The World of Shadows, which I could access through the portals created after absorbing the powers of that shadow in the first facility I stayed in, was, at the very least... peculiar. To start with, there seemed to be no concept of up or down; it was like being completely surrounded by an endless veil of shadows.
Moreover, within this shadowy realm, I could see something like a three-dimensional projection of the outside world, as if I were observing everything from a unique and distorted angle.
However, it wasn't as if there was necessarily an "outside" I had tested this before. The projection worked more like a perception of the outside world rather than a true vision.
Because of this, I could technically pass through these projections with no resistance. Of course, as soon as I crossed them, the shadowy world would consume them, returning everything to its monotonous and infinite darkness characteristic of this place.
This peculiarity of the place was what allowed me to keep "rising" even though, technically, I was pretty much floating at this point. Putting that aside, the positive side was that now I had probably reached a height sufficient to more accurately pinpoint where exactly my counterpart was pointing.
I glanced around briefly and, as expected, there it was – my counterpart. I assumed they still didn't know how to move through the shadow world, as they floated gently around me, upside down. Their large golden eyes, identical to mine, blinked slowly as they noticed my gaze. Our eyes met for a moment, and the next second, they pointed in a direction.
I followed the direction indicated by the being's finger, and my eyes quickly picked up on the possible location they were directing me to. One interesting ability of my eyes is that, when I focus enough, I can zoom in on the point of interest. So, even from a distance, I could capture important details of the place. It felt like observing a city through a computer screen.
As for the place the shadow seemed to want to show me... well, it was definitely a village. I wouldn't say it was in an extremely hard-to-reach spot, but it wasn't the kind of place someone would spontaneously visit either.
From what I could see, there was only one visible entrance, and the location was surrounded by mountain ranges, suggesting that entrance might be the only viable path. That was all the information I could gather from where I was. It was unlikely that I'd notice anything suspicious from a distance, and, in the end, I'd have to go there anyway.
Now that I had the exact direction, getting to the place was no longer a problem. Inside the shadow world, I could move anywhere in the world... or at least, that's what I believed. Ignoring the counterpart, who continued floating gently upside down beside me, I began to move forward, swimming in the direction indicated by the being's finger: the small village surrounded by mountain ranges.
***
(POV - Laura Cavendish)
"I don't see any alternative but to investigate on our own. Even if we choose to ignore this now, if something happens later, I won't be able to sleep in peace, knowing that a bigger incident could've been avoided with a bit more caution on our part"
Laura listened silently to Emily's words, which reflected her own thoughts. Deep down, Laura shared the same view: she also wouldn't be able to live with the guilt if something serious caused by an anomaly occurred and she had the chance to prevent it, but didn't.
"Chief, how about I take care of it? I know you're busy now that you've taken on the position of general manager of management. You can trust me, I promise I won't let you down"
Laura watched apprehensively as Emily's thoughtful expression filled her mind with thoughts like "Did I push too much?" and "Does she not trust me?" It seemed that Emily sensed Laura's unease and quickly clarified her doubts.
"Laura, it's not that I don't trust you. In fact, you're one of the best scientists I've ever met, and I have complete faith in your intellect and judgment. I'm just reflecting on what the best course of action for you would be, after all, we don't have any concrete information about what's going on at that place"
Laura sighed in relief at Emily's words, which didn't go unnoticed by her, who responded with a soft smile. After a few minutes listening to Emily's instructions, Laura was finally dismissed.
"I'll send a team with you. I really wish I could send one or two more scientists, but honestly, we're overwhelmed. This base has too many anomalies and too few researchers to handle everything"
Laura nodded to Emily's words. As a researcher, she knew very well how tough things were at the base. For Laura, who always worked in smaller facilities, with fewer anomalies and more scientists, this was still unfamiliar territory. However, for Emily, the situation seemed quite different; she was already used to it, as she originally worked in large facilities like that one.
"But, amid all of this, there's still something that worries me: who exactly is the person who sent all this information? I looked at the email, but found nothing. The profile seemed almost like a ghost, with no clue or reference. The worst part is that, even though part of me wants to believe this is all nonsense, the scientist inside me insists that we could extract valuable information from this... maybe even about the anomalies"
Laura blinked slowly, absorbing Emily's words. She knew that what Emily most desired were answers. What were the anomalies? Why did they attack humans? Why did they have powers beyond imagination? These questions consumed Emily, who wanted answers at any cost. But it wasn't just her. These same questions haunted the minds of all the scientists working tirelessly in the bases, all searching for the same answers.
