Anomaly

Victor closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. Gradually, the buzzing that had been swarming around his ears like particularly irritating flies began to fade, growing quieter, more manageable, and, above all, bearable. The pressure squeezing at his temples didn't disappear completely, but it eased enough for him to finally organize his thoughts.

The silence that settled over the room gradually became uncomfortable. Even with his eyes closed and one hand pressed against his temple, Victor immediately noticed the shift in the atmosphere. No one was speaking. Everyone was waiting for his decision. Those few seconds of silent anticipation felt like an eternity.

Victor could feel their eyes fixed on him like an invisible weight. There was a healthy amount of suspicion mixed into those stares. Honestly, this was a disaster. Because Victor had absolutely no idea how to continue the conversation without making everything sound completely insane.

There wasn't exactly a handbook on how to convince a family to let their only daughter be taken to a secret government facility located who-knows-where, guarded by people who couldn't reveal much about themselves. It was the kind of situation that, if someone had told him about it a few years ago, he would have dismissed as ridiculous himself.

Ironies aside, Victor knew Charlotte's parents would never accept something this absurd easily. And, to be honest, he couldn't blame them. If he were in their position, listening to a stranger ask for temporary custody of his daughter, he probably would've shown that stranger the door a long time ago.

Naturally, Victor's lack of any immediate response only fueled the confusion and anxiety Charlotte's parents had already been building up for some time. The silence hanging over the room seemed to stretch several seconds longer than it should have, heavy and uncomfortable. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

"My daughter..." Charlotte's father began, his voice firm enough to pull Victor from his brief train of thought. Victor raised his eyes and met the man's gaze: "Is Charlotte in danger somehow?"

There was anxiety in the man's voice, but anxiety was far from the dominant emotion. Above the fear, there was something stronger: determination. Charlotte's father carried the presence of someone accustomed to protecting his family above all else, like a lion placing himself between his cubs and any threat daring to approach.

Charlotte's father glanced briefly at Rupert before turning his attention back to Victor: "I'm not exactly sure what's going on, but neither of you looks like you came here just to ask a few questions" His voice grew harder with each word: "And honestly, no matter how many times I look at you... neither of you seems like an ordinary law enforcement officer"

Beside him, Charlotte's mother remained silent, but her expression revealed the same concern. Her eyes moved between her daughter and the two visitors as though she were desperately trying to assemble the pieces of a puzzle no one had bothered to explain.

Charlotte's father tightened his grip on her hand almost instinctively. Charlotte noticed the gesture and squeezed back. The unspoken message, however, was crystal clear to Victor and Rupert.

Charlotte's father was afraid. But if there truly was some danger lurking around his daughter, he was prepared to stand in front of it himself, regardless of the consequences.

Victor cast a discreet glance toward Rupert. Almost immediately, Rupert did the same. In less than a second, the two exchanged a brief nod, a silent understanding built through years of working side by side.

Regardless, there was no easy way to say what needed to be said. And if Charlotte really was who Victor and Rupert suspected she was, they needed to act quickly before the situation slipped beyond anyone's ability to control.

The simple fact that everything appeared normal right now wasn't enough to make them forget the incidents involving each of the sisters of the [Angel of Death]. The memories of those events remained vivid, marked by consequences that no one within the organization had ever been able to fully predict.

Even though Charlotte looked completely human, perhaps even too human, that meant very little. Appearances could be deceiving, and Victor had learned that lesson the hard way. If she truly was one of the [Angel of Death]'s sisters, then she was dangerous.

Extremely dangerous. While the organization lacked the means to directly handle a large-scale catastrophe if things truly spiraled out of control, there were still measures that could be taken to reduce the immediate risks.

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Keeping her under constant supervision inside the facility, far from major population centers and any significant concentration of civilians, was probably the best option available for the time being.

It wasn't a permanent solution, not even close, but it could prevent a potentially catastrophic problem from becoming an unimaginable tragedy before they figured out exactly what they were dealing with.

