case, after swimming enough to feel safe, I looked back ¡ª although it was just a habit, as I could clearly see what was happening. In the portal I had dove into the shadows, the monster was snarling in my direction, but it didn''t take a step to try to reach me. However, half of its body was already crossing over.


    Initially, I thought about luring it in, and while it tried to follow me, I would simply exit, leaving it alone in the shadowy world. I had no idea what would happen to it when I closed the portal, but to be honest, I didn''t care at all. I mean, that thing had been trying to devour me just moments ago; feeling sorry for it was out of the question.


    Unfortunately, my plan failed the instant the skeletal wolf decided not to follow me. Of course, I had known from the start that this plan had several flaws, and one of them was manifesting right now. Fortunately, I had already prepared a plan B in case the first one went wrong. Moreover, I was lucky: everything I needed for plan B was exactly where it should be.


    I kept swimming under the watchful gaze of the skeletal wolf, passing beneath the portal it was using and continuing a bit further ahead. An interesting curiosity about this place is that I can exit at any point, even where there is no shadow.


    Putting that aside, after getting far enough away, I began to swim upward. Slowly, I emerged into a new portal that appeared in the room, with only my head surfacing. I watched the monster, which still seemed to be searching for me in the first portal I opened to escape.


    That was exactly the chance I had been waiting for. With a simple thought, the portal through which the monster was trying to reach me closed, separating the front part of its body from the back in an instant. A relatively loud thud echoed through the room as the back half collided with the ground.


    Noticing that the monster wasn''t moving, I completely exited the portal and turned briefly to see it closing behind me. Although I had used this power several times, I still found it completely mysterious. What, after all, was that place I entered and could swim through? Although I called it the "shadow world," was that really its name? In fact, I didn''t even know if that place had a name.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Moreover, at the time, I hadn''t really thought much about it. But entering that shadow, where exactly did I end up? That place was completely strange and defied all logic. Well, it wasn''t like I needed to worry about it anyway.


    With those distracted thoughts, I approached the fallen body of the monster. Driven by curiosity, I activated my eye power again while observing the part of the skeletal wolf that had remained on this side.


    (Ah! It''s still there)


    I was referring to the bright point that, under normal circumstances, would indicate the enemy''s weak spot. Although it had been moving erratically across the wolf''s body before, for some reason, that small, sparkling light, shimmering in rainbow colors, was now fixed on a specific part, right in the middle of its body.


    In any case, the hardest part was already done, even if it required cutting the skeletal wolf in half. As I got close enough to the monster''s body, I began to circle around it until I found a good angle. I wasn''t sure if the thing inside the wolf''s body could see me, but considering it wasn''t moving even with me just a few centimeters away, it seemed unlikely that it had that ability.


    I pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the bright light within the wolf''s body, which radiated in rainbow colors. At that moment, it was likely that my eyes reflected the same intensity. With my hand positioned, I pierced the monster''s body using all my strength. Unfortunately, I had to choose a specific spot since almost the entire wolf''s body was covered by bones.


    Although I was above the spot, I was still a bit off to the side. In the end, I missed the bright point by a few centimeters, which finally noticed my presence and began to run wildly across the wolf''s body. However, I had anticipated this reaction, and as soon as it headed towards the side I was anticipating, I prepared to act.


    I tore through the wolf''s flesh, and the bright point, which was moving too fast to stay still, ended up breaking free when I lifted the flesh, causing it to fly out. I glanced briefly at the small bright point as I deactivated my eye power.


    As for its appearance... well, to be honest, it was grotesque. It was the size of a child''s arm, and no matter where you looked from, it completely resembled a worm, its body covered by bones except for its head.


    I carefully descended from the huge wolf''s body, holding on to whatever I could. Again, I looked at the creature''s weak spot. My feet moved slowly as I began to follow it. While it was extremely fast inside the wolf''s body, outside here, its movements were so slow that they were almost imperceptible.


    I watched that creature for a few seconds, tilting my head to the side in an attempt to understand what it was. I didn''t think much more about it before stepping on the creature''s head, causing a murky green liquid to gush out, spreading through the environment like a cloud of dust, even covering my body with several green stains.


    Above my head, the golden sphere appeared again. I activated my eye power and calmly watched it as it absorbed the colors around me. A brilliant synergy unfolded before me, revealing the involuntary action of acquiring even more anomalous powers.

 Chapter 40 - Conducting experiments [10]

    (POV - Emily Parker)


    (What I witnessed that day... it wasn¡¯t a dream!)


    Emily was referring to the moment when she was nearly captured by [Shadow]. After the small anomaly eliminated her, Emily, already quite exhausted, watched as the little anomaly "sank" into the ground while holding what she discovered to be the main body of [Shadow]. At that moment, however, she dismissed the vision as a mere hallucination.


    Even Laura, who was also present at the time, claimed she didn¡¯t see anything because she was lying down and relieved to have escaped with her life from that situation. Personally, she didn¡¯t blame her for that¡ªafter all, she had acted the same way back then.


