Anomaly

“It doesn’t hurt anymore... It feels like... everything is normal” she murmured, her voice trembling, choked by shock and emotion she could barely hold back.
For a moment, she stayed still, as if afraid that any movement might break that fragile moment of relief. A faint smile began to appear, shy, hesitant, making its way through the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes — not tears of pain, but of disbelief and hope.
In the next instant, she closed her eyes briefly, allowing herself to be enveloped by the warm, comforting sensation of healing, which spread slowly — but steadily — through her entire body, like an invisible balm flowing through every fiber of her being. The room remained engulfed in an almost suffocating silence.
Honestly, I couldn’t tell if it was the result of the collective astonishment that had silenced everyone, or if the fear hanging in the air was simply too strong to allow any words. Probably a mix of both — surprise and fear dancing side by side in every gaze fixed on her.
Putting that aside, the woman’s husband also had a look of disbelief on his face. His mouth opened and closed repeatedly, as if struggling to find words that made sense in light of what he had just witnessed. It was clear that his mind was still trying to process what he saw.
In the end, the only words he managed to stammer were simple but revealed completely his state of confusion and astonishment: “H-How is this possible?”
An involuntary smile threatened to form on his face, even though he tried to hold back the emotion. His hands hovered in the air, hesitant, as if wanting to touch the woman’s belly at any cost, but something invisible seemed to stop him — maybe the fear of breaking the magic of the moment, as if it were all just a fragile dream.
However, that fear vanished when she, with a gentle and tender gesture, took his hand and guided it to her belly. The moment his fingers touched that meaningful curve, his eyes filled with a gleam — a mixture of surprise, love, and wonder.
At the same time, the man knelt before the woman, his eyes darting back and forth between her face — which looked at him with a tender smile — and her belly. With a surprised and emotional smile, he murmured, almost in disbelief: “I-it’s warm!”
In the end, both the little girl and I watched the situation unfold in silence. A little behind me, Althea floated softly in the air, her ethereal wings beating lightly, almost like the whisper of the wind. Her gaze stayed fixed on the couple ahead, carrying a serene — almost indifferent — expression.
However, in the next moment, her words unexpectedly broke the silence and made me turn my face toward her, frowning, genuinely confused by what I had just heard.
“By the way...” Althea started, catching my attention with a casual tone but a mischievous sparkle in her eyes: “Since I’m here, should I give her a child?”
For a moment, I thought Althea was just joking — or, as usual, being mischievous. But her face remained completely expressionless, serious in an almost unsettling way. There wasn’t a trace of irony or malice in her eyes. That’s when I realized: she wasn’t joking: (Can you do that?)
Althea blinked briefly, as if my question caught her by surprise. For a moment, she seemed confused but then nodded with a slight smile on her lips: “Yes, of course. That’s easy for me”
Honestly, as soon as I asked the question, I realized how dumb it sounded — especially considering it was Althea. But it all happened so suddenly that, for a moment, my mind simply froze. I kept wondering why she would make such an offer out of nowhere, without any warning or context. In the end, even without fully understanding her intentions, I just declined.
While staring at Althea, who watched me with a curious and silent gaze, I answered mentally, trying to explain as simply as possible: (If you gave that to them directly, it would lose its meaning. For humans, creating life is only truly special when it’s born from the love between two people. It’s that bond, that mutual feeling, that gives meaning to the act)
Upon hearing my words, Althea slightly furrowed her brow and took on a thoughtful expression. For a moment, her eyes seemed to search for something between the lines of what I said. Then, with her head slightly tilted and a soft voice — almost ethereal, like a harp’s murmur in the wind — she asked with genuine curiosity: “What does that mean?”
The moment I heard Althea’s words, I was suddenly confused. I turned to face her and found her eyes locked on mine — there was a mix of curiosity and slight confusion in them, as if she herself didn’t fully understand what she had just said. Hesitantly, I broke the silence with a question that seemed simple but carried an unexpected weight: (You... know what love is, right?)
As soon as I asked, Althea raised an eyebrow — and her next words only deepened my confusion: “I’ve heard that term back when I lived as a human” she said thoughtfully: “But I never really understood what it truly meant. I think I loved my parents... and my grandmother too. But I’m not sure if that was the same kind of love we’re talking about now” She looked away for a moment, as if searching memories for something that simply wasn’t there anymore.
I blinked for a moment, surprised by Althea’s words. It was deeply ironic — the being who was supposed to embody love, life, and creation itself seemed unable to grasp the simplest and purest meaning of love. A brief silence filled the room, only broken by the subtle echo of that contradiction.
In the end, I let out a sigh full of resignation and began to think about the best way to explain to Althea what “love” really meant. However, the answer, although complex, seemed to be right in front of me, clear and undeniable.
(Althea) I began, calling her name and fixing my gaze on Althea’s golden eyes, who watched me with intense attention: (Why do you want to have a child with me?) I asked, my voice low, almost a whisper.
