Anomaly

The short walk to where the others were passed in complete silence. Only the steady rhythm of our footsteps disturbed the stillness, while the air itself seemed to carry a subtle weight that no one felt inclined to dispel. Victor and Charlotte didn't seem to have anything else to add.

As for me... honestly, I couldn't bring myself to say anything either. After what Victor had said, a quiet but undeniable tension had settled between us. It wasn't one of those suffocating silences, but rather an awkward one, uncomfortable enough that any attempt at conversation would have felt out of place.

Besides, it wasn't as if I had anything useful to contribute. And cracking a joke right now would only make me look completely insensitive... Not that I wasn't. But that didn't mean I had to go out of my way to prove it to everyone. Actually, I wouldn't even say I'm truly insensitive.

I prefer to think I simply have a... peculiar way of dealing with things. A little more practical. A little more straightforward. I'd call it tact, although the overwhelming majority of people would probably disagree with that definition. I let out an almost imperceptible sigh and shifted my gaze to the path ahead.

Yeah... working with humans really did come with a surprising number of complications. As if he had read my mind, which, let's be honest, wouldn't be that far from the truth, my Alter Ego, who had been walking calmly beside me, let out a quiet snort in response to my silent complaints. Naturally, I was the first to notice.

In fact, he didn't even bother trying to hide it. When I turned toward him, expecting at least a sarcastic remark or gesture, I found nothing but his usual indifferent expression.

He casually looked away, focusing on some random spot in the surrounding scenery as though the view were infinitely more interesting than talking to me, deliberately ignoring my existence. Honestly... that guy is really hard to figure out.

Lately, I haven't relied on him very often, except in truly specific situations. Even so, he doesn't seem particularly interested in showing up anymore. Whenever he does appear, he acts like he's only tagging along out of sheer boredom, with no intention of stepping in unless absolutely necessary.

The funny thing is, it wasn't always like this. Back then, he practically never left my side. The slightest unusual situation was enough for him to show up. Nowadays, though, his presence has become much rarer... and much quieter.

Maybe it was because, over time, I'd accumulated enough power to protect myself without his help. It was a reasonable explanation, logical, even. Still... something about it didn't quite add up. Deep down, I couldn't shake the strange feeling that there was another reason behind this change.

Anyway, I cut my train of thought short the moment we arrived at a compact house trailer. At least from the outside, it looked completely ordinary, with nothing about it that stood out. The paint showed subtle signs of age, and through the windows I could make out a simple, modest interior, exactly the kind of place anyone would expect to find inside a residential trailer.

At first glance, there was absolutely nothing to suggest its true purpose. Or at least, that's the impression it gave from the outside. The instant Victor opened the door and Charlotte and I stepped inside, we were greeted by an entirely different reality.

My eyes wandered around the interior for a few seconds, trying to process the absurd contrast between the exterior and what actually existed inside. Honestly, I couldn't describe this place as anything other than a full-fledged mobile operations center.

The walls were covered with monitors of various sizes. Some displayed digital maps, others streamed live security feeds, while several showed real-time operational data.

Computers, compact servers, communication equipment, and countless electronic control panels occupied nearly every available inch of space, all arranged with remarkable efficiency.

Every square inch of the trailer had clearly been designed to support field operations. As I continued scanning the room, my eyes landed on a concealed compartment built beneath one of the side cabinets. It resembled a reinforced storage chest, discreetly hidden from view.

Inside were several neatly organized firearms, spare magazines, and tactical support equipment. Pretty convenient, if you ask me. Setting my thoughts about the trailer aside, as soon as we stepped fully inside, our eyes quickly swept across the room.

Emily, Laura, Rupert, and Charlotte's parents were already waiting for us. Charlotte's parents sat side by side on one of the benches, wrapped in heavy silence. The faintly somber, thoughtful expressions on their faces made it obvious that the weight of everything that had happened hadn't eased in the slightest.

Her mother kept her hands folded in her lap, while her father stared blankly at the floor, completely lost in thought. On the opposite side, Emily, Laura, and Rupert were speaking with an agent, apparently reviewing the recent events and organizing the operation's next steps.

A serious atmosphere filled the room, broken only by the quiet murmur of their conversation. Our arrival, however, didn't go unnoticed. As soon as we approached, everyone's attention shifted toward us.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

The agent stopped speaking mid-sentence. Emily and Laura looked in our direction, while Rupert simply crossed his arms and silently observed the scene.

Victor stepped forward without the slightest hesitation and spoke first: "I brought Charlotte and the [Angel of Death], just as requested" His voice was firm and matter-of-fact, leaving no room for unnecessary words.

It was interesting to see how completely Victor seemed to transform whenever he was on a mission. Outside of work, he was usually much more relaxed and approachable. But the moment an operation began, his entire demeanor changed.

His eyes became sharp, his movements precise, and his voice carried an almost intimidating confidence, as though he were a completely different person. Rupert wasn't much different.

