Anomaly

(POV - Laura Cavendish)

Laura watched the scene unfold with a perplexed gaze. To be honest, this wasn’t the first time she’d witnessed something like this. However, in previous situations, these kinds of events usually took place several meters away, typically behind a protective glass, where she would analyze the situation without truly being part of it.

Laura cautiously scanned her surroundings, but no matter where she looked, all she saw were deer with their necks twisted in impossible ways while a black mist spread across the ground, covering the area like a shroud.

Aside from this macabre scene, only one figure stood out: a motionless entity, observing everything. Its body was as dark as the mist emanating from it, giving it an unsettling and almost unreal presence.

For some reason, its appearance had an angelic trait that deeply contrasted with the fear the being instilled in Laura. Just imagining that entity turning its gaze toward her was enough to make her shiver. What confused her even more was the entity’s behavior: surprisingly "cute" considering the brutal actions it was carrying out.

This contrast heightened the fear Laura felt toward the entity. Though it resembled the [Angel of Death], there was something different about it—something Laura couldn’t pinpoint, and that made her deeply uncomfortable. Not knowing exactly what caused that feeling only made the being even more terrifying in her eyes.

Lost in thought, Laura was snapped back to reality by Victor's voice beside her, drawing her attention: “I can’t deny that I always feel uneasy whenever this thing shows up. Although it usually behaves almost... cute, the way it acts in a fight really unsettles me”

Laura shared the same thought, though she wasn’t proud of it. Humans, in general, tended to form opinions based almost entirely on appearance, and Laura was no exception—especially when it came to anomalies. She admitted that she much preferred the cute and angelic version of the [Angel of Death] compared to this dark and threatening form.

In the end, the confrontation between the shadowy being and the grotesque-looking deer lasted less than two minutes. Now, the deer lay on the ground, their necks twisted in absurdly unreal ways.

From Laura’s point of view, something resembling a zombie would likely rise under these circumstances. However, for some reason, as long as the [Angel of Death]

A small, subtle smile appeared on Laura’s lips at that moment. Her eyes briefly moved toward the top of a tree, where, on one of its branches, golden eyes gleamed like lit candles, gazing at the starry sky above.

However, the eyes, previously fixed on the sky, turned toward Laura and tilted slightly to the side. Laura let out a smile at this familiar gesture—a movement the anomaly would always make whenever it seemed confused.

Almost immediately after this thought crossed her mind, Laura felt a presence beside her. Instinctively, she turned her gaze and found vibrant red eyes staring directly at her. The appearance was so sudden that, before she even realized it, Laura had already fallen onto her back on the forest floor, sitting on the grass. Briefly squinting her eyes due to the momentary pain, she then noticed something touching her head.

When Laura opened her eyes and looked up, all she saw were vibrant red eyes locked on her. Although the creature’s face was completely expressionless, the sensation of its hand on her head was surprisingly warm and comforting. Laura couldn’t explain why, but something in her intuition told her that behind the gesture, the being was trying to convey that everything would be alright.

The next moment, a whirlwind of darkness enveloped the being, and as the mist dissipated, it had vanished without a trace. It was as if everything that had happened just moments before had never occurred. Even the deer disappeared, dissolving along with the dark mist that had covered the ground entirely.

Victor, Laura, and Arthur were all left with perplexed expressions, clearly shocked by the situation, but unfortunately, nothing had been resolved. The previous event only confirmed something they all already suspected: somehow, the forest had turned into an anomaly. After all, the dense, dark mist that covered the area in such an unusual way couldn’t be considered natural.

"I think it’d be better if we found a way out of this forest before we end up like those deer. I don’t know about you guys, but I highly doubt I’d make it to the mall looking like this" Arthur commented, catching Laura and Victor’s attention, who nodded in agreement.

No more words were needed before the trio, now accompanied by an anomaly, began to venture deeper into the forest. However, Laura couldn’t help but admit: they were lost and had no idea how to get out of there. Normally, this type of anomaly would be carefully studied before scientists dared to explore the area in person.

It was the first time Laura had found herself facing such a phenomenon without first studying the place. In other words, she couldn’t rely on what she knew. In fact, it was almost always impossible to apply prior knowledge when classifying and studying anomalies. The first step to becoming a good researcher, according to her boss Emily, was to abandon common knowledge—or at least learn to set it aside.

As Laura got lost in her thoughts, she ended up bumping into something in front of her. Gently rubbing her sore forehead, she looked ahead and noticed Victor, with a complicated expression on his face, staring at something in the distance. When Laura followed his gaze, the same perplexed expression appeared on her own face.

The reason for her reaction was a small X-shaped mark carved into a tree. That mark had been made by Victor some time ago to confirm something. The fact that they found the mark again, even after several minutes of walking, confirmed what they all had already suspected: they were trapped in the forest, walking in circles.

At this point, Laura felt like she was on the edge of madness. The only reason she hadn’t succumbed to despair was the feeling of the golden, glowing eyes of the [Angel of Death] on her. Though it was strange to trust an anomaly, it had saved her countless times in the past. Because of that, Laura had no reason to doubt the anomaly—at least not at that moment.

***

(POV - Victor Hale)

As Victor realized that the massacre had come to an end, he finally let out a breath he hadn’t even realized he was holding. His body had reacted instinctively, forcing him to remain still, as if any movement could draw the attention of the hunter in front of him. In a way, that’s exactly how Victor saw the being that had taken the form of the [Angel of Death] before him: a silent and lethal predator.

