Anomaly

In front of me, the figure made of mosaics watched me closely, its body floating upside down in midair, as if defying every law of logic. My thoughts spiraled into chaos—where the hell had it come from? It was as if it had appeared out of nowhere—or worse, as if it had always been there, right beside me, silently watching and waiting.
Nothing about that scene made any sense. But honestly? None of that really mattered. As I stared at that figure made of shimmering mosaic fragments floating before me, a single, simple thought crossed my mind: Impossible... you’re still unharmed? Even after all this? My powers... they don’t work?
Logic dissolved in the face of that insane scene. It felt like reality itself was mocking me, tearing apart the laws I once believed unbreakable. For a moment, I stood completely still—stunned, unable to process what I was seeing. All that remained was the suffocating feeling that nothing made sense anymore.
What the hell was that anomaly in front of me—a god? It didn’t make sense. It was as if every law, every bit of logic I’d ever built shattered in its mere presence. Was it even possible to kill it? The question echoed in my mind—cruel, unanswered.
My thoughts spun in circles, frantic, trying to find a weakness—anything that might give me an edge. I scoured every ability, every trace of power I possessed—and still, nothing. Not a single one seemed capable of even scratching that thing.
Then my thoughts took a sharp turn. Wasn’t I screwed? Just because I couldn’t kill it didn’t necessarily mean it couldn’t kill me, right? On the outside, I tried to keep a calm, detached expression, but inside, a storm of anxiety was tearing me apart. It wasn’t exactly fear—it was the bitter realization that if it did kill me, the next ones on its list would be Victor, Emily, and Laura.
Besides, I could already imagine the chaos my sisters would unleash if they found out I’d lost... Things wouldn’t just get tense—they’d get dangerous. Honestly, I wouldn’t doubt for a second that they could destroy the planet in a fit of rage. In the end, I let out a resigned sigh, trying to gather whatever focus I still had left. I hadn’t lost yet—and I definitely hadn’t given up.
As that thought crossed my mind, I closed my eyes for a second and took a deep breath. When I opened them again, my vision exploded in vivid colors that seemed to reflect the body of the anomaly before me. The air vibrated faintly; I felt a subtle tremor under my feet and the metallic taste of nerves on my tongue—but my hands remained steady.
I stared at it without blinking—my goal was clear and simple: to find its weakness amidst the chaos. But the instant my eyes locked on the entity made entirely of mosaics, a chill ran down my spine, and my expression froze in pure disbelief.
My eyes, now glowing with a hypnotic dance of colors, scanned every fragment of the anomaly, searching for any sign of vulnerability—any flaw in the perfection of its existence. But the more I examined it, the more I realized... nothing. No cracks, no weak spots—just the relentless silence of a presence that seemed to defy all logic.
No core. No sphere. No fissure. Just an endless swirl of kaleidoscopic patterns, pulsing and weaving together as if each fragment had a life of its own. They shifted every second, forming living, unpredictable mosaics that defied reason or comprehension. It was like staring straight into chaos itself—but in colors so bright they almost burned my vision.
My fingers clenched, and without hesitation, I activated another anomalous ability. In an instant, a field pulsed outward from me, expanding in waves of golden light. It was a warm, almost tangible glow that radiated through the space around me, making the air hum softly.
If that being had any power I could copy—any technique I could extract—I’d feel it. But the field... detected nothing. Or rather, it didn’t detect another being at all. It was like trying to grab the wind with my hands—something that existed, yet escaped all logic and perception.
(No anomalous abilities?) I muttered to myself, feeling my throat tighten: (That... that doesn’t even make sense!)
Before I could react, the being snapped its fingers. A sharp, dry sound that sliced through the air—and immediately, everything fell silent. The world around me simply... stopped.
The trees froze mid-sway, the leaves hung motionless in the air like glass, even the dust motes suspended in sunlight refused to move. I was the only one who could still move. And somehow, instinctively, I knew it wasn’t because I had resisted. No—it was because the mosaic being wanted me to.
With a swift motion, I activated my Bone Armament, white bones snapping into place, intertwining and forming a living armor that wrapped around my body. I felt every vertebra and rib twist into sharp blades, ready to defend and strike.
Then, I dove into the shadows beneath me, gliding like a living shade, silently closing in on the mosaic entity for a surprise attack. I emerged behind it in an instant—and without hesitation, unleashed a Thermonuclear Pulse.
A searing, bluish flash erupted, radiating heat and energy with my body at the epicenter. The ground quaked, cracks rippled outward, trees were instantly incinerated, and shards of mosaic flew through the air. Radiation and fire consumed everything in sight, turning the battlefield into a scorched, smoking wasteland.
But like something out of my worst nightmares—a living embodiment of my deepest fears—when the blue light faded... it was still there. Intact. The mosaic that had moments ago looked chaotic and menacing now rearranged itself, its vibrant colors swirling in harmony—serene, almost mocking. Not a single scratch. It was as if everything that happened had been nothing but an illusion.
(Impossible...) I thought, a shiver running down my spine as disbelief twisted my face: (Not even a point-blank explosion can hurt this thing?)
