Chapter 63 - The call [5]

Laura found herself trapped in a dilemma. Although it was clear that something very strange was happening in the village — possibly involving an anomaly — she couldn't ignore another undeniable truth: the man offering to help was extremely strange and suspicious.

He had appeared out of nowhere, carrying anomalous objects that should be under the organization's jurisdiction. On top of that, for some reason, he seemed to know much more than he let on. Laura couldn't tell if accepting his offer was a good idea or not. In fact, she didn't even know the man's name.

Still deep in thought, Laura cast a quiet, discreet glance at Victor. Even though she was the one making the final decisions, deep down, it was Victor who really handled security and dealt with situations like this better. So, Laura decided to trust him to make the call on what their next move would be.

Noticing Laura's gaze, Victor paused for a few seconds as he analyzed the man. He couldn't see how this person could pose a threat to them. It was true that he had some anomalous objects, like the cane, but the monocle seemed totally out of place and harmless.

Victor was already considering the monocle as another anomaly, although he didn't yet know its purpose. Laura, waiting for Victor's response, made her decision as soon as he nodded. In other words, they could accept the man's offer, with the guarantee that Victor would stay alert to every move he made.

Laura nodded at Victor and then turned her gaze back to the man. With a firm tone, she declared: "Alright, we'll accept your offer. But know that we'll be watching closely for anything suspicious you do"

"Hehe, no problem. It's natural, since you two don't know anything about me. Well, I don't mind a simple introduction. My name is Arthur Hensley, and I guess you could call me a detective" he said.

Fixing her gaze on the man's cane and monocle, Laura raised an eyebrow and commented: "Definitely doesn't seem normal, from what I can see"

Arthur gave a half-smile before shifting his gaze toward the village: "If we're going into the village, I think now is the best time. I'm not sure what happened, but those people in white cloaks vanished as soon as a white or transparent anomaly suddenly appeared"

Laura raised an eyebrow, surprised, and asked: "Wait... what did you just say?"

Arthur turned to Laura with a confused look, then repeated the words he had just spoken: "That the people in white cloaks disappeared?"

"No, what you said after that"

Confused, Arthur raised an eyebrow, trying to understand what exactly could be bothering Laura. However, his eyes widened for a moment, as if he had realized something: "Ah! You want to know about the anomaly that suddenly appeared... Could it have been from the base you were at?"

Laura nodded at his question, aware that she couldn't simply deny what she had just heard. It was true that the [Angel of Death] often escaped its containment cell, but it usually just wandered around the base and would return shortly. Laura had never seen it go so far or stay out for this long.

With an anxious expression, Laura asked Arthur: "Can you describe its features to me? What does it look like, its height, those things?"

Arthur raised an eyebrow, not fully understanding what was happening. However, seeing Laura's expression, he quickly realized that something serious might be going on. Placing a hand on his chin, while recalling the scene that had unfolded just before Laura and Victor arrived, Arthur answered.

"Height... I'm not sure, but it seemed to be of average height for a ten-year-old girl. Her hair was long, with ghostly tips, and her body was completely transparent, with no signs of internal organs. What really caught my attention were her eyes, which glowed intensely gold, shifting through multiple colors, like a rainbow. At that moment, something made me hide instinctively. I really thought I was facing a monster"

Laura sighed deeply, and a worried look took over her face. At this point, there was no denying it anymore— or rather, she couldn't deny it anymore. From Arthur's description, it was clear that the Angel of Death had appeared in the village. Laura had no idea why or how this had happened, but at least now she had confirmation.

(Definitely, something very serious is going on in this village, after all, the [Angel of Death] made a point of coming here... or at least, that's what it seems)

***

(POV – Protagonist)

I didn't know why I felt this way as I stared at the purple symbol. A strange sense of déjà vu enveloped me... and honestly, I feel like this has been happening a lot lately. It was the same sensation I had in the forest, but there, I could imagine many reasons for it. Now, though, I just can't think of any explanation. I mean, I'm sure I wasn't part of some crazy cult before becoming an anomaly... at least, I hope not.

I decided to focus on the woman in front of the hooded figures. Now, she was kneeling before the purple glowing symbol, her hands extended in front of her, as if she were praying. I couldn't understand to whom or what she was directing her prayers. As I reflected on this, she stood up and turned around.

Although her hood still covered her face, some purple strands cascaded around her collarbone. I blinked, observing the figure calmly. She seemed to notice my gaze and stared at me for a moment, but did nothing beyond that. Then, she turned back to look at the kneeling crowd and, with a gentle motion, raised both hands toward the sky.

"Brothers and sisters, we are gathered here today for a single cause" she said. As she spoke these words, the woman briefly turned, gazing at the increasingly intense purple symbol. Her fixed stare at the emblem exuded a devotion that bordered on fanaticism.

