Anomaly

Author: Rowen

Chapter 280 – Timeless State [37]

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With everything done, Victor and I reached out our hands once more to Chronas. It took only an instant—just a single blink—for us to be torn from that place and thrown back into my room, deep within the organization’s underground facility.
Everything was exactly as we had left it before departing: the same cold, silent air; the white lights softly pulsing on the ceiling; and the faint, constant hum of the machines in the background. Our sudden return made Laura jump.
She had been nearby, focused on something at her terminal, and she spun around in shock at the sharp sound of the air distorting. Her face, previously tense and somber, instantly lit up in a relieved smile the moment her eyes found us.
“Thank God, you’re back!” Laura exclaimed, placing a hand over her chest as the tension melted from her expression.
Seeing that reaction left me strangely unsettled—why the hell did she look that worried? I mean, she had the expression of a mother welcoming her children home from war.
For a moment, all I could do was blink, trying to make sense of it, before turning my gaze toward Emily, who was calmly seated in front of Eryanis, apparently having tea. Tea. Seriously. What the hell happened while I was gone?
Emily noticed me staring and let out a resigned sigh. She shrugged with her usual detached air, as if the matter had nothing to do with her, then spoke in that lazy, drawn-out tone of hers: “She was worried about you two. Well, can’t blame her... it’s been almost three hours since you vanished” she said, shrugging again, a faint smirk curving her lips: “Looks like everything worked out in the end”
I only managed to process her first few words. Three hours? What the hell is she talking about? We’d barely spent thirty minutes on the other side—how could three hours have passed here? That doesn’t make any sense. What am I missing?
Still disoriented, I turned to Chronas, who stood motionless beside me, and asked, trying to keep my voice steady despite the confusion: (Chronas, do you have any idea what she’s talking about? We weren’t even there for thirty minutes)
Chronas, wearing her usual indifferent expression, glanced at me briefly before replying as if stating something too obvious to bother explaining: “The Flow of Time is distorted relative to ordinary causality... In simpler terms, time moves faster here than it does there. But it depends on how long you stay on the other side. I think one day there equals about a hundred years here—or something like that”
When I heard her words, I went completely silent. Not because I didn’t have anything to say, but because I honestly didn’t know what to say.
We could’ve been stuck there for almost a hundred years if we’d stayed just a little longer... Seriously, why does no one ever tell me this kind of crucial information beforehand?
Or maybe my sisters just assumed I’d already know. For some reason, that thought left me feeling oddly betrayed... even if there was no real reason for it.
As I sank further into that quiet fog of frustration—though my face didn’t show a hint of it—Emily suddenly seemed intrigued by the topic.
“Time dilation... The more I learn about this place, the more fascinating it gets” she mused.
Then, as if a thought had just hit her, she turned to Victor with a curious sparkle in her eyes: “Oh, right! I remember giving you an anomalous camera for documentation. Did you manage to record anything?”
The moment Emily said that, Victor looked at me. When I noticed his questioning look, I just shrugged—documentation? Honestly, I doubted he’d even thought about it since then. And, to be fair, once the Flow appeared before us, he probably forgot all about it. I couldn’t blame him for that.
Victor, who had been silent with his arms crossed until now, noticed my shrug and gave one of his own, wearing a blank expression. Then he reached for the pocket where he’d kept the camera before we entered the Flow of Time.
The camera wasn’t large, and given the generous size of the tactical jacket pocket he wore, it had fit perfectly. But as his hands touched the jacket, his expression shifted. Indifference turned to confusion—then to disbelief. When he pulled his hands out, all that remained in them was ash.
For a long second, he just stood there, watching it drift slowly through his fingers, carried away by an invisible breeze. His eyes stayed fixed on the ashes before he finally looked up, his face frozen in sheer disbelief.
The room fell utterly silent. Emily, Laura, and I stared at the ashes resting in Victor’s palm—what had likely been the camera just hours ago. The air felt heavy, and the faint scent of something burnt lingered between us.
With a shaky, bewildered voice, Victor finally broke the silence: “What the hell happened?”
