The experiment that increased the pressure around me continued. I didn’t know exactly how they were doing it, but I figured it was related to the increase in gravity. Honestly, aside from making me feel heavier than normal, it didn’t seem to have any other effects on me.
I glanced briefly up at the people watching me through the glass. My eyes, glowing a golden hue, blinked rapidly. The director, along with Emily and Laura, was watching me with curiosity. Even Laura, who usually looked at me affectionately when she saw me, now showed a mix of concern and curiosity in her eyes.
The director seemed to notice my gaze and stared back at me. We held that look for a few seconds until he turned and said something to the scientists behind him, who merely nodded before returning to their equipment. Almost immediately, I felt the pressure on my body increase. At this level, it was honestly hard to stay standing, so I ended up sitting back down while I continued to observe the director.
By the way, although I didn’t know exactly how this worked, I was personally surprised that my body was holding up. If my memory serves me right, an increase in gravity usually causes muscle and bone overload in a human body, not to mention the countless other problems it could lead to.
(Well, it’s not like I had those limitations in the first place, so I really don’t need to worry. Although my body feels heavy, I don’t feel any pain)
In those moments, I really appreciated the fact that my body was what it was—which is quite ironic when you think about it. After all, if I had a normal human body, I doubt I would have been going through these situations from the start. However, during my time at the facility, some thoughts began to arise in my mind.
Does it really make sense to view what I’ve become as something bad? In the end, I don’t even remember my family’s faces. To be honest, I don’t know who I was before waking up in that forest. While I have memories of a human life, the situation is so strange that it makes me question whether what I know is really true. But putting that aside, the form I have now brings many benefits.
Besides the fact that I don’t need to work—which, let’s face it, is almost 95% of the main reason—I had free food and could ask for whatever I wanted, and they would give it to me. Of course, the inability to speak was a bit annoying, but honestly, what could I do about it? It’s not like I could just snap my fingers and suddenly be able to talk again, you know?.
I was pulled from my thoughts when I noticed that the pressure on my body had increased again. This time, it became so intense that I could no longer keep myself standing—or even sitting. Maybe with some effort I could manage, but it honestly felt too much work. In the end, I opted to just lie down.
Considering I was under immense, almost unbearable pressure, I lay on the floor while staring at the ceiling. Once again, I realized my body was much more resilient than it seemed. After all, I’m soft and squishy like a marshmallow; no one would expect someone like that to withstand all the pressure I was facing at that moment. My thoughts? I was just reflecting that the ceiling looked as white as the rest of the place.
(Was the choice of this color intended to make the place seem more sanitized than it really is?)
(POV - Laura Cavendish)
Laura was reminded once again of how incredible the anomaly was. Not only was she cute and kind to humans, but she also possessed impressive strength and resilience. After all, she had not only saved Laura from the strange dogs in the forest but had also rescued her when she feared disappearing like the others, being swallowed by [Shadow].
Watching the small anomaly endure such pressure, Laura wondered if she would be safe from something like an implosion. While these phenomena were different, in some ways, they could both be considered interrelated, even if they weren’t exactly the same thing.
"It seems that even under intense pressure, her body remains unchanged. We can assert that her functioning is different from ours, despite the similarities. The fact that she has no visible organs is the greatest proof that, although she resembles a human, she has no relation to us... But what is she doing now?"
The director’s words led Laura to look back at the small anomaly. As soon as she saw her, she understood the reason for both the director’s and Emily’s surprise as she watched from the side. The small anomaly was lying in the center of the room, eyes closed, giving the impression that she was about to sleep. But was that really possible? Even if it didn’t affect her, Laura imagined that the increase in gravity must have been, at the very least, uncomfortable.
Laura watched from the side as the director rested his chin on his hand, analyzing the anomaly with a subtle smile on his lips. She didn’t know exactly why, but whenever she saw that smile, a shiver ran through her body, bringing an uncomfortable feeling.
"We've reached the limit of pressure that the room can withstand, and even so, she shows no signs of discomfort. It’s truly intriguing"
Laura leaned in closer, trying to catch every word from the director. However, upon feeling his gaze on her, she quickly composed herself. After checking the clock, she reflected for a moment, as if sensing that the director’s next words wouldn’t be a simple "We’ve finished all the experiments for today; you can go back and rest" As if she could predict what was coming, Laura listened attentively to what the director had to say.
"We’ve concluded this experiment, but I can’t stay for long. I need to return to our main facilities to work. We’re going to perform the last test. I want to observe how she behaves in front of another aggressive anomaly. This way, we can determine if she really is friendly only to humans or not. After all, even after being shot, she showed no reaction. I want to see if she will behave the same way when she’s not dealing with humans"
Laura couldn’t say she didn’t expect those words; after all, