(POV - Graham Vickers)
Although it was something from a distant past, Victor still clearly remembered a question he was asked when he was very young. It was almost ironic to think that the same Graham from today had given such an answer back then. The question was simple: "What do you want to be when you grow up?" A common question, one that many children have heard at some point in their lives.
Back then, like any normal child, Graham had answered that he wanted to make a lot of money to help his parents. Of course, the Graham of that time had no idea that, one year later, he wouldn't have a family to help. His entire family was killed by an anomaly. That day, something in Graham also died. Everything he believed in crumbled along with the life he knew.
Graham became obsessed. Questions like "Why do anomalies exist?" or "Are humans really the dominant race? Can we say that when all we do in front of beings like anomalies is observe, analyze, and pray that they don't get out of control?" began to consume his mind. It was probably around that time that Graham started seeing the world differently.
Does life really have a purpose? We're born, we work, and if we're lucky, we accumulate some money over the years, maybe even start a family. But what's the point of it all? In the end, humans die. And not just humans—every living being eventually meets its end, following the inevitable course of nature. Yet, there are those who seem to be outside that cycle, creatures that defy natural laws, as if they live by their own set of rules.
Perhaps because he discovered these beings so early on, Graham became obsessed with them. What made them different from humans? Where did they come from? How did their biological structures work? Was it magic? Graham didn't rule out any possibility. For him, it didn't matter if something couldn't be explained by science—as long as it could be understood, that was enough to bring him closer to what he sought. But in the end, what exactly was Graham trying to find?.
Although there was a clear purpose in the beginning, as the years went by, it became increasingly distant. Now, Graham continued his journey not by choice, but because he felt there was no turning back—and he wouldn't go back. If, in the end, he was destined to die, let it be while catching a glimpse of what anomalies see.
In short, Graham wasn't interested in protecting the world or revealing truths to the public—those things didn't matter much to him. What really drove Graham was the search for the truth, the truth about anomalies. He knew full well that sometimes knowing something might not be the wisest choice, but what could he do? In the end, they were just the ramblings of a madman.
Of course, Graham didn't consider himself insane; to him, the world was insane for being the way it was. Beings and inexplicable phenomena, that defied even the billions of years of knowledge accumulated by humanity, roamed freely on the planet. Meaningless deaths happened, and everything was covered up by a global organization.
"Hey, Little brother, you're acting especially weird today. Not that you aren't kinda odd normally, but, hehe, are you finally losing it for good?"
The voice that echoed through the dark halls of the abandoned church caught Graham's attention. With a scowl on his face, he turned in the direction of the sound, coming from a higher point than where he stood. The corridor around him was already in ruins, and the church itself showed clear signs of abandonment accumulated over the years.
Out of place in that environment, a small little girl appeared sitting on the windowsill. She wore a flowing white dress, and her little feet swung back and forth as she flashed a disturbing, abnormal smile at Graham.
Despite the darkness dominating the place, her white figure stood out in the heights, almost like a glowing dot. However, Graham didn't change a single inch of his expression; he simply walked past her, ignoring her completely.
"Little girl, is this how you talk to your older brother? Hehe. But, now that I think about it, maybe you're right. My poor little Graham... So many years have passed, and he still believes our death had some bigger purpose"
Another voice emerged from the darkness. This time, it was an adult woman, with features that, despite revealing her age, still held a youthful beauty. Like the girl, she wore a long, pure white dress. The woman's words made Graham's eyebrows twitch slightly, interrupting his step for a moment, but he quickly resumed his walk down the decaying corridor.
"Ah, my poor child, condemned to a fate worse than death itself. Forced to wander alone, chasing answers that will never exist, seeking explanations that will never be revealed. In the end, all that will remain is despair... Haha, I can hardly wait to see what choice you'll make when that moment comes. What awaits you beyond despair? Haha, I'm eager to find out"
It wasn't the first time Graham had heard those voices or seen those hallucinations. It all started the day he lost his parents. Several psychological tests were performed, but the cause was never identified. However, one thing was certain: none of what happened to his father, mother, or older sister was real. It was all just the fruit of his imagination.
As he had always done, Graham ignored them and moved on, walking through the dark, silent corridor of the abandoned church. He no longer cared about the consequences of his actions; he would go to the end. He felt that, otherwise, he would lose himself forever in his own madness. After all, although he wasn't crazy, Graham knew that didn't mean his future was immutable.
"Hehehe, you can ignore us, little bro, but even if you choose not to see us, you won't be able to ignore what your heart desires... hihihi"
When he reached the end of the corridor, Graham found only the decaying walls around him and, before him, a large door topped by a statue of Jesus, suspended high above. He cast a brief glance at the statue before pushing the door, which creaked loudly before opening completely.
Inside the church, a vast space opened before Graham's eyes. The walls, once colorful, were now covered in laughter and graffiti. Above, stained-glass windows filtered the sunlight, casting shimmering patterns on the polished stone floor. In the center, dark, rotting wooden pews were arranged in symmetrical rows, forming an aisle that led to the altar.
"Don't you find it ironic, Director? Meeting in a church, when neither of us believes in the existence of God... Speaking of which, since we're on the topic, I'm curious: what would someone as important as you believe in?"
In the place where only silence prevailed, a distinct voice echoed from one of the pews near the altar. Graham cast a brief glance at the speaker before walking over to another pew, equally close to the altar. When he sat, he remained silent for a few moments. Fragmented memories surfaced in his mind, but he felt they no longer belonged to the person he was now.
"Ironies emerge all the time, as if humans are stuck in an endless chain of paradoxical events. The very reality that some are born with more privileges than others is one of the many manifestations of this irony that runs through life"
As usual, Graham couldn't say he felt comfortable in the presence of that person. Partly because he couldn't understand what they were thinking; it was like watching a blank book being written in real time. However, Graham didn't mind that. In the end, as long as their goals aligned, they would continue working together.
"Hehehe, are you saying that the fact that you're handing us the anomaly we've been waiting for so long is also ironic? Truly, that's a peculiar way of putting it. But in the end, we don't really care about the path taken—what matters are the results. Oh, and as you predicted, the situation at Base 17 is spiraling out of control. We've taken advantage of the chaos to infiltrate some of ours. By now, they should be on their way to our god, ready to make contact. Soon, we'll have more information"
Graham's eyes were fixed on the statue of Jesus near the altar. Although it was a distant memory, he still remembered when his family was Christian. However, over time, this fact led him to a conclusion: believing didn't make anyone immune to tragedy. So, in the end, did faith really serve a purpose? Graham was sure he had known the answer, but it felt like something from a distant past.
"Well, putting that aside, I'm really curious: how did you know that thing at the bottom of the lake would lose control today? Honestly, I doubt it was just a coincidence"
Graham didn't respond to the man's question, and in a way, it seemed like he already knew he wouldn't get an answer. In the end, both remained silent, contemplating the statue atop the church. The darkness of the night slowly advanced through the temple, while Graham noticed how the moon seemed to shine particularly brightly at that moment.
***
(POV – Protagonist)
The deeper I ventured into the forest, the more strange things began to reveal themselves. Of course, I'm not considering that the forest itself was just a part of a bigger anomaly, an anomaly at the center of this woods. As I got closer, the red snow became more intense. At one point, I was completely stuck in the snow, with only my head visible.
Other than that, nothing came out of the trees trying to kill me, which, honestly, was a pleasant surprise. As for the forest, it also seemed to not want me to reach its center. At times, it felt like the forest was shifting positions, as if trying to stop me from getting any closer.
I know this because, while keeping the power of my eyes activated, the lines guiding me toward the center of the woods suddenly started shifting, veering left or right when they had been straight before. In the end, I decided to follow the lines, and to my surprise, it seemed like I was getting closer to the center. Honestly, the walk didn't take more than ten minutes.
When nightfall enveloped the entire forest, I finally reached my goal. At that exact moment, I was standing before a lake with completely dark water. Honestly, no matter how you looked at it, the lake screamed "Anomaly." At least, I don't have any memory of ever bathing in a lake with such dark water before.
The lines pointed directly to the lake, suggesting it was probably the anomaly responsible for both the red snow and the trees that simply grew back after being cut down. However, no matter how hard I tried to look, it was impossible to see what was at the bottom of the lake.
Considering those tentacles came from there, could there be something like a giant octopus? But what kind of creature would that be, given the terrifying appearance of the tentacles? It definitely wouldn't be something pleasant to look at.
I stared at the lake for a few seconds, wondering if I should jump in or not. However, my focus shifted to the forest when I heard footsteps echoing in the snow. Had someone arrived? I didn't remember seeing anyone when I entered the woods, so these people were probably already lurking around before I showed up.
At first, I thought it would be a good idea to welcome them, but then I remembered my appearance—while it could be considered cute, it didn't exactly fit the friendliest standards—and quickly dismissed that option. So, the solution I came up with was to hide. Using the power I got from [Shadow], I entered the shadow world and swam up to the top of a tree. From there, I jumped out, balancing myself on a branch.
I comfortably sat on the branch and curiously observed what was happening below, as the footsteps grew louder and louder. My little feet gently swung back and forth, matching my calm rhythm.
Finally, the ones responsible for the noise appeared: two men who looked to be in their mid-thirties to early forties. What stood out the most about them were their eyes, completely devoid of life. They looked alive on the outside, but dead on the inside, as if they carried a void that was impossible to ignore.
(Watching how they look exactly at the spot where I was just seconds ago, I can safely say they're looking for me, right? However, no matter how much I analyze, they don't seem to be part of the organization's scientific team, let alone the security team. Who exactly are these guys?)