Anomaly

(POV – Protagonist)

You’re probably wondering why I’m trying to help people I’ve never met before, right? Especially when, not long ago, those same people opened a dimensional portal that brought an incredibly powerful anomaly to... our dimension? Our world? I’m not sure which term would be more appropriate here, but anyway, the point is: honestly, I don’t even know why I’m doing this myself.

To put it simply, there's probably no benefit in saving them. I don't know these people, so I have no reason to help them, and none of them are close enough to me to justify any effort on my part right now. In short, there's no reason for me to offer help.

However, if I’m being honest, there really isn’t any reason for me not to help if I see someone in danger right in front of me. It’s not because I want to help them, but simply because I can. In the end, it won’t change anything, but somehow, it would make me feel a bit better about myself.

That said, it doesn’t change the fact that, over time, seeing humans die probably won’t make me feel sorry or anything like that. Of course, that doesn’t mean I won’t try to help those I know, using all the skills I have, especially Laura and Emily, who’ve taken care of me since I became an anomaly.

Well, Victor too, although he seems tough on the outside, he’s actually a pretty cool guy. He usually gives me candy when Laura and Emily forbid it. Of course, he probably thinks I won’t tell them, since I can’t speak, but that’s not relevant right now.

The issue that persists is that, at some point, seeing humans die—whether children or women—didn’t stir anything in me. No remorse, no compassion, no other feeling. Just a deep indifference. And that’s what scares me the most.

But, what can I do? It’s not like I can reverse the changes that are happening. In the end, I’ve come to the conclusion that accepting them, without losing what still defines me, what makes me who I am, would be the wisest choice.

I sighed inwardly at my own thoughts and went back to work removing the rocks. Fortunately, it didn’t take as long as I feared. With the help of my Alter Ego, I finished much faster than I expected.

Although I couldn’t remove all the stones from the entrance, I cleared a hole big enough for people to pass through, even if they had to squeeze.

My Alter Ego, on the other hand, transformed into a dark sphere and returned inside me after fulfilling what seemed to be its mission. While I know it follows my wishes, the truth is, I don't fully understand how this ability works. And, to be honest, my understanding of how my absorption powers work is pretty limited as well.

Anyway, disregarding the obvious fact that what had helped them clearly wasn’t human, the figures began to emerge from the cave entrance, one by one. Among them, there were men, women, and, surprisingly, children. Without paying more attention to them, I turned my gaze back to the cave interior.

In short, the inside looked like the very entrance to hell. Blood was everywhere, covering the rocks—countless ones—and beneath these stones, hands, body fragments, and even a head appeared that, honestly, I doubt was still connected to its original body.

Laura, who noticed my gaze, tried to peek inside the cave, but just one glance made her clutch her stomach, squat down, and start vomiting. Well, that was a normal reaction to something like that. Mine, on the other hand, could be considered abnormal—or rather, I just felt nothing, and my face probably didn’t show any reaction.

I watched the scene for a few seconds. Honestly, I wondered if they thought everything they did was worth it, just to end up like this. Did they feel anger? Or maybe relief? Maybe neither. The only thing I’m sure of now is that they’re not feeling anything anymore—after all, they're dead.

Putting aside the scene I witnessed inside the cave, I turned my gaze to the people who had exited. In front of me, a man was nearly kneeling in gratitude. His appearance was aged, marked by time, with deep wrinkles that seemed to tell the story of his long life. He must have been around eighty years old.

Although he was almost kissing my feet in thanks, I couldn’t feel joy in his gestures. If I were honest, I’d admit that I didn’t help them out of solidarity or empathy. It wasn’t human frailty that moved me, nor any sense of moral duty.

The only reason I decided to help you was out of pure whim. With the power I possess, offering help has become almost trivial to me. And deep down, I know that, as time goes by, these rare occasions when something or someone piques my interest enough for me to intervene are bound to become even more scarce... Well, let's just say that this kind of gesture will be rarer and rarer from me in the future.

