Anomaly

Author: Rowen

Chapter 248 – Timeless State [5]

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Laura, Emily, and I kept moving down the long hallway, its cold lamps casting a pale glow over the tiled floor. On both sides, doors stood lined up like silent sentinels — doors I had recently learned led to rooms where patients were kept.
People afflicted by strange illnesses, distortions of body and mind brought on by anomalies. I still wasn’t sure if the treatments were actually working or if they were just a desperate attempt to hold back the inevitable. But one look at Emily’s serious face and Laura’s tense expression was enough to tell me things weren’t going well.
As we walked, my eyes instinctively stopped on one of the doors. At first glance, it looked just like all the others, nothing about it standing out. Still, something made me keep staring at it for a few seconds.
A name was etched onto a small metal plaque: Jordan Davis. Probably the name of the patient inside, I assumed. It was the most logical explanation — though I had no real reason to stop there. Maybe it was just curiosity, or the strange feeling that this name shouldn’t matter to me... and yet, somehow, it did.
I drifted away from the path Laura and Emily were taking, letting my steps slow until they were almost deliberate as I approached the door. The small glass panel, placed a bit higher than usual, offered a partial view of the inside, but for me, it felt like it was set at the perfect height.
If I were still trapped in my old body — the one with the frail frame of a ten-year-old — I probably wouldn’t have seen anything but my own blurred reflection in the glass. But now, with my taller, sturdier body, every detail inside was clear to me.
I saw something in there — a shadow. Not just a dark shape: its body seemed to give off thin wisps of darkness, like smoke unraveling in the air. It was sitting on the floor, fiddling with a few toy cars, pushing them back and forth with a calm, almost hypnotic rhythm. Its size? Small — no bigger than a five- or six-year-old child.
I stood frozen, watching the figure’s back, so absorbed in its play it almost looked innocent. But then, as if it had felt the weight of my stare, it turned. Its entire body, swallowed in darkness, kept radiating shadow, as though it were a living source of it.
Slowly, the figure turned toward me — every movement seemed to drag the air around with it, making the space feel even heavier. Then, two points of light flared to life, glowing like beacons in the void.
There was no face, no nose, no mouth or ears — not even anything that could really be called eyes. Just two incandescent orbs, round and fixed on me, as though they could pierce straight through my soul.
While I remained distracted, my eyes locked on the figure beyond the glass, I felt Emily’s presence by my side. She had approached without me noticing, and her voice, quiet and tinged with melancholy, broke the heavy silence: “That’s Jordan Davis. He got here just a few days ago” she said, and there was something in the way she said his name that made me glance at her: “According to his parents, his body ended up like this after a... strange incident”
Emily’s gaze shifted away for a moment, as though she hesitated before continuing: “Jordan said he heard noises coming from the park near his house, when he was on his way back from a friend’s place. He decided to follow the sound into the park... and that’s all we know so far” Her voice dropped even lower, almost to a whisper: “The park’s cameras just went out the moment he went in”
Emily paused, her eyes fixed on the still figure before us. Her voice was barely more than a whisper now, heavy with sorrow: “He still reacts to outside stimuli... but he’s completely lost the ability to speak. Now he just... watches” She took a deep breath, as though her own words weighed too much: “We have no sign, nothing that guarantees he’s still capable of feeling anything at all”
The figure — Jordan — stayed motionless in front of me, as though time itself had decided to stop around him. The two glowing points that passed for “eyes” didn’t just reflect the light — they seemed to cut through it, like silent blades slicing the air and revealing everything they touched.
I kept staring at him, not entirely sure why. Maybe it was simple curiosity... or something deeper, a strange pull that held me there, unable to look away. The feeling was unsettling, but somehow... mesmerizing.
Then, while we stood there in silence, the figure did something unexpected: it slowly raised its right hand and began to wave at us. The gesture was simple, almost innocent — but its effect was devastating.
I saw Emily and Laura’s expressions change instantly — their faces went pale, lips pressed tight, and their eyes darted away for a brief moment, as though that wave had dragged something to the surface, something they were trying to hide.
