Anomaly

Chapter 378 – Worship of the true gods [24]

(POV – Dominic Virel)

Dominic’s mind simply couldn’t process what was happening. Everything had escalated far too quickly, from an unexpected encounter with a single strange, yet oddly adorable child, to something much bigger: several children scattered throughout the area, and two women who appeared to be responsible for them.

At first, Dominic reached the most obvious conclusion. He assumed they were a couple with several adopted children, an unusual family, but still plausible. However, that impression began to fall apart almost as quickly as it had formed. Something was off.

No matter how much he watched them, the two didn’t seem to share the kind of intimacy a couple normally would. As far as Dominic could tell, neither of them looked at the children with the warmth or tenderness one would expect from a mother. They weren’t a family.

On the other hand, Dominic could never have predicted this. One of the gods, beings he not only believed in but worshiped with blind devotion, was now standing before him. The presence was overwhelming, impossible to ignore, as if the very air around him had grown heavier, thicker.

For a brief moment, a thought crossed his mind: what if that entity had disguised itself among the children just to get close to him? To observe him... or judge him? He wasn’t sure. And deep down, he didn’t want to be.

Dominic knew his place. He was just a human, a fragile, fleeting, insignificant existence. A race that, in his eyes, was barely worthy of lifting its gaze before such overwhelming power and beauty, let alone addressing the fundamental forces that upheld everything that exists. The mere idea of sharing the same space as something so absolute made him feel smaller than dust.

He was a nobody. And to Dominic, that truth extended to every other human as well. They were nothing more than failed projects, imperfect versions of something they never should have dared to become. With all of this in mind, a cold and final thought took shape: perhaps it was time for his race to finally learn its proper place in the world.

That said, what exactly was going on? Who, in the name of everything sacred, was that unknown child speaking with such authority, as if the world itself owed them obedience? Everything Dominic believed in was crumbling before his eyes, like an ancient structure collapsing without warning.

His certainties, once unshakable, now slipped through his fingers like fine sand. The blessings he had received from his gods, gifts granted after his unwavering devotion and tireless service, had simply been erased, cut off abruptly and irreversibly with a single snap of an unknown teenager’s fingers.

Dominic’s heart pounded unevenly, not just from shock, but from something deeper: a growing sense of helplessness he had never experienced before. He couldn’t understand it... and deep down, he didn’t want to. Everything inside him screamed that this was wrong, that this wasn’t supposed to happen.

His powers were meant to be absolute, unquestionable, second only to the very deities who had granted them. That had always been an unchanging truth, a central pillar of his existence. And yet, there he was... watching that truth shatter like glass right before his eyes.

“What’s so funny?” Dominic asked, his voice dry, laced with a clear irritation that slipped through every syllable. He narrowed his eyes at the child, as if trying to measure the weight of their insolence.

“Everything you’re saying... it all borders on blasphemy, child! You mock virtues as if they were empty tales. You’re speaking to one of the most loyal followers, someone who has been blessed by them with at least a mere fraction of their infinite power!” His final words came out with wounded pride, almost desperate, as if he needed to reaffirm it more to himself than to the child.

Dominic knew it was irrational to argue with someone so young, any sensible person would have ignored it and moved on. But there was something there that held him in place. Something unsettling. And if there was one thing he had already realized in this brief and strange interaction... it was that this child was very, very far from ordinary.

Dominic couldn’t fully make out the child’s expressions. A simple mask covered everything from their chin to the bridge of their nose, hiding any clear trace of emotion. A beanie wrapped around their head, concealing almost all of their hair, and the shadow cast by its brim made their eyes hard to discern, just two dull, unmoving reflections.

Even so... even without seeing clearly, Dominic could feel it. He could feel the weight of that fixed stare, heavy with a silent, raw anger. It was as if the air around the child had grown denser, compressed by their hostility.

Why? Why would a child look at him like that? He was chosen by the gods, someone meant to be revered, admired, not despised. Ordinary people were supposed to lower their heads before him, not challenge him with a mere glance.

Dominic frowned slightly, an uneasy feeling creeping into his thoughts. He wasn’t just blessed... he was meant to be like them. No, more than that. For the first time, with unsettling clarity, Dominic realized it wasn’t enough to be chosen. He was meant to become one of the gods.