    Now, however, things were different. Emily was witnessing firsthand the anomaly using a new power¡ªor rather, the same power it had used after defeating [Shadow] on a previous occasion. Yet, Emily couldn¡¯t understand how or why that happened.


    The power was, in some ways, similar to [Shadow]¡¯s¡ªor maybe it was even the same power. But what exactly did that mean? The only conclusion Emily could reach was that the little anomaly could learn new anomalous abilities. But if that were really true, how was it doing that?


    "This is new. I don¡¯t remember seeing this ability mentioned in the report you sent, and by your reaction, it seems like it¡¯s the first time you¡¯ve seen it use it too"


    Emily didn¡¯t know if she should feel lucky that Graham mistook her expression of disbelief for surprise. Either way, how exactly was she supposed to respond to that question? While it was true that it was the first time it had used that ability, it wasn¡¯t like Emily had never seen it before. At that moment, though, she thought she was going through some kind of post-traumatic hallucination¡ªshe was sure of it.


    ¡°Yes, up until now, we didn¡¯t have any reports or recordings of it using that ability¡±


    Emily completely ignored Graham¡¯s looks as she responded, focusing all her attention on her clipboard, where she was recording the new discoveries about the little anomaly.


    ¡°¡­ classify its risk as Obscurium¡±


    Emily¡¯s hands stopped writing as soon as her ears caught Graham¡¯s words. Slowly, she turned her gaze to him, thinking she must have heard wrong. However, what she saw was Graham¡¯s firm expression, a clear indication that he wouldn¡¯t repeat his words.


    From the organization¡¯s point of view, Obscurium was classified as medium risk¡ªneither extremely dangerous nor completely harmless. However, for Emily, there weren¡¯t enough reasons to categorize the anomaly that way.


    ¡°Director Graham, are you sure that classification is the most appropriate? So far, the anomaly hasn¡¯t shown any aggressive behavior towards humans. Wouldn¡¯t it be more appropriate to classify it as Luminis, at least for now?¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    As she awaited Graham¡¯s response, Emily squeezed the clipboard tightly. When his eyes turned to her, an inexplicable discomfort washed over her. To make matters worse, Graham¡¯s lips moved strangely, as if he were trying to suppress a smile. While she already found his behavior peculiar, at that moment, it seemed even more out of the ordinary.


    ¡°Chief Researcher Emily Parker, do you really believe that, even after witnessing the anomaly killing the [Skull Wolf] with your own eyes? You know it had the same danger classification we¡¯re assigning to this new anomaly, right? Considering its anomalous abilities and its unpredictable nature¡ªsince we don¡¯t know when it might turn against us¡ªthe most appropriate classification would be Aetheris. However, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary¡­ at least not for now¡±


    For a moment, Emily recalled the classifications assigned to anomalies after being studied and cataloged. These categories ranged from the most peaceful, which often didn¡¯t even need to be contained, to the most dangerous, with significant global risk. Although rare and almost extinct, some anomalies were cataloged as impossible to contain, thus receiving their own classifications.


    1 - Luminis Classification: Anomalies considered harmless. They can be studied openly, and their containment is minimal, as they do not pose significant risks.


    2 - Obscurium Classification: These are anomalies that require more resources to be completely contained or for which containment is not always feasible. Generally, it is because the anomaly is insufficiently understood or fundamentally unpredictable.


    3 - Aetheris Classification: These are anomalies that are excessively difficult to contain consistently or reliably, with containment procedures often being extensive and complex. The organization often fails to contain these anomalies well due to not having a solid understanding of them, or due to a lack of technology to properly contain or combat them. An Aetheris anomaly does not mean that the anomaly is dangerous, only that it is very difficult to contain.


    4 - Nihilum Classification: These are anomalies that cannot be contained, which must imminently violate containment or some other similar scenario. These anomalies are often associated with end-of-world threats.


    5 - Special Classification: These are anomalies that the organization uses to contain or counteract other anomalies or anomalous phenomena. Even the existence of Special class objects is classified to the highest levels of the organization, and their locations, functions, and current statuses are known by few employees of the organization.


    Emily couldn¡¯t find words to refute Graham¡¯s statements, as he was just following procedures. Even in light of the little anomaly¡¯s capabilities, she couldn¡¯t think of a more appropriate classification. In the end, Emily just nodded, returning to her usual professional expression.


    ¡°Understood, Director. From today on, we will classify it as Obscurium¡±


    In the end, Emily considered this the lesser of two evils. After all, there were much harsher classifications that would impose far greater restrictions than what she faced now. At least concerning Obscurium, almost nothing would change in how the anomaly was currently treated.


    -


    [Report on Anomalous Entity]


    Date: September 8


    Reported by: Chief Researcher, Emily Parker


    During new tests with the entity, it demonstrated impressive physical strength and agility. Whenever the [Skull Wolf] approached to capture it, it would disappear and reappear about a meter in front of him. Additionally, a new anomalous power, similar to that of [Shadow], was confirmed. More tests are needed to determine the differences between their powers.


    Risk level classification: Obscurium.


    Additional requests: None.