They looked as though they felt... guilty. Even if there was no direct reason for it, it was as if, suddenly, both of them carried the weight of a silent responsibility — a guilt that might not even be theirs, yet still managed to lodge itself deep in their hearts.
I kept staring at the figure for a few more seconds, as if waiting for her to move or say something, before finally forcing myself to look away. In the background, I heard Emily’s and Laura’s footsteps echo softly down the hallway as they moved away: “Let’s go” Emily said without even turning around: “Sara’s room is just ahead”
I glanced at Emily and Laura walking in front of me, then shifted my gaze back to the motionless figure, who kept silently staring at me. A moment later, I took a step back, putting some distance between myself and the door.
The last image I had of her was of her hands delicately touching the toys around her, as if that simple gesture was the only fragment of humanity she still held on to — a thin thread tying her to what she once was.
We passed several more doors, each revealing patients in different conditions — some seemingly stable, others in states that made my chest tighten, worse even than the shadow-boy I’d seen last time. Could I do anything for them? Maybe.
But according to Emily, cases like this were practically routine here. The longest the organization had ever gone without a new incident was four days — and that was considered almost a miracle.
In short, even if I somehow found a way to cure them — which, to be honest, seemed incredibly unlikely given everything I’d seen so far — new cases would just keep appearing. There was no real solution, only the chance to buy a little more time before the cycle started all over again.
A few moments later, Emily and Laura stopped in front of a door — identical to all the others in that cold, silent hallway. I slowed my pace too and let my gaze settle on the small metal plate on the door. “Sara Hale” The moment I read the name, a chill ran down my spine.
The pieces started to fall into place almost on their own, like my brain had been waiting for this moment to finish the puzzle. Sara... the name Victor had mentioned the last time I saw him. Her and her sister — the two names echoing in my mind — and suddenly everything made sense.
If she was here, then her presence in this place had a direct connection to the anomalies. And when I remembered the look Victor had given me that day — something between anger and hope — it became much clearer, almost screaming at me. Now I understood.
Emily and Laura exchanged a quick glance my way before locking eyes with each other, as if silently confirming something. Then Emily looked back at me, a faint smile appearing on her lips: “Let’s go in. Chances are Victor is still with his sister” she said calmly.
I just nodded, unable to come up with an answer. My throat felt dry, as if any word I tried to speak would break apart in the air. Suddenly, a strange feeling started creeping over me — guilt.
It was almost ironic because, rationally, I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong. I wasn’t the one who caused this, I wasn’t the one who left Victor’s sister in that condition, whatever had happened to her.
Still, something inside me — something I didn’t even know was there — started pressing against my chest, as if trying to convince me that, somehow, I shared the blame.
I swallowed down those thoughts and stayed quiet, just watching as Emily placed her hand on the doorknob. The soft click of the lock sounded louder than it should have in the hallway, and for some reason, I felt my body tense up.
As soon as the door opened, Emily and Laura stepped inside without hesitation. Of course, I followed them, keeping close behind Emily, alert to every step. Then a voice cut through the air — firm, and a little surprised: “Emily? Laura? What are you two doing here? As far as I know, I wasn’t called in for an urgent case”
I stayed silent, absorbing every word Victor said as the weight of them settled in the air. Laura was the first to break the moment, her voice hesitant, as if she were carefully picking her words: “We’re not here for that... it’s complicated” she said, glancing away for a second.
I watched as Victor raised an eyebrow, his brow slightly furrowed in confusion, trying to figure out what was going on. Beside me, Laura lifted her eyes and locked them on mine — silent, but with an expression that made it clear what she wanted me to do.
I sighed softly, feeling the weight of her gaze. A moment later, I stepped forward, coming out from behind Emily. Now completely in view, I saw Victor’s expression change the instant he saw me. His eyes widened, startled — and then, in the next second, he stood up abruptly.
Almost instinctively, my eyes were drawn to the bed next to him. Lying on the sheets was a girl, maybe in her early teens, with features that strongly resembled Victor’s — the same eye shape, the same hair color.
She looked as if she were in a deep sleep, breathing softly and almost fragilely. That was all I managed to register before Victor stepped forward, deliberately positioning himself between me and the girl, his body a protective barrier.
