Anomaly
Author: Rowen
Chapter 234 â The entity of pride [16]
At that moment, everything was still a complete mystery to me. Then, out of nowhere, a wild thought shot through my mind like lightning: what if I really had gone back in time? I know how that soundsâcompletely insaneâbut considering we were dealing with an anomaly, maybe it wasnât as far-fetched as it seemed.
And yet, something still didnât add up. If I hadnât actually gone back in time, then why did everything feel like it had reset to the beginning? Every detail around me screamed familiarity, but the weight in my chest told me that something was fundamentally different.
Why do I think that? Pure instinct. Something deep inside me kept insisting that whatever was happening wasnât just a simple rewind in timeâor at least, not just that. The more I thought about it, the more distorted the whole situation felt, like there were hidden layers lurking just beneath the surface.
In the end, the strangeness only grew stronger, and I felt that if I kept overthinking it, Iâd lose myself in that tangle of possibilities. So, I took a deep breath and shoved the thought to the back of my mindâfor now, at least.
But the moment I pushed those thoughts away, another quietly formed in my head, as though it had been whispered into existence by the trees around me. My eyes scanned the forest, following the lazy sway of the leaves in the gentle breeze. A faint shiver ran down my neckânot out of fear, but uncertainty: (So... where was I supposed to go now?)
Thankfully, I didnât have to wonder for long. Not that some magical path appeared before me, showing me the wayânothing that convenient. Instead, after standing still for a few seconds, I simply started walking aimlessly, letting my feet choose the direction for me.
Something inside me said that if I just kept exploring the forest, sooner or later, something would happen. The wet leaves crunched under my bare feet with every step, and the air, thick with sap and earth, almost seemed to invite me deeper in.
For the record, I had these thoughts about thirty minutes agoâwhich means itâs been exactly thirty minutes since I started walking. And in all that time, nothing really happened... except for the constant sound of the wind, making the leaves rustle like an endless whisper.
Even so, something still felt off. For a while now, a strange sense of urgency had been gnawing at the back of my mind, like the very air around me was trying to hurry me along.
For some reason, I felt like I had left something behindâsomething that shouldnât have been forgotten. But the more I tried to grab hold of the memory, the more it slipped away, like sand running through my fingers.
It wasnât like I had truly forgotten it... it felt more like something I was never meant to remember in the first place. Strange, I know, but thatâs exactly what it felt likeâas if a shadow lingered just beyond the edge of my awareness, silently watching me.
Either way, I tried to ignore the feeling, but the more I focused on it, the more it pushed me not to keep goingâor at least, not along the same path Iâd chosen before. Before I even realized it, my feet had already strayed from the original trail, leading me down a completely different path, almost as if they had a will of their own.
With every step, the trees grew farther apart, slowly opening into a small clearing. Moonlight broke through the forest canopy, bathing the area in soft silver light and casting long shadows that seemed to dance around me, as though the very forest itself was watching.
I couldnât say exactly what brought me here. Or rather, technically, it wasnât even me who chose to come hereâmy own senses had guided me, like something beyond my will was pulling the strings. The reason behind it was still a complete mystery, and that only made the unease in my chest grow heavier.
Either way, there wasnât much else to do but look around. I took a deep breath and decided to investigate the place. Thatâs when something broke my train of thought. A sharp, wet, revolting soundâlike flesh being torn apartâcut through the silence, repeating over and over until it was impossible to ignore.
If Iâm being honest, that sound had been there since the moment I realized I was in this forestâalways present, lingering. It had been so clear it almost felt like it was echoing right next to me, as if something had been following me step for step. And yet, I kept trying to ignore it, convincing myself it was all in my headâmaybe just a trick of the mind brought on by the suffocating silence all around me.
But this time, when I turned toward the noise, my eyes finally made out a few shapesâgrotesque, dog-like anomalies, all huddled around a single point on the ground, as though something had drawn them there.
I canât explain why, but a chill ran down my spine, and before I knew it, my feet were already moving on their own, carrying me toward the pack. It was like something invisible was pulling me forward, whispering silently that I had to see this up close.
It was strange... the closer I got, the stronger that feeling became, creeping through me like a slow, unpleasant shiver. It was almost like nauseaâsomething that genuinely caught me off guard. Ever since I became an anomaly, my body had all but stopped reacting to anything unusual.
This was the first time, in a very long time, that I had felt something so physical, so uncomfortable... a raw, almost suffocating sensation that reminded me I was still capable of feeling anything at all. Maybe thatâs why it was so disturbingâit wasnât just discomfort, it was a reminder of something I thought I had lost forever.
Either way, as I drew closer, the wet, tearing, chewing noises grew sharper and sharper, like something was ripping apart flesh just a few steps ahead. Each squelch made my stomach twist.