He didn’t have to specify—we all knew exactly what he meant. Internally, I let out a quiet sigh. As for the camera... now I understood why. I remembered.
Earlier, when I told Victor it wouldn’t work, I hadn’t really known why—I just had a vague, uneasy feeling about it. But now, the memory came back crystal clear. I knew exactly why I’d said that.
(I think... Chronas forgot to shield the camera) I said in a flat tone, watching the ashes slip through Victor’s fingers.
His eyes blinked a few times before he turned to me, confused. He stared silently for a few seconds, as if trying to decipher foreign words, then turned his gaze to Chronas.
She blinked slowly, meeting his eyes, then tilted her head slightly to the side—a subtle gesture, but filled with curiosity. Seeming to finally grasp something, Victor’s lips moved slowly.
“So... you mean this” he murmured, staring at the ashes slipping through his fingers: “could’ve been me?”
Hearing Victor’s words, I nodded with almost automatic indifference before replying: (Normally, that’s what happens when other beings try to step into the flow of time. Their bodies just can’t withstand the temporal pressure — and end up crumbling into ashes)
As I said that, I brought my hand to my chin, watching him for a moment before adding in a somewhat thoughtful tone: (But... well, I don’t think you’d even have time to notice. It happens so fast it’s practically instantaneous)
Victor fell silent at my words. His eyes were fixed on me, his mouth slightly open as if he’d even forgotten to breathe. Confused by his reaction, I asked hesitantly: (Did I... say something wrong?)
Hearing me, Victor frowned, his expression a mix of confusion and disbelief: “You... were you trying to comfort me just now or something?”
Comfort him? Well, not exactly. My last words might’ve sounded like that, but that wasn’t really my intention. I nodded anyway, still unsure, while Victor gave me that half-serious, half-amused look before saying: “You’re... absolutely terrible at that”
I went silent at his words. I hadn’t really been trying to comfort him... but still, saying something like that was rude! Besides, it couldn’t have been that bad — or so I told myself, trying to believe it.
I glanced toward the others for support. Laura, noticing my expression, looked puzzled for a moment, then her face took on that peculiar mix — a blend of reproach and encouragement, like a mother telling her child he could’ve done better.
Emily, on the other hand, remained calm, sipping her tea as if the world around her were nothing but background noise. My other sisters didn’t react much either — except for Althea, who was clearly struggling not to laugh, her shoulders trembling slightly as she looked away.
Wait... seriously? Was it really that bad? I knew I wasn’t exactly the best at comforting people, but I thought I’d done at least a decent job — or at the very least, not made things worse. Apparently, I was wrong.
Victor watched the
in silence. She looked somewhat downcast. For a brief moment, he felt a flicker of pity — an odd, misplaced emotion given the situation.
But as the memories resurfaced — that image of the incomprehensible tentacle trembling before her, as if the creature itself feared her — the compassion faded. He wasn’t sure how to treat her now. Still, knowing the
’s temperament... probably the same as always.
Sighing in resignation, Victor walked over to Laura, who stood a little apart. She still seemed to be silently supporting the
, her expression distant and worried. At that moment, Emily — who had stood up at some point — slowly approached, sliding her hands into the pockets of her white lab coat. Before addressing Victor, she cast one last glance at the
, a mix of apprehension and respect in her eyes, and then turned to him.
“Well...” Emily began, a faint smile curling at the corner of her lips, her eyes sharp and curious: “you’ve got the look of someone who just saw something they’d rather forget for a while... what exactly did you see in there? On the other side?”
Victor didn’t answer right away. He just stared for a brief moment at the
, his gaze distant. Then he gave a slight nod for Emily to wait for him outside the containment cell. Once the door closed behind them, the air felt lighter — though the tension still lingered.
Emily and Victor stayed silent for a few moments, the air between them thick with a tension that was almost playful. Then Victor turned to her — and found her standing with her arms crossed, a confident smirk playing on her lips. Seeing her like that, he let out a soft sigh and ran a hand through his hair in resignation.
