Anomaly

(POV - Laura Cavendish)

Laura's eyes darted around the room, shifting between those present. She simply couldn't grasp how things had escalated to this point. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find any connection between a simple field exploration and the chaotic events that had unfolded.

The more Laura tried to make sense of recent events, the more absurd everything seemed. And as if that wasn’t enough, now a completely crazy woman had entered the equation. Sighing, she wondered—not for the first time—why her missions never ended in a simple way—or at least simple enough for her to just go back and enjoy a good, fresh cup of coffee.

Ironically, at that moment, Laura remembered something her boss, Emily, always said in desperate situations: for some reason, she could feel a headache coming on. Although Laura usually ignored that comment, this time, for the first time, she felt like she truly understood her boss’s feelings.

(As if all this madness wasn’t enough, that weird anomaly somehow seems to know the little anomaly... Haa... Seriously, what the hell is going on here?) Laura thought, letting out a resigned sigh.

Ignoring the chaos around her, Laura reached into the pocket of her white lab coat and pulled out her phone. Though she knew the outcome in advance, a faint spark of hope still lingered in her chest.

However, as expected, there was no signal. While this was common in areas affected by anomalies, it didn't lessen Laura's frustration. With no way to call for help from the organization, one certainty remained: everything was in her hands.

Laura sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, trying to organize her thoughts: (Alright... Let's calm down and think this absurd situation through.)

As she said this, Laura alternated her gaze between the woman who seemed about to kill Arthur and the anomaly sitting on the tree branch, sporting a playful smile on her delicate face: (... Well, she’s cute... But back to the point, I still don’t understand the connection between the two. From what I overheard earlier, somehow that woman knew the anomaly, and they made some sort of pact? I guess I can call it that... But that still doesn’t explain the little anomaly's involvement in all of this. Something’s not adding up here...)

What Laura knew at that moment was that the anomaly was probably responsible for everything involving the black hole and the transformation of animals into terrifying zombies. That would be the logical conclusion for anyone in their right mind.

But something bothered Laura. If the anomaly was truly hostile, why hadn’t it acted directly against them, even with multiple opportunities? Sure, Arthur had warned them that anomalies known as [Conceptual Virtues] couldn’t act against their own existence and definition. Still, the entire situation felt strangely inconsistent to Laura.

Laura had encountered anomalies that couldn’t attack directly, but that never stopped them from finding other ways to do so. That’s why this situation felt so off to her.

With a suspicious look, a thought crossed Laura’s mind as she observed the anomaly: (It’s almost like she has no intention of hurting or harming other beings...)

Of course, there was the fact that a strange black hole appeared in the sky shortly after the anomaly’s appearance... but what if that wasn’t necessarily the case? What if the anomaly wasn’t the true cause? Nihilum-class anomalies have the power to affect reality itself simply by existing. What if that’s the case with this anomaly? In other words, the black hole in the sky might not have been intentional.

***

(POV – Protagonist)

Even though I was trying to understand why Laura seemed so lost in thought, honestly, now wasn’t the time to ask questions. I just didn’t know whether our situation was good or bad. I mean, the anomaly didn’t seem malicious, but that doesn’t change the fact that there’s a huge black hole in the sky.

Speaking of which, a question suddenly crossed my mind: how are people reacting to all this? I mean, I don’t think the organization managed to prevent ordinary people from seeing the black hole in the sky. It’s impossible not to notice something like that. They’re probably trying to cover it up with some ridiculous scientific explanation... but, well, not like I’m sure about that.

In the end, my gaze shifted back to the anomaly, still sitting on the tree branch. I was tempted to use my eyes on it, but honestly, the pain I felt last time was still fresh in my mind, and it’s something I don’t want to relive.

It was the first time I’d experienced pain that intense, and the worst part was that it came from within me. It was so much worse than stubbing my toe on something; that pain, I definitely don’t want to feel again.

I shook my head and thought about what to do next. It’s true that I felt sorry for her, but honestly... I didn’t want the world to turn into an apocalyptic scenario. If that happened, people—or rather, humanity—would just disappear. And while I felt bad for thinking this way, I believed the simplest path would be to take the anomaly back to where it came from.

As these thoughts ran through my mind, a strange sensation washed over me. It wasn’t bad, more like a light shiver that spread throughout my body. It wasn’t the first time I’d felt this. I blinked my eyes and directed my gaze to the tree branch. Up there, next to the anomaly, my Alter Ego was staring at me intently.

(... Did I do something? Suddenly, he seems cautious of me...) I thought, tilting my head, confused.

By this point, I was struggling to come up with an explanation for his recent actions. First, he brought me here, and now, my Alter Ego seemed angry at me. I mean, wasn’t he supposed to be a part of me? Why would someone get mad at themselves? Does that even make sense? The more I tried to understand him, the less sense he made to me.@@novelbin@@

The others seemed oblivious to this, but the anomaly noticed the sudden approach of my Alter Ego. Her gaze shifted from me to him, and her head tilted slightly to the side as she blinked, almost as if she was trying to figure out the situation. To my surprise, in the next instant, my Alter Ego simply hugged her and started petting her. I blinked, dazed, not understanding anything.