Soon, a strange smell began to fill the airâthick, metallic, almost suffocating. There was something disturbingly familiar about that smell, like an old, unwanted memory, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldnât place it.
And of course, those creaturesâthings only vaguely resembling dogsâthat seemed to be feasting on something on the ground, werenât completely oblivious to me. The instant they noticed me, they all froze at once, as though a single thought had passed through a shared mind. Then, slowly, they rose to their feet, their skeletal silhouettes standing out starkly against the dim light.
It was at that moment that I realized something even more grotesque: their bellies split open in a jagged cut that started just below the chinâif you could even call that thing a chinâand ran all the way down to where, on any normal creature, the genitals should have been. The gash pulsed faintly, as if it were breathing, and a wet shine caught the little light in the room.
An instant later, the cut tore unnaturally wide, ripping open to both sides as though the flesh itself had a will of its own. From within emerged a seemingly endless row of yellowed, brittle teeth, some of them coated with a dark slime that glistened under the dim light.
A putrid, suffocating stench poured out, the smell of rot so strong it felt like it was sticking to my throat. And then, at that exact moment, the teeth moved in perfect unison and shot toward me, as if the entire creature had been hurled forward. Still, to my own surprise, I felt no panic at all.
On the contrary, a strange calm washed over me, as if my body already knew what to do. Maybe it was because, deep down, I remembered perfectly well the first time I ever saw one of these thingsâand how, despite the horror, I made it out alive.
I was terrifiedâmore than I ever thought I could be. One of those things ripped my arm off in a single, brutal motion, without hesitation, and devoured it right there, in front of my eyes. The whole ordeal filled me with a deep disgust, a sickening feeling that seemed to corrode my insides.
At that moment, in the midst of terror and pain, I swore to myself that I would never set foot on the forest floor again. Those trees became my only refuge, and I was determined never to climb down from them.
In the end, I realized I didnât need to eat or drink to stay there. I could remain suspended at the top of the trees for as long as I wanted, watching the world below like a forgotten ghost. And yet, something made me climb down.
I donât remember exactly what it wasâmaybe a distant sound, a smell that cut through the air, or some inexplicable sensation crawling down my spine. Iâm not sure. But whatever it was, it was enough for me to feel no fear. On the contrary, there was a strange confidence guiding me, as if something was calling me to the ground.
Either way, I forced myself to push those thoughts aside and focused on what really mattered. The creatures were already dangerously close, their presence almost tangible, but to be honest, I still didnât feel afraid.
Compared to what I faced back then, Iâm immeasurably stronger now. My Alter Ego, if it wanted to, could wipe them all out with a single blowâand that certainty gave me an oddly calming feeling.
Yeah... with that single thought, I waited. I waited. I waited. But nothing happened. No smoke appeared to attack or protect me. No spark, no sign. Only then, with those massive teeth drawing closerâso close I could feel the creatureâs hot, rancid breathâthat I realized something strange.
Up until that moment, I hadnât really paid attention to it, but now, with death nearly brushing against my face, a chilling thought cut through my mind like a blade: (By the way... why canât I feel my Alter Ego?)
Yeah... the moment that thought crossed my mind, my body reacted before I could even process what was happening. Almost instinctively, I raised my hand in front of me, as if that gesture alone could shield me.
The very next instant, a brutal force clamped down on my arm. I felt something hot and slimy swallow my hand whole, and when I looked ahead, my stomach dropped: rows of teeth clenched tight around my arm, squeezing with a pressure that felt like it was trying to crush the bone.
The sight lasted no more than a moment. The next thing I knew, a monstrous force yanked my entire body forward, and before I could react, my arm was torn off with savage strength. The severed limb fell straight into the beastâs maw, where it was chewed with a wet, revolting crunch.
As always, there was no painâonly that unsettling, ghostly sensation that something that was once part of me had simply ceased to exist.
My trembling eyes drifted down to where my arm should have been. There was nothingâjust raw absence. A fleeting thought crossed my mind, cold and sharp as a blade: (Why does this feel like déjà vu?) The question echoed inside my head, cold and detached from the urgency of the moment: (Either way... it should regenerate soon.)
Holding on to that thought, I waited. The seconds dragged by in an almost unbearable way, but nothing happenedâmy arm didnât grow back. My regeneration had always been instant, nearly imperceptible, kicking in within fractions of a second from the moment I first awakened this power.
Honestly, since I first gained it, I couldnât remember a single moment when it had failed or even hesitated to work. But now... now something was wrong. Not only was my flesh still gone, but my Alter Egoâthat ever-present force, always ready to manifestâwas completely silent, as if it had been torn out of me entirely.
At that instant, a strange, disturbing thought cut through my mind like a shard of ice. As absurd as it sounded, I couldnât shake it off. With every passing second, the idea became more real, almost tangible.