Although the anomaly known as [Angel of Death] was usually expressionless, Victor somehow managed to perceive that it held no malice toward humans. Of course, he couldn’t say it loved them, but it seemed more like a silent acceptance, as if it simply coexisted with them without hostility or affection.

Victor had already witnessed dozens of comrades perish at the hands of anomalies, even when, in theory, these creatures weren’t supposed to be dangerous. However, anomalies are incomprehensible beings, incapable of adhering to any logic humans can understand. And despite the losses, new comrades were promptly assigned to take the place of those who were gone, as if tragedy were simply part of the cycle.

Victor was reluctant to admit it, but the organization had an abundance of soldiers to replace the ones they lost because, in a way, the job was worth the risks. In addition to high salaries, benefits like healthcare and other perks were included.

Despite the constant danger, there was probably no better job for someone like Victor, who had spent his entire life wielding a weapon. Or at least, that’s how he convinced himself, knowing he needed this job at all costs.

Returning to the present, the entity before him, which had taken the form of the [Angel of Death], was entirely different from the original [Angel of Death]. The feelings Victor harbored for both were distinct, and he couldn’t even begin to fathom the thoughts of this being made of darkness.

Even so, Victor believed that, at least for now, he could say the creature showed no hostility toward humans... with a few exceptions, such as the former Director-General Graham.

In the next moment, Laura fell backward to the ground as she was gently caressed by the being made of darkness, which then vanished in a dark swirl. Thinking the situation had finally come to an end, Victor turned his gaze to the top of the tree where the [Angel of Death]

However, what he found was the anomaly staring distractedly at the dark mist in front of it. Its golden eyes, glowing brightly even in the darkness, made the hairs on Victor’s neck stand on end. For some reason, whenever the anomaly’s eyes glowed that way, an uncomfortable feeling washed over him.

Victor didn’t believe that the intense glow in the anomaly’s eyes was an attack, but every time they shone like that, it felt almost as if the anomaly was gazing directly into his soul.

***@@novelbin@@

(POV – Protagonist)

The method my Alter Ego used to eliminate the deer was, even for me, disturbing. Twisting their necks like that was shocking and somewhat grotesque, even in my eyes. Of course, it’s not like I really cared about the methods he used; after all, it was because of him that Emily, Laura, and Arthur are still alive.

Anyway, I had already noticed for some time that we were walking in circles. Even before Victor marked an “X” on a tree, something strange in the forest had caught my attention. I can’t quite explain it exactly, but the sensation was similar to a tingling spreading through my entire body.

Of course, I don’t believe I’ve developed such extreme hypersensitivity... I mean, I have some sensitivity, but not to that level. At most, I can tell when something is trying to kill me, but that’s about it. Feeling that an entire forest is slowly trying to trap us is something entirely different.

(If I had to point out something really weird I've noticed in this forest since I got here, it would definitely be this fog that appeared out of nowhere. It seems like, instead of the forest, it's the fog that's causing these strange phenomena, like turning deer into zombies) I thought, as I activated my eyes, which had shifted from their natural golden hue to a vibrant, hypnotic glow, reflecting the colors of a rainbow.

As I expected, everything I saw in front of me was colors. It almost seemed like a multicolored wall was blocking my vision, preventing me from seeing beyond it. The moment I thought that, I was overwhelmed by a strange feeling I couldn’t explain. It was like having something on the tip of my tongue but being unable to express it. However, the strangest part wasn’t the wall itself, but the thought that crossed my mind moments before.

(Isn't this weird? Why am I just now realizing this is a wall? I mean, I had noticed it before, but somehow, I just ignored it) I thought, tilting my head slightly to the side in confusion.

Thinking of the colors as a wall came to me strangely naturally, but I didn’t really reflect much on why I had that thought in the first place. Interestingly, the last time I used my eyes, I made sure to revert them back to normal quickly after not detecting anything unusual.

That was uncommon, considering I usually use them frequently. It was almost as if something had led me to believe there was nothing significant about that mist of vibrant colors.

When that thought crossed my mind, for a moment, I thought something might have affected my mind. However, I quickly dismissed that possibility. I had a guarantee: the simple fact that my Alter Ego hadn’t acted was proof that everything was fine.

Although he usually seems indifferent to everything, just like me, when there’s danger and I’m involved, he always takes action. Even without speaking, I’m sure mental control would be one of the first things on his list when it comes to me.

Continuing my investigation, I looked ahead again. The wall of vibrant colors was still there, but now it seemed to follow a pattern. If I was right, maybe I knew how to get out of here. With that thought in mind, I stood up and, without hesitation, leapt from the branch toward the ground.

Although it wasn’t a particularly relevant detail, the trees in this area were exceptionally tall. The one I was sitting on, in particular, stood out due to its impressive height. In short, if I really fell and hit the ground, my body would probably turn into a shapeless mass. Of course, this wasn’t something I truly worried about.

Just before reaching the ground, a dark mist surrounded me. The next moment, a dark cloak appeared, allowing me to float gently down to the ground. As soon as my feet touched the ground, the cloak dissipated like mist, returning to my body. That’s, by the way, why I said I probably wasn’t under any kind of mental attack.

Honestly, I can't really understand what my Alter Ego is. To begin with, it’s not even an ability I originally had; I got it after defeating that giant, squid-like creature in the black lake. Probably, only it knew what that thing really was... But in the end, it doesn't matter anymore since I killed that squid.