Anomaly

Our group, made up of Emily, Laura, Victor, Rupert, Arthur, and Charlotte's parents, was the first to leave the base and venture into the unknown. In reality, we didn't have much of a choice. We still had no idea what we were looking for, let alone where we were supposed to go, so splitting our forces or sending other teams ahead for an initial reconnaissance would've only wasted resources and increased the risk.

At the same time, I was trying not to put any pressure on Charlotte. She was already doing everything she could to help us, focusing with everything she had to pick up on any clue that might point us in the right direction. Asking even more of her would've been unfair. Even so... For some reason, I was in a strangely sulky mood. It was an irritating feeling, almost childish.

I wasn't angry at Charlotte, quite the opposite. I was frustrated with myself. I wanted to help her. I wanted to do something instead of just sitting around and hoping everything would somehow work out.

But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find any way to make myself useful. The ironic part was that, when it came to the priest, I had been able to sense those concepts with absurd clarity... Or maybe not.

Maybe they had been calling out to me. The thought surfaced so naturally that it made me frown. If that was the case, it would explain a lot. But it also raised another question.

If I'd been able to perceive them back then, why was it different now? What had changed? The environment? The concepts themselves? Or was there some specific condition that had to be met before that perception could happen? The more I tried to organize those questions in my head, the fewer answers I found.

Honestly, I was still a long way from understanding how any of this worked. The logic behind the concepts kept slipping through my fingers like smoke, impossible to grasp. Which, when you think about it, was pretty ironic. After all, I'd already been an anomaly for quite a while.

That said, even with that little obstacle in mind, the plan remained the same. All of us, including me, agreed that charging in the moment we found the location would've been reckless, especially since Charlotte would have to come with us one way or another. Rushing in without any solid information would've been nothing more than asking for disaster.

Before that, other teams would be sent in to conduct a preliminary survey of the area. Besides reducing the risks, it would give us time to gather valuable information about the environment, identify potential threats, and maybe even figure out a way to deal with the dangers before we arrived.

Considering everything Selyra told us, I could picture us ending up inside some kind of anomalous location without much difficulty. The real question was just how anomalous it would be. Honestly, I had no clue.

The forest where I first woke up was the perfect example of the kind of absurdity those anomalies could produce. Its spatial distortion was so extreme that it didn't matter how far someone ran or which direction they chose, they simply couldn't find a way out.

It was as if space itself folded back on itself, guiding every attempt to escape right back to where it had begun. And that wasn't even the strangest part. From the outside, the forest looked perfectly ordinary in size. But once you stepped inside, its true expanse was unimaginably larger, completely defying logic and every conventional notion of geometry.

Beyond my own experience there, thanks to the countless files the organization had compiled over the years, and thanks to Laura being the kind of person who loved telling me stories, I ended up learning that anomalous locations were far more diverse than I'd ever imagined.

As a matter of fact, the anomalous forest where I'd been trapped after first awakening in my anomalous body was, unbelievably enough, considered one of the simplest ones in existence. The fact that no one could escape it and that its interior was practically infinite despite occupying a relatively ordinary amount of space from the outside was viewed as nothing more than a basic characteristic of places like that.

Some anomalies altered the flow of time. Others distorted perception, making days feel like minutes or minutes feel like years. Some didn't even obey the laws of physics, changing their structure while they were being observed or reacting to the presence of living beings in completely unpredictable ways.

Knowing all of that was exactly why I understood that I couldn't simply charge in alongside Charlotte. Before taking even a single step, we needed to know exactly what kind of anomaly we were dealing with. In places like these, the difference between caution and recklessness was often the same as the difference between surviving and dying an embarrassing death.

Anyway, setting those concerns aside for the moment, the trip continued without any major incidents. The vehicle we were riding in belonged to the organization, and at first glance alone it gave off an unmistakable sense of rugged durability.

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Its armor looked strong enough to withstand heavy-caliber gunfire, while the engine had more than enough power to push the massive vehicle to surprisingly high speeds without sounding like it was working hard.

The interior was also far more spacious than I'd expected. Even with all of us inside, there was still plenty of room to move around without feeling like we were packed together shoulder to shoulder.

The seats were firm, the sound insulation muted most of the road noise, and the suspension soaked up the imperfections in the pavement with remarkable efficiency, making the ride far more comfortable than a vehicle of that size had any right to be. From the outside, though, it was a different story.

The all-black paint job and understated design tried to make it look like nothing more than an ordinary SUV, but its imposing size and a few subtle details in the bodywork gave it away. It was obvious this wasn't just another passenger vehicle. It had clearly been modified for far more than simply transporting people.