Only then did Victor break the silence: “It wasn’t exactly what I saw... but what I witnessed” He paused, searching for words: “There was this sort of sea there... but it wasn’t water. I felt that if I touched it, I’d never come back. A tentacle came out of that sea, but...” He swallowed hard, remembering the scene: “It was completely terrified of the
. Like she was the real monster”
Emily absorbed Victor’s words for a moment, letting the silence stretch between them. Then she raised an eyebrow and asked quietly: “So... are you afraid of her?”
“Afraid? No” Victor said, shaking his head with a faint smile: “To be honest, I’m actually kind of grateful we have someone that powerful on our side”
He cast another look toward the containment cell holding the anomaly. A small, almost imperceptible smile curved his lips: “I just realized again that if it weren’t for her, I would’ve lost Sara” he murmured, exhaling slowly: “I’m just... relieved”
His gaze lingered on the creature for a moment longer, his expression blending exhaustion with quiet gratitude: “May she always stay on our side”
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Chapter List

Chapter 1 – First Contact [1]
Chapter 2 – First Contact [2]
Chapter 3 – First Contact [3]
Announcement!
Chapter 4 – First Contact [4]
Chapter 5 – First Contact [5]
Chapter 6 – First Contact [6]
Chapter 7 – Outbreak [1]
Chapter 8 – Outbreak [2]
Chapter 9 – Outbreak [3]
Chapter 10 – Outbreak [4]
Chapter 11 – Outbreak [5]
Chapter 12 – Outbreak [6]
Chapter 13 – Adaptation period [1]
Chapter 14 – Adaptation period [2]
Chapter 15 – Adaptation period [3]
Chapter 16 – Adaptation period [4]
Chapter 17 – Adaptation period [5]
Chapter 18 – Threat from the shadows [1]
Chapter 19 – Threat from the shadows [2]
Chapter 20 – Threat from the shadows [3]
Chapter 21 – Threat from the shadows [4]
Chapter 22 – Threat from the shadows [5]
Chapter 23 – Threat from the shadows [6]
Chapter 24 – Threat from the shadows [7]
Chapter 25 – The director’s visit [1]
Chapter 26 – The director’s visit [2]
Chapter 27 – The director’s visit [3]
Chapter 28 – The director’s visit [4]
Chapter 29 – The director’s visit [5]
Chapter 30 – The director’s visit [6]
Chapter 31 – Conducting experiments [1]
Chapter 32 – Conducting experiments [2]
Chapter 33 – Conducting experiments [3]
Chapter 34 – Conducting experiments [4]
Chapter 35 – Conducting experiments [5]
Story recommendation: the new chapter of Anomaly will normally be released at 7pm.
Chapter 36 – Conducting experiments [6]
Chapter 37 – Conducting experiments [7]
Story recommendation: I’m reposting because, last time, the author’s story hadn’t been approved yet.