"Anyway, you can go now, I don't want to take up too much of your time, Laura... oops, I mean, Chief Director Laura Cavendish"
Laura felt a bit embarrassed at Emily's words and looked away, meeting the playful smile of the other. To begin with, she had only been promoted to the position because it became vacant after Emily was promoted, and it was Emily herself who put her there. Laura didn't feel worthy of holding such a position. That's why, this time, she wanted to act on her own. She wanted to prove that Emily had made the right choice in trusting her.
***
(POV - Emily Parker)
As soon as the sound of the door closing echoed through the room, Emily finally let out a long, heavy sigh. Lately, everything had been happening all at once, at such a frantic pace that she barely knew how to handle it all. Emily was also fully aware that Laura didn't consider herself the best choice for the position of chief researcher.
However, Laura had no idea how much she had already helped Emily up until that point. To Emily, Laura had been more than ready to take on that position a long time ago. Unfortunately, some unresolved issues had prolonged Laura's time as a researcher, delaying her well-deserved promotion.
Lost in her thoughts, Emily was suddenly interrupted by the sound of the phone on her desk. Her gaze briefly shifted to the device as the sensation of her headache seemed to intensify. She knew they wouldn't call without a good reason, which meant something had definitely happened.
(What is it this time?)
While one hand reached for a paper from the organized stack on her desk, the other gently pressed the red button on the small device that held the phone.
"Director of Management? Sorry to bother you while you're busy, but I need to inform you that the [Angel of Death] has disappeared from its containment cell"
A sigh of frustration escaped Emily's lips as she heard the words of the guard, probably the one responsible for monitoring the [Angel of Death]. However, her reaction wasn't exactly due to the news of the escape — after all, this was such a common occurrence that Emily didn't care as much anymore. In the end, the anomaly always returned to its containment cell on its own.
"You really called me just for this? It's not the first time she's gotten out, and it certainly won't be the last. Besides, she always comes back in about thirty to fifty minutes"
Emily was about to press the red button again when the guard's voice echoed from the other side of the line. This time, however, his tone was clearly filled with concern and palpable nervousness, much more intense than before.
"Director Emily, it's been three hours since we last saw her"
Emily's hand froze in the air as she heard the information. As far as she knew, the [Angel of Death] usually took between thirty to fifty minutes to leave its containment cell. The reasons for its departure were still unknown, and although it was often seen at random places around the base, its movement patterns were unpredictable.
It was almost as if it went out to explore. But if that was the case, why would it return to its containment cell? The place where it was kept captive? To Emily, there was only one explanation: the fact that it probably didn't feel imprisoned, knowing it could escape at any time, whenever and however it wanted.
"Alright, thanks for letting me know. I'll see what I can do from here. And if she returns, let me know immediately"
"Of course, ma'am. I'll stay as alert as possible"
With the last words, Emily hung up the phone and rested both hands on her forehead. Her thoughts at that moment? She wondered why, despite everything seeming to finally stabilize, the problems kept arising.
***
(POV – Protagonist)
The place I decided to leave from was near the village, close to an area that, although it was called a forest, was actually just a cluster of leafless trees, lacking the typical density of a forest. For some reason, the idea that the place might be scary at night crossed my mind, but I decided to ignore it.
The fact is, I'm walking through this "forest" with the village ahead of me. The lighting wasn't completely clear yet, but it wasn't totally dark either, maybe around five in the afternoon? Also, the shadow that usually followed me disappeared as soon as I left the dark world. I have no idea where it might be or what it's doing.
Anyway, putting those details aside, it seemed like I was the only one in this village. I was getting closer to what seemed to be the entrance, but no matter how much I looked, there was no sign that anyone lived there. In short, the place seemed abandoned, like a ghost town... which, honestly, made everything even stranger and scarier, especially considering it was that crazy shadow who brought me here.
Because of that, I had no idea what I was supposed to look for or where to look. I didn't even know why I was there. So, when I reached what seemed to be the center of the village, I simply stopped and looked around, while my bright eyes blinked briefly.
I looked around, but once again, there was nothing. No one. No sign of life. It was like the city had never experienced life, to begin with. The strangest part, though, was that everything inside the houses looked new — the furniture, the TVs. But there was something else, something that made me even more confused.
(... what the hell is this I'm seeing now?)
Suddenly, before I could notice or react, a figure cloaked entirely in white, with a spiral symbol where its face should have been, appeared before me. I had examined that spot just moments earlier, and there was absolutely nothing there. Whatever it was, it locked its gaze on me, though its face remained completely hidden, making it impossible to determine what lay beneath the cloak – whether it was human or something beyond that.
Then, it looked around, and I did the same. More figures started to appear: from each side, in front, behind me. Within seconds, I was completely surrounded. I blinked my eyes while my brain tried to process what was happening.
(No, seriously... what the hell is going on here, anyway?)