At first, Victor nodded in agreement with Charlotte's father's words. He maintained a relaxed posture, but carefully chose each word, like someone walking across fragile ground: "You're right when you say that my partner and I aren't ordinary authorities" Victor's voice remained calm and controlled: "It's true that we work for the government, but..." freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts and searching for a way to explain the situation without revealing more than he should. The silence that followed lasted only a few seconds, but it felt slightly longer within the room: "Well, let's just say that my partner and I work for a very specific organization funded by the government"

The reaction was immediate, even if subtle. Victor could feel the tension in the room rise another notch. Charlotte's father straightened his shoulders and pressed his lips into a thin line. Her mother, who had maintained a bit of distance until now, quietly moved closer to her husband, seeking comfort in his presence.

Charlotte’s father tightened his grip on his daughter’s hand slightly, almost instinctively, as though he were trying to shield her from an invisible threat. Charlotte noticed the shift in the atmosphere as well. Her fingers tensed subtly in her lap while her eyes moved back and forth between her parents and Victor.

Noticing this, Victor raised a hand in a calming gesture before the silence could give rise to unnecessary worries: “Hey, you don’t need to be so tense” A small reassuring smile appeared on his face: “Like I said before, Charlotte hasn’t done anything wrong. In fact, if she had committed a crime or gotten herself into some kind of serious trouble, this conversation would be going very differently”

He paused briefly, allowing his words to sink in: “We’re here because there are a few things we need to understand, that’s all. Charlotte isn’t a suspect. At most, she’s someone who might be able to help us find answers”

“At least, not yet...” Rupert muttered beside him, quietly enough that only Victor could hear. Victor didn’t even bother responding. He ignored the comment and focused his attention back on the family sitting across from him.

The expressions on Charlotte’s parents’ faces were nearly identical: confusion, concern, and a growing sense of suspicion. It was obvious they were trying to piece together everything they had heard into something that made sense: “Not exactly a suspect?” Charlotte’s father repeated with a frown: “What exactly do you mean by that?”

His eyes narrowed as he studied Victor, carefully analyzing every reaction: “I get the feeling we’re missing a very important part of this story” He crossed his arms and let out a restrained sigh: “So how about someone finally explains what’s going on here?”

The look accompanying the question was practically a silent accusation, making it perfectly clear who he expected to answer. Victor let out a slow breath. Well, nobody had said he couldn’t reveal part of the truth. Besides, anomalies weren’t exactly a well-kept secret anymore.

There was still classified information, of course, but mentioning the existence of certain organizations wasn’t going to bring the world crashing down. With that in mind, Victor straightened his posture before speaking: “My partner and I are part of an organization called the WSPCA” The silence that followed lasted only a few seconds.

Charlotte’s parents exchanged a quick glance before looking back at Victor. Both raised their eyebrows almost simultaneously, their confusion obvious: “I’ve never heard of that organization” Charlotte’s father admitted: “Is it some new government agency?”

There was curiosity in his voice, but caution as well. The way his fingers tapped slowly against his arm made it clear he still wasn’t convinced of anything.

Rupert let out a quiet snort and shook his head, an amused glimmer appearing in his eyes, as though he had grown accustomed to people reacting that way whenever they heard the acronym for the first time: “WSPCA is just the shorter version,” he said with a shrug: “The full name is the World Organization for the Security, Protection, and Containment of Anomalies” The words lingered in the air for several seconds.

Both of Charlotte’s parents blinked, clearly trying to process a name they had never heard before. The first part sounded bureaucratic and harmless enough, but the final word carried a weight that was impossible to ignore. Anomalies. That alone explained quite a lot.

“Alright...” Charlotte’s father said after clearing his throat, recovering only a fraction of the composure he had lost: “But what exactly does an organization dedicated to containing and eliminating anomalies want with us... and with our daughter?”

The concern in his voice was unmistakable. His wife remained silent beside him, but the way her fingers tightened around his arm revealed that she shared the same unease. Rupert didn’t hesitate for even a second.

With the calm demeanor of someone merely stating an obvious fact, he raised a hand and pointed directly at Charlotte. Only then did she turn her attention to him, arching an eyebrow in obvious confusion: “That’s because, dear mother and father...” Rupert began, his expression becoming surprisingly serious: “Your daughter may very well be one of them”

No outburst of shock followed. No screaming. No immediate denial. Victor remained still, silently observing everything. For a few moments, only the distant ticking of a clock and the soft sound of everyone’s breathing filled the room. Rupert’s words hung over the living room like a heavy storm cloud, waiting for someone to find the courage to break the silence.