If I had to sum up Emily’s concerns in a few words, I’d say they revolved around the anomaly currently residing deep within the facility. It was in a constant state of overload — a latent tension that seemed ready to snap at any moment.

According to the latest data and observations, the “worm” lodged inside the man was emitting continuous pulses of energy, as if trying to communicate or respond to something. Those pulses, in turn, were being absorbed by the anomaly — whatever exactly was dormant or hidden deep within the facility.

I won’t lie — when I heard that, my first thought was: why the hell were we carrying a doomsday bomb with us? But according to Emily, the situation was a bit more complex. The anomaly was undergoing a change — a transformation, to be exact.

After analyzing an absurd amount of data and running predictions on the most advanced models available, they concluded there were very few places on the planet capable of containing this thing with even a minimally acceptable risk.

Even in the worst-case scenarios of activation — the kind that could wipe entire civilizations off the map — some specific locations still had a chance to prevent a mass extinction, like the one that wiped out the dinosaurs. And, surprisingly, one of those spots was Antarctica. Emily explained they were building a new base there, in a remote and geologically stable zone.

The plan was to transport the anomaly next month, before its transition phase reached a critical point. Honestly, it still seemed crazy — but given what was at stake, crazy might be the best plan possible. Of course, putting aside the fact that, for some unknown reason, Emily decided to tell me all that, the truth is the whole story was a complete mess of confusion.

Even though my mind was swirling with questions, I realized this definitely wasn’t the right moment to look for answers — not while a restart weapon, potentially ready to explode at any second, was still active. Some things would have to wait... at least for now.

The room fell into absolute silence after Emily’s words. It wasn’t for lack of things to say — everyone was full of thoughts — but because no one really knew how to react. It was like her presence had frozen time, leaving only the tension hanging in the air.

Then, like a tide about to break through its barriers and flood everything around, it was the visitors — those who knew little about anomalies or barely grasped the gravity of the situation — who first broke the silence.

“D-does this mean... we could all die?” someone murmured, voice trembling and choked with despair. Though quiet, the question cut through the air like a blade, heavy with fear and disbelief.

The murmur spread through the hall like a spark cutting across a dry field — fast, unpredictable, uncontrollable. Nervous glances began to meet, loaded with tension and distrust. Whispers slowly formed, winding through the visitors like echoes of a dark omen. No one really knew what was happening, but at that moment, one thing became clear and undeniable to everyone: death could strike anyone, at any time.

“But... weren’t these... anomalies all contained? Isn’t that what they said?” another voice asked — firmer this time, but tinged with growing outrage. After a brief pause, like the realization was finally sinking in, the speaker continued, now mixed with anger and disbelief: “They brought us here knowing that, right beneath our feet, this thing could just explode at any moment?!”

“Everyone, let’s stay calm” Laura said, raising her hand slightly in a conciliatory gesture, her voice firm but calm: “Anomalies are... complex. Just because the graphs are showing high energy levels doesn’t necessarily mean we’re in immediate danger” She took a deep breath, looking around the room: “It’s not time to jump to conclusions yet”

“Ha!” someone laughed, the sound dripping with sarcasm, breaking the silence with irony: “That “yet” doesn’t sound very reassuring” a woman shot back, arms crossed, face tense, jaw clenched. Her steady gaze flickered between Emily and Laura, full of judgment: “You’re playing with forces you don’t even understand...” she continued, her voice bitter, almost a furious whisper: “...and in the end, we’re the ones who pay the price”

Emily stayed silent for a few moments, her eyes fixed on the group as if weighing each word she was about to say. The air around her felt tense, charged with a disturbing calm.

The weight of the accusations didn’t shake her — it was like she’d faced these words many times before, and each one was just another shadow in her already marked past. A faint bitter smile almost appeared on her lips, betraying the painful familiarity of the situation.

“I understand your fear” Emily finally said, with a calmness that sounded almost rehearsed. Her eyes, however, revealed a silent sincerity: “But we never promised this place would be safe. We who work for the organization deal with anomalies — phenomena that defy all logic, things no one on this planet fully understands. What we can do is the best we can: mitigate the risks. Control the uncontrollable, even if it feels like an impossible mission”

The room sank into a heavy silence after Emily’s words. Honestly, there didn’t seem to be much to say in response. Even if no one admitted it outright, it was clear — in the closed expressions and avoided glances — that everyone shared the same realization: anomalies were far beyond the complexity of maintaining a simple zoo with ordinary animals.

They were no longer dealing with tame creatures but with unpredictable, living forces that constantly challenged their understanding. And now, more than ever, they were feeling the weight of that truth firsthand. Of course, that didn’t mean the visitors weren’t afraid — in fact, they were, and it showed clearly. Their faces said it all: wide eyes, trembling hands, short breaths.

Even Emily and Laura, who usually stayed calm, looked on the verge of collapse, as if pushing their minds to the limit, desperate for a solution that simply wasn’t coming. And then, amid the heavy silence and suffocating uncertainty, one person stepped forward.