    -

 Chapter 41 - Black Lake [1]

    (POV - Graham Vickers)


    Graham Vickers, one of the directors of the organization that protects humanity from beings that completely defy logic and human understanding, possessed, given his position, extensive knowledge about the secrets and global operations of the organization. Of course, this wasn''t exactly new information, as most people working in the organization had some notion of it.


    However, Graham held information that many did not, such as knowledge about anomalies that had previously been captured and cataloged. Thanks to his position, he was able to create justifications and reasons to keep some of these anomalies out of the public eye. One of them was a particularly intriguing anomalous object.


    In a way, the anomaly was harmless. Several tests had demonstrated that it was an inanimate object, devoid of any will or thought. In short, it was just a tool. However, this simple anomaly had a distinguishing feature that made it truly unique.


    The anomaly resembled an old typewriter, and like an ordinary typewriter, it could be used for writing. However, once a piece of paper was placed on it, the machine began to write by itself, without any assistance. Many studies had been conducted on this machine, but no other functionality beyond this had been found.


    However, Graham was the first to discover its true functionality, although it was by accident. One day, Graham decided to write on the machine without placing any paper, just out of curiosity to see if anything would happen. However, as soon as he did, the typewriter suddenly started writing by itself again.


    An old, worn piece of paper mysteriously appeared where there should have been nothing. The moment Graham picked it up, his life and all his goals changed completely.


    Graham lost his family to an unknown anomaly when he was younger. Since then, he had been trying to understand these anomalies but had actually become obsessed with their anomalous powers and how they could break patterns once thought impossible.


    Graham wanted to know what existed beyond death and believed that his family had died for a greater purpose. As the sole survivor, he had a blind conviction that he had a mission to fulfill.


    Graham knew that one day he would achieve what he had been seeking for so long. To him, it didn''t matter what he had to sacrifice or how inhumane it might seem; he would continue until he reached his grand objective.


    Graham was brought back to reality by the distinctive ring of his phone. Stopping in the middle of the long corridor of the facility, he answered it, bringing it to his ear. He didn''t say a word, but soon a voice sounded from the other end of the line.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "Hey, little director, just calling to let you know that the plan was a complete success. The lead researcher really turned a blind eye while I walked right past her, hehe"


    Upon hearing the man''s words from the other side, Graham raised an eyebrow but maintained his calm, composed, and imposing expression.


    "You called me just to say that? From the start, the plan had no flaws. Emily is smart, but when we overload her mind with multiple situations, her actions become confused. She ends up making trivial mistakes she would normally avoid, like not carefully checking a new employee"


    The voice on the other end of the line laughed again, in a tone that overflowed with happiness, mixed with a hint of madness. Even Graham felt uncomfortable hearing the man.


    "Funny to hear that from you. But putting that aside, we¡¯ll soon be starting the next phase of the plan. I confirmed that ¡°she¡± is who we''re looking for. We need to bring her to our side, but first, we must get her away from the facility. I assume you¡¯ve already thought about how to do that, right, Director Graham Vickers?"


    ***


    (POV ¨C Protagonist)


    My week after last week''s tests, to be honest, hasn¡¯t changed as much as I imagined, considering everything I demonstrated to them. Well, if I had to highlight any change, I guess I would mention the drastic reduction in the number of scientists who used to visit me periodically¡ªalmost as if I were some kind of rare specimen or something.


    Other than that, nothing really changed. Emily and Laura continue to visit me and bring things that, to be honest, I never use, like dolls. However, they almost always bring snacks for me. Besides that, my outings using my shadow movement abilities continue as usual.


    I thought they would remove any light sources from my room, but it seems they still don''t quite understand how my ability works. In fact, they have increased the lighting quite a bit around here. The problem is that this ends up having the opposite effect, as with so much furniture, the bright light just creates more shadows in the environment.


    Going back to the issue of still needing to sneak out, I coincidentally discovered the reason why my usual visits from various scientists have been cut back. Apparently, they''ve finally given me a risk classification, something called Obscurium. The name sounds like it''s from a work of fiction, but apparently, this classification limits who can visit me.


    I haven''t heard much about the other classifications, but it seems there are three more above mine. I wonder if there¡¯s a classification for beings with divine powers or something like that. I mean, there must be some anomaly out there so powerful that they can''t contain it, right?


    Anyway, continuing with the updates: I gained a new power after absorbing the colors from that skeletal wolf. Just like it, I can now coat my body in a bone armor. I haven''t tested the durability of these bones yet, but considering the wolf was the original user of the ability, I can probably withstand most attacks with little to no damage.


    Although it''s obvious, I''ve avoided using this ability near other people, especially the scientists. I think it¡¯s wise to keep some tricks up my sleeve, but the main reason is that I simply don¡¯t see the need to use it. This ability seems purely defensive, and besides protecting me, it doesn¡¯t offer any form of attack.


    Considering that the wolf, the former owner of this ability, was already a weapon in itself, it probably didn''t need to develop it for attacking. And honestly, I don¡¯t know if I could enhance an ability beyond what the original wielder did. At least until now, in the time I''ve used my abilities, no change has occurred.

