My current situation could be considered strangely curious. The reason? Even though not much time has passed, the shadow hasn't attacked us; it just stood there, moving peculiarly back and forth. Of course, I didn't attack it either.
And what would be the reason? How exactly does one attack a shadow? Or, better yet, is that even possible? Just imagining it feels odd; my hands would probably pass right through the shadow if I tried to hit it. I wasn't quite sure why it was afraid of me, but once it realized I was harmless, I would definitely be in trouble.
"Uhhh... Boss, it's been a pleasure meeting you and working by your side. I hope we can meet again in the next life"
Laura, behind me, was in total despair, rambling incoherently while crying. Although Emily seemed calmer compared to Laura, it was evident that she was paralyzed with fear; if I touched her, she would probably collapse to the ground due to her trembling legs.
In the end, I had no choice but to act. The goal was clear: approach that floating sphere. I didn't expect it to be easy, but it would surely be better than just sitting and waiting for my death.
Slowly, I began to approach the sphere. The shadow flickered even more with my presence, seeming unsure whether to flee or fight to protect the floating object. I kept my eyes locked on the shadow the entire time, not out of fear, but because I knew that looking away might give it a chance to strike.
Anyway, when I was just a few steps away from the sphere, the shadow made a sudden move. A part of its body wrapped around my arm. Although I managed to pull away quickly, the arm that had been covered by the shadow simply vanished. Strangely, I could still feel my arm, but I couldn't see it anywhere.
But the problems didn't stop there. After attacking me, the shadow ceased its trembling and rose before me. It probably expected me to retaliate, but upon realizing that I wouldn't do anything, it must have considered me harmless. However, the last thing I saw was the shadow completely engulfing me.
(... So, where am I now?)
When I realized it, I was in a completely new and strange place. There was nothing on the horizon except for black columns that seemed to stretch infinitely toward the sky. Though they were quite far apart from each other, that didn't lessen the strangeness of the situation.
Where the ground should have been, there was black, slightly muddy water that, while not hindering movement, made it quite difficult. Moreover, in the sky, a completely dark sun burned; of course, the part about "burning" was merely metaphorical, as I felt no heat emanating from it.
I didn't know where to go or what to do, but first, I looked for any weak point in that place. As I expected, a thin line, glowing in various colors, appeared in my line of sight. Without hesitation, I followed the line.
Currently, I had been walking for at least ten minutes, and by this point, I began to suspect whether I was actually going anywhere. Had my power failed in some way? As I pondered whether to give up or not, I spotted something ahead of me.
It was one of the thousands of black columns rising toward the sky, but one of them shone brightly in rainbow colors. I looked around to confirm, and noticed that none of the other columns emitted light, only this one in particular. I didn't think too much about it; the only thing that crossed my mind was that destroying this pillar could be the key to freeing myself from this place.
I began to approach the pillar, admiring its imposing size. However, before I could reach it, something emerged from the black, muddy water. It was a creature made of the same material as the mud, with a relatively human appearance, except for its face, which looked completely melted.
Its mouth opened strangely, as if it were melting, and its sunken eyes glowed a bright red. However, unlike other creatures I had observed, which had a specific weak point, this thing emanated an iridescent glow all over its body. The monster moved briefly toward me, and without a second thought, I punched its abdomen.
Of course, I chose to attack this spot because it was that or aim for its legs. And wanting to keep my dignity intact, I opted for the most "normal" point possible. As soon as my punch hit the muddy creature, it instantly disintegrated, blending back into the black water that covered the whole place.
Finally, I was able to breathe again as I realized the situation had calmed down. In truth, I wasn't really breathing, but the act brought me a sense of relief. However, seconds later, I found myself surrounded by dozens of those bizarre, muddy monsters.
(... Am I really screwed now?)
***
(POV - Laura Cavendish)
When Laura saw the anomaly lady being completely engulfed by the shadow, she felt as if her hopes were dissipating along with her. Before, Laura could see a promising future while the anomaly lady was by her side, but now she could only contemplate the sad fate of that creature being dragged into darkness before her eyes.
Tears streamed down Laura's cheeks, and her legs trembled so much that she could only drag herself backward. At that moment, Laura couldn't see any hope in her situation; she knew she would disappear to an unknown place where not even God could find her.
Laura couldn't see Emily's expression, who was just a few meters away from her. Her vision was completely obscured by the shadow slowly approaching, like a specter—a predator searching for its next prey.
(I'm doomed! This time, I'm really going to die. Mom, Dad, forgive me for not listening to you and for not choosing to be just an ordinary teacher)
However, when everything seemed lost, and Laura was sure she would be swallowed up, a white, translucent arm suddenly emerged from the shadow. At that moment, a single word escaped her lips.
"... what?"