The gesture didn’t seem casual — it was a silent message telling me not to come any closer. Then Victor’s voice cut through the room, low and tense: “What is she doing here? How did she even get this far?”
As he spoke, Victor narrowed his eyes, looking from Emily to Laura, as if trying to pull the truth out of their faces. His expression was a mix of disbelief and warning: “Was it you two who brought her here?” he asked, his voice firmer now, almost a growl: “Why?”
Honestly, I didn’t know if I should say anything. It felt like any move, any word, would automatically be taken as a provocation — or worse, an attack. So I stayed quiet, nearly motionless, until Emily and Laura spoke up.
Emily was the first to break the tension. She shrugged, her lips moving with casual disinterest as she answered Victor’s questions: “She broke out of the containment cell — again” she said, her voice laced with sarcasm: “Showed up out of nowhere, hiding under my desk, saying she was scared you hated her. And honestly, she seemed pretty serious about that”
I blinked once, twice, trying to process what I had just heard. Almost unconsciously, I turned my head deliberately toward Emily. At the same time, a thought struck through my mind like lightning: (Emily... what the hell are you talking about?)
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Chapter List

Chapter 1 – First Contact [1]
Chapter 2 – First Contact [2]
Chapter 3 – First Contact [3]
Announcement!
Chapter 4 – First Contact [4]
Chapter 5 – First Contact [5]
Chapter 6 – First Contact [6]
Chapter 7 – Outbreak [1]
Chapter 8 – Outbreak [2]
Chapter 9 – Outbreak [3]
Chapter 10 – Outbreak [4]
Chapter 11 – Outbreak [5]
Chapter 12 – Outbreak [6]
Chapter 13 – Adaptation period [1]
Chapter 14 – Adaptation period [2]
Chapter 15 – Adaptation period [3]
Chapter 16 – Adaptation period [4]
Chapter 17 – Adaptation period [5]
Chapter 18 – Threat from the shadows [1]
Chapter 19 – Threat from the shadows [2]
Chapter 20 – Threat from the shadows [3]
Chapter 21 – Threat from the shadows [4]
Chapter 22 – Threat from the shadows [5]
Chapter 23 – Threat from the shadows [6]
Chapter 24 – Threat from the shadows [7]
Chapter 25 – The director’s visit [1]
Chapter 26 – The director’s visit [2]
Chapter 27 – The director’s visit [3]
Chapter 28 – The director’s visit [4]
Chapter 29 – The director’s visit [5]
Chapter 30 – The director’s visit [6]
Chapter 31 – Conducting experiments [1]
Chapter 32 – Conducting experiments [2]
Chapter 33 – Conducting experiments [3]
Chapter 34 – Conducting experiments [4]
Chapter 35 – Conducting experiments [5]
Story recommendation: the new chapter of Anomaly will normally be released at 7pm.
Chapter 36 – Conducting experiments [6]
Chapter 37 – Conducting experiments [7]
Story recommendation: I’m reposting because, last time, the author’s story hadn’t been approved yet.