 Chapter 42 - Black Lake [2]

    (POV - Laura Cavendish)


    Since the experiments conducted last week at the facility, things had been a bit hectic for Laura, one of the researchers responsible for the new anomaly discovered in the forest a few weeks ago. For some reason, Director Graham had shown interest in the small anomaly, which made Laura uncomfortable.


    Since meeting the director in the past, Laura had always been wary of him. To her, it didn¡¯t matter how you looked at it: the man seemed completely suspicious. Besides, Laura didn¡¯t exactly know why, but every time she spoke with him, she felt like he never said what he truly thought. However, she dismissed that idea as something from her imagination.


    Furthermore, the small anomaly had also been assigned a risk classification. However, Laura couldn¡¯t bring herself to feel satisfied with that news, as it was classified as Obscurium. While this wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad category, Laura just couldn¡¯t accept this decision.


    She still considered this classification to be an overreaction for the small anomaly, which had never harmed any humans since it was discovered. On the contrary, it seemed to protect them whenever something happened. Of course, Laura imagined these could just be coincidences, but the fact that the anomaly had never hurt anyone was still significant.


    So, when she was called by her boss, Emily, Laura decided to protest, expressing all her frustration on behalf of the small anomaly since it couldn¡¯t defend itself. With a determined look, Laura walked to the door, took a deep breath to gather her courage, and entered the room with a clear objective in mind.


    "Boss! I... what happened to you?"


    When Laura asked the question with a surprised expression, Emily, who was focused on the papers on her desk, briefly looked up at her before returning her attention to the documents. In that moment, Laura could see the exhaustion and emptiness in Emily''s eyes.


    Instead of a person, Emily seemed more like a zombie ¡ª and Laura knew exactly what she was talking about since an anomaly resembling a zombie virus really did exist and had once infected an entire village. Of course, as with most anomalies, it was now properly cataloged and contained.


    "Oh, Laura, you finally made it! I called you fifteen minutes ago. Why did it take you so long to get from your office to mine? We''re literally in the same hallway"


    Laura didn¡¯t know how to respond to Emily¡¯s question. In fact, she wondered if Emily was really okay. As mentioned, she looked like a zombie, but as strange as it was, Laura didn¡¯t have the impression that Emily wanted to devour her or anything like that. Realizing she was straying from the subject, Laura shook her head to refocus.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "Umm... Sorry for the delay, boss. Do you need something from me?"


    Emily nodded, then took an envelope from the drawer of her desk, tossing it onto the surface in front of Laura. With a confused expression, Laura glanced quickly at Emily before picking up the envelope and opening it, revealing its contents. As she started reading, her expression shifted, growing more and more sour with each word.


    "Boss... is what¡¯s written here true? Are we transferring the small anomaly to Base 17?!!!"


    Emily quickly covered her ears upon hearing Laura¡¯s outburst. Though she had already anticipated that Laura would react this way, she had to admit the response was much more hysterical than she expected.


    "Boss, we can''t do this. You know that place is dangerous. We built it specifically to contain a single anomaly. What if we never see the small anomaly again after sending it there?"


    Emily couldn¡¯t counter Laura¡¯s words; she knew better than anyone what kind of place Base 17 was. Even sharing the same opinion, she knew there wasn¡¯t much she could do about it. The orders came from above, and despite her considerable influence within the organization, she didn¡¯t have enough power to challenge the higher-ups.


    "Sorry, Laura. This is a direct order from above, and unfortunately, I don¡¯t have the authority to contest it. It¡¯ll have to go to Base 17"


    Emily¡¯s words made Laura finally resign herself. She knew complaining wouldn¡¯t help in this situation; deep down, she was just throwing a tantrum. Still, Laura didn¡¯t give up: puffing out her cheeks and crossing her arms, she looked visibly displeased with the news. Seeing her expression, Emily raised an eyebrow and asked.


    "Why are you looking at me like that?"


    "Humpf! Just making my dissatisfaction clear!"


    Emily watched her for a few seconds before lightly shaking her head. That scene was almost routine between them ¡ª whenever Laura considered something unjust, she¡¯d make exactly that face. However, Emily knew she couldn¡¯t help her this time, as it was a superior¡¯s order. Sighing, she spoke calmly.


    "Listen before you start complaining. It''s true that we''ll have to send it to Base 17, but I made sure that we¡¯ll both go too, as its supervisors. Anyway, they had no reason to refuse, since we''ve been overseeing it from the beginning"


    Emily noticed Laura¡¯s expression soften quickly at the news, but that only made the situation even stranger. Normally, Laura would be the first to want to avoid Base 17. In fact, it was rare for a scientist to go to that place willingly, and most who did didn¡¯t come back. There were instructions on how to behave at Base 17, of course, but they weren¡¯t always effective.


    "Hm? Boss, why did you press the button to call security? And... isn¡¯t that the button for mental contamination cases?"


    Noticing Laura¡¯s puzzled look, Emily just smiled, while Laura, confused, tilted her head to the side. At that moment, the door opened, and two security guards entered, each grabbing one of Laura¡¯s arms.


    "Hey! Why are you holding me? I didn¡¯t do anything!"


