Anomaly

Author: Rowen

Chapter 328 – The Primordial Fear [46]

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No one really seemed sure of what to do or how to act. Victor, Rupert, and the rest of the anomaly response team kept their weapons raised, fingers hovering near the triggers, but everyone looked torn between two equally terrifying choices: shoot and maybe alert the thing that was stalking us... or stay silent, frozen, just waiting and praying it didn’t notice us.
The worst part was, we couldn’t even see it. Like Victor had said earlier, risking a shot only for the bullets to ricochet didn’t seem like a safe option.
The team member was still sitting on the ground, face stiff with pure terror as he kept his weapon aimed at the mist above. Honestly, I was a little surprised he hadn’t just fired instinctively.
Out of all of us, he was the most exposed. On top of that, he was visibly nervous: sweat ran down his forehead, and his trembling fingers gripped the part near the trigger far too tightly.
I heard someone swallow behind me. Then silence took over. The noises stopped. No growls, no dry sound of rocks tumbling down the canyon below. Just heavy silence.
Yeah... honestly, that was what made it even scarier. I could still feel the thing’s presence above us. Everyone had caught a glimpse of its shape, or at least part of it, in the mist just seconds ago. We had no idea if it would attack, and that uncertainty made the situation far worse than if it had just tried to kill us all at once.
We were completely in the dark: was this thing friendly or hostile? Considering everything that had happened so far, I was seriously starting to doubt it was harmless.
Victor, Rupert, and Arthur seemed to share the same thought. You just had to notice the stiffness in their bodies, the careful way Rupert and Victor held their weapons, and the uneasy glances cast toward the mist above. Still, the thing didn’t move. No sound, not the slightest sign of motion.
But putting aside the fact that we had no idea when, or even if, it would attack, the team member remained a few steps away from where we were. Victor, for his part, seemed to be assessing our options, deciding what the best course of action would be.
The rest of the team stayed completely silent, bodies tense, weapons raised, just in case something did emerge from the mist. Honestly, I hoped no one would fire if the anomaly appeared. Maybe... somehow, unexpectedly, it could be friendly.
I decided to act first. My hands slowly became enveloped in a dark mist, cold as the night itself. Under everyone’s watchful eyes, I crouched carefully and, without making a sound, touched the ground with my palms.
The darkness then spread along my arms, slithering across the ground until it reached the fallen team member in front of me. He noticed the shadow approaching, following its advance with tired eyes, but he didn’t show fear. By now, I imagined everyone understood that I wasn’t a hostile anomaly.
My shadow slipped across the ground and under the distant team member, enveloping him like a living cloak. The nearby response agents continued scanning the surroundings, alert to any sign, but I noticed their eyes occasionally flicking toward the distant teammate, carrying faint concern.
Slowly, I began dragging his body toward us. He floated a few inches above the ground, suspended by darkness, making no sound at all. No friction, no crackling, just the silent movement of the shadow.
Honestly, I was starting to wonder if this thing could even hear. I hadn’t ruled it out entirely, but it was undeniable that careful movements with weapons, slight grip adjustments, and the scrape of metal on fabric created small sounds in the air.
When I finished pulling the team member into our position, I noticed relief spreading across the faces around me. Shoulders relaxed, some hands finally loosened their grip on the weapons. Victor was the first to react: he helped him up with a quick motion and immediately looked upward.
We still didn’t have a clear view of the anomaly. In fact, the idea that it was still up there was just a guess, a dangerous guess too risky to ignore, but too risky to test. And judging by the tense silence that settled, no one seemed willing to be the first to pay the price to find out if we were right.
Victor turned his attention to the other team members, catching every glance. With precise finger movements, he began signaling, gestures that, while I didn’t understand the meaning, clearly conveyed a message. Something like “Let’s move forward, carefully” seemed to be what he was communicating.
I saw several subtle nods around me, almost imperceptible. Finally, Victor turned to me. I didn’t wait for him to gesture or signal, I spoke directly in his mind: (Shall we continue quietly?)
Victor blinked for a moment, then nodded firmly. I returned the gesture. In the next instant, we began backing up, step by cautious step. But one doubt lingered: would we get anywhere this way? It didn’t look promising. Even moving at a decent pace, it felt like we were stuck in the same spot, walking in circles without direction.
We kept backing up, step by step, and so far, it seemed like we were doing fine. At least, we hadn’t yet alerted the anomaly to our presence, if it was even still there. But, unfortunately, that sense of safety didn’t last long.