I wanted to deny it, laugh at it, but considering everything that was happening, there was no other logical explanation: (Could it be...? My powers... are gone?)
And yet, something still didnât add up. If I hadnât actually gone back in time, then why did everything feel like it had reset to the beginning? Every detail around me screamed familiarity, but the weight in my chest told me that something was fundamentally different.
Why do I think that? Pure instinct. Something deep inside me kept insisting that whatever was happening wasnât just a simple rewind in timeâor at least, not just that. The more I thought about it, the more distorted the whole situation felt, like there were hidden layers lurking just beneath the surface.
In the end, the strangeness only grew stronger, and I felt that if I kept overthinking it, Iâd lose myself in that tangle of possibilities. So, I took a deep breath and shoved the thought to the back of my mindâfor now, at least.
But the moment I pushed those thoughts away, another quietly formed in my head, as though it had been whispered into existence by the trees around me. My eyes scanned the forest, following the lazy sway of the leaves in the gentle breeze. A faint shiver ran down my neckânot out of fear, but uncertainty: (So... where was I supposed to go now?)
Thankfully, I didnât have to wonder for long. Not that some magical path appeared before me, showing me the wayânothing that convenient. Instead, after standing still for a few seconds, I simply started walking aimlessly, letting my feet choose the direction for me.
Something inside me said that if I just kept exploring the forest, sooner or later, something would happen. The wet leaves crunched under my bare feet with every step, and the air, thick with sap and earth, almost seemed to invite me deeper in.
For the record, I had these thoughts about thirty minutes agoâwhich means itâs been exactly thirty minutes since I started walking. And in all that time, nothing really happened... except for the constant sound of the wind, making the leaves rustle like an endless whisper.
Even so, something still felt off. For a while now, a strange sense of urgency had been gnawing at the back of my mind, like the very air around me was trying to hurry me along.
For some reason, I felt like I had left something behindâsomething that shouldnât have been forgotten. But the more I tried to grab hold of the memory, the more it slipped away, like sand running through my fingers.
It wasnât like I had truly forgotten it... it felt more like something I was never meant to remember in the first place. Strange, I know, but thatâs exactly what it felt likeâas if a shadow lingered just beyond the edge of my awareness, silently watching me.
Either way, I tried to ignore the feeling, but the more I focused on it, the more it pushed me not to keep goingâor at least, not along the same path Iâd chosen before. Before I even realized it, my feet had already strayed from the original trail, leading me down a completely different path, almost as if they had a will of their own.
With every step, the trees grew farther apart, slowly opening into a small clearing. Moonlight broke through the forest canopy, bathing the area in soft silver light and casting long shadows that seemed to dance around me, as though the very forest itself was watching.
I couldnât say exactly what brought me here. Or rather, technically, it wasnât even me who chose to come hereâmy own senses had guided me, like something beyond my will was pulling the strings. The reason behind it was still a complete mystery, and that only made the unease in my chest grow heavier.
Either way, there wasnât much else to do but look around. I took a deep breath and decided to investigate the place. Thatâs when something broke my train of thought. A sharp, wet, revolting soundâlike flesh being torn apartâcut through the silence, repeating over and over until it was impossible to ignore.
If Iâm being honest, that sound had been there since the moment I realized I was in this forestâalways present, lingering. It had been so clear it almost felt like it was echoing right next to me, as if something had been following me step for step. And yet, I kept trying to ignore it, convincing myself it was all in my headâmaybe just a trick of the mind brought on by the suffocating silence all around me.
But this time, when I turned toward the noise, my eyes finally made out a few shapesâgrotesque, dog-like anomalies, all huddled around a single point on the ground, as though something had drawn them there.
I canât explain why, but a chill ran down my spine, and before I knew it, my feet were already moving on their own, carrying me toward the pack. It was like something invisible was pulling me forward, whispering silently that I had to see this up close.
It was strange... the closer I got, the stronger that feeling became, creeping through me like a slow, unpleasant shiver. It was almost like nauseaâsomething that genuinely caught me off guard. Ever since I became an anomaly, my body had all but stopped reacting to anything unusual.
This was the first time, in a very long time, that I had felt something so physical, so uncomfortable... a raw, almost suffocating sensation that reminded me I was still capable of feeling anything at all. Maybe thatâs why it was so disturbingâit wasnât just discomfort, it was a reminder of something I thought I had lost forever.
Either way, as I drew closer, the wet, tearing, chewing noises grew sharper and sharper, like something was ripping apart flesh just a few steps ahead. Each squelch made my stomach twist.
Soon, a strange smell began to fill the airâthick, metallic, almost suffocating. There was something disturbingly familiar about that smell, like an old, unwanted memory, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldnât place it.