    As she watched the guards take Laura away, Emily returned her gaze to the papers on the desk. However, a shiver ran down her spine as she remembered the mental contamination tests conducted by the organization.


    "... Well, Laura will probably be fine... I hope"

 Chapter 43 - Black Lake [3]

    (POV ¨C Protagonist)


    When you imagine something being transported through the air, and that something turns out to be a nuclear bomb or something similar, you¡¯d probably think of a military plane, right? Well, I thought the same thing. That¡¯s why I¡¯m still surprised they¡¯re taking me somewhere in a private jet.


    The jet even had a space specially prepared to fit my glass aquarium. The first time I noticed that, I thought the jet had definitely been customized for me. Initially, I considered that this customization must¡¯ve been quite expensive, but when I remembered we were dealing with the government, I quickly put that thought aside.


    A few days ago, I tried to understand the true extent of the operations involving anomalies. However, once I realized this was happening on a global scale, I realized the situation was much more complex than it seemed. At the very least, countries all over the world were involved. What¡¯s most surprising is that humanity apparently has no idea beings like me exist, or even that shadow I defeated at the base.


    Although I¡¯ve drifted a bit off-topic, what I¡¯m trying to say is that this organization has money¡ªand not just a little. They really seem to have A LOT of money. Once I realized that, I decided to stop investigating. It would only give me a headache. In the end, this really had nothing to do with me.


    By the way, I have no idea where we¡¯re going. A few hours ago, when Laura came to visit me in the room, she seemed pouty and upset. Every time she tried to say something, she ended up nearly crying, saying how she¡¯d always think of me and take care of me, among other things. That made me start wondering if we were heading to some dangerous place or something like that.


    Besides Emily and Laura, who were with me as my researchers, we also had some security guards with us. Although they looked tough and were armed¡ªeven though the weapons were a little odd¡ªwhenever I looked at them, their bodies seemed to freeze for some reason.


    Of course, leading everyone was Victor. It had been a while since I last saw him, probably since the incident with the shadow at the facility. I wasn¡¯t sure if his presence was a good sign or not. Normally, when Victor was around, strange things tended to happen¡ªthough, of course, I didn¡¯t have concrete proof to support my theories.


    "... Why the hell is she looking at me like that?"


    Victor seemed to notice I was watching him, but I didn¡¯t try to hide it. I tilted my head to the side, as usual, and blinked my golden eyes. Laura noticed our exchange and quickly averted her gaze to me before turning back to Victor.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    "Maybe you bothered her somehow?"


    "... Even though I haven¡¯t said a word since I got on the jet?"


    I listened carefully to the exchange between Victor and Laura. How can I put it? Despite their distinct personalities¡ªLaura being more lively and Victor being more reserved¡ªthey both seemed completely in sync, as if they were on the same page, somehow.


    Well, those kinds of exchanges continued for hours, but honestly, at some point, I started suspecting it was just a way to relieve the tension. I could sense the anxiety of everyone around me, and it only fueled my curiosity about where we were heading.


    What kind of scary place were these people taking me to? Of course, I wasn¡¯t worried about myself¡ªI''d probably be fine no matter what¡ªbut I couldn¡¯t say the same for Victor, Laura, and Emily.


    "You two, stop with the nonsense! Listening to you is giving me a headache, and we haven¡¯t even gotten to the complicated part yet. Also, it seems like we¡¯re almost there. Everyone, get ready to disembark"


    Some time later, it seemed we had finally reached our destination. Of course, I had no idea where we were, but I knew because Emily scolded Laura and Victor, who had been arguing since the start of the flight. To be honest, it took longer than I expected, and I was completely bored. Where the hell was this base located? I¡¯m not sure if it was just my impression, but it felt like we¡¯d been in that jet all day.


    Anyway, as Emily pointed out, we had actually arrived. As always, Laura started moving me out of the jet, where we¡¯d finally get some fresh air. Of course, I don¡¯t mean me, since I was inside a giant aquarium, or rather, I couldn¡¯t even breathe.


    Did that sentence even make sense to me? Anyway, the place we had arrived at, no matter how you looked at it, looked like a forest... And why was it giving me such a strong feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu?.


    Ah, yes, it was because I had woken up in a similar forest. In the end, I still had no idea why we were there. Although I tried to ask while we were on the jet, it wasn¡¯t like I could talk. Even gesturing, all I managed to do was make Laura think I was adorable.


    Well, about the place, we were on a landing strip in the middle of the forest. On one side, there were just trees as far as the eye could see, and on the other, the scenery was the same, with the difference of a facility visible in the distance. Maybe it was Base 17¡­ but honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure.


    Also, it was snowing¡­ Yes, technically, we should¡¯ve been in summer. Putting aside my exaggeration inside the jet, it wasn¡¯t like we¡¯d crossed the world, and the flight didn¡¯t even take 30 minutes. So, where exactly were we for it to be snowing? Not to mention, something even stranger was happening with the snow.


