Anomaly

Although Arthur and Charlotte's initial reactions were, in a way, pretty entertaining to watch, we unfortunately had to save the introductions for a better time. After all, this was definitely not the moment for casual conversation when the entire world was in danger.

That said... let's just say Charlotte did not appreciate being called a "kid". The moment Arthur addressed her that way, she slowly turned her head toward him and shot him a glare so sharp it looked like it could melt him on the spot. It was the kind of expression that made the air around her feel several degrees colder.

The most unsettling part was that I simply... couldn't honestly say melting Arthur was impossible. Knowing the kind of being Charlotte was, there was a very real possibility she could actually pull something like that off. Fortunately for Arthur, he seemed completely oblivious to what was running through my mind. Or maybe he just didn't care.

Either way, he stood there wearing the same carefree expression as always, completely ignoring Charlotte's murderous glare, as though staring down an entity capable of erasing him from existence with nothing more than a bad mood was just another ordinary Tuesday.

With that out of the way, gathered around the conference room table, Arthur, Emily, and Laura began discussing the recent anomalous incidents, which had been occurring at increasingly shorter intervals.

The atmosphere in the room was tense. Maps, reports, and photographs were scattered across the table, making it painfully clear that the situation had long since gone beyond being dismissed as a string of coincidences.

To be honest, I hadn't paid much attention to the issue before. The incidents, while certainly concerning, hadn't been serious enough to warrant my direct involvement. And, if I was being completely honest... I wasn't exactly motivated either. At least, not enough to genuinely get involved or try to help.

That changed completely after Charlotte and I spoke with Selyra. According to Selyra herself, the steady increase in anomalous phenomena wasn't a coincidence at all. It was a direct side effect of her authority weakening. The more her dominion over the world deteriorated, the more frequent, and unstable, those incidents became.

Naturally, I wasted no time sharing everything I'd learned with Emily, Laura, and Arthur. While part of my reason was simply to keep them informed, I also figured they might be able to help locate the source.

Relying solely on Charlotte for something like that would mean placing an enormous burden on her shoulders, leaving the entire responsibility to one person alone. Personally, that was a situation I'd rather avoid if there was any other option.

Once I'd finished explaining everything I'd discovered so far, I let out a quiet sigh, barely noticeable. My gaze first shifted toward Emily and Laura. Both remained silent, their expressions deeply thoughtful as they processed every piece of information I'd just laid out. Then Arthur caught my attention.

His expression was thoughtful as well, much like theirs, but there was a subtle difference. While Emily, and especially Laura, seemed to be trying to organize everything they'd just heard and make sense of what I was telling them, the confusion on Arthur's face came from somewhere else entirely. It wasn't my words that had left him puzzled. It was what they meant.

(What's wrong?) I asked mentally. My voice naturally caught Arthur's attention. His eyes, which had been lost in thought, lifted slightly. One eyebrow rose as he studied me for a few seconds, as though weighing something before answering.

(The look on your face... it's different from Emily's and Laura's) I said calmly: (You don't seem surprised. If anything... you look like you're trying to confirm something)

I paused briefly, holding his gaze: (You have some idea of what's going on, don't you?) Before Arthur could respond, I continued, my mental voice remaining calm but unwavering: (And now that I think about it... every single time you were there when my sisters appeared, you always acted like you knew more than you let on)

My eyes narrowed ever so slightly: (You never reacted like someone seeing them for the first time. It was as if you were expecting something... or, at the very least, understood far more about them than the rest of us)

I tilted my head slightly: (So... am I wrong? Or do you actually know what's happening here?)

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Arthur didn't answer right away. Instead, he simply turned his gaze toward Charlotte, studying her out of the corner of his eye for several long seconds in an oddly heavy silence. I had to admit, his reaction threw me off.

Even so, I knew Arthur well enough to know he'd never do anything against Charlotte without having a reasonable explanation first... Reasonable enough to keep me from beating him up, anyway.

In the end, I simply waited in silence. The seconds dragged by until Arthur finally gave up on stretching out the suspense: "Haa..."

