Rowen

Chapter 224 – The entity of pride [6]


When the name slipped from my lips, my first reaction was pure confusion. There was no logic or reasoning behind it—it wasn’t a constructed thought, nor a memory I had deliberately called upon. On the contrary, it felt deliberate, inevitable, as if it had been whispered straight into my mind the moment my eyes fell upon the anomaly.


The name simply surfaced—intrusive, absolute—and before I could even reflect, I was already speaking it aloud with unsettling ease, as though it had always been obvious. Just as it had been with Nekra, Althea, and even Nyara, this was my first time standing before the anomaly—my first direct contact with it.


Still, a strange feeling took hold of me, something very close to nostalgia, though I couldn’t say for sure if that’s what it truly was. Maybe it was just a forgotten memory trying to resurface—or maybe the eerie sense of recognizing something I had never seen before. As I stared at the anomaly through the glass, that sensation lingered.


But what exactly was the name of that feeling? Was it happiness? Was I truly glad to see her again? Probably... yes, I think so. And yet, there was something strange about it—a joy far too intense to be explained by a simple reunion.


Maybe it was happiness, maybe something beyond it. Still, the real reason behind that feeling remained shrouded in fog, as if some part of me already knew the answer but, cruelly, refused to reveal it.


After all, it was the very first time I had ever laid eyes on that anomaly, and yet there was this disturbing sense of familiarity. It was like meeting someone who had always been at my side in memories that didn’t belong to me, as if an invisible bond had been woven long before this encounter.


Taking this feeling into account—a feeling that, by the way, closely resembled what I experienced when I first met Nekra, Althea, and even Nyara—there wasn’t much room left for speculation about the true identity of the anomaly behind the glass. The very sensation washing over me, similar to what I felt with the other three, made the anomaly’s identity almost self-evident, even if it didn’t reveal all the details.


Anyway, setting aside the mystery of who—or what—she really was, what confused me the most was why she had come to me. No matter how much I tried to analyze the situation, one thing was clear: she was there, intentionally, because of me.


In the end, all I could do was stare at the anomaly on the other side of the glass, while countless speculations collided inside my mind. At the same time, I realized it was staring back at me. Its eyes scanned my body from head to toe, as if searching for something hidden within me, assessing every detail with disturbing precision. Moments later, its voice echoed.

I listened carefully to her words, but the only response I could give was silence. She said I seemed different than before… but different how, exactly? In the way I spoke? In the way I looked? Honestly, even hearing that, I had no idea how I was supposed to react. After all, aside from a few scattered bits of information, I couldn’t remember anything truly important from my past.


Of course, that also included memories of how I used to look. To be honest, even with Nekra around, hearing Althea or Nyara call me Zentharys felt strange—it’s a name that, to me, didn’t seem to have any connection to who I am.


But putting that aside, another thing that caught my attention was the position of Laura, Emily, Victor, and Rupert: they were all standing just behind the anomaly. The scene was oddly unsettling, and they seemed rigidly frozen in place, as if they were part of some strange painting.


Even so, it didn’t seem like they were being controlled — at least, not as far as I could tell. Despite the stiffness in their bodies, their movements didn’t feel involuntary... In short, I had absolutely no idea what was going on with them. Keeping that uncertainty in mind, I slowly turned my gaze toward the anomaly on the other side of the glass.


She was still watching me with those piercing, proud, and inquisitive eyes, scanning me from head to toe as if she wanted to dissect every inch of me, to measure how much I had changed—or maybe, what was left of who I once was. The relentless way she studied me was, honestly, uncomfortable, as if she were comparing what she saw now with some long-buried memory.


Ignoring the way she was staring at me so intently, I raised my finger, pointing at the humans standing still behind her, as if they were living statues: (What... happened to them?)


The anomaly blinked slowly, as if each opening of its eyes was an effort to process my words. Then it shifted its gaze backward, locking onto the humans who stood motionless and stiff—yet strangely natural, as if time had frozen them in an eternal moment.


Then, as if recalling some trivial memory, it let out a soft sigh and murmured lightly: “Oh! I had forgotten about them...”


Its expression was careless, almost amused, and with a shrug of one shoulder, it snapped its fingers without the slightest solemnity.


“Anyway, you can all go back to what you were doing before” In that very instant, the rigid bodies of the humans shuddered slightly, gradually resuming their movements, as though nothing strange had happened.


With those simple words, coupled with that casual gesture, all those who had been standing like statues behind the anomaly finally released the air trapped in their lungs. The collective sound of their breaths came like a deep sigh of relief, almost as though they had surfaced from a long, suffocating dive into the depths of a dark ocean.


