The room didn't stay quiet for long.
Once the decision was made, everything moved quickly.
Too quickly.
"…We're deploying a team," the man said.
Mira frowned slightly.
"…Already?"
"…We don't have time to wait."
The screen shifted again, displaying a new location.
Marked.
Highlighted.
"…Another anomaly zone," Aarav muttered.
"…Larger than the previous one," the man added.
A brief pause.
"…And unstable."
Aarav leaned forward slightly.
"…Define unstable."
The man didn't hesitate.
"…It's expanding."
Silence.
That—
Was new.
Mira's eyes narrowed.
"…That shouldn't happen."
"…And yet it is."
The room felt heavier again.
Because this wasn't just an event anymore.
It was—
Growth.
"…So what's the plan?" Aarav asked.
The man looked at him directly.
"…You're going."
Aarav blinked once.
"…Of course I am."
Mira stepped forward.
"…Then I'm going too."
The man didn't argue.
"…Already expected."
Aarav smirked faintly.
"…You're getting predictable."
"…We prefer prepared."
Another pause.
Then—
"…You leave in five minutes."
"…That's not enough time," Mira said.
"…It is."
Aarav stood up.
"…Good."
Mira looked at him.
"…You're too calm about this."
"…Because this is what I wanted."
"…Danger?"
"…Answers."
Silence.
Mira didn't reply.
But she understood.
This wasn't just survival for him anymore.
It was—
Curiosity.
And that made him dangerous.
The vehicle moved fast.
Faster than before.
This time, there were more of them.
Four from the organization.
Plus Aarav.
Plus Mira.
No unnecessary talk.
No wasted time.
Just focus.
"…You trust them?" Mira asked quietly.
"…No."
"…Then why go with them?"
Aarav glanced out the window.
"…Because they know more than we do."
"…That's not reassuring."
"…It's not supposed to be."
The vehicle stopped abruptly.
"…We're here," someone said.
The door opened.
And immediately—
They felt it.
The air.
Heavy.
Distorted.
More intense than before.
"…This is worse," Mira said quietly.
"…Yeah," Aarav replied.
"Much worse."
The area in front of them looked… broken.
Not physically.
But visually.
The space itself seemed unstable.
Edges flickering.
Shadows shifting.
"…This isn't just an anomaly," Mira said.
"…No," Aarav replied.
"It's spreading."
The man stepped forward.
"…Stay alert."
"…No kidding," Aarav muttered.
They moved in.
Carefully.
Step by step.
The ground felt normal.
But everything else—
Didn't.
The screen flickered in Aarav's vision.
More violently than before.
[ A N O M A L Y L E V E L : H I G H ]
"…That's new," he said quietly.
Mira glanced at him.
"…What is it?"
"…Nothing good."
A sound echoed.
Deep.
Low.
Not one.
Not a few.
Many.
Aarav stopped walking.
"…You hear that?"
"…Yeah."
The others froze.
Weapons ready.
Abilities forming.
"…Positions," the man ordered.
They spread out.
Prepared.
Focused.
Then—
Movement.
Everywhere.
From the shadows.
From the edges.
From the distorted space itself.
Dozens.
Not creatures.
Not exactly.
Shapes.
Unstable.
Changing.
Watching.
Mira's voice lowered.
"…This is not normal."
Aarav's eyes sharpened.
"…No."
"This is something else."
The screen flickered violently.
Struggling.
Breaking.
[ D A T A C O R R U P T E D ]
[ U N K N O W N E N T I T Y ]
Aarav exhaled slowly.
"…Yeah."
"We're definitely not ready for this."