A long, weary sigh escaped Arthur's lips as he brought one hand to his temple, slowly rubbing it as though trying to ease a headache that kept getting worse: "I was hoping I'd have a little more time to continue my investigation" he said, shaking his head with quiet frustration before looking back up. A small, tired smile appeared on his face: "But I guess nothing ever goes exactly according to plan"

Naturally, Arthur's words caught Emily's and Laura's attention. The two of them turned toward him almost simultaneously, suspicion plainly written across their faces. Charlotte's reaction wasn't much different. She raised an eyebrow ever so slightly as she looked at him, clearly waiting for an explanation.

Arthur let out a quiet sigh as he realized everyone’s attention had shifted to him. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips before he finally spoke: “The reason you haven’t heard much from me for a while...” he began calmly, folding his arms: “is because I’ve been out investigating certain... patterns”

He paused briefly, carefully choosing his next words. Then his eyes met mine: “It’s not exactly a secret, but my main field of research has always been the Virtues. That’s precisely why I know a few things about your sisters. My family has preserved ancient writings for countless generations, texts that mainly describe the authorities they embody”

Emily and Laura exchanged a quick glance, taking in every word, while Charlotte remained silent, listening intently. Arthur continued, his voice taking on the tone of a professor, though it never became dull: “In the beginning, the most widely accepted theory was that the authorities were simply fundamental forces of reality. Something like the laws of nature, perfect, impersonal, and completely devoid of will. They simply... existed to maintain the balance of the world”

He raised one hand, gesturing slowly: “But that idea began to fall apart when scholars of the time started asking a simple question” Arthur smiled faintly, as though he admired the elegance of the question itself: “Could forces really act with such precision, such absolute consistency, such... perfection, without some form of intelligence guiding them?”

Silence settled over the room for several seconds: “It was from that very question that the first theories about the existence of the Virtues were born. The idea that the authorities weren't merely natural phenomena, but manifestations guided by conscious beings... entities whose very existence upheld the fundamental concepts of reality”

Emily, Laura, Charlotte, and even I listened to everything Arthur said without uttering a word. The atmosphere had changed completely. No one seemed willing to interrupt him. Honestly, it was the first time I had ever heard anything like this. I hadn't even known my sisters had once been figures of such significance in ancient times.

For a brief moment, my thoughts drifted. How much else was there about them that I still didn't know? If all of this was true, then the history of the world ran far deeper than I had ever imagined. Arthur's steady voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

He took a deep breath before continuing, his serious gaze sweeping across each of us: “Anyway... that's not actually the point I'm trying to make” His voice remained calm, but it carried a weight that was impossible to ignore: “At the very beginning, there was something that gave rise to absolutely everything we know”

He paused once more, carefully selecting his words: “Today, we usually call that existence... God” Arthur gave a slight shake of his head: “But in ancient times... it was known by another name”

The silence in the room seemed to grow even heavier. Arthur slowly lifted his gaze before finishing: “It was called simply... Existence” Another brief pause: “Existence was the origin of everything we know today... of all creation”

Arthur fell silent after those words. Even so, the expression on his face made it obvious he was far from finished. His eyes flickered for a moment, as though he were organizing his thoughts before continuing.

The brief silence was finally broken by Laura: “Arthur... where exactly are you going with all of this?” she asked, her brow furrowing. There was confusion in her voice, but also a hint of concern.

Arthur didn't answer right away. He took a deep breath, looking away for a few seconds before letting out a long sigh: “All right... let me explain”

He paused again, making sure everyone was paying attention: “Before Existence... before what we now call the Big Bang... there was the Void” His voice dropped, becoming quieter and more serious: “And no, it wasn't a place, or a dimension, much less a conscious entity. It was simply... absolute nothingness. A state in which nothing existed”

No one dared interrupt him: “And yet, it was within that Void that the most powerful entities capable of directly influencing the Virtues resided”

The revelation plunged the room into an even heavier silence. Emily's eyes widened ever so slightly, while Laura remained perfectly still, absorbing every word.

Arthur drew another deep breath before continuing: “I have reason to believe that... one of those beings from the Void may have managed to send a part of itself into our reality” He paused briefly, choosing his next words with great care: “And if that hypothesis is correct... then that presence may be eroding Hope's authority from within”

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