As I took another step back, a sharp crack shattered the silence beneath my feet. Eyes turned toward me as I blinked, confused. When I finally looked down, I saw a fist-sized rock completely shattered, scattering shards like tiny black crystals across the ground.
I felt the weight of dozens of eyes on me, most full of disbelief and dread, as if my single step had broken some delicate balance we didn’t even know existed.
I turned toward the others’ gazes, mainly Victor, Rupert, and Arthur. Rupert and Victor looked utterly stunned, mouths slightly open, sweat trickling down their foreheads along lines that mirrored the tension in the air.
Arthur, on the other hand, seemed more concerned than surprised. His eyes were fixed on the mist hovering over the canyon, showing he could see something we couldn’t.
And that was the exact moment I felt it, a shiver running down my spine, that other eyes were watching us from some hidden spot above the fog, silent but undeniably there.
Not knowing how to explain it, I just let my thoughts slip. Mentally, I shared the first thing that came to mind with everyone around me: (Ahnnn... sorry?)
As if a chain reaction had been triggered, debris began falling from the purple rocks above the canyon, crashing down with a dull thud that made the ground tremble beneath our feet.
The air filled with dust, and the smell of shattered stone hit our nostrils, while a heavy sense of imminent danger pressed down on us. Everyone, instinctively, furrowed their brows or stiffened their shoulders, nervous reflexes in the face of what was coming.
Victor shot me a quick look. I returned it, and in that tense silence, we understood each other without a word. Then, breaking the moment of confusion, Victor yelled, his voice cutting through the echo of falling debris: “Run!”
At a single command, everyone spun and bolted. No questions, no hesitation. Honestly, who would be crazy enough to question such a perfectly reasonable order in the situation we were in?
Our footsteps echoed through the narrow corridor as we ran, bouncing off the cold walls. Meanwhile, whatever was above us kept pursuing, the snaps and creaks of something moving through the canyon becoming a constant presence.
Through my foggy vision, I suddenly saw something slicing through the air with brutal force. A claw, rough and segmented, like that of a giant crab.
In an instant, it snatched one of the team members, who screamed in panic as they were lifted off the ground, slowly disappearing into the thick curtain of fog.
Cold fear shot through us like a jolt, but Victor didn’t hesitate. With a firm voice, he ordered: “Shoot that thing!”
Gunfire rang out through the dense mist, ricocheting off the walls, as the team kept their fingers tight on the triggers, aiming for the grotesque extension of the anomaly’s arm.
The tense silence was ripped apart by a guttural roar that cut through the air after several seconds of relentless shooting. Finally, the anomaly released the team member it had held, and the man’s scream of horror merged with the dull thud of his body hitting the ground.
I made a quick gesture with my hand, and my arms returned to their dark, smoking hue. I touched the ground for an instant, and in the next second something like a slide burst from the surface, as if it were being shaped by the shadow itself.
The structure stretched out and coiled through the air, reaching toward the response team member who was plummeting to his death. The moment he hit the makeshift ramp, his body was caught by the slope and began sliding back, picking up speed in our direction.
I lifted my eyes again, trying to probe the thick fog above. I couldn’t make out the full extent of the body moving up there, but amid the hazy distortions and swirling mist, one thing was chillingly clear: this wouldn’t be the only attack we’d face.
The next few seconds were wrapped in absolute silence. No one dared to be the next to test the anomaly’s claws. But silence, as always, was useless. Another claw shot out, slicing through the fog toward one of the team members.
This time, though, he was faster. With a sudden leap to the side, he narrowly avoided the strike by a hair’s breadth, feeling the slicing wind of the claw brush past him before he slammed his back against the wall. A soft groan of pain escaped his lips, barely audible, but he held his ground, eyes still fixed on the mist.
Finally, realizing that silence wouldn’t give them any advantage, Rupert broke the quiet with a tense voice: “Victor... I think we should fall back. I can’t see a single future where we come out of this thing alive” he said, his eyes sweeping over the whitish mass ahead. He swallowed hard before going on, his jaw tight with anxiety: “I don’t feel even a little confident watching someone else’s back when I can barely take care of my own”
“I know... We’re not even really hurting the thing, just making it angrier” Victor replied, his steady voice echoing through the canyon: “We’ll pull back in an organized way. Keep a formation where everyone can cover each other and help if anyone falls behind”
Rupert spoke again, his voice laced with irony as a crooked smile tugged at his lips: “Great plan. A lot better than just standing around waiting to get snatched up... and eaten, I suppose” He gave a small shake of his head, as if acknowledging the absurdity of their situation, his eyes still glinting with a dry humor that barely masked the tension of the moment.
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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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