Chapter 38 – Conducting experiments [8]
Chapter 39 – Conducting experiments [9]
Chapter 40 – Conducting experiments [10]
Chapter 41 – Black Lake [1]
Chapter 42 – Black Lake [2]
Chapter 43 – Black Lake [3]
Chapter 44 – Black Lake [4]
Chapter 45 – Black Lake [5]
Chapter 46 – Black Lake [6]
Chapter 47 – Black Lake [7]
Chapter 48 – Black Lake [8]
Chapter 49 – Black Lake [9]
Chapter 50 – Black Lake [10]
Chapter 51 – Black Lake [11]
Creation of the Discord server
Chapter 52 – Black Lake [12]
Chapter 53 – Black Lake [13]
Chapter 54 – Black Lake [14]
Chapter 55 – Black Lake [15]
Chapter 56 – Black Lake [16]
Chapter 57 – Black Lake [17]
Chapter 58 – Black Lake [18]
Chapter 59 – The call [1]
Chapter 60 – The call [2]
Chapter 61 – The call [3]
Chapter 62 – The call [4]
Chapter 63 – The call [5]
Chapter 64 – The call [6]
Chapter 65 – The call [7]
Chapter 66 – The call [8]
Chapter 67 – The call [9]
Chapter 68 – The call [10]
Chapter 69 – The call [11]
Chapter 70 – The call [12]
Quick update
Chapter 71 – The call [13]
Chapter 72 – The call [14]
Chapter 73 – The call [15]
Chapter 74 – The call [16]
Chapter 75 – The call [17]
Chapter 76 – The call [18]
Chapter 77 – The call [19]
Chapter 78 – The call [20]
Chapter 79 – The call [21]
Chapter 80 – The call [22]
Chapter 81 – The call [23]
Chapter 82 – The call [24]
Chapter 83 – The call [25]
Chapter 84 – The call [26]
Chapter 85 – Storm [1]
Chapter 86 – Storm [2]
Chapter 87 – Storm [3]
Chapter 88 – Storm [4]
Chapter 89 – Storm [5]
Chapter 90 – Storm [6]
Chapter 91 – Storm [7]
Chapter 92 – Storm [8]
Chapter 93 – Storm [9]
Chapter 94 – Storm [10]
Chapter 95 – Storm [11]
Chapter 96 – Storm [12]
Chapter 97 – Storm [13]
Chapter 98 – Storm [14]
Chapter 99 – Storm [15]
Chapter 100 – Storm [16]
Chapter 101 – Storm [17]
Chapter 102 – Storm [18]
Chapter 103 – Storm [19]
Chapter 104 – Interludio – A little chat
Chapter 105 – Something called Life [1]
Chapter 106 – Something called Life [2]
Chapter 107 – Something called Life [3]
Chapter 108 – Something called Life [4]
Chapter 109 – Something called Life [5]
Chapter 110 – Something called Life [6]
Chapter 111 – Something called Life [7]
Chapter 112 – Something called Life [8]
Chapter 113 – Something called Life [9]
Chapter 114 – Something called Life [10]
Chapter 115 – Something called Life [11]
Chapter 116 – Something called Life [12]
Chapter 117 – Something called Life [13]
Chapter 118 – Something called Life [14]
Anomaly
Chapter 119 – Something called Life [15]
Chapter 120 – Something called Life [16]
Chapter 121 – Something called Life [17]
Chapter 122 – Something called Life [18]
Chapter 123 – Something called Life [19]
Chapter 124 – Something called Life [20]
Chapter 125 – Something called Life [21]
Chapter 126 – Something called Life [22]
Chapter 127 – Something called Life [23]
Chapter 128 – Something called Life [24]
Chapter 129 – Something called Life [25]
Chapter 130 – Something called Life [26]
Chapter 131 – Something called Life [27]
Chapter 132 – Something called Life [28]
Chapter 133 – Something called Life [29]
Chapter 134 – Something called Life [30]
Chapter 135 – interlude – Hidden intentions
Chapter 136 – Inside the mist [1]
Chapter 137 – Inside the mist [2]
Chapter 138 – Inside the mist [3]
Chapter 139 – Inside the mist [4]
Chapter 140 – Inside the mist [5]
Chapter 141 – Inside the mist [6]
Chapter 142 – Inside the mist [7]
Chapter 143 – Inside the mist [8]
Chapter 144 – Inside the mist [9]
Chapter 145 – Inside the mist [10]
Chapter 146 – Inside the mist [11]
Chapter 147 – Inside the mist [12]
Chapter 148 – Inside the mist [13]
SPECIAL PROMOTION ON PATREON!
