Anomaly

(POV – Protagonist)

For some reason, I sometimes feel like, at some point in the past, I was someone with... let’s say, unusual thoughts. Not that I’m suggesting I was some kind of psychopath in a past life—far from it. Even though my memories are hazy, I’m almost certain that before becoming an anomaly, I couldn’t even hurt a fly. Or, at least, that’s what I choose to believe.

Well, that line of thinking doesn’t seem very solid, considering that, nowadays, I’m capable of cutting down other beings without feeling the slightest bit of remorse. It’s true there’s an important detail: these beings are definitely not human and try to kill me as soon as they see me. But, to be honest, that’s just a detail.

But, setting my thoughts aside for a moment and returning to reality, I allowed myself those musings because a certain person seemed increasingly consumed by worry about their future. With every passing hour, that future appeared to grow darker. Honestly, I couldn’t blame them for thinking that way.

"Ugh... why does this stuff always happen when I’m the one who ends up getting scolded?" the person grumbled, pacing back and forth while biting their nails, clearly overwhelmed with anxiety.

The voice of the poor victim, choked with sobs, was Laura's. From what it seemed, she had spoken with Emily on the phone just moments before. From my perspective, the conversation had been calm, but it didn't seem like Laura shared that impression.

And I can say that for sure, because I know Emily well enough to know that she would never blame Laura for the manifestation of an anomaly that, apparently, could have the power to wipe out the human race.

Anyway, from what I could hear of the conversation between Laura and Emily, it seemed like Emily was much more concerned about Laura's well-being than angry about what happened today. That’s probably making you wonder why Laura’s so upset, right? Well, the answer’s simple: that’s just how she is. It was almost the same when we first met in the woods... though, back then, her worries were very different from the ones she carries now.

By the way, although it's not something that deserves much attention, I'm sitting on the roof of one of the village houses, gently swinging my feet in the air. My eyes follow, closely, the movements of Laura, Victor, and that mysterious man, whose name, by the way, I still haven’t figured out.

Now, about my foot-swinging... in my defense, I don't do it by choice. Well, at least most of the time. I've tried everything to get rid of these habits, even though deep down I know I have an adult soul. The problem is my body insists on looking like a ten-year-old's.

And for some reason, these childish behaviors just kick in automatically when my mind wanders. It's not a mental thing; it feels more like an instinctive reaction from my body. In the end, I’ve come to accept that I’m not going to change it.

As I watched Victor and the man, whose name is still unknown to me, it became clear that both were preparing to face that anomaly that nearly crushed us in the cave. Not that I want to interfere, but I can't help but wonder what makes them believe it's still here.

She clearly has the ability to teleport. While we're here talking, it's very possible that, at this very moment, she could already be anywhere on the planet, and we wouldn't even notice. Honestly, I can't find a plausible explanation for why she's still here, wandering around the area.

The only reason I can think of for her not pulling away too much is that everything is still strange and new to her. Maybe that's why she's being cautious about what's around her. In short, it's likely that she'd prefer not to go exploring without first understanding what's out there... Of course, I don't believe that hypothesis one bit.

I mean, there's no way that could be possible, right? An anomaly capable of creating a black hole in the sky would be afraid to explore? That’s hard to believe. For one, I can’t imagine it would take the risk of traveling to another dimension if it had that kind of fear. I decided to push those thoughts aside and refocused on Laura, who seemed to have finally calmed down a little. A softer expression began to appear on her face.

Honestly, I’m not sure if "softer" would be the most accurate word; maybe "acceptance" would be better. I mean, Laura’s just human, and there was no way she could have stopped something like that. Plus, the woman who led the ritual – or whatever that was – definitely wasn’t normal.

There was something about that woman that seemed... out of place, as if her mind or her thoughts operated in a way that was different from the norm. In other words, she seemed much more unpredictable than I had imagined. As I got lost in these thoughts, I noticed Laura walking up to the stranger and Victor, already looking calmer.

By the way, although it’s true that Laura has many qualities, I believe her greatest one is undoubtedly her incredible ability to calm down at an impressive speed after facing bizarre and out-of-the-ordinary situations. Just watch now: she’s calming down at this very moment, even with a black hole hovering above us.

As I watched her with a certain sense of pride, Laura approached Victor and the nameless man, raising exactly the question I wanted to ask as well: “By the way, we’re assuming the anomaly is still around, but why would she stay in the area?”

Laura made a valid point, and they were both probably aware of it. After a brief pause, she continued: “From what I’ve observed, it’s clear that she can teleport, and the distances she can cover seem enormous. She could be in Antarctica right now, and no one would know”

My thoughts and Laura’s seemed somewhat aligned... Not that my voice would carry any weight here, to begin with, but going around without a clear plan, just randomly, didn’t seem wise.

Also, I really doubted we’d be able to find her if she really decided to hide. However, as I reflected on that, something unexpected happened: I felt a penetrating, steady, and unblinking gaze directed at me.

I blinked slowly for a moment before turning in the direction of the stare I felt. To my surprise, it was the nameless man who was watching me. Confused, I tilted my head slightly, trying to understand the reason behind his sudden attention on me.

