(POV – Laura Cavendish)
At the same time the [Angel of Death] left with the new anomaly — who, from what everyone could tell, wasn't just Victor's younger sister but also one of the Virtues — Laura kept pacing back and forth inside the containment cell specially designed for the [Angel of Death].
With each step, the sharp sound of her boots echoed against the smooth white metal walls, filling the suffocating silence of the place. Her fingers trembled near her face, and she was on the verge of biting her nails, consumed by a restlessness that seemed to grow by the second.
As Laura remained lost in her trance, pacing inside the containment cell, a calm voice broke the silence, catching her attention. It was Emily: "You know walking around like that isn't gonna make time move any faster, right?" she said in a light, almost playful tone.
Laura stopped for a moment at the sound of her name. She let out an exasperated sigh before replying, her tone dripping with annoyance: "Of course I know that..."
She paused, shoulders tense, before turning toward the source of the voice — Emily, sitting comfortably across from one of the Virtues, savoring a cup of hot tea.
"But I'm worried, okay?" Laura went on, frowning: "The [Angel of Death], Victor, and Sara are heading somewhere, like, super freaking dangerous! What if something happens to them? Ughhhh! Just thinking about it is making me nervous again..."
As Laura grew more anxious by the second, tapping her fingers along the edge of the table, Emily — who had just set her cup gently back on its saucer — watched her from the corner of her eye.
Then she laced her fingers together thoughtfully, her gaze distant for a brief moment before speaking in a calm but firm voice: "Both you and I know better than anyone what the [Angel of Death] is capable of. Honestly, I can't imagine any anomaly actually managing to defeat her in a fight"
Laura listened and stayed quiet for a moment. She understood why Emily said that — after all, more than anyone, she knew the weight behind those words.
From Laura's point of view, even though the [Angel of Death]'s sisters possessed deep, unfathomable powers, they still didn't seem capable of defeating her.
Laura couldn't quite explain why, but whenever her eyes met those of the [Angel of Death], something deep within her stirred — an instinctive, primal feeling. It was as if a silent voice inside her whispered that this being was... different. Not just powerful or terrifying, but unique — unlike any other anomaly Laura had ever encountered.
Something about her transcended ordinary power, evoking both fear and fascination — as if her very presence belonged to a realm beyond comprehension.
Laura's thoughts tangled into a confused whirlwind — she could barely focus. An uneasy silence hung in the air until a serene, almost detached voice broke through it: "Hmm... humans... are you two worried about the sister?"
Laura blinked, startled by the indifferent words. When she turned, she saw the anomaly — sitting with an almost aristocratic grace — gently setting her teacup down.
Every movement seemed deliberate, wrapped in an unsettling calm. A faint, enigmatic smile curved her lips, as if she held a secret only she could understand.
"Fufu..." she laughed softly — not out of amusement, but out of quiet delight: "This is the first time I've seen anyone worry about the sister. Usually, it's the enemies who tremble at her presence. Since the moment I first opened my eyes, the sister... has never lost"
Laura didn't know why the anomaly sounded so confident — there was so much certainty in her voice that Laura could only stare, perplexed — yet somehow, those words made her relax a little.
The anomaly, wrapped in an almost graceful aura, lifted its beautiful eyes once more, gazing at Emily and Laura for a brief moment before continuing. Its voice, soft and melodic, sounded like a distant song: "Ah... just to be clear, I'm not saying that caring is a bad thing. After all, human emotions need to go through moments of turbulence before they become orderly — it's the cycle"
As its words lingered in the air, the anomaly smiled again. There was something enigmatic about that gesture — a mix of sweetness and irony: "But it's curious" it went on, eyes glimmering with an almost childlike spark: "to know that humans can grow so attached to one of their own creators"
Laura and Emily exchanged a quick glance, puzzled by the anomaly's words. For a fleeting moment, they seemed to search for an answer in each other — something that made sense, something that could mask the discomfort settling in. In the end, though, all they managed to do was shrug, resigned, with no idea how they were supposed to respond.
"I... I guess you're both right" she murmured, still hesitant: "With the [Angel of Death]'s power, it's hard to imagine her losing a fight"
Laura's words drew a wave of soft, elegant laughter. The anomaly with the teacup chuckled gracefully, while the one resembling an angel floated lazily in the air — still upside down — letting out a sound almost melodic.