"My gospel revealed to me that today, right here, one of our eight gods — the one we follow — will descend upon us. The proof is before us: its symbol, etched in pure purple, constantly emanates its grace" declared the woman. I could feel her gaze fixed on me, making it obvious she was watching me while pouring out all those nonsense words.

By this point, I had already dismissed everything the woman said as the ramblings of a lunatic. Besides, my objective had shifted. As much as I liked ice cream, I had no reason to stick around with that group of crazies. At least, that's what I thought—until I heard the next words from the woman.

"Besides the wonderful news that our god will descend to bless us with His divine presence, as it is written in the gospel, we have also found the pastor who will lead us to Him, so that we may offer Him a welcome worthy of His divinity" declared the woman, raising both hands high.

The moment the woman spilled all that nonsense, all the hooded figures turned to look at me in a cascading effect. I felt their gazes fixed on me from every direction. However, more important than those looks, there was only one thing occupying my mind at that moment.

(What the hell is this crazy woman talking about?) I thought, keeping my gaze fixed on her, my eyes blinking as they reflected my confusion.

Seriously, who the hell thought I should be the pastor for these lunatics? Did they just pick some random anomaly and slap me into this role to make the whole thing more convincing? Damn, I knew I shouldn't have accepted that ice cream... Well, thinking about it, the ice cream isn't to blame. Plus, it was delicious, so I guess it doesn't really matter.

Now that I'm here, what the hell am I supposed to do exactly? To make things worse, that troublemaking Alter Ego of mine just dragged me to this place and disappeared as soon as I entered the village. To begin with, the only reason I came here was because of him.

But without the Alter Ego, is there even any reason for me to stay? I mean, that symbol glowing purple gives me this strange and intense sense of déjà vu... but this place clearly smells like trouble.

As these thoughts crossed my mind, I felt a slight pressure pushing against my body. I blinked quickly and looked up at the ceiling. There, I saw a dark shadow moving back and forth before it started to take shape — my shape, to be exact.

After the transformation, I stared at the shadow and blinked. It mirrored my action, but only for a second. Then, its finger pointed at the pillar with the embedded symbol, which was still glowing intensely in a vibrant purple.

I honestly didn't know what to think of my Alter Ego. He just disappears and reappears whenever he feels like it. By the way, "Alter Ego" was the name I decided to give this being who looks like me. I thought it made sense, so I just called him that.

Anyway, my Alter Ego was clearly pointing at the symbol, as if he wanted me to do something. But since he doesn't talk, in the end, I had no idea what I was supposed to do. I wonder if the fact that he doesn't speak is related to why I can't either.

Although I didn't know exactly what he was trying to tell me, I had a general idea of the situation since he was literally pointing at the purple symbol. Slowly, I jumped off the chair. When my feet hit the ground, I looked up. All the hooded figures were still watching me, but, contrary to what I had imagined, they didn't seem intent on stopping whatever I was about to do.

I tilted my head for a moment, confused, before glancing at the woman who clearly led the group. Under her hood, her face remained hidden, but something in my instincts told me she was waiting for something, expecting me to make a move. Of course, I had no idea what she was expecting, but for now, I decided to approach the purple symbol.

(To be honest, I also want to understand why I keep feeling this déjà vu every time I look at the symbol... this can't be normal, right?) I thought, as my feet moved slowly toward the symbol, with all the figures silently watching me with silent expectation.

Under their gaze, I stood in front of the symbol. Its characteristic glow remained unchanged, at least to the eye, with no sign of alteration. It didn't seem like my presence had changed anything. Also, at least as far as I knew, I didn't possess any power that would allow me to read symbols or anything like that.

Of course, it's not like a screen pops up in front of me every time I gain a new power, explaining what I've acquired and what it can do. Usually, I just feel like I've gained something new, but that's it. Overall, I tend to use powers by pure accident, as if they manifest on their own or, with just the slightest idea, I'm able to bring them to life.

I stood in front of the symbol, but nothing happened. The figures, however, kept their expressions as solemn as before, as if they didn't mind waiting. However, I wasn't sure how long it would take for whatever was going to happen to finally happen.

By the way, did I mention that the way I see myself is different from usual? It's like I'm looking at things from a third-person perspective, as if I'm observing everything from above. It's hard to explain, but anyway, seeing things this way, I realized something had changed. However, to be more precise, it wasn't the symbol that had changed, but me — more specifically, my eyes.

Unlike the usual golden color they tend to shine with, they were now sparkling intensely in the colors of the rainbow. However, I hadn't activated them. I tried blinking, but nothing happened. My eyes were shining so brightly that they began to burn. Though I didn't feel pain, the sensation of burning indicated that, in theory, they should be on fire at that moment.