Before I could move, the mosaic being snapped its fingers again. The shadow I was hiding in stretched violently, as if an ocean of darkness was being sucked into an invisible vortex. I was ripped from it without warning, flung through the air like a torn rag doll.
Even without organs, I could feel every fiber of my being crushed under the distortion of reality itself, as if space and time were bending against me. A chilling wave ran down my spine, and for a fleeting moment, the feeling of helplessness hit harder than any physical blow ever could.
In midair, I summoned my Alter Ego. In an instant, another “me” materialized beside me, moving with eerie autonomy. From its back, dozens—hundreds—maybe thousands of black tendrils erupted like serpents, twisting and preparing to strike the entity before us.
The mosaic being tilted its head, its colorful patterns rippling hypnotically, and a gesture of curiosity filled the air before it snapped its fingers once more. In the blink of an eye, my Alter Ego disintegrated into black fragments, drifting like smoke heavy with energy; one moment solid beside me, the next—nothing but scattered shadows.
I bit down hard on my lip, almost desperately, expecting the metallic taste of blood... but nothing came. Impossible. My body no longer carried a single drop of blood to spill.
Still, I didn’t hesitate—I unleashed another Thermonuclear Pulse, even more devastating this time, a blinding flash tearing through the darkness. At the same instant, I invoked Shadow Warp, propelling myself forward like lightning, the shadows twisting and ripping the air around me.
Twisted bones erupted from my arms, shaping into blades as sharp as the fangs of some ancient beast. It was my final attack—a desperate last strike against that incomprehensible being. But when I finally reached it, the entity merely lifted one hand—and with a casual snap of its fingers, everything stopped.
My entire body froze. I couldn’t move my arms or legs, couldn’t even shift my gaze. Before me stood the mosaic being, motionless. Time itself seemed to lose meaning—each second dragged endlessly, suspended in the void.
I was locked in place, stone-still, as it observed me with ritual-like focus. Everything around us was swallowed by absolute silence, as if the world itself had ceased to exist—and all I could do was stare back.
Every attempt I made to slip into the shadow realm failed, dissolving like smoke in the wind. Even trying to mask my presence with one of my abilities was pointless. It was as if, in its presence, the rules I knew simply didn’t apply—or worse, as if it was the exception to all of them.
I had lost. There was no victory possible against that thing. The being of mosaics raised its hand once more, preparing to snap its fingers again. I had no idea what would happen—would I die this time? But what did “die” even mean? Would it just be endless darkness, an eternal silence? Or something deeper—a void where even I ceased to exist?
As those thoughts crossed my mind, the anomaly snapped its fingers. The dry, sharp sound reverberated through the air like a muffled thunderclap, carrying a weight almost divine. Instinctively, I held my breath, bracing for the inevitable... but nothing happened.
The silence that followed felt like mockery—and strangely enough, I was still alive. Slowly, I opened my eyes. Before me, the mosaic being floated again, upside down this time, spinning like a shard of colored glass caught in the wind.
At that same moment, a faint, almost inaudible thought brushed through my mind, like a whisper lost to the breeze: (I... I’m still alive?)
I looked around, and a chill ran down my spine. Strangely, the park—once a scene of utter devastation, as if a nuclear bomb had fallen there—was completely restored. The trees that had stood like charred skeletons now had lush green leaves swaying softly in the wind.
The ground, which minutes ago was scorched and cracked, now gleamed with perfectly aligned tiles, as if chaos had never existed. Even the air felt lighter, carrying the fresh scent of wet grass and new wood, contrasting almost cruelly with the memory of destruction.
I glanced over my shoulder and saw that my shadow dome remained untouched—not a single scratch, solid as ever, as if nothing could harm it. But seriously... what the hell was going on? Why was I still alive? Every second that passed only made things more absurd, more surreal. Nothing made sense anymore. The only explanation that came to mind was simple—maybe the mosaic being had never actually intended to kill me.
My eyes turned back to it. It no longer floated upside down; now it stood upright, tilting its head slightly, as if studying me carefully. I still couldn’t make out its full form, but something had changed in my perception. For some inexplicable reason, I no longer saw it as an enemy. It hadn’t attacked me, hadn’t tried to hurt me... maybe, just maybe, it meant no harm at all.
The mosaic being, completely indifferent to my thoughts, began circling me slowly, each movement echoing in silence as if space itself bowed to its presence. I could feel its gaze piercing through me—a nearly physical sensation, as if each fragment of its form was probing my very essence.
Then, suddenly, its focus shifted—locking directly onto my golden eyes. I kept my gaze fixed on it, studying every detail of its fractured form, while feeling its mosaic eyes studying me back with the same intensity.
We stayed like that for a few moments, the heavy silence between us broken only by the faint sound of its steps. The mosaic being approached slowly, hand extended toward my forehead. By reflex, I stepped back, but it didn’t react—just kept moving forward with unnerving calm. Then, I felt it—something touched my forehead. A light, almost ethereal contact, so soft it seemed to glide over my skin without pressure.