Chapter 149 – Inside the mist [14]
Chapter 150 – Inside the mist [15]
Chapter 151 – Inside the mist [16]
Chapter 152 – Inside the mist [17]
Chapter 153 – Inside the mist [18]
Chapter 154 – Inside the mist [19]
Chapter 155 – Inside the mist [20]
Chapter 156 – Inside the mist [21]
Chapter 157 – Inside the mist [22]
Chapter 158 – Inside the mist [23]
Chapter 159 – Inside the mist [24]
Chapter 160 – When logic escapes [1]
Chapter 161 – When logic escapes [2]
Chapter 162 – When logic escapes [3]
Chapter 163 – When logic escapes [4]
Chapter 164 – When logic escapes [5]
Chapter 165 – When logic escapes [6]
Chapter 166 – When logic escapes [7]
Chapter 167 – When logic escapes [8]
Chapter 168 – When logic escapes [9]
Chapter 169 – When logic escapes [10]
Chapter 170 – When logic escapes [11]
Chapter 171 – When logic escapes [12]
Chapter 172 – When logic escapes [13]
Chapter 173 – When logic escapes [14]
Chapter 174 – When logic escapes [15]
Chapter 175 – When logic escapes [16]
Chapter 176 – When logic escapes [17]
Chapter 177 – When logic escapes [18]
Chapter 178 – When logic escapes [19]
Chapter 179 – When logic escapes [20]
Chapter 180 – When logic escapes [21]
Chapter 181 – The Burden of Remembering [1]
Chapter 182 – The Burden of Remembering [2]
Chapter 183 – The Burden of Remembering [3]
Chapter 184 – The Burden of Remembering [4]
Chapter 185 – The Burden of Remembering [5]
Chapter 186 – The Burden of Remembering [6]
Chapter 187 – The Burden of Remembering [7]
Chapter 188 – The Burden of Remembering [8]
Chapter 189 – The Burden of Remembering [9]
Chapter 190 – The Burden of Remembering [10]
Chapter 191 – The Burden of Remembering [11]
Chapter 192 – The Burden of Remembering [12]
Chapter 193 – The Burden of Remembering [13]
Chapter 194 – The Burden of Remembering [14]
Chapter 195 – The Burden of Remembering [15]
Chapter 196 – The Burden of Remembering [16]
Chapter 197 – The Burden of Remembering [17]
Chapter 198 – The Burden of Remembering [18]
Chapter 199 – The Burden of Remembering [19]
Chapter 200 – The Burden of Remembering [20]
Chapter 201 – The Burden of Remembering [21]
Chapter 202 – The Burden of Remembering [22]
Chapter 203 – The Burden of Remembering [23]
Chapter 204 – The Burden of Remembering [24]
Chapter 205 – The Burden of Remembering [25]
Chapter 206 – The Burden of Remembering [26]
Chapter 207 – The Burden of Remembering [27]
Chapter 208 – The Burden of Remembering [28]
Chapter 209 – The Burden of Remembering [29]
Chapter 210 – The Burden of Remembering [30]
Chapter 211 – The Burden of Remembering [31]
Chapter 212 – The Burden of Remembering [32]
Chapter 213 – The Burden of Remembering [33]
Chapter 214 – The Burden of Remembering [34]
Chapter 215 – The Burden of Remembering [35]
Chapter 216 – The Burden of Remembering [36]
Chapter 217 – The Burden of Remembering [37]
Chapter 218 – The Burden of Remembering [38]
Chapter 219 – The entity of pride [1]
Chapter 220 – The entity of pride [2]
Chapter 221 – The entity of pride [3]
Chapter 222 – The entity of pride [4]
Chapter 223 – The entity of pride [5]
Chapter 224 – The entity of pride [6]
Chapter 225 – The entity of pride [7]
Chapter 226 – The entity of pride [8]
Chapter 227 – The entity of pride [9]
Chapter 228 – The entity of pride [10]
Chapter 229 – The entity of pride [11]
Chapter 230 – The entity of pride [12]
Chapter 231 – The entity of pride [13]
Chapter 232 – The entity of pride [14]
Chapter 233 – The entity of pride [15]
Chapter 234 – The entity of pride [16]
Chapter 235 – The entity of pride [17]
