Anomaly

The moment my hands touched those of the anomaly, I was briefly transported to a completely white space. I looked around, but there was nothing except that vast emptiness. The depth of this place was a mystery—everything seemed infinite, with no perceptible boundaries.

Curiously, unlike what you’d expect from a white environment, the color didn’t come from light. In fact, there was no light at all... and somehow, I knew that. I can’t explain why, but it was an instinctive feeling, as if I had been in this place before.

In a way, it was like watching a movie—something you see, but can’t fully connect with because you know, in the end, none of it really concerns you. However, the vision disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. In an instant, I was there; the next, back in the forest, still enveloped by a faint mist, but dense enough to obscure part of the scenery.

Confusion took over me. What exactly was that? What place was that? But above all, why did I feel like I had known it? As I returned to reality, my eyes blinked briefly, and my head tilted slightly to the side, still trying to process what had just happened.

I looked around, still trying to comprehend what had occurred, until my eyes fixed on the anomaly. To my surprise, it was also staring at me, its eyes locked on mine, reflecting the same confusion. We stood there for a moment, speechless, until I noticed something strange—my eyes began to emit a bright glow, radiating intricate rainbow-colored hues, like glass reflecting a myriad of shades.

But I wasn’t the only one. The anomaly displayed the same phenomenon. Its pupils glowed with the same intensity, as if we were somehow connected. Even stranger was the feeling of synchronicity between us, as though something invisible was aligning us in perfect harmony.

The colors glowed and shifted in perfect sync, pulsing to the same rhythm, as if they were connected by something beyond understanding. It was a strange, unexplained phenomenon, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t understand the logic behind it. However, as I looked into the anomaly’s eyes, a certainty washed over me: they were strangely beautiful and comforting.

There was something hypnotic in that kaleidoscopic light, something that conveyed a feeling almost familiar. Oddly enough, they were the same eyes as mine—identical in every detail. But perhaps because they were mine, I had never noticed that beauty before.

However, despite our eyes glowing in perfect sync, something felt off. A familiar sensation arose—the same one I experienced when absorbing the powers of other anomalies. I blinked, confused, and instinctively looked up.

That’s when I noticed. A golden sphere was floating just above my head. I tilted my head to the side, even more perplexed. Why was it there? As far as I knew, this phenomenon only happened when I was about to absorb the power of an anomaly. But... wasn’t that how it worked?.

But strangely, I wasn’t the only one. When I turned my gaze back to the anomaly in front of me, I saw that a similar sphere floated above its head too. The only difference was its color—it was a deep, enigmatic purple.

Instinctively, I glanced at my Alter Ego, but, as usual, he was just observing everything with his impassive expression. His face remained indifferent, unchanged, and once again, I had no idea what was going on in his mind.

However, I didn’t have time to try to understand what my Alter Ego was thinking or planning—for two reasons. First, the people down below would be devoured before I even came to a conclusion about him... That is, of course, if I ever truly managed to understand him.

Second, and even more alarming, the golden sphere above my head suddenly began absorbing the color of the purple sphere floating above the other anomaly.

I watched the scene, not knowing how to react. I looked at the anomaly, but it didn’t seem to be suffering or anything, so I just waited for the process to complete. After all, even if I tried, I doubted I could stop it.

Besides, it was happening automatically; it wasn’t under my control. Whenever I got close to the weak spot of a defeated anomaly, the sphere would appear and begin absorbing its colors, as if it were an inevitable ritual.

While this strange phenomenon occurred around me, something equally unusual was happening where Laura, Victor, Arthur, and the lunatic were. The zombies that had been closing in on them at every step suddenly began to stagger, struggling to stay upright, as if something was affecting them. Meanwhile, my sphere continued absorbing the color of the anomaly’s sphere.

The sphere that had once floated above my head, fully golden, was now visibly transforming. In addition to the gold, part of it began to take on a faint purplish hue, until, finally, an entire section had turned completely purple, blending the two colors in a subtle but striking contrast.

However, that wasn’t all. The most striking feature of this entire situation began to emerge above my head. As I watched from a third-person perspective, I could clearly see the moment when two small spiral goat horns began to grow. Although they were smaller than the anomaly’s in front of me, they were large enough to catch attention and not go unnoticed.

I didn’t know how to describe the sensation of suddenly having horns. The weight on my head increased abruptly, a strange and unexpected change. I touched them cautiously and felt their rigid surface. I wasn’t sure what they were made of, but they seemed incredibly resilient.

Despite already being completely confused by the events so far, the surprises weren’t over. A loud crash echoed in the air as I watched the horns that were beginning to grow on my head.

When I looked at the sky, an impressive scene unfolded before my eyes. The huge black hole, which had previously dominated the sky, suddenly started consuming itself, as if it were completely devouring itself in a surreal and terrifying spectacle.

Even with thousands of mutilated zombie bodies around them, Laura, Victor, Arthur, and the crazy woman couldn’t take their eyes off the phenomenon. Their gazes remained fixed on the event unfolding above them, as if they were hypnotized.

In a way, it was something that would stay in my memory for a long time. By my side, the other anomaly also watched the scene, its face still expressionless, while our hands remained strangely connected in a grip that, paradoxically, was both strong and comforting.