Although he still had a habit of cracking the occasional joke whenever the opportunity presented itself, during a mission he also set aside most of his easygoing attitude. His expression became more serious, his comments more direct, and his posture far more composed, revealing the experience of someone accustomed to dealing with dangerous situations.

Anyway, Emily simply nodded in response to Victor's report, a brief gesture, yet enough to close the matter. As she and Laura exchanged a few quiet words with the agent, discussing the next phase of the operation, I didn't pay much attention to what they were saying. Instead, my attention was naturally drawn to the many monitors scattered throughout the room.

The monitors displayed real-time footage from different parts of the area. Empty streets, silent intersections, the facades of houses that looked completely untouched... At first glance, everything seemed perfectly normal. At least from the outside, there wasn't a single sign that anything was wrong. It was just an ordinary street, eerily deserted.

But the lack of pedestrians alone didn't really mean much. After everything we had already witnessed, trusting appearances would have been naive. I kept scanning each screen, searching for anything out of place, a strange shadow, suspicious movement, anything at all. Nothing.

My attention was finally broken when Emily's steady voice echoed through the room. She carried her usual calm demeanor, but there was a decisive edge to her words that left no room for argument: "Alright... you can return to your post" She paused briefly before continuing: "From this point on, we'll be handling the operation ourselves" The agent nodded immediately.

"Also, inform your squad leader to pull every remaining officer out of the residential area" Emily added, her tone remaining calm and matter-of-fact: "I want everyone assembled outside the perimeter as soon as possible"

"Understood. I'll relay the order immediately" the agent replied without hesitation, raising a hand to his communicator before quickly leaving the room.

Just before stepping out, he looked back at me for a few seconds. Suspicion was written plainly across his face, yet there was also a spark of fascination he couldn't quite hide, as though he were trying to figure out exactly what he was looking at. Come to think of it... I didn't remember seeing that guy before.

Maybe he belonged to a squad I hadn't met yet, or perhaps he'd only recently been assigned to the operation. Either way, I ignored his stare. Honestly, it wasn't as if I wasn't used to that kind of reaction. Some people looked at me with caution, others with curiosity, and some managed to do both at the same time.

As soon as he left, my attention shifted back to Emily and Laura. Both of them remained silent, their expressions intensely focused as they studied the "Map" displayed across the large monitors. The live feed updated continuously, revealing every street, block, and building in the residential district with astonishing detail.

I found myself staring at the surrounding monitors again, carefully watching the images cycle across the screens until Emily's voice drew my attention away: "Well... the preliminary results we've received are, to say the least... strange" she remarked in a surprisingly casual tone, as though she were simply commenting on the weather.

Even so, the way she gently rubbed her temple and the nearly imperceptible sigh that escaped her lips made it obvious she was already anticipating the headache this investigation was going to become.

Hearing that, I tilted my head slightly, intrigued. Beside me, Charlotte raised an eyebrow as well, giving Emily a curious look while clearly waiting for a more concrete explanation.

Noticing our expressions, Emily shrugged: "The interviews didn't get us anywhere. None of the residents told us anything genuinely useful. The only thing we noticed is that they all seem... off" She paused for a moment, searching for the right words: "It's like they're disconnected from reality. As if their minds are always somewhere else... or, to quote Rupert's extremely scientific terminology..." A faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips: "... they're completely spaced out"

Charlotte let out a quiet laugh at the remark, while I simply kept my eyes on Emily: "But honestly..." Emily sighed, folding her arms: "That alone doesn't really prove anything. It could just be our imagination, collective stress, or any number of perfectly ordinary explanations. So far, we haven't found anything that actually points to an anomaly"

Victor spoke up next. He ran a hand through his hair, leaving it slightly messier than before in a gesture that betrayed just how exhausted he was, then let out a quiet sigh. When he spoke again, his voice still carried its usual firmness, but the fatigue behind it was impossible to miss: "We've used every method available to detect mind control... or any similar kind of influence" He paused, crossing his arms: "Anomalies, psychological manipulation... we've checked everything within our capabilities. But so far, we haven't found a single suspicious sign"

His gaze swept across the room before settling on Charlotte and me: "That's where the two of you come in" He gestured subtly in our direction: "We've already completed a thorough sweep of the area. We didn't find any hostile creatures, traps, or immediate threats. So, in theory..." He glanced briefly at Charlotte before giving a small nod: "... the area should be safe, even for you"

Charlotte remained silent, listening attentively. Victor drew another deep breath before continuing: "Anyway, that's not the real problem. We're not going to get much more out of the local residents. They genuinely believe everything is normal... or they simply don't know anything useful. Either way, pushing that angle is just going to waste time"

He rested one hand on the table, leaning forward slightly: "That's why we're going to need a much more thorough investigation"

Charlotte remained silent for several moments, clearly deep in thought. Her gaze wandered briefly before meeting mine, as though she were silently asking whether this really was the right course of action.

In response, I simply gave a subtle nod. There wasn't much to add at this point. Any words would have been unnecessary. Besides, as long as Charlotte stayed by my side, she'd be safe. I would make sure of that, no matter the cost.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!