“Your mind seems to be in the right place... but your heart, on the other hand...” The child cut themselves off, letting the silence stretch into an uncomfortable pause. Dominic stared at them, confused.

There was something in the child’s gaze, cold, analytical, far too ancient for someone so young, that kept him from reacting. He couldn’t understand what was going on in the child’s mind, nor why they were looking at him that way, as if they already knew everything. Then, the words came: “Your heart is beyond repair”

Dominic’s eyes widened, and for a brief moment, his breath caught. The child simply shook their head, slow and heavy with disapproval. There was something worse than judgment in their expression, it was disgust: “You seek to become like those you claim to serve... you want to wield the same power as those you swear devotion to” The voice was calm, but each word felt heavier than the last: “Deep down, you don’t want to serve. You want to take”

Dominic remained still: “You want more than what you have now... and that greed of yours...” The child tilted their head slightly, eyes locked onto him as if piercing straight through: “... it doesn’t seem to have limits. It doesn’t seem to have an end”

***

(POV – Protagonist)

The man kneeling before me looked confused, his brow furrowed, his eyes unfocused as if trying to make sense of everything. Still, I didn’t care. Not right now. Laura and Emily remained in absolute silence, motionless like statues.

Their eyes, however, said everything. They seemed to understand that this went beyond anything they could interfere with. This wasn’t a normal situation. It wasn’t something that could be solved with simple decisions or direct action.

This was about my family. My sisters. The very concepts that defined them. He was using those concepts the wrong way... twisting them to his own will, shaping them as if they were nothing more than disposable tools. He was deceiving them, manipulating them, playing with forces he didn’t even fully understand.

And the concepts themselves... they were reacting. It was subtle, almost imperceptible to anyone else, but I could feel it. A lingering discomfort, a silent resistance, as if their very essence rejected what was being done. I understood it perfectly.

Because I felt the same way. Lost in my own thoughts, the priest’s voice pulled me back to reality, cutting through the silence that had settled around us like a heavy fog.

“What...” he cut himself off, the words failing him for a moment. I saw his throat move as he swallowed hard, as if every syllable took effort, like deep down, he feared the answer I might give: “What do you mean by all this? What exactly are you trying to imply, child?”

A faint, ironic chuckle echoed in my mind at hearing that word again, child. It wasn’t the first time, and it definitely wouldn’t be the last. Still, it didn’t deserve my attention right now. There were far more interesting things happening. I ignored it.

The priest took a hesitant step back, his fingers tightening around the rosary hanging from his hand, as if searching for some kind of protection. When he spoke again, his voice no longer carried the same firmness. There was something broken in it, something close to desperation.

“What...” he faltered again, his eyes fixed on me as if trying to see beyond what was visible: “What exactly are you?” This time, there was no authority in his question. Only fear.

I blinked a few times, caught off guard by the question. For a moment, the world around me seemed to slow down. My gaze instinctively shifted toward Emily and Laura. They were there, so close, unaware of the storm of decisions forming in my mind.

Technically, this was the moment. The classic scene. I would reveal my identity, deal with whatever that priest was hiding, whatever it might be, and then leave as if nothing had happened. I’d go back to base, sink into the couch, grab a bucket of ice cream, and spend hours playing video games, pretending this was just another routine mission.

But before anything else... My expression faltered for a second. This would put the two of them in danger, wouldn’t it? I didn’t need to say much. Emily and Laura picked up on the direction of the conversation almost immediately, as if they had already expected it. My gaze was enough for them to understand exactly what I intended to do.

Laura simply nodded, firm. Her eyes carried a sharp determination, mixed with a faint trace of irritation directed at the priest. Still, behind that, there was something else, trust. Solid, almost unshakable trust... placed in me.

Seriously... where did she even get all that from? Emily, on the other hand, wore a hardened, partially unreadable expression, a subtle mix of concern and resignation. After a few seconds of silence, she let out an exasperated sigh, as if she could already foresee how this would play out.

Her fingers rose to her temple, lightly touching it in a habitual, automatic gesture, one that usually surfaced whenever she sensed trouble ahead. Even so, there was no opposition in her gaze. No clear sign that she would try to stop me.

That absence of resistance said more than words ever could. With that, there was no reason left to hesitate. With my mind finally made up and the weight of the decision settling on my shoulders... I chose without difficulty.