Chapter 38 – Conducting experiments [8]
Chapter 39 – Conducting experiments [9]
Chapter 40 – Conducting experiments [10]
Chapter 41 – Black Lake [1]
Chapter 42 – Black Lake [2]
Chapter 43 – Black Lake [3]
Chapter 44 – Black Lake [4]
Chapter 45 – Black Lake [5]
Chapter 46 – Black Lake [6]
Chapter 47 – Black Lake [7]
Chapter 48 – Black Lake [8]
Chapter 49 – Black Lake [9]
Chapter 50 – Black Lake [10]
Chapter 51 – Black Lake [11]
Creation of the Discord server
Chapter 52 – Black Lake [12]
Chapter 53 – Black Lake [13]
Chapter 54 – Black Lake [14]
Chapter 55 – Black Lake [15]
Chapter 56 – Black Lake [16]
Chapter 57 – Black Lake [17]
Chapter 58 – Black Lake [18]
Chapter 59 – The call [1]
Chapter 60 – The call [2]
Chapter 61 – The call [3]
Chapter 62 – The call [4]
Chapter 63 – The call [5]
Chapter 64 – The call [6]
Chapter 65 – The call [7]
Chapter 66 – The call [8]
Chapter 67 – The call [9]
Chapter 68 – The call [10]
Chapter 69 – The call [11]
Chapter 70 – The call [12]
Quick update
Chapter 71 – The call [13]
Chapter 72 – The call [14]
Chapter 73 – The call [15]
Chapter 74 – The call [16]
Chapter 75 – The call [17]
Chapter 76 – The call [18]
Chapter 77 – The call [19]
Chapter 78 – The call [20]
Chapter 79 – The call [21]
Chapter 80 – The call [22]
Chapter 81 – The call [23]
Chapter 82 – The call [24]
Chapter 83 – The call [25]
Chapter 84 – The call [26]
Chapter 85 – Storm [1]
Chapter 86 – Storm [2]
Chapter 87 – Storm [3]
Chapter 88 – Storm [4]
Chapter 89 – Storm [5]
Chapter 90 – Storm [6]
Chapter 91 – Storm [7]
Chapter 92 – Storm [8]
Chapter 93 – Storm [9]
Chapter 94 – Storm [10]
Chapter 95 – Storm [11]
Chapter 96 – Storm [12]
Chapter 97 – Storm [13]
Chapter 98 – Storm [14]
Chapter 99 – Storm [15]
Chapter 100 – Storm [16]
Chapter 101 – Storm [17]
Chapter 102 – Storm [18]
Chapter 103 – Storm [19]
Chapter 104 – Interludio – A little chat
Chapter 105 – Something called Life [1]
Chapter 106 – Something called Life [2]
Chapter 107 – Something called Life [3]
Chapter 108 – Something called Life [4]
Chapter 109 – Something called Life [5]
Chapter 110 – Something called Life [6]
Chapter 111 – Something called Life [7]
Chapter 112 – Something called Life [8]
Chapter 113 – Something called Life [9]
Chapter 114 – Something called Life [10]
Chapter 115 – Something called Life [11]
Chapter 116 – Something called Life [12]
Chapter 117 – Something called Life [13]
Chapter 118 – Something called Life [14]
Anomaly
Chapter 119 – Something called Life [15]
Chapter 120 – Something called Life [16]
Chapter 121 – Something called Life [17]
Chapter 122 – Something called Life [18]
Chapter 123 – Something called Life [19]
Chapter 124 – Something called Life [20]
Chapter 125 – Something called Life [21]
Chapter 126 – Something called Life [22]
Chapter 127 – Something called Life [23]
Chapter 128 – Something called Life [24]
Chapter 129 – Something called Life [25]
Chapter 130 – Something called Life [26]
Chapter 131 – Something called Life [27]
Chapter 132 – Something called Life [28]
Chapter 133 – Something called Life [29]
Chapter 134 – Something called Life [30]
Chapter 135 – interlude – Hidden intentions
Chapter 136 – Inside the mist [1]
Chapter 137 – Inside the mist [2]
Chapter 138 – Inside the mist [3]
Chapter 139 – Inside the mist [4]
Chapter 140 – Inside the mist [5]
Chapter 141 – Inside the mist [6]
Chapter 142 – Inside the mist [7]
Chapter 143 – Inside the mist [8]
Chapter 144 – Inside the mist [9]
Chapter 145 – Inside the mist [10]
Chapter 146 – Inside the mist [11]
Chapter 147 – Inside the mist [12]
Chapter 148 – Inside the mist [13]
SPECIAL PROMOTION ON PATREON!