Leaving that aside, the old man who was among the people I saved kept bowing—or whatever it was—toward me while thanking me: “Thank you! Thank you so much! If it weren't for you, we would have been crushed by the rocks. Thanks to you, the children and women are safe!”

Honestly, at this point, I started to wonder if he had realized that what he was thanking wasn’t a human, but an anomaly. I blinked, confused, as I watched the man. His gratitude began to make me uncomfortable, not because I cared, but because we were starting to attract the attention of the people around us.

Ignoring that part, I noticed that those who were watching us were now surrounding us like a group of individuals wearing the same robes I had noticed as soon as I arrived in the village. In short, they were the ones who had helped carry out the ritual—or whatever they called it—to summon the anomaly that turned the moon into a black hole.

In short, everything pointed to the fact that the residents were the same people as before. Although I had no idea what had led them to get involved with such an obviously suspicious cult, there wasn’t much I could do except watch. After all, it wasn’t like I could ask directly, especially considering my inability to communicate.

Anyway, among them, there were some children—some clearly accompanied by their parents, while others seemed to be alone, with no relatives around. Maybe their parents had died or faced something similar. I admit I felt a pang of pity for them, but honestly, I knew there was nothing I could do to help.

As my eyes scanned the scattered children, Laura approached and stood by my side. With a curious look, she turned to the man, who was still immersed in his thanks, and asked a direct question: “You’re the people from this village, right? Who was that woman earlier? The one leading the ritual?”

The man clearly became uncomfortable with Laura's question. I couldn’t blame him; she was practically accusing him of being part of some weird and bizarre cult. However, upon observing his expression, I realized he didn’t seem to have been fooled by Laura’s words. On the contrary, he seemed to carry a feeling of guilt for what had happened earlier.

Maybe there was a legitimate reason for him and the villagers to follow that woman. As the man seemed to reflect on what to reveal and what to hide, my eyes fixated on two children nearby—a boy and a girl. The boy, with messy hair and a serious expression, didn’t seem older than twelve, while the girl, with big, curious eyes, seemed no older than eight.

In summary, they were both incredibly young. What caught my attention was the fact that the girl was crying, while the boy, with a worried look, tried to comfort her. Although I didn’t fully understand their conversation, I could hear her repeating the word “mommy” over and over, while tears ran down her face.

I blinked for a moment and, almost instinctively, brought my finger to my lips. The gesture, though peculiar, felt as natural as breathing—at least, it would, if I were still able to breathe. As I watched the two children, likely siblings, the elderly man, who seemed to lead the village, responded to Laura’s words with surprising calm.

"We didn't know that woman. She showed up in our village a few days ago, out of nowhere, saying that... that she could let us see our deceased loved ones again. At first, we thought it was a trick... But then, she slit her own throat right in front of us, and seconds later, as if by a miracle, she got up while the wound started to heal... In the end, there were no more doubts about her words" As they spoke, their eyes turned to the villagers behind them, casting a look filled with affection and genuine concern for all of them.

Although the old man's gaze clearly showed the weight of the guilt he carried, surprisingly, it didn't seem to be related to something from his past. His guilt seemed to come from a different, deeper source. Anyway, oblivious to my thoughts, the conversation continued on its course.

"Did you all just follow her without questioning? Are you telling me that, at no point, did you think this method could, I don’t know, cause some kind of apocalypse?" Laura asked, raising an eyebrow. Somehow, she seemed genuinely annoyed... and, of course, the black hole in the sky wasn’t helping at all.

I glanced at the old man sideways, trying to catch his reaction, but to my surprise, he seemed completely calm. His gaze, fixed on Laura, radiated serenity. That’s when I realized: he really didn’t seem to feel guilty about what had happened earlier, at least not when it came to the attempt to open a dimensional portal and bring a potentially deadly anomaly from another dimension into ours.