The strange phenomenon persisted for a few more seconds until, finally, the black hole disappeared, giving way to a starry and clear sky. Perhaps because we were in a place with little pollution, the stars shone with an impressive clarity. Probably, even in my past life, this was the first time I’d seen such a pure and breathtaking sky.

Moreover, as I glanced around quickly, I noticed that the dense fog was beginning to dissipate, revealing the familiar surroundings of the forest we were in. The cold air also began to blow, gently caressing my face, while the few remaining leaves on the trees swayed slowly.

Honestly, I still had no idea what had happened. The zombies had simply collapsed, and the black hole in the sky had completely consumed itself. In short, the anomaly’s powers seemed to be under control, but the reason behind this still eluded me.

Instinctively, my eyes turned to my Alter Ego. He was sitting, staring at the starry sky with a focused look, while swinging his feet in the air in a relaxed manner.

I didn’t know why, but I was sure he knew something—or rather, why this had happened. The fact that I had held hands with the anomaly had clearly stabilized its powers, but I had no idea why. To me, I was just someone who had been reincarnated as an anomaly in this world, which turned out to be even stranger than I could have imagined.

I sighed deeply and turned my gaze back to the sky, watching the twinkling stars. Meanwhile, a single thought echoed in my mind: (Seriously... who the hell am I?)

***

(POV - Laura Cavendish)

Laura wasn’t sure if she should feel lucky or confused. Actually, she was definitely confused, but she also couldn’t deny the sense of relief. The zombies—monsters with a horrifying, decaying appearance that made her stomach churn—suddenly stopped, as if frozen in time, and one by one, they began to collapse to the ground.

The reason for this? Laura had no idea. Everywhere she looked, she saw bodies scattered on the ground—some in worse condition than others. Finally, she was able to breathe a sigh of relief. The situation, at least for now, seemed to have calmed down.

Her gaze cautiously swept the area. Everyone seemed fine—Victor, as surprised as she was, and Arthur, observing something with a curious look. Intrigued, Laura followed his gaze, and the moment she witnessed the scene, her eyes widened in surprise.

“How beautiful! It’s the first time I’ve ever seen something like this!” Laura exclaimed, amazed.

It was the first time she had witnessed such a pure and breathtaking sky. Perhaps it was because they were in an elevated, pollution-free location? Either way, the image would surely stay etched in her mind. Compared to all the horrors she had witnessed, this scene was by far the most beautiful her eyes had ever beheld.

However, the most surprising sight was happening on a nearby tree trunk, where her eyes were fixed on the stars. The little anomaly, along with the newly discovered anomaly, were holding hands, gazing at the starry sky. However, something about the scene made Laura tilt her head, confused, trying to understand what was going on.

(Since when does the little anomaly have goat horns?) Laura thought, staring at the strange horns that had appeared on the little anomaly’s head.

As she got lost in her thoughts, Laura’s pocket began to vibrate. Returning to reality, she quickly pulled out her phone and put it to her ear. At that moment, Laura already knew who was calling, even without checking the number.

"Laura? What the hell happened? The black hole just vanished! Was that you guys?" exclaimed the voice on the other end of the line, filled with anxiety.

As expected, Emily’s voice came through on the other end of the line. For a moment, Laura had to pull the phone away from her ear because of Emily’s excited tone. When the noise calmed down, she brought the phone back to her ear and finally began to answer Emily’s questions.

“I’m honestly as confused as you are, boss” Laura said: “To be honest, a few seconds ago we were surrounded by dozens of zombies, and I really thought it was the end for me. But then, suddenly, they all fell, and the black hole started to consume itself. While I’m not sure, I have a feeling this was the little anomaly’s doing” She then shifted her gaze toward the anomaly, who was perched on a tree branch.

Laura had no concrete proof or solid reasons to support her theory, but there was no other plausible explanation. After all, it seemed unlikely that the problem had resolved itself on its own, and she was sure that neither she, Arthur, Victor, nor the woman who freed the anomaly had done anything. In the end, the only possibility left was the little anomaly.

"Haa... For now, I'll ignore the important detail that the [Angel of Death] is there too. Anyway, hold on a little longer—I'm on my way with a response team. You, Victor, and the little anomaly can head back to the village entrance" Emily replied, her voice carrying an exasperated tone.

Laura nodded, sighing in relief at the thought that the nightmare she’d been living through in this place would finally come to an end. However, that thought barely lasted a second when something quickly passed through her line of sight. Immediately, Laura spoke to Emily on the other end of the phone.

"Uh... boss... sorry to ask out of the blue, but... do we happen to have a containment room at the base for an anomaly with a danger level possibly equivalent to Nihilum?" Laura asked, caution in her voice.@@novelbin@@

Minutes of silence followed Laura's words—long enough for her to start wondering if the call had dropped. Her eyes blinked briefly as she tried to imagine what might have happened, until suddenly, Emily's voice echoed from the other end of the line again.

"... Emily... honestly, I want to believe it’s not that, but you're not asking me this because we’re really going to need a containment room of that level... are we?"

When Emily asked the question, Laura was momentarily lost, trying to figure out where to begin — or rather, how to explain something she still couldn’t fully understand herself.

In the end, Laura decided to start her explanation from the beginning, highlighting the most important points and mentioning Arthur, her current source of information. As Laura spoke, Emily, on the other end of the line, couldn’t help but think that her headaches would inevitably return.