Even so, I wouldn't exactly call the trip peaceful. Then again, considering the absurd standards my life had been following lately, "nothing major happened" was a pretty relative concept. After all, not getting attacked by some monstrous anomaly, swallowed by a flash flood, or blown up for some completely nonsensical reason already counted as a great day.

The biggest thing making the whole situation uncomfortable was the suffocating silence hanging inside the car. From the moment we got in, no one had said a single word. No comments. No questions. Not even a half-hearted attempt to start a conversation.

Everyone was painfully aware of everyone else's presence, and that mutual awareness only made the atmosphere feel heavier, as if a single sound might shatter some fragile balance.

Maybe it was a good thing Victor and Rupert were sitting up front, with Victor focused on the road behind the wheel while Rupert occupied the passenger seat. Or maybe not. If Rupert had been back here with us, he probably would've already cracked one of his stupid jokes or made some clueless remark just to break the ice.

As annoying as his jokes could be sometimes, right now I'd gladly welcome anything that could chase away this awkward silence. That said, what was really making me uneasy were my little sister's parents.

For some reason I simply couldn't understand, Charlotte had decided to sit right next to me. She seemed perfectly comfortable with that choice, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Unfortunately, her parents didn't seem to share that feeling.

Every now and then, I could feel their eyes drifting toward me. They weren't exactly hostile, but there was a strange mix of suspicion, curiosity, and caution behind their gazes, like they were trying to figure out what my intentions were without asking a single question.

It was the kind of look that could make anyone feel guilty, even if they'd done absolutely nothing wrong. Honestly... I was starting to think facing down a horde of anomalies would be less uncomfortable than spending another few minutes trapped inside this car.

Before I could come up with some excuse to ease the tension, Charlotte's mother finally broke the silence: "Honey... why don't you come sit with us?" she asked, offering a gentle smile.

The moment she spoke, everyone's eyes naturally shifted toward me. She wasn't being hostile. Quite the opposite. Her voice was calm and kind. Even so, there was an unmistakable tension in her posture, a caution she was trying to hide behind her politeness. And honestly... could I really blame her?

Up until now, I'd always had the impression she was merely tolerating me. Now, only a week later, I was showing up to tell her we'd need to take her daughter somewhere potentially dangerous, a place we knew absolutely nothing about.

We had no idea what we'd find there, let alone how dangerous it might be. Looking at it that way... Yeah... suddenly this sounded a whole lot worse than it had when the plan first popped into my head.

While I was lost in those thoughts, she patiently waited for Charlotte to respond: "I'm sure you have a lot to tell us" she said, briefly glancing at her husband before looking back at Charlotte: "Your father and I, I mean"

Charlotte looked up at her mother, her brow knitting together in mild confusion. Until then she'd been distracted, listening to one of her earbuds, but she slowly took it out before turning her attention to me. Her lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but at the last second she thought better of it and swallowed the words.

When her mother suggested she move over, Charlotte surprised me by simply shaking her head: "Actually... I think I'm good here, Mom. I mean... if things go south, my big sis here will take care of it"

Her tone was light, almost playful. Before I could react, she casually draped an arm over my shoulders and pulled my head against hers. Under normal circumstances, that probably would've snapped my neck... If that were even still possible for me.

"I know she can seem kind of dorky sometimes" Charlotte continued with a quiet laugh: "but trust me, she's ridiculously strong" As if that weren't embarrassing enough, Charlotte cupped my face with both hands and squished my cheeks, stretching them sideways. The result looked vaguely like a smile... Even though it was completely forced.

"See? She even smiles" She let out a satisfied little giggle before continuing: "And besides, she's actually incredibly sweet and kind once you really get to know her. Okay, sure, she looks a little weird..." Charlotte tilted her head, pretending to study my face for a second: "... but that's part of her charm"

Then her eyes lit up, as though she'd just come up with the perfect solution to everything: "Oh, I know! Why don't you three take this chance to talk and get to know each other better?" She glanced between her mother, her father, and me, subtly pointing at each of us in turn: "Seriously, I'm sure you'll end up getting along. Sometimes people just need to understand each other a little better. I'm almost a hundred percent sure that after talking for a few minutes, you'll realize you've been worrying for nothing"

Naturally, the silence that settled back over the car afterward was anything but normal. It was the kind of heavy, uncomfortable silence that seemed to fill every inch of the vehicle, making even the steady hum of the engine sound unnaturally loud.

No one seemed willing to break it, and every passing second only made the atmosphere more unbearable. If this beginning was any indication, this was going to be one long... exhausting trip.

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