Still, there was a shadow of guilt in his eyes, as if he knew that what he had done — or helped to do — wasn’t exactly the right thing. However, he seemed to carry that guilt with an almost indifferent acceptance, without a trace of remorse.

The old man closed his eyes for a brief moment, as if he were carefully considering the best way to put his feelings into words. At least, that’s the impression I got. Then, slowly, he opened his eyes and looked back at Laura. Honestly, I couldn’t discern any clear sign of emotion on his face; he just seemed like an old man, deeply weary of life.

Although it wasn’t really about the subject at hand, suddenly, a thought crossed my mind: (... Will I turn out like him when I get older? All wrinkled, always with that tired look on my face? ... Wait, does my body even age? Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if I found out I’m immortal...)

"Miss, if someone offered you the same proposal, saying they could bring back your father, your mother, or even your brother or sister, would you just brush it off as a scam? Or, in some corner of your mind, would you wonder: (But... what if...?) I imagine you’ve walked around the village a bit. We don’t have much, but what we do have is each other. We’re one big family here... but, unfortunately..."

The man paused, slowly turning toward the villagers. His gaze swept over the crowd, stopping only when he found the two children I had noticed earlier—the boy and the little girl. He sighed, and with a hint of sadness in his voice, said: "Unfortunately... sometimes, the pain of losing a family member is unbearable and irreplaceable, no matter how hard you try to fill that void"

At first, I thought Laura would refute the man's words, but to my surprise, her expression turned grim — or rather, she seemed lost in deep thought about what he had said. Honestly, this caught me off guard a little. Was there a reason for her to dwell on that so much? Maybe she had lost someone in her family? It was at that moment that I realized just how little I truly knew Laura.

Luckily, Laura’s trance lasted until a familiar sound, one I’d heard before, echoed through the area. With a slight blink, she reached into her coat pocket and pulled out her phone. As soon as she looked at the screen, a frown formed on her face. Her eyes quickly moved to the black hole suspended in the sky, before returning to the phone, her expression now even more serious.

***

(POV - Laura Cavendish)

Laura closed her eyes for a moment, letting out a deep sigh as she tried to summon courage she wasn't sure she still had. Her mind was consumed by a single thought: how could she explain the current situation? What should have been a simple mission to investigate a remote village had turned into something bizarre — the moon replaced by a black hole. She didn’t even know if there was a plausible excuse for something so absurd.

In the end, resigned to her fate, Laura brought the phone to her ear and, with a voice full of exhaustion, said: “Boss? It's me, Laura”

Laura’s voice was followed by a complete silence on the other end of the line. Confused, she briefly pulled the phone away, checking the screen. The call was still ongoing. Not knowing what to do, Laura waited, anxiety growing. Thankfully, it didn’t take long before a voice finally echoed from the other side.@@novelbin@@

"Laura? Is that you? Thank God, I've been trying to call you for almost thirty minutes... Never mind. What matters is that I need you to come back immediately. [Angel of Death] somehow managed to escape, and for some inexplicable reason, a black hole appeared in the sky, replacing the moon. We're analyzing the situation, but the evidence points to a Nihilum-class anomaly having manifested near where you are. At least, that's what the readings are showing"

For a moment, Laura realized that this phenomenon was probably being observed by people all over the world, including those not directly involved. While events like this were rare, they were still possible, which is why there were always measures in place to prevent panic in situations like this.

Normally, reporters would rush to release senseless statements, interviewing "scientists" who, without truly understanding what was happening, would offer vague explanations to calm the public.

In the end, it would all just be a staged performance orchestrated by the government. Of course, it was still up to the organization to handle the situation before the victims started showing up, but in practice, this rarely worked.

Some Nihilum-class anomalies just disappeared after sowing chaos. Laura had witnessed this, though not personally. And it was precisely because of that experience that she knew she would face a major headache this time.