Althea, hearing my question, didn’t hesitate for a moment. A wide smile, almost ear to ear, lit up her face, while her eyes shone with affection. With a firm voice full of care, she answered immediately: “Of course, my dear sister. Because I love you, always!”
After Althea’s words, I fixed my gaze on her carefully, searching for any sign of hesitation or doubt, but she seemed completely calm. Without showing any surprise, she gently tilted her head to the side, watching me with serene curiosity.
For a brief moment, an unexpected thought hit me — a revelation I hadn’t considered before. Honestly, I don’t know why I never thought of it before, or rather, why I never looked at the situation from that perspective. Althea really did love humans.
It wasn’t a matter of ignorance or misunderstanding; she was fully aware of that love. It was something genuine, deep, that transcended any doubt or ambiguity. Yet, even when I gave a clear example of what love was, Althea still couldn’t fully grasp the connection.
In the end, there was only one reason for this: although Althea loved humans, that love wasn’t the same kind she felt for us, her sisters — especially for me. The affection Althea had for humans was more like the bond between an owner and their pets.
After all, Althea was immortal; she existed long before everything we know was created. From a non-human perspective, it would be simply impossible for her to love equally all the billions of humans scattered around the world.
Anyway, even though that thought hit me suddenly, I didn’t have time to reflect. In the next moment, a voice covered in static echoed through the room, coming from the device Emily carried with her. Despite the noise, it was possible to distinguish the message clearly: “Emily? Can you hear me?... Damn, why does this crap have to fail right now...”
Emily blinked briefly, as if waking from a trance, but her attention remained intensely fixed on me. Only then, with a slight startle, she answered the voice that echoed clearly — undoubtedly Victor’s: “Victor? Is that you? I’m listening, yes!”
A few tense seconds passed before the static-distorted voice echoed again over the communicator: “Connected! Thank God... Are you okay? Laura’s with you, right?”
Victor’s concern was obvious, almost palpable. Hearing him, Emily answered without hesitation: “We’re all fine” she said firmly: “Laura and I, and the visitors too. When everything started, we were right in front of the
containment room, and it was with her help that we survived. By the way, the anomaly was completely neutralized”
A brief silence echoed on the other side as soon as my name was mentioned. It was as if time stopped for a moment. Emily raised an eyebrow, visibly confused, then insisted with a slightly uneasy tone: “Victor? Are you still there?”
In the next moment, with a noticeably more resigned tone, Victor’s voice echoed through the room: “I’m fine... Anyway, what are we going to do with the suspect we found in the bathroom?”
He paused briefly, took a deep breath before continuing: “Honestly, this is beyond my capabilities — and Rupert’s too. In the end, we’re just guards...”
Hearing Victor’s words, Emily took on a thoughtful expression. It was clear the conversation was being followed by everyone around — the visitors, though silent, watched with attentive and curious eyes the unfolding situation.
After a few moments of silence and a contained sigh, Emily finally broke the mood: “I need you to bring him to me...” she said, her voice calm but full of intent: “More precisely, take him to the Angel of Death’s containment room” As she spoke, she slowly turned her gaze toward me, her eyes steady, as if weighing every word and decision.
Emily watched me silently for a few seconds, as if pondering something. Then, she sighed softly, as if giving up an internal resistance, and her voice echoed again — this time addressed directly to me: “
, we need your help once again. If my suspicions are right, it’s very likely that several anomalies have escaped... and are, right now, wandering the hallways or — worse — teleporting around the place. Sending guards now would only result in more deaths. We need to contain this with minimal losses possible. That’s why I want you to help Victor and Rupert with the suspect in the bathroom. Bring him back alive, if possible”
While watching Emily, I just nodded silently. Then, I prepared to use my ability to swim through shadows — through it, I could teleport to Victor and Rupert in seconds. I already visualized the destination and began channeling the necessary energy.
But, the moment I tried to activate it, something went wrong. A sudden interference crossed my power, like a strange frequency colliding directly with my essence. It was an uncomfortable, almost painful sensation — as if something or someone was trying to tear me from my own domain.
My connection with the shadows was destabilized, as if being distorted, pushed away from me. Immediately, I knew who was responsible. The culprit’s identity left no room for doubt.
In the next moment, my eyes instinctively turned to the ground — more specifically, to the shadow I cast. I frowned and forced my vision, raising an eyebrow in suspicion. I caught glimpses of curious looks around me, but it didn’t matter anymore.
All my attention was focused on something far more disturbing: two red eyes, intense and vibrant, staring back at me from the depths of my own shadow. They didn’t belong to some mysterious being — they belonged to him, the only being I would ever fail to ignore. My Alter Ego.
As I watched him, a subtle and almost imperceptible thought slid through my mind, forming a simple question: (Now... why are you interfering?) I asked mentally, raising an eyebrow with curiosity.