“You know...” the person began, voice low, almost hesitant, like choosing each word carefully: “I’ve been thinking about this for months... Ever since I’ve been watching the [Angel of Death]”

Hearing those words, I instinctively turned my gaze to the speaker. Victor looked at me with a look full of understanding — or maybe revelation. The moment our eyes met, he quickly looked away, as if caught off guard.

His eyes then shifted to Althea, who floated serenely beside me, a few inches above my head, like an ethereal, silent presence — almost as if watching everything from a higher vantage point.

“You there, feathered one” Victor said with a half-sarcastic smile, eyes fixed on Althea.

Althea, on the other hand, raised her eyebrows slightly in surprise at the nickname. She pointed to herself with a restrained, almost hesitant gesture, as if confirming the obvious: “You’re talking to me, human?”

Victor just nodded in confirmation. Then his gaze started to shift between me and Althea, as if deeply analyzing. There was a silent tension in the air, a barely noticeable hesitation, until he finally broke the silence. His eyes, now fixed and intensely focused on Althea, reflected a mix of curiosity and caution.

“I’ve been wondering about this for a while... Your sister” he paused briefly, as if choosing his words carefully: “she has some kind of absorption power, right?”

Althea, who floated around the place with an apathetic look, as if nothing around was worth her attention, finally seemed interested. Without warning, she moved again — and in a single instant, too fast for eyes to follow, almost like teleporting — she appeared right in front of Victor. The speed was such that he barely had time to react, instinctively stepping back, surprised by the entity’s sudden closeness.

“Quite an interesting guess” Althea commented, a subtle smile forming at the corner of her lips as she tilted her head slightly: “But why do you think that? And more... why ask me? Wouldn’t it be easier to go straight to my dear sister?”

Honestly, that piqued my curiosity too — why ask Althea something about me? Wouldn’t it make more sense to ask the person involved directly? The logic seemed obvious, but maybe there was some reason behind the choice. Either way, I didn’t have much time to keep pondering.

My thoughts were abruptly interrupted when Victor decided to answer. The spotlight was now fully on him. All eyes in the room turned to him, and for a moment, even the atmosphere seemed to hold its breath, waiting anxiously for what he had to say.

“Why ask you? It’s pretty simple, to be honest” Victor started, glancing at me with an almost challenging expression. After a moment, he went on, voice filled with a keen observation: “Something I noticed over these months is that the [Angel of Death]... your sister, her actions don’t match much. You could even say that, compared to you three, she seems incredibly innocent” Victor fixed a piercing gaze on Althea, Nekra, and Nyara, as if trying to provoke some reaction from them with those words.

The next moment, Victor raised a finger, like an idea had just popped into his mind. “That leads me to a possible answer” he said, thoughtful. Then he lowered the finger, taking a firmer tone: “She simply forgot everything. Even if I don’t know exactly how this fits into an anomaly, her actions make me believe she has no memory at all”

He paused, studying Althea’s expression: “She doesn’t even seem to know the world we’re in. And that’s very different from you three”

Victor looked away for a moment, then looked back at Althea, with a slight ironic smile: “Oh, and why did I ask you specifically?” He shrugged, indifferent: “Because you seem to be the chattiest when it comes to your sister. I figured if I asked, you’d end up telling me something about her”

The room went completely silent after Victor’s words. The murmurs that had filled the air stopped instantly, as if everyone had held their breath. Honestly, inside I was deeply shocked too.

Setting aside the part about Althea, he pretty much hit the mark on everything related to me. Although he couldn’t know about the human memories implanted in my mind, everything else he said was surprisingly accurate — like he had read my soul.

Althea seemed to like the answer, letting out a light, playful laugh that almost infected the atmosphere around: “Fufufu, impressive, my child” she said, with a playful sparkle in her eyes: “You really have a surprisingly sharp perception of the whole situation”

Hearing Althea’s words, Victor raised an eyebrow, surprised — or maybe intrigued — by the way she called him “my child” The nickname carried a tone of affection and authority that seemed to bother him slightly, although he didn’t show it.

With a slight shrug, like minimizing it, he answered with a discreet smile and a touch of confidence in his voice: “I’m just a bit more intuitive than most people”

Althea, still with a playful smile lighting up her face, fixed her eyes on Victor with a look full of curiosity and amusement: “Fufufu, the fact that you just call it “intuition” only makes it more fun” she said, her voice carrying a teasing, charming tone, as her smile widened, revealing a nearly mischievous sparkle in her eyes.

Her eyes slowly shifted to me, fixed and intense. She floated smoothly, gliding through the air until she stopped right behind me, almost like a silent shadow. Her hands firmly touched my shoulders, conveying a mix of strength and gentleness. Her neck rested against mine, warm and close, while her voice emerged clear and firm, echoing loud enough for everyone around to hear.

“Well, you humans just wouldn’t be able to understand, even if I tried to explain” Althea said with a faint, melancholic smile: “My dear sister is special... honestly, even my other sisters and I fall far short when compared to her. It’s like we’re on completely different levels, totally different categories”

She paused briefly, her eyes drifting off as she searched for the best way to respond: “But, to answer your question... hmm... let’s just say that, like you said yourself, she “absorbs” energies. So yeah, you’re at least 10% right about the true powers of our dear sister”