No, seriously, what the hell is going on here? Why did my Alter Ego suddenly get so friendly with the anomaly, out of nowhere? Honestly, thinking has never been my strong suit. I knew that even if I tried, I wouldn’t find a reason to explain my Alter Ego’s actions. After all, he should be me, but sometimes I get the feeling he’s somehow different from me.

Just like me, the anomaly seemed confused, but that expression didn’t last long. Her face softened, and for some reason, she seemed to be enjoying the petting. Seriously, what the hell is going on here? Did I miss something? Why was my Alter Ego being so friendly with the anomaly? No matter how hard I tried to find an explanation, there just wasn’t one.

The scene finally caught the attention of the others, and their expressions were exactly what I expected: looks of disbelief and doubt. However, the worst part was when they all turned to me, expecting an explanation. Seriously, I’m confused too, so please, don’t look at me like that.

However, instead of confusion, one of the onlookers seemed genuinely excited by the scene: “Oh my gosh! I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen my lady so relaxed since she arrived in our humble dimension!”

The woman from before—the crazy one who was mainly responsible for opening the portal that allowed this anomaly to pass into our world—seemed oddly happy with the situation. It was almost like watching her little sister take her first steps or something. Seriously, what kind of bizarre situation did I get myself into?.

Although I was confused and didn’t know exactly how to react, I decided, first and foremost, to approach the anomaly. The next instant, my body sank into the ground. The environment around us was immersed in a deep darkness, and honestly, it felt more like a big portal.

Diving into the world of shadows, I soon reappeared on a branch, next to my Alter Ego, who was calmly continuing to pet the anomaly as if it were some adorable little creature.

Although I had noticed it from a distance, now that I was closer, I was sure: my Alter Ego seemed to have an oddly close relationship with this anomaly. I had no idea why, but maybe that was the reason it was being so cautious with me.

Come to think of it, it makes sense. In theory, my Alter Ego knows what I’m thinking, since it’s an extension of me, but that doesn’t mean that just because it understands my feelings and thoughts, it’s going to act exactly like me.

Anyway, now that I was near the anomaly, I tried to think about my next step. My gaze instinctively turned to the sky, where the black hole still hung anomalously... I mean, its very existence was abnormal, but as I looked more closely, I realized that, somehow, it seemed to be moving.

I didn’t know if this meant anything, but either way, I felt I needed to act. The problem was that I had no idea what to do. It didn’t seem like the powers I had would be enough to solve this situation. Also, it wasn’t like I had specifically sought to accumulate abilities—they just came to me at opportune moments.

Inevitable situations, so to speak. Still, it wasn’t like I could just ignore that black hole. Lost in thought, I turned my attention back to the anomaly when its voice echoed in my mind once again. Its feminine tone still sounded strangely fragmented, though more eloquent than before.

(Hmm... it’s strange... even though it’s not... white... somehow... it’s relaxing...) the anomaly murmured, its expression growing even more peaceful under my Alter Ego’s caresses.

What the hell was I witnessing? From any angle, it looked like a brother petting his little sister—but wasn’t this situation strange? Why did my Alter Ego suddenly start acting so... out of character? I mean, he already acts strangely, but at least I could usually deduce his reasons. Now, however, I had no idea what was going through his mind.

Ignoring my own thoughts—after all, my Alter Ego definitely already knew what was going on in my mind—I felt a light touch at my side. Turning to look, I saw his usual blank face staring at me. Confused, I tilted my head.

To my surprise, my Alter Ego held my hand. I blinked, confused—this was the first time he’d ever done that. In a way, it seemed like he actually wanted to do something. Once again, I realized I had no idea what this ability was or what exactly my Alter Ego represented. However, one thing became clear: to some extent, we shared the same goals.

Honestly, my Alter Ego seemed strangely different from me. In certain situations, he acted like he knew things I didn’t, which, to be honest, was pretty weird. As far as I understood, he should only have the same knowledge as me—but clearly, that didn’t seem to be the case.

While I was still puzzled by my Alter Ego’s sudden action, he slowly moved my hand toward the anomaly’s head. I didn’t know how to react to this; I mean, I thought I should stop it, but for some reason, I felt like I should just let it happen. The next moment, before I realized it, I was petting the anomaly’s head.

Its hair was surprisingly soft, and its horns, for some reason, looked curiously cute when observed up close. But that wasn’t all—its round face, combined with its closed eyes as it received the petting, made it incredibly cute. In a way, it was like petting a little hamster... Okay, I have no idea why those thoughts suddenly popped into my head.

Although I could’ve stopped at any time, for some reason, I felt a strange sense of nostalgia while doing it. I had no idea why, and it seemed unlikely that the answer would just come out of nowhere. As I continued petting the anomaly, which now seemed to enjoy it even more than before, I noticed my Alter Ego silently watching me, his face still expressionless.

As I stroked the anomaly, I stared at my Alter Ego, but no expression appeared on our faces. I mean, we were already expressionless by nature; if anyone were watching from the outside, they'd probably think we were competing to see who could make the most awkward face. But that was impossible, since our faces were naturally impassive. Amid all of this, only one thought crossed my mind.

(Honestly, even though you're a part of me, I feel like you understand me way better than I understand myself) I thought, blinking my eyes slightly as I kept staring at him.