    Although it was just a coincidence, when I activated my eyes, several faint colored lines appeared in my field of vision. Even after rubbing my eyes and deactivating and reactivating my power, the lines didn¡¯t disappear. I didn¡¯t exactly know what that meant, but it seemed like both the snow and the trees around us were anomalies¡ªor maybe they were part of some anomaly.

 Chapter 44 - Black Lake [4]

    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 ¡ª including the snow and the trees ¡ª 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 ¡ª 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?)

 Chapter 45 - Black Lake [5]

    "Although I read in the report that this base is completely closed for security reasons, I still don¡¯t understand why they had to replace the conventional doors with these. I mean, if a containment breach happens while they¡¯re outside, wouldn¡¯t it be even harder to locate the door since it looks like the walls?"


    As she got lost in thoughts about Graham and his true motives, Emily blinked briefly when she heard Laura¡¯s words. She remembered that although Laura was a scientist in the organization and knew what kind of place Base 17 was, nothing compared to actually being there in person, as opposed to the reports and documents that described the place.


    Besides, the reports, while informative about the anomalies, didn¡¯t provide the full context. Often, simple explanations like "There have been containment breaches in the past, so we decided to remove all doors, at least until they aren¡¯t visible anymore" were the norm. These were the types of explanations found in the security reports: direct, objective, without delving into details.


    "This happened in the beginning, when we built the base around the anomaly, as recorded in the reports. At first, we used conventional doors. But when the containment breaches started, we realized that, for some reason, the anomalies derived from the Base 17 anomaly were able to get through those doors. While switching to more secure doors has somewhat improved safety, still... if another breach happens... honestly, I don¡¯t even want to think about it"


    Emily¡¯s body involuntarily shivered as she recalled the events she witnessed at Base 17: colleagues who died in horrific and terrifying ways, along with distorted, completely surreal visions that appeared in the snow-covered forest surrounding the anomaly.


    With Emily¡¯s memories, the already vast corridors felt even more endless and cold. With every step, her heart tightened and quickened, as if all her instincts were telling her that fleeing right then would be the most sensible choice, the only truly viable option. However, since becoming a scientist in the organization, Emily had simply stopped following her instincts.


    ***


    (POV ¨C Protagonist)


    My aquarium was following down the endless white corridor, lit by ceiling lights that seemed to stretch on forever. Of course, that was just my impression; it had probably been no more than two minutes since we passed the strange spiral door. By the way, if those ceiling lights started flickering, wouldn¡¯t it be the perfect setting for some kind of haunting to appear?.


    Or better yet, do hauntings really exist? I know that, technically, I¡¯m a translucent being with eyes that glow in the dark like candles, but I still consider myself something within the bounds of acceptable. However, a haunting... that definitely seems to fall outside of that concept, right?.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    If we¡¯re dealing with a haunting, wouldn¡¯t it be able to move objects with its mind and walk through walls? Personally, I keep thinking: how would you even defeat something like a ghost? Even if it had a weakness, is it really possible to "kill" something that¡¯s technically already dead?.


    Anyway, back to the present: looks like we¡¯ve finally reached our destination. At the end of the corridor, a wall completely blocked our way, making us stop for a moment. However, just like at the entrance, the wall suddenly spiraled open, revealing more long and vast corridors ahead of us.


    This time, though, unlike the previous corridor where we could only go forward, several forks appeared, leading to different paths within Base 17. Finally, we started to see people around, but the environment here felt extremely gloomy, very different from the atmosphere of the base I was in earlier. Also, I noticed there were no scientists in sight.


    "Why aren¡¯t there any scientists here? This is making me uncomfortably uneasy"


    Victor seemed to have the same question I did. Honestly, I was relieved he asked it since I couldn¡¯t find the words. Laura, who was pushing my aquarium, also looked at Emily, visibly curious for the same reason.


    "... Well, it¡¯s not exactly a secret or anything like that... The truth is, this place is pretty dangerous. The scientists, aside from their knowledge of the brain, couldn¡¯t be called anything other than dead weight. Many died during the containment breaches that happened. In the end, the council decided to suspend the scientists¡¯ activities in Base 17. Now, the only ones allowed to stay here are members of the team trained to collect data according to the scientists¡¯ instructions"


    When Emily finished speaking, the environment fell into a deep silence. Although no one had said anything, it was almost certain that we all shared the same thought. Laura, staying true to her style, was the first to express her doubt, raising an eyebrow and giving Emily a questioning look.


    "But, boss... you and I... aren¡¯t we both scientists?"


    I turned slowly toward Emily, and as soon as I saw her, I noticed she was looking at Laura with her head slightly tilted, as if wondering what kind of silly question Laura had just asked.


    "If I¡¯m not imagining things ¨C and I¡¯m sure I¡¯m not, since my memory is excellent ¨C didn¡¯t you say that the training for the organization¡¯s newcomers was hell, Laura?"


    For some reason, her words felt empty and distant. Laura and Victor exchanged glances, swallowing nervously, waiting in silence for what Emily would say next. I, on the other hand, blinked my golden eyes, eagerly anticipating what Emily would say next.


