Anomaly

Author: Rowen

Chapter 300 – The Primordial Fear [18]

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With his ears ringing nonstop from the hellish wind slamming straight into them, Victor was dragged through the air at a ridiculous speed. The rain fell like freezing needles, soaking his hair and plastering his clothes to his body.
But out of everything, the worst part was the trip itself. Even though it was far less intense than before, the speed was still nothing a human could ever consider comfortable. And Victor wasn’t the only one who felt that way.
“I... hate... THIIIIIS!” Rupert screamed, just a few inches from Victor. His face was twisted in pure agony, and his voice—hoarse from effort—came out dripping with desperation.
The rest of the group wasn’t much better. Some kept a cold, stone-like expression, while others looked like they were seconds away from throwing up. Even so, given the circumstances, Victor could barely notice their reactions.
Nausea would pass in a few minutes—and honestly, it was a small price to pay. Anything was better than being torn apart... or suffering some worse fate at the hands of an anomaly.
Still, even without observing for long, Victor could tell that most of them would carry a hefty trauma of high-speed travel for quite a while. He just hoped it wouldn’t become a permanent scar.
Raising a hand to his ear, where the small communicator vibrated against his skin, Victor forced his voice out: “Rupert... check... the connection”
The words stumbled out, squeezed between the deafening roar of the wind and the brutal speed with which they tore through the sky. Even opening his mouth felt like an absurd effort.
After hearing the command, Rupert—still right beside him—kept grumbling but eventually gave in. He lifted his hand to his ear, fighting against the slicing wind that kept blowing straight at them, making his arm tremble slightly. When his fingertip finally touched the device, Rupert held his breath and stayed silent for a few seconds, listening intently.
Then, with a voice strained by interference and effort, he muttered through the communicator: “Th—the base signal... it’s still... really choppy! B—but... compared to earlier... I... I can hear... s—some voices! I—if we can... get just a little farther... the signal... should... re—restore... enough for... contact...!”
Rupert’s voice came out shaky and broken, ripped away by the brutal wind. Still, Victor couldn’t blame him—breathing was already hard enough, let alone talking, considering the absurd speed at which they were being dragged across the sky: (Didn’t we ask her to slow down? For God’s sake... what does she think we are? Machines?)
A few more minutes crawled by, soaked in pure adrenaline, with desperate voices swallowed by the wind as they echoed through the air. The roar of the air currents made it nearly impossible to make out any words.
Even so, little by little, the interference started to fade. They finally seemed to have reached a point where the signal stabilized. Rupert—practically glued to Victor the entire flight—turned toward him.
His coat whipped violently in the wind, and even the simple act of moving his head looked like it took every bit of strength he had left. Still, he managed a nod—a small, tense gesture, but clear enough for Victor to understand instantly.
Gathering every bit of strength left in his body, Victor raised his voice against the slicing wind, praying that the walking jet ahead of them would catch at least the beginning of his words:
We’re far enough!”
The moment Victor’s words cut through the air, the wind smashing against his face stopped—abruptly. Before he could even understand what was happening, his body was violently thrown forward, flung like a rag doll.
But despite the sudden impact, he wasn’t hurt. Something dark—a twisted shadow, thin like a living rope—wrapped around him and held him in place.
The deceleration was so gentle that for a moment he doubted what he’d felt. Considering the force of the launch, being intact—and completely uninjured—was strange enough to leave him even more stunned. The silence that followed felt heavier than the shock itself.
Ignoring it for a moment, Victor turned to Rupert, who also seemed to be catching his breath after the adrenaline spike. There was still a faint tremor in his shoulders, almost imperceptible.
Noticing Victor’s gaze, Rupert simply nodded—a short gesture, weighed down by exhaustion—before bringing a hand to his ear, his fingers still trembling slightly.
Still focused on the row of computers in front of her, Emily swept through every reading in search of even the slightest sign—no matter how small—that even if they couldn’t establish contact from their side, the organization’s technology might open a channel where the anomalous interference wasn’t so strong.
Until then, though, every path seemed blocked. At least until that brief instant. As her eyes ran across the data and charts on the screens, a subtle fluctuation caught her attention.
It was almost imperceptible—a tiny jump on the graph, too quick for anyone distracted to notice. Emily didn’t hesitate. She yanked the chair closer with a sharp movement, sat at one of the terminals, and began typing furiously, as if every keystroke could stop the chance from slipping away again.