The man and I stared at each other for a few seconds in almost palpable silence. Then, the next moment, his firm voice echoed through the place, answering Laura’s question: “I’ve observed some details in Death’s behavior, and for that reason, I have reasons to believe she’s still nearby”

He paused briefly before finally turning his gaze to Laura: “She was watching the anomaly that saved us from being crushed in the cave. So much so that it makes me think the two of them might have something in common. However, it seems like our little savior has no idea who or what Death is. But that’s exactly why I believe she will return. Of course, that’s if the two of them really have some connection. And something tells me they do”

For some reason, I feel like that man expects a lot from me. Honestly, I’m almost sure that if I’d met someone like that anomaly – who literally has a living cloak and horns on her head – I’d remember that. Sure, there’s the fact that I barely remember anything from before I became an anomaly... in fact, practically nothing.

But what are the chances that I met that anomaly before I became one? Honestly, I feel like the chances are almost zero. Even if we had met back then, the shock of seeing something so bizarre would have been so intense that I’d probably have passed out, and when I woke up, I’d hardly have any memory. Ignoring my internal thoughts, I noticed that Victor, upon hearing the man’s words, frowned – something I couldn’t overlook.

Seeming to finally accept that strange reality, he muttered: “The more I think about us trying to hunt Death itself, the more I feel like I’m losing my sanity. Does that make any physical sense? I mean, according to the detective there, Death literally got a body and is wandering among the living. Honestly, I think there are much simpler ways for us to get ourselves killed”

Well... Victor definitely had a point that we couldn’t ignore. Also, I really couldn’t think of any argument to refute his words. Anyway, about that other anomaly, I also noticed something in the brief encounter I had with her, even though it lasted only a few seconds.

For some reason, she seemed really focused exclusively on me. Sure, realizing that doesn’t mean I can explain why she’s so interested in me... And, by the way, although I know I’m the perfect bait to lure that other anomaly... the fact that you’re all watching me this way makes me feel deeply uncomfortable.

However, even though it wasn't directly related to the matter at hand, there was something else making me uncomfortable. A subtle thought emerged in my mind, followed by a growing sense of uncertainty: (... By the way, that anomaly... it called me "white"... why did it call me that?)

The reason for my uncertainty about being called that was simple: is there any human being who has been called "white" by their parents at birth? Honestly, I can't imagine that being the case.

Sure, the anomaly could have just used the term because of my white, translucent body, but something in the way it said it made me feel like it was used to that name or nickname. And somehow, that made me feel strangely uncomfortable.

***

(POV – Nekra)

Nekra was intently watching the fish glide smoothly through the stream. According to Eve, they served as food for various other animals, which, in turn, were also devoured by larger predators.

According to Eve, animals — beings driven mainly by instincts and with limited intelligence — followed a hierarchy known as the food chain, where the stronger preyed on the weaker.

This concept made perfect sense to Nekra. She understood it clearly: the bear she had seen earlier also fed on the fish she was watching now, a clear demonstration of this natural dynamic.

The fish themselves, on the other hand, fed on even smaller creatures. Nekra found all of this fascinating and wondered if those fish in front of her had the same "warm soul" that the bear had shown.

While keeping her eyes fixed on the fish swimming peacefully, a gentle voice echoed behind Nekra. It was Eve, asking in a respectful tone: “My lady, if I may ask, why have you decided to stay here? Is there a specific reason for it?”

Nekra paused for a moment to consider Eve's question, but in the end, there was only one possible answer: "I’m... waiting... for the white..."

Eve tilted her head slightly in response, but Nekra didn’t mind. For her, what truly mattered was exploring more of this colorful world, so different from the darkness she had lived in before. Plus, she was looking forward to having fun with the White.

"Lady, when you say White... are you referring to the apostle we saw in the village earlier?" Eve asked, recalling a figure who, from any angle, seemed to perfectly embody the concept of "White".

Nekra simply nodded at Eve's question. Despite her curiosity about everything around her, she still preferred being with the White. She also imagined that maybe the white one would want to explore and discover more things by her side. Together, they could have fun while uncovering the world.

Eve wasn’t exactly sure what the connection was between the apostle described in the Gospel of the Eyes and her Lady, but that didn’t matter to her. Eve was an existence that should never have come into the world. Still, her Lady, even without remembering, reached out to her, saying she understood loneliness and would give her the strength needed to find happiness.@@novelbin@@

That was how Eve was chosen, receiving the Gospel of the Eyes from her Lady. She was eternally grateful for that, and it was in that moment that she decided to dedicate her existence to her Lady. Even though she was an entity that should never have existed, Eve was there, present, living with one sole purpose: to ensure her Lady had fun and smiled. For Eve, that was more than enough.

"By the way, my Lady, I notice your speech is much more fluent than before! Although... for some reason, it still sounds a bit slow" Eve commented, moving closer to Nekra and standing beside her, watching the fish in the stream.

Nekra briefly turned her face toward Eve before returning her gaze to the lake, where the fish were swimming. Nodding, she replied: "Humm... I heard... you... so... I learned... the language... it’s needed... to speak... with the White..."

Saying this, Nekra got lost in her thoughts again. She wondered what the White might be doing at that moment, as her mind wandered to the moment they would reunite. In that thought, she found herself smiling at the idea of the fun they would have, filled with laughter and joy, as if time had stopped.

(White... I can hardly... wait... to play... with you again...) Nekra thought, as a genuine, delicate, and almost imperceptible smile appeared on her lips. The gesture stood in stark contrast to the neutral and indifferent expression she usually wore.