And of course, those creaturesâthings only vaguely resembling dogsâthat seemed to be feasting on something on the ground, werenât completely oblivious to me. The instant they noticed me, they all froze at once, as though a single thought had passed through a shared mind. Then, slowly, they rose to their feet, their skeletal silhouettes standing out starkly against the dim light.
It was at that moment that I realized something even more grotesque: their bellies split open in a jagged cut that started just below the chinâif you could even call that thing a chinâand ran all the way down to where, on any normal creature, the genitals should have been. The gash pulsed faintly, as if it were breathing, and a wet shine caught the little light in the room.
An instant later, the cut tore unnaturally wide, ripping open to both sides as though the flesh itself had a will of its own. From within emerged a seemingly endless row of yellowed, brittle teeth, some of them coated with a dark slime that glistened under the dim light.
A putrid, suffocating stench poured out, the smell of rot so strong it felt like it was sticking to my throat. And then, at that exact moment, the teeth moved in perfect unison and shot toward me, as if the entire creature had been hurled forward. Still, to my own surprise, I felt no panic at all.
On the contrary, a strange calm washed over me, as if my body already knew what to do. Maybe it was because, deep down, I remembered perfectly well the first time I ever saw one of these thingsâand how, despite the horror, I made it out alive.
I was terrifiedâmore than I ever thought I could be. One of those things ripped my arm off in a single, brutal motion, without hesitation, and devoured it right there, in front of my eyes. The whole ordeal filled me with a deep disgust, a sickening feeling that seemed to corrode my insides.
At that moment, in the midst of terror and pain, I swore to myself that I would never set foot on the forest floor again. Those trees became my only refuge, and I was determined never to climb down from them.
In the end, I realized I didnât need to eat or drink to stay there. I could remain suspended at the top of the trees for as long as I wanted, watching the world below like a forgotten ghost. And yet, something made me climb down.
I donât remember exactly what it wasâmaybe a distant sound, a smell that cut through the air, or some inexplicable sensation crawling down my spine. Iâm not sure. But whatever it was, it was enough for me to feel no fear. On the contrary, there was a strange confidence guiding me, as if something was calling me to the ground.
Either way, I forced myself to push those thoughts aside and focused on what really mattered. The creatures were already dangerously close, their presence almost tangible, but to be honest, I still didnât feel afraid.
Compared to what I faced back then, Iâm immeasurably stronger now. My Alter Ego, if it wanted to, could wipe them all out with a single blowâand that certainty gave me an oddly calming feeling.
Yeah... with that single thought, I waited. I waited. I waited. But nothing happened. No smoke appeared to attack or protect me. No spark, no sign. Only then, with those massive teeth drawing closerâso close I could feel the creatureâs hot, rancid breathâthat I realized something strange.
Up until that moment, I hadnât really paid attention to it, but now, with death nearly brushing against my face, a chilling thought cut through my mind like a blade: (By the way... why canât I feel my Alter Ego?)
Yeah... the moment that thought crossed my mind, my body reacted before I could even process what was happening. Almost instinctively, I raised my hand in front of me, as if that gesture alone could shield me.
The very next instant, a brutal force clamped down on my arm. I felt something hot and slimy swallow my hand whole, and when I looked ahead, my stomach dropped: rows of teeth clenched tight around my arm, squeezing with a pressure that felt like it was trying to crush the bone.
The sight lasted no more than a moment. The next thing I knew, a monstrous force yanked my entire body forward, and before I could react, my arm was torn off with savage strength. The severed limb fell straight into the beastâs maw, where it was chewed with a wet, revolting crunch.
As always, there was no painâonly that unsettling, ghostly sensation that something that was once part of me had simply ceased to exist.
My trembling eyes drifted down to where my arm should have been. There was nothingâjust raw absence. A fleeting thought crossed my mind, cold and sharp as a blade: (Why does this feel like déjà vu?) The question echoed inside my head, cold and detached from the urgency of the moment: (Either way... it should regenerate soon.)
Holding on to that thought, I waited. The seconds dragged by in an almost unbearable way, but nothing happenedâmy arm didnât grow back. My regeneration had always been instant, nearly imperceptible, kicking in within fractions of a second from the moment I first awakened this power.
Honestly, since I first gained it, I couldnât remember a single moment when it had failed or even hesitated to work. But now... now something was wrong. Not only was my flesh still gone, but my Alter Egoâthat ever-present force, always ready to manifestâwas completely silent, as if it had been torn out of me entirely.
At that instant, a strange, disturbing thought cut through my mind like a shard of ice. As absurd as it sounded, I couldnât shake it off. With every passing second, the idea became more real, almost tangible.
I wanted to deny it, laugh at it, but considering everything that was happening, there was no other logical explanation: (Could it be...? My powers... are gone?)