Seconds later, a voice cracked through the communicator—weak, broken, almost impossible to understand. Static devoured half the syllables, but, little by little, it began to take shape, growing clearer:
“... This is Rupert! Anyone at the base on this line?... Repeat: this is Rupert! Is anyone from the base on this channel?”
Voices echoed through the room, growing louder as they overlapped. Hearing them, Laura stepped closer to Emily in silence, her eyes locked on the bright monitor in front of her.
Emily turned her head slightly and shot a quick glance at the scientists. They understood the unspoken order without a single word being said and, almost immediately, began typing frantically.
Laura followed the motion, directing her gaze to the screens filled with data. Without looking away, Emily reached out and handed her a microphone that had been resting under the desk until then. Laura grabbed it firmly.
Emily was the first to react to Rupert’s words. Her voice burst through the comms, loaded with urgency: “This is Emily, reporting from the base! Rupert, can you hear me?”
Emily waited for a few moments, eyes half-closed as she tracked every fluctuation in the graph displayed on the monitor just above her head. The silence between each beep seemed to stretch time itself.
Then, after a few seconds that felt like minutes, Rupert’s voice finally echoed through the speakers — and in that instant, a massive weight slid off Emily’s shoulders: “Thank God... I managed to reestablish the connection. We’re all fine. We were attacked by an anomaly, but the
saved all of us. Right now, we’re flying over the ocean”
Emily and Laura exchanged glances for a few seconds after hearing those words. Emily gave a slight nod, almost imperceptible, which was immediately answered by the confident smile forming on Laura’s face — the kind of smile that said, “Told you”.
Typing nonstop, Emily kept her eyes glued to the monitors until a map took shape on the screen, dotted with several red points that pulsed faintly. Even surprised it had worked so fast, she allowed herself only a short exhale before shoving the reaction to the back of her mind.
She spoke again immediately, her hands racing across the keyboard with almost nervous haste: “I’ve got your location. Like I said before, I think it’s impossible for you to make it back. Maybe the
can figure something out... but I can’t guarantee the rest of you would survive the return”
Rupert’s voice echoed back, steady despite the cutting wind and rain: “No problem. That’s exactly why we decided to move forward. The
wants to meet with the Virtue... and hopefully that’ll let us settle everything at once. Besides, it’s not like we’ve got many other options”
Emily nodded and returned to typing. As her fingers flew over the keys, the map on the monitor began sliding on its own, zooming in and out until it settled over a red-marked point. She narrowed her eyes, confirmed the position, and then relayed the coordinates to Rupert.
“Shit...” Rupert growled, his face twisting in pure frustration: “The location points exactly to where those things are.”
Curious, Laura — who had remained silent until then — leaned forward slightly before asking, her voice low but attentive: “What kind of anomalies, exactly?”
Rupert stayed silent for long moments, his gaze drifting off as if searching for words that simply didn’t exist. When he finally spoke, his voice came out hoarse, almost broken: “We don’t know. We’ve never had a full view of those things. All we can make out is that they’re colossal... and completely impossible to fight. You don’t beat them, you don’t neutralize them — at best, you can stall them for a few miserable seconds. Honestly, if it weren’t for the
clearing a path, we’d all have been wiped off the map already”
Emily remained quiet. What else could she do? She wasn’t there. She couldn’t intervene, couldn’t lift a finger — all she could do was relay information. And deep down, she was already used to this role of distant presence.
For several long seconds, only her breathing filled the line. Then, on the other side, a low voice emerged — almost a dragged-out murmur, as if Rupert feared being overheard even by his own thoughts: “Emily... about the contract...”
Emily didn’t need long to understand which contract Rupert was referring to. Keeping her eyes closed and her voice almost completely neutral — despite everything boiling inside her — she replied: “Under the agreement, your family will receive lifelong monthly payments if you die in combat against other anomalies. They’re also entitled to housing provided by the Organization, in zones where anomalous events are extremely rare. Those locations have special teams on standby, ready to intervene at the slightest sign of any irregularity...”
The other side stayed silent for a few seconds — a heavy, almost hesitant silence — before the voice finally returned, now noticeably calmer than before: “Good”
That was all Emily heard — and, deep down, all she could bear to hear. In the end, there wasn’t much left to say. The rest was swallowed by the heavy silence filling the room, leaving only that last sentence echoing inside her.
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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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