Chapter 236 – The entity of pride [18]
Chapter 237 – The entity of pride [19]
Chapter 238 – The entity of pride [20]
Chapter 239 – The entity of pride [21]
Chapter 240 – The entity of pride [22]
Chapter 241 – The entity of pride [23]
Chapter 242 – The entity of pride [24]
Chapter 243 – The entity of pride [25]
Chapter 244 – Timeless State [1]
Chapter 245 – Timeless State [2]
Chapter 246 – Timeless State [3]
Chapter 247 – Timeless State [4]
Chapter 248 – Timeless State [5]
Chapter 249 – Timeless State [6]
Chapter 250 – Timeless State [7]
Chapter 251 – Timeless State [8]
Chapter 252 – Timeless State [9]
Chapter 253 – Timeless State [10]
Chapter 254 – Timeless State [11]
Chapter 255 – Timeless State [12]
Chapter 256 – Timeless State [13]
Chapter 257 – Timeless State [14]
Chapter 258 – Timeless State [15]
Chapter 259 – Timeless State [16]
Chapter 260 – Timeless State [17]
Chapter 261 – Timeless State [18]
Chapter 262 – Timeless State [19]
Chapter 263 – Timeless State [20]
Chapter 264 – Timeless State [21]
Chapter 265 – Timeless State [22]
Chapter 266 – Timeless State [23]
Chapter 267 – Timeless State [24]
Chapter 268 – Timeless State [25]
Chapter 269 – Timeless State [26]
Chapter 270 – Timeless State [27]
Chapter 271 – Timeless State [28]
Chapter 272 – Timeless State [29]
Chapter 273 – Timeless State [30]
Chapter 274 – Timeless State [31]
Chapter 275 – Timeless State [32]
Chapter 276 – Timeless State [33]
Chapter 277 – Timeless State [34]
Chapter 278 – Timeless State [35]
Chapter 279 – Timeless State [36]
Chapter 280 – Timeless State [37]
Chapter 281 – Timeless State [38]
Chapter 282 – Timeless State [39]
Chapter 283 – The Primordial Fear [1]
Chapter 284 – The Primordial Fear [2]
Chapter 285 – The Primordial Fear [3]
Special Christmas/New Year’s promotion on Patreon.
Chapter 286 – The Primordial Fear [4]
Chapter 287 – The Primordial Fear [5]
Chapter 288 – The Primordial Fear [6]
Chapter 289 – The Primordial Fear [7]
Chapter 290 – The Primordial Fear [8]
Chapter 291 – The Primordial Fear [9]
Chapter 292 – The Primordial Fear [10]
Chapter 293 – The Primordial Fear [11]
Chapter 294 – The Primordial Fear [12]
Chapter 295 – The Primordial Fear [13]
Chapter 296 – The Primordial Fear [14]
Chapter 297 – The Primordial Fear [15]
Chapter 298 – The Primordial Fear [16]
Chapter 299 – The Primordial Fear [17]
Chapter 300 – The Primordial Fear [18]
Chapter 301 – The Primordial Fear [19]
Chapter 302 – The Primordial Fear [20]
Chapter 303 – The Primordial Fear [21]
Chapter 304 – The Primordial Fear [22]
Chapter 305 – The Primordial Fear [23]
Chapter 306 – The Primordial Fear [24]
Chapter 307 – The Primordial Fear [25]
Chapter 308 – The Primordial Fear [26]
Chapter 309 – The Primordial Fear [27]
Chapter 310 – The Primordial Fear [28]
Chapter 311 – The Primordial Fear [29]
Chapter 312 – The Primordial Fear [30]
Chapter 313 – The Primordial Fear [31]
Chapter 314 – The Primordial Fear [32]
Chapter 315 – The Primordial Fear [33]
Chapter 316 – The Primordial Fear [34]
Chapter 317 – The Primordial Fear [35]
Chapter 318 – The Primordial Fear [36]
Chapter 319 – The Primordial Fear [37]
Chapter 320 – The Primordial Fear [38]
Chapter 321 – The Primordial Fear [39]
Chapter 322 – The Primordial Fear [40]
Chapter 323 – The Primordial Fear [41]
Chapter 324 – The Primordial Fear [42]
Chapter 325 – The Primordial Fear [43]
Chapter 326 – The Primordial Fear [44]
Chapter 327 – The Primordial Fear [45]
Chapter 328 – The Primordial Fear [46]
Chapter 329 – The Primordial Fear [47]
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