    "Welcome to the real hell on Earth, the place we call Base 17"


    Emily said this with a smile that somehow had something sinister about it. Neither Laura nor Victor seemed comfortable with her words; in fact, they only seemed to intensify their fear. Laura, especially, was already shaking, while Victor, on the other hand, just stiffened his expression, taking on a grave and serious look.


    Emily finally noticed my gaze, and upon seeing me, smiled in my direction. I responded to her smile with a simple gesture, tilting my head to the side, trying to understand why the hell she was smiling like that.


    (This woman has completely lost her mind, or something like that?)

 Chapter 46 - Black Lake [6]

    In the end, everyone decided to simply ignore Emily¡¯s comments. Although I didn¡¯t know the exact reason, I imagined it was some kind of defense mechanism to avoid fear¡ªespecially for Laura, who looked like she might run off at any moment. However, when Emily ordered the guards to stop Laura from fleeing, her expression changed instantly, and for a moment, I thought she might cry.


    Victor, on the other hand, didn¡¯t seem scared but rather anxious. And, well, I could understand that; after all, a containment breach could happen at any moment without warning. From Emily¡¯s words, this happened quite often here¡ªaround nine times a year.


    I know that might seem like little, considering a year is a long time, but when you think about it, it¡¯s nearly once a month. From the information I gathered while exploring the facility, containment breaches are rare events¡ªthough that depends a lot on the facility in question.


    At my old facility, for example, a containment breach was uncommon, happening maybe once a year if we were lucky. This, of course, was because there weren¡¯t many truly dangerous anomalies there. From what I knew, [Shadow], now resting in peace, was the most dangerous being in that facility... although, if I think about it, I, the one who killed him, ended up becoming something even more dangerous.


    "Let¡¯s split up for now; I have something to take care of. Laura and Victor, I want you both to take the anomaly to the containment room. The rest of you, come with me"


    My mind snapped back to the present as soon as Emily¡¯s voice echoed beside me. After speaking, she walked down the hallway, followed by the other soldiers. In the end, only Laura, Victor, and I remained at the point where the hallway branched off to the left. We stood there for a moment, staring at the path where Emily had disappeared, before finally moving forward in the direction she had indicated.


    As I walked down the hallway, I noticed the lack of designated places to contain anomalies, unlike the base I came from. While I wasn¡¯t sure, I guessed this was because the anomaly held in base 17 wasn¡¯t exactly a living being. Of course, I hadn¡¯t seen it yet, so I couldn¡¯t draw any definitive conclusions.


    When we reached the end of the hallway, all we found was a door, similar to the one in my room at the old base. But why was there just this one? Although I hadn¡¯t explored the entire base yet, it seemed odd that along such a long hallway, there was only a single containment room. Did that really make sense?.


    When the door opened, my eyes widened in surprise. Compared to the hallway, and seen from the outside, you wouldn¡¯t expect to find such a large room inside. It seemed to be at least five times the size of mine. That made me think that whatever they were trying to contain, it couldn¡¯t be something small.


    Did this have anything to do with the anomaly at base 17? To be honest, I hadn¡¯t seen it since I arrived. Although the forest and the snow are part of the anomaly at base 17, I hadn¡¯t had the chance to get a close look at it to draw any conclusions.


    "I know I¡¯ve said this before, but I urgently need to find another job. When I started here, I thought I¡¯d be dealing with simple tasks. But before I knew it, I found myself in a place where even the scientists refuse to go because of the dangers involved"


    I heard Victor¡¯s complaint from inside my bubble. I won¡¯t lie, I felt a little sorry for him. From my perspective, it seemed like the guy had been tricked by the high salary¡­ By the way, how much do you think he makes? I know it¡¯s quite a lot, but it¡¯s not like I¡¯ve seen his bank statement with my own eyes.


    "You¡¯ve told me that a thousand times, Victor, and in the end, you never leave. In the end, both the security staff at the facility and the scientists are the same, we just have different roles"


    Honestly, I had no idea what they were talking about, but from what I gathered, this wasn¡¯t the first time they¡¯d had this conversation. Victor¡¯s face turned grim, but in the end, he just sighed and gave a defeated look.


    (You seem to be going through a lot, Victor. Honestly, I¡¯m rooting for your well-being, my friend)


    "... Why the hell is she looking at me like I¡¯m a lost cause?"


    Victor seemed to notice my gaze, and Laura turned to see what was going on. When she saw me, she gave a playful smile before answering Victor¡¯s question.


    "Are you not?"


    I saw Victor¡¯s eyebrows furrow and a vein appear on his forehead, but let¡¯s just skip over the next 10 seconds after that.


    ***


    (POV - Emily Parker)


    "Let¡¯s begin the interview. I hope you can answer my questions"The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Emily¡¯s tone at that moment was infinitely colder than usual, and her expression was as empty as a starless night. She was in a dark room, with two armed guards standing behind her, ready for anything that might happen. In front of her was a long, square table, with a man sitting on the other side.


    "Tell me, what exactly did you see?"


    Emily¡¯s question sounded authoritative and cold, but the man just lifted his gaze and stared at her. His eyes were completely empty, devoid of any emotion or feeling. Emily, in turn, felt the same toward him.


