Laura, Victor, the man whose name I still didn’t know, and the leader of the eccentric cult also noticed the anomaly’s presence. At the moment, we were in the center of the village, and the anomaly, perched on the roof of one of the houses, was watching us closely.

I heard the sounds of breathing from Laura, Victor, and the man stop abruptly, as if the air had frozen in their lungs. Honestly, if I were in their place, I’d probably react the same way.

Maybe it was because of the events that had happened earlier, but no matter how I analyzed this new anomaly, it exuded a unique unpredictability. Unlike the others, who often acted purely on instinct, this anomaly seemed fully aware of its actions.

In a way, she resembled me: an anomaly that knew exactly what it was doing. That made everything even more unsettling, as it made it impossible to predict her next moves.

I mean, I don’t exactly consider myself a genius. And it’s not like I have any anomaly power that allows me to read minds. In short, I’m only able to solve puzzles that anyone could figure out. For some reason, admitting that doesn’t bring me any relief. In fact, it feels like I’m calling myself an idiot.

Anyway, I decided that, since the anomaly was staring at me, I wouldn’t look away. I remembered a documentary I watched once, where they said that, among animals, whoever looks away first ends up becoming the prey. Of course, that doesn’t mean our situation was exactly the same, but given the moment, the analogy seemed fitting.

Seconds passed as we stared at each other. The people behind me seemed to be holding their breath, or at least that’s what I noticed out of the corner of my eye. However, our eye contact didn’t last long. At one point, the cult leader, that crazy woman, just ran toward the anomaly. She stopped beneath the house where it was and kneeled.

That detail shifted my focus from the anomaly to the woman, as my thoughts turned toward her. I still didn’t know who she was or what her intentions were in releasing this anomaly into the world. I mean, from what I could tell, Laura didn’t seem to have any information about the anomaly either. In short, she was just as disoriented as I was in this situation.

"Oh, my grand lady! What immense joy to see you awaken from your long slumber and now walk among us, mere mortals!" exclaimed the woman, kneeling once more before the anomaly.

Once again, the woman started mumbling strange things. At least this confirmed something: in the end, she was truly insane. For some reason, she seemed to worship the newly emerged anomaly as if it were a deity. Thinking from a human perspective, maybe some anomalies could actually fit this kind of pattern... I suppose.

As I wondered what would happen next, my gaze shifted to the anomaly. It was staring at the sky with a calm expression. Instinctively, I followed its line of sight, and to my surprise, my eyes widened when I saw what it was looking at. In the place where the moon should have been, a glowing circle appeared, radiating a deep and unsettling purple hue. Somehow, it resembled a black hole.

Probably confused by the fact that both the anomaly and I were staring at the sky, the others followed our movements and looked up as well. It didn’t take long for everyone to notice the anomaly hovering above us, and their expressions changed one by one.

Laura, Victor, and Arthur clearly showed fear and terror on their faces. Honestly, I couldn’t understand the exact reason. I admit that the fact that the moon was replaced by that sight was disturbing, but could it really be that terrifying?.

(White... strange... it seems... recognize... no...? You...?)

As I got lost in my thoughts, suddenly, a peculiar sensation crossed my mind... or rather, I felt like another thought, besides my own, had invaded my consciousness. I blinked in confusion, trying to understand what was happening.

I looked around, confused, trying to locate the source of the voice, but besides me, only Laura, Victor, Arthur, and the crazy woman had their eyes fixed on the sky. That wasn’t a thought of mine, and the voice was clearly different from my own, broken, as if the source was struggling to express itself. Even so, I was sure the voice had come directly from my mind.

At that moment, a thought popped into my head. I found it ridiculous, but still, my body turned toward what I imagined had caused the voice that echoed in my head. My golden eyes, glowing intensely, locked onto the anomaly.

The same thing was happening with her golden eyes, now with deep purple pupils, which met mine for a brief moment. The amused smile still lingered on the anomaly’s face.

I kept staring at her, wondering if maybe I was hearing things... which was hard to believe, considering I didn’t even seem to have a brain to begin with. Even so, the idea that the anomaly had communicated with me mentally seemed absurd. Since when do anomalies talk?

(White... confusion... recognition... no... understanding... complicated...)

... Okay, although I was reluctant to admit it, I couldn’t deny that the anomaly was, in some way, speaking directly to my head. But, putting aside the impressive fact that she could communicate this way, another thought emerged in my mind at that moment.

(What the hell is she trying to say, anyway?)

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t understand what the anomaly was saying. Her words sounded confusing, jumbled, almost like fragments of a disconnected thought. Also, I was still struggling to accept that it was really her who was speaking. Not that there were many other options around that could communicate directly in someone’s mind, but still, it was hard to believe.

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Almost without realizing it, I tilted my head to the side and blinked. This simple gesture seemed enough for the anomaly to understand that I couldn’t comprehend her. Reflecting my action, she also tilted her head, and her voice echoed in my mind again. Although the tone remained fragmented and strange, this time the words sounded more organized, as if they were starting to make some sense.

(Hmm... difficult... language... to learn... I need... more... time...)

Once again, the voice sounded strange, almost incomprehensible, but this time I managed to grasp part of what the anomaly was trying to say... or at least trying to express. Alright, this doesn’t change the fact that she seems to be trying to learn the human language. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder if the others were hearing the same thing as I was. Probably not, since everyone was still staring at the moon hovering in the sky, oblivious to what was happening in my mind.