Some pressed a hand against their chest to steady their racing hearts, while others closed their eyes briefly, savoring the simple act of breathing again. Emily and Laura, standing just behind the anomaly, exchanged a quick glance, their expressions heavy with silent concern. Neither of them spoke a word, as if the weight of the moment prevented them from breaking the silence.


Still, I clearly noticed how their subtle, insistent gazes kept falling on me. To anyone else, it might have gone unnoticed, but to me—already watching them closely—it was impossible not to see how they were searching for answers in my direction.


Watching the scene unfold, one thought inevitably crossed my mind: there was no denying it—she was controlling them. Yet, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t detect any trace of direct manipulation, no invisible pressure, no perceptible link.


It was strange, almost unsettling... because in a way, their actions didn’t seem forced. On the contrary, every movement flowed seamlessly with her will, as if their desires had naturally merged with hers, making it impossible to distinguish where one ended and the other began.


Even so, the moment they regained control of their own bodies, every gaze turned, almost in unison, toward the anomaly. The air itself seemed to grow heavier, laden with tension and anticipation.


Naturally, the first instinctive reaction of most of the response team was to reach for their weapons, drawing them in swift, practiced motions and aiming every barrel straight at the strange presence before them. The metallic clatter of bolts sliding into place rang out like a chorus of preparation, filling the suffocating silence that ruled the place.


But at that exact moment, Victor suddenly raised his hand, the other pressed firmly against his own throat. The simple, quick gesture seemed to trigger an instinctive response among the team.


They exchanged silent glances, searching for reassurance in one another, their faces etched with unease and hesitation. Within seconds, one by one, they relented, lowering their weapons with hesitant movements, as if weighed down by an unseen burden.


“Don’t... do anything rash” Victor muttered, his voice heavy and strained, each word sounding as if it cost him immense effort. His eyes were locked, filled with a mix of fear and clarity: “She could... wipe us out with a single thought... before we’d even have the chance to react. The mere fact that we’re still breathing proves she doesn’t want us dead... at least, not yet”


The next instant, every eye shifted back to the anomaly. The silence that followed was suffocating, as if even the air itself was holding its breath.


No one moved, no one dared to take the first step—and honestly, would it have been wise to do so? We knew nothing about that presence: not its origin, not the extent of its power, nor what lay behind that expression.


It was an absolute enigma. Of course, just because the others hesitated didn’t mean I had to remain still as well... but even knowing that, I felt no hostility toward it. In the end, there was no reason for us to fight.


Yeah... while such pacifist thoughts still crossed my mind, the anomaly’s next words from beyond the glass struck me like a frozen blade: “So... this is what you’ve become after all this time?”


Her voice carried an almost casual tone, yet poison dripped from every syllable. Her eyes locked onto me, reflecting a mixture of superiority and disappointment, as though I were nothing but the shadow of something that no longer existed. Then, a faint, cruel smile curved across her lips as she went on: “I can’t feel the power I once admired in you anymore. You’re... weak”


I don’t know why, but the first impression that came to mind upon hearing her words was that she sounded strangely proud of what she was saying. Maybe it was her tone, maybe the gleam in her eyes, or even the way she tilted her chin as she spoke—I couldn’t tell. But the feeling lingered. And then, before I could even organize my thoughts, her next words fell upon me.


“Well... I honestly didn’t expect you to be this weak, Zentharys” the anomaly remarked, her voice tinged with a curious mix of surprise and reflection, while a thoughtful glint flashed in her eyes.


For a moment, it seemed as if she were analyzing every detail of the situation, trying to make sense of it. Then, with a faint smile that clashed with her intimidating presence, she added: “Either way, I don’t know exactly what happened to you... but since that’s the case, consider yourself lucky. I’ll protect you until your powers return—no matter the cost.”


As she spoke those words, her expression carried a lofty pride, almost arrogance, an aura of superiority that weighed heavily in the air. Honestly, I was starting to struggle to keep up with the flow of the conversation. Protect me from what, exactly? From my current point of view, it seemed far more likely that I’d need protection from her.


After all, her posture and tone betrayed someone who could easily lose control at the slightest provocation. It was at that moment—while I was still lost in thought—that a figure suddenly appeared beside me, as if materializing out of thin air.


Nekra, with her usual melancholic and distant expression, let out words heavy with irritation—something rare for her, who normally treated everything with near-cruel indifference. Her half-closed eyes glimmered with a faint annoyance as her voice came out harsher than usual: “Eryanis... you really are... insufferable”


More surprising than anything else was hearing her say that. To give some context, since the very moment Nekra first appeared before us, I had never once seen her consider something truly irritating. From my perspective, it was as if nothing could stir her interest or move her emotions.


She always seemed distant, untouchable, as though the world around her was nothing more than background noise. At least until now—until this very moment, when, for the first time, a spark of reaction slipped through her indifferent stance.