Chương 4: anomaly?

A young boy sat upright on what appeared to be a hospital bed. Curiosity flickered across his face as faint traces of light shimmered over his wounds, an ethereal blue hue radiating from the chrome-like metal arm that had replaced his right one. He stared intently at the mirror positioned across from him. He was looking directly at it… yet no reflection stared back.

"Why doesn't it show?" Vale's voice broke the silence, soft but puzzled. The longer he thought about it, the more unsettling the realization became, he couldn't actually remember ever seeing a mirror before.

'Was it always like this, then?' he wondered, his gaze narrowing as his curiosity deepened. But something about the scene refused to make sense. If everything about him were invisible, he might have accepted it. But that wasn't the case. His metallic right arm was still visible in the mirror, clear and gleaming. The only part of him that wasn't truly his… was the only thing the mirror would reflect. Vale raised his arm slowly, watching the way the light played across the metal surface.

The reflection followed his every movement perfectly, like clockwork. He paused. Then, with deliberate care, he lifted his arm before his mouth, his eyes narrowing as thoughts began to swirl. He could feel the faint hum of energy beneath the cold metal surface.

'What are you?' he thought silently, studying the strange reflection that wasn't truly his own. Vale examined the mechanism of what he now called his right arm. The metal was cold to the touch, yet oddly comforting, almost as if it belonged to him. As if the arm itself wanted him to feel at ease, to accept it. He remembered the moment it had attached to him, back when he was falling through that endless abyss of darkness. The memory surfaced vividly.

He had felt it then, that strange substance crawling toward him like liquid metal, reaching for the stump where his arm had once been. It had flowed over his skin, smooth and deliberate, and the instant it connected… it solidified, forming the metallic arm that now moved at his command.

"Is it… maybe some kind of parasite? One that needs a host to survive?" Vale's voice was low, thoughtful, as he turned his arm this way and that, studying how the light danced over the polished surface.

'But Miss Rose said it wasn't dangerous,' he recalled.

'She even said it was healing me.' His brows furrowed slightly as he continued his quiet analysis.'' Then maybe it's symbiotic.... something that benefits us both.'' That theory seemed the most logical. And yet, something about it didn't sit right with him. If this metallic arm truly healed him, replaced his limb, and granted him strength, what exactly did it take in return? What did it feed on to maintain such power?'' What could it possibly want from me… that would equal what it gives?''

He stared at the gleaming metal in silence, his expression indifferent but his mind restless.

'I am curious to find out.' he thought. Finally, Vale lowered his arm, preparing to lie back and rest. But as he did, something caught his attention. The light above cast clear shadows across the room, shadows that moved and shifted with every motion. His metallic arm had one too, sharp and distinct against the floor. But his other arm, his flesh and blood, they did not. There was nothing beneath it. No trace of form. No shadow at all.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Vale stared at his arm with a look of quiet confusion. Slowly, he lifted it, watching the space beneath him with cautious intent. But nothing changed. No shadow followed the movement, no shape, no trace of darkness that could be linked to his arm in any way. It was as if he simply didn't exist.

"I… can't see myself?" The words slipped from his lips, soft and uncertain. Yet instead of sadness, a faint smile crept across his face. It grew gradually it was small at first, then it grew wider, until it carried a strange hint of amusement.

"I really have a lot to learn about myself, don't I?" He chuckled quietly, lowering his gaze to the white blanket draped over his bed. His expression relaxed, almost peaceful, as his eyes drifted toward the small wooden table beside him, the spot where Rose had been sitting earlier. Something there caught his attention. An envelope lay neatly on the table, its edges slightly bent, as if it had been handled not long ago. Curiosity piqued, Vale reached out with his metallic arm and carefully picked it up.

The paper felt thin and fragile between his fingers. He slid a finger under the flap, taking care not to tear whatever was inside, and slowly opened it. After a few moments of delicate handling, he drew out what appeared to be a report, several neatly folded pages, stamped with a seal he didn't recognize.

'Interesting.' Vale thought, placing the empty envelope back on the table as he settled the report in his lap. He straightened his posture, the faint hum of his mechanical arm filling the quiet room as he prepared to read. Report on Subject 553872 Subject Name: Unknown Summary: The subject was not located by the Roseramy Organization directly. Discovery and retrieval were conducted by Leviathan, who found the subject drowning in the Atlantic Ocean, unable to save himself from certain death.

Leviathan successfully extracted the subject and transferred him to the Roseramy Medical Facility for examination regarding his abilities and potential threat level. Current Analysis of Subject Abilities: The subject exhibits a unique anomaly: he cannot be detected by any non-organic form of perception. All technological or mechanical means of detection fail to register his presence. Only organic beings, those capable of sight, hearing, or smell are able to perceive him. Subject Identity: Unknown.

No record of the subject exists in any Roseramy Organization database or affiliated registry. Data suggests the subject may have appeared from a void or formed spontaneously, without traceable origin. Subject Classification: Anomaly. Recommended Course of Action: Allow the subject to regain consciousness naturally. Observation and further interrogation are to commence only after full physical and mental recovery. End of Report.

If you are reading this, Subject 553872, we trust this information clarifies your current situation. The Roseramy Organization looks forward to your continued cooperation in uncovering the truth of what you are. Vale read the report carefully, his eyes tracing each line with quiet focus. He wasn't angry that they had run tests on him. If anything, their words seemed more concerned than suspicious, more worried about him than about what he might be.

Still, a few parts of the report caught his attention more than others.

"Leviathan, huh?" He lingered on the name, studying it as if it might reveal something on its own.

"So you're the one who saved me…?" He bowed his head slightly in respect.

"Thank you." Even though Leviathan wasn't there to hear it, Vale felt it was the least he could do, to offer a small gesture of gratitude to the person who had pulled him from death's grip. Then his attention drifted back to the page, to the word that had stood out to him the most.

"Anomaly…" He said the word slowly, almost tasting it.

"What does it mean to be an anomaly?" His brow furrowed as he scanned the lines again, searching for clues the report didn't provide. It didn't read like a document written for a single case. The tone was too casual, too familiar, like whoever wrote it had seen things like this before.

'Am I not the only one?' The thought unsettled him. If his ability was just another entry in some long list of "anomalies," then that meant there were other people like him, scattered somewhere in this strange world. His mind wandered back to Rose.

"Didn't she say she was five hundred and fifty-two years old?" He murmured the words softly, lifting his metallic hand closer as if it might help him think.

"Does that mean… she has a power too? Something that lets her live that long, like how mine keeps me undetectable?" He fell silent, staring at the chrome-like metal of his arm as faint light reflected off its surface. The soft hum of energy beneath it pulsed like a heartbeat, steady, patient, and strangely alive. Vale let out a heavy sigh, sinking deeper into his thoughts. His situation was… overwhelming.

Just fifteen minutes ago, he hadn't even known he had powers, and now he already learned there were others like him. Others with abilities beyond human understanding. As for his own power, he still knew almost nothing. Only one effect had revealed itself so far, and even that raised more questions than answers. Were there other abilities hidden within him? Were there side effects he hadn't yet noticed?

"I'll find out tomorrow," he murmured to himself, exhaling softly as he lowered his body onto the bed. The blanket brushed against his skin, warm and weightless.

"For now… I'll rest." Sleep came easily. The exhaustion that had clung to him since he woke up finally pulled him under. Within moments, Vale drifted into unconsciousness, his last thoughts lingering on the questions waiting for him come morning, and on the people who claimed to have saved him.