    After all, he was a prisoner, condemned by society for horrible acts. In his case, he had cold-bloodedly killed his wife and daughter. To Emily, people like him weren¡¯t human, but merely tools she could¡ªand would¡ªuse to gather more data on dangerous anomalies.


    "You... no, all of you, have no idea what that thing really is, do you? That damn Black Lake!"


    Despite the man''s angry and agitated voice, Emily showed no reaction. Her gaze remained emotionless as she stared at him, completely ignoring him. Calmly, she picked up a folder with documents beside the desk and began to read them.


    "It says here that about four months ago, another attempt at interaction was made at the Black Lake. Along with you, there were 12 other prisoners, but you were the only one found a few meters from the pool, buried in the thick snow. What exactly happened? There''s nothing in the reports"


    Emily lowered the report and fixed her gaze on the man. However, he didn''t answer her question; instead, he grabbed his own head with his hands and began to shake almost uncontrollably, repeating the same words.


    "We made it angry! We made it angry! We made it angry!"


    Emily raised an eyebrow upon hearing the man''s repeated words; to her, it seemed he had just suddenly gone mad. She then glanced behind him, where a guard was standing ready, and gave a slight nod. The guard quickly approached, pulling a syringe from his pocket. Without delay, he applied it to the man''s neck and began injecting its contents.


    Within seconds, the man visibly calmed down. His breath, once harsh and rapid, began to return to a normal rhythm. Although Emily wasn''t particularly fond of using this method, she had to admit it was effective when prisoners went off track.


    "Are you calm now? Please answer my questions. What exactly did you see at the Black Lake, four months ago?"


    Emily waited patiently for the man''s response, who was still breathing with some difficulty, but much calmer than moments ago. He looked at her before swallowing hard, his body starting to tremble again. While Emily didn''t know exactly what had happened that day, she could only imagine based on the man''s reaction whenever the topic was brought up.


    "We... we were just following the organization''s orders. They told us to use an immersion pump to try to drain the lake. Now that I think about it, I don¡¯t know why we never considered that possibility before. If the goal was to find out what was at the bottom, why not just drain it?"


    Of course, Emily listened closely to every word the man said. After the interview, she would analyze the audio and video recordings by herself, studying them to draw her own conclusions. By the way, Graham, who was also interested in the lake, had suggested several times to drain the water.


    However, Emily always stopped him. She found the lake''s behavior strange, as if it had a life of its own, an essence that made it almost... a living being.


    In summary, what was known so far was that the lake functioned as a portal to somewhere. Its name alone suggested the mystery: it was a completely dark water lake, located in the heart of the forest.


    Although the reason was still unknown, it was confirmed that the lake created distortions in its surroundings, such as snow that never stopped falling, regardless of the season, and trees that, even when cut down, would grow back within moments.


    Of course, that wasn''t the worst part of the lake. The worst part was that "things" would often emerge from the dark water, always at different times and days, with different appearances each time. However, there was something in common between them all: they were grotesque and distorted creatures, unrecognizable as any being a human had ever seen. Furthermore, all of them, without exception, had a single goal: to hunt and kill humans.


    Although she couldn''t prove it, Emily was certain that Graham was behind the order to drain the lake. In a way, he always showed a growing impatience for results ¡ª one of his biggest flaws and the main reason why Emily despised him. After all, the more intense his thirst for results, the less human he became in his pursuit of them.


    "So, what happened after the draining started?"


    The man placed his hand on his head again after Emily''s question, but unlike the last time, he didn''t seem as scared into silence. She then waited patiently for the words he had to say.


    "We didn''t know that thing would get so furious, we had no idea what it was capable of. If we''d known, we''d have preferred to kill ourselves rather than face it"


    The man paused briefly and began looking around. His eyes didn''t fix on anything specific; he seemed just to be searching for something. When he realized there was nothing, his expression visibly relaxed, and he resumed his story.


    "Suddenly... it came out and started chasing us. Even when we hid, it seemed to know exactly where we were. When we begged, it just ignored us, and when we tried to end it all, it brought us back to life to kill us however it wanted... ha... haha... ahahahaha! We managed to make it angry, and now it¡¯s coming to take revenge on all of us. There''s no escape here anymore. We''re all going to die here, miserably. Ahahahahahaha!!!"


    As the man became visibly agitated, starting to speak to himself and pinch his eyes with his fingers, Emily quickly ordered the guards to intervene. They rushed over and stopped him from doing whatever it seemed he was about to do. After the man was taken away, Emily was the only one left in the room. Her breath, heavy and ragged, was the only sound in that moment.


    Several disturbing thoughts passed through Emily''s mind, each more unsettling than the last. However, there was something that made her tremble more than fear: curiosity. The feeling was indescribable, a deep yearning to understand what had attacked the men. If it was possible, she wanted to study it.


    However, Emily was curious, not reckless. She knew that acting like this would be like seeking death. Finally, she sighed, resigned, stood up, and walked toward the exit of the interrogation room. Only one thought dominated her mind at that moment.


    "What the hell really happened near the Black Lake four months ago?"