Chapter 149 – Inside the mist [14]
Chapter 150 – Inside the mist [15]
Chapter 151 – Inside the mist [16]
Chapter 152 – Inside the mist [17]
Chapter 153 – Inside the mist [18]
Chapter 154 – Inside the mist [19]
Chapter 155 – Inside the mist [20]
Chapter 156 – Inside the mist [21]
Chapter 157 – Inside the mist [22]
Chapter 158 – Inside the mist [23]
Chapter 159 – Inside the mist [24]
Chapter 160 – When logic escapes [1]
Chapter 161 – When logic escapes [2]
Chapter 162 – When logic escapes [3]
Chapter 163 – When logic escapes [4]
Chapter 164 – When logic escapes [5]
Chapter 165 – When logic escapes [6]
Chapter 166 – When logic escapes [7]
Chapter 167 – When logic escapes [8]
Chapter 168 – When logic escapes [9]
Chapter 169 – When logic escapes [10]
Chapter 170 – When logic escapes [11]
Chapter 171 – When logic escapes [12]
Chapter 172 – When logic escapes [13]
Chapter 173 – When logic escapes [14]
Chapter 174 – When logic escapes [15]
Chapter 175 – When logic escapes [16]
Chapter 176 – When logic escapes [17]
Chapter 177 – When logic escapes [18]
Chapter 178 – When logic escapes [19]
Chapter 179 – When logic escapes [20]
Chapter 180 – When logic escapes [21]
Chapter 181 – The Burden of Remembering [1]
Chapter 182 – The Burden of Remembering [2]
Chapter 183 – The Burden of Remembering [3]
Chapter 184 – The Burden of Remembering [4]
Chapter 185 – The Burden of Remembering [5]
Chapter 186 – The Burden of Remembering [6]
Chapter 187 – The Burden of Remembering [7]
Chapter 188 – The Burden of Remembering [8]
Chapter 189 – The Burden of Remembering [9]
Chapter 190 – The Burden of Remembering [10]
Chapter 191 – The Burden of Remembering [11]
Chapter 192 – The Burden of Remembering [12]
Chapter 193 – The Burden of Remembering [13]
Chapter 194 – The Burden of Remembering [14]
Chapter 195 – The Burden of Remembering [15]
Chapter 196 – The Burden of Remembering [16]
Chapter 197 – The Burden of Remembering [17]
Chapter 198 – The Burden of Remembering [18]
Chapter 199 – The Burden of Remembering [19]
Chapter 200 – The Burden of Remembering [20]
Chapter 201 – The Burden of Remembering [21]
Chapter 202 – The Burden of Remembering [22]
Chapter 203 – The Burden of Remembering [23]
Chapter 204 – The Burden of Remembering [24]
Chapter 205 – The Burden of Remembering [25]
Chapter 206 – The Burden of Remembering [26]
Chapter 207 – The Burden of Remembering [27]
Chapter 208 – The Burden of Remembering [28]
Chapter 209 – The Burden of Remembering [29]
Chapter 210 – The Burden of Remembering [30]
Chapter 211 – The Burden of Remembering [31]
Chapter 212 – The Burden of Remembering [32]
Chapter 213 – The Burden of Remembering [33]
Chapter 214 – The Burden of Remembering [34]
Chapter 215 – The Burden of Remembering [35]
Chapter 216 – The Burden of Remembering [36]
Chapter 217 – The Burden of Remembering [37]
Chapter 218 – The Burden of Remembering [38]
Chapter 219 – The entity of pride [1]
Chapter 220 – The entity of pride [2]
Chapter 221 – The entity of pride [3]
Chapter 222 – The entity of pride [4]
Chapter 223 – The entity of pride [5]
Chapter 224 – The entity of pride [6]
Chapter 225 – The entity of pride [7]
Chapter 226 – The entity of pride [8]
Chapter 227 – The entity of pride [9]
Chapter 228 – The entity of pride [10]
Chapter 229 – The entity of pride [11]
Chapter 230 – The entity of pride [12]
Chapter 231 – The entity of pride [13]
Chapter 232 – The entity of pride [14]
Chapter 233 – The entity of pride [15]
Chapter 234 – The entity of pride [16]
Chapter 235 – The entity of pride [17]
Chapter 236 – The entity of pride [18]
Chapter 237 – The entity of pride [19]
Chapter 238 – The entity of pride [20]
Chapter 239 – The entity of pride [21]
Chapter 240 – The entity of pride [22]
Chapter 241 – The entity of pride [23]
Chapter 242 – The entity of pride [24]
Chapter 243 – The entity of pride [25]
Chapter 244 – Timeless State [1]
Chapter 245 – Timeless State [2]
Chapter 246 – Timeless State [3]
Chapter 247 – Timeless State [4]
Chapter 248 – Timeless State [5]
Chapter 249 – Timeless State [6]
Chapter 250 – Timeless State [7]
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