The other two reacted as well: the melancholic one turned to Laura with a puzzled look, and the timid one just stared, as if trying to grasp what she meant. Laura scratched her head, unsure whether to laugh along or worry about not getting the joke.
"What?" Laura asked, glancing between the anomalies, her voice hesitant as she searched their faces for a clue: "Did I... say something wrong?"
At her question, the angelic-looking anomaly floated closer. Her movements were fluid, and the white wings attached to her lower back fluttered gently, stirring the air in soft waves. Yet no sound followed — no rustling of feathers, no whisper of wind — only a pure, haunting silence.
When she stopped before Laura, the anomaly tilted her body upside down, studying her with serene, unfathomable eyes. Then her lips parted, and a sweet, ethereal voice echoed — as if whispering directly into Laura's mind: "Fight? Who said the sister will fight? Of course, there's little we can do about the mindless entities you humans insist on capturing. But the Flow of Time... even without thought, it feels. It feels enough to understand fear. And if one day it learns what it truly means to be afraid of something, then yes — it will never fight the sister"
The anomaly spoke with absolute conviction, as though declaring an immutable truth — something even time itself would never dare to challenge.
Laura wondered, puzzled, where such certainty came from — what kind of mind or power could support that unshakeable confidence?
Still, standing before that presence, she felt small, almost fragile. All she could do was silently beg that the anomaly's words were true.
***
(POV — Protagonist)
As the tentacle — and the entire "Sea" before me — trembled uncontrollably, like a sudden blizzard had swept through its depths, I just watched, bewildered.
The air seemed to hum, and the deep sound of the movement echoed like a distant roar. For a moment I stayed still, trying to stitch together the fragments of what had come before, hoping to understand exactly how we'd ended up here.
At first I was furious when the anomaly chose my sister — even though there was a perfectly viable substitute. After that, though reluctant, I stepped in front of Chronas.
The "Flow" scanned me next; you could feel that cold, impersonal presence pass through me, as if it were analyzing me completely. But then... something happened.
In the middle of the process I felt a break — like an invisible barrier blocked the "Flow's" scan. And that's where everything stopped. Now we're here, at the present scene.
And seriously... you're telling me it's afraid of me? That thing clearly doesn't feel cold — if it can feel anything at all. So after going over it again and looking for another explanation, I can only come to one conclusion: the Flow is afraid of me.
Victor, who watched with one eyebrow raised and a thoughtful look, seemed to come to the same conclusion. His lips moved slowly and his voice came out low, filled with curiosity: "That reaction..." he murmured, tilting his head slightly: "It's afraid?"
Saying that, Victor turned his gaze toward me, as if asking me silently. My reaction? I just shook my head from side to side, trying to make it clear I hadn't even done anything — yet.
Victor raised his eyebrow even higher, his expression full of disbelief: "But... that reaction..." he murmured, narrowing his eyes as if trying to decode something invisible: "I can only think that thing's afraid of you. Are you sure you didn't do anything?"
He tilted his head slightly, a half-playful smile appearing at the corner of his mouth: "You know... sometimes your look can be pretty scary"
Though my face stayed impassive, inside I was completely confused. What the hell was he talking about? My expression hardly ever changed — I knew that — so how could I scare someone with such an indifferent face?
Still, there was something in Victor's voice that made me hesitate. He was right about at least one thing: that creature... was genuinely afraid of me. And the strangest part was that I still hadn't done a single thing to it.
(There's no way I could've done anything) I explained, probing my own thoughts as I projected them to Victor and Chronas: (You saw — I stood still the whole time. That thing tried to do something to me and, all of a sudden, it seemed... afraid. It's not my fault) My words came out tinged with confusion and a hint of indignation as I searched my mind for any memory, any spark of action that could justify what had happened.
Victor still looked skeptical at my words — and honestly, who could blame him? I was telling the truth, but nothing I said would change the fact that the Flow feared me.
The reason remained a mystery, a silence I couldn't decipher. In the end... was that really a bad thing? Maybe, but a part of me knew I could — and should — take advantage of it.
(I have no idea what's happening, but I plan to use it) I muttered, quickly sharing my plan with Victor and Chronas: (I'll make it accept the substitute instead of you, Chronas. If it's really afraid of me... it'll probably give in, don't you think?)