Anyway, it was undeniable that the anomaly was trying to communicate. I thought maybe I should try to respond, but to be honest, I wasn’t sure if she’d be able to hear me. Did this work like a phone, where both sides can talk, or was it exclusive to her? In the end, I decided it was worth a try. However, before I could speak, her voice echoed in my mind again.

(Time... needed... white... see... you... again...)

Upon hearing these words, my eyes instinctively turned toward the anomaly. As before, an amused smile played on her face. The next instant, her cloak enveloped her again and, just like last time, she disappeared as if she were altering the very space around her.

I blinked, staring at the empty space where she had been moments ago, before looking up at the sky, focusing on the place where the moon should have been. However, all that remained was a deep purple glow emanating from what should have been the moon. As I blinked again and brought a finger to my lips, a thought occurred to me.

(... Are you just going to leave and leave things like this?)

***

(POV - Laura Cavendish)

Laura simply couldn’t believe what her eyes were witnessing — or rather, she was refusing to believe what she saw in the sky. At some point, which she hadn’t even noticed, the light that had once illuminated the surroundings was replaced by a deep purple hue. Her senses seemed to be in a panic, each one trembling as she fixed her gaze on that sight.

Although Laura had named the anomaly Nihilum, wasn't that a bit excessive? Even with anomalies considered impossible to contain, she had never witnessed anything like this. It didn’t seem like the moon had simply been replaced; it was as if it had always been that way. This thought settled in Laura's mind, and one conclusion surfaced: a reality alteration.

There had never been an anomaly with such power before. If one truly existed, would there be any way to contain it? The only thought that kept Laura grounded at that moment was what Arthur had told her earlier: anomalies like that couldn’t defy the concept that governed them.

Although they still didn’t know what the anomaly’s concept was, Laura clung to the hope that it wasn’t something like the concept of chaos, because, if it were, the situation would be even more terrifying than it seemed at that moment.

"Ohhh! Your greatness, lighting up the sky! It's as if I'm bathed in your grace, even in your absence!"

Laura listened to the woman's appeals with a skeptical look. It wasn’t the first time she had witnessed fanatics who saw anomalies, or even a specific one, as gods. However, something about this woman made Laura feel that she was different. Although she didn’t know exactly what it was, there was something in her posture that evoked that impression.

Laura continued lost in thought when, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed movement. Something was approaching the woman—more precisely, Victor, who was advancing with his weapon drawn, pointing it directly at her. A chill ran through Laura as she observed Victor's face, expressionless and completely devoid of emotion. Although it wasn’t an uncommon sight, she still found it strange to see him in his serious work mode.

“You... if you don’t want to end up like a sieve, you’d better start telling everything you know—about the anomaly you invoked and about that weird thing floating in the sky. And you’d better know how we can make everything go back to normal”

Laura watched the woman’s reaction, but instead of showing fear, she seemed indifferent, not caring about either Victor or the gun pointed at her forehead. Although Laura was tempted to believe the woman was simply out of her mind, she knew that couldn’t be the case.

(Who the hell is this woman, anyway?)

Lost in her thoughts, Laura flinched slightly when a short, strange laugh echoed through the environment: "Hehehe... even though you're as ignorant as you are, you're still touched by her grace. My lady doesn’t discriminate against those who don’t believe in her or those who do; to her, we are all the same... yet, I cannot forgive you for daring to profane her name, calling her “thing” Ahhh! My lady, forgive them, please, they don’t know what they’re doing. As punishment, I promise to tear out their mouths as a symbol of your forgiveness"

For some reason, Laura noticed almost immediately that the atmosphere around the woman had shifted. Instinctively, she took a step back but stumbled and fell.

Her gaze met the woman’s again, and what she saw was utter fanaticism. Laura didn’t know who this woman was or what her objective was, but one thing became clear: she was completely out of her mind.

Victor also noticed the change; his face hardened, and he stepped back, keeping his gun pointed at the woman, but she seemed oblivious to the threat. Slowly, the woman’s footsteps echoed through the cave, drawing nearer with each step.

Laura’s breathing, already heavy, became even more labored as the woman approached, as if the air around her was getting thicker with each of her movements.

Just a few steps from the woman, her steps suddenly stopped. Laura slowly raised her gaze and found the [Angel of Death] before her, head tilted to the side and eyes blinking as she observed the woman... or rather, it seemed like she was observing something in the woman, instead of simply staring at her.

"Hmm... I wonder if our guide knows these people? Well, if that's the case, I guess I can't just tear out their mouths... My goodness, what do I do now?"

Laura tried to anticipate the woman’s reaction, but to her surprise, the tone in which she addressed the [Angel of Death] was surprisingly respectful. Laura tried to comprehend the scene she was witnessing, but she simply couldn’t. However, what happened next definitely took her by surprise.

"Ah! In that case, I’ll make sure your sins are forgiven through my own sacrifice" said the woman, a genuine smile of happiness on her face.

As she spoke those words, Laura watched as the woman pulled a knife from her robes. In the next instant, her eyes widened in shock as the woman unexpectedly began cutting her own face. The scene unfolding was so grotesque that Laura felt her stomach churn. Unable to bear it, she couldn’t help but vomit as the woman continued her macabre spectacle of self-mutilation.

At that moment, besides the sound of the wind, which had inexplicably returned, the only sound filling the environment was the sound of flesh being cut and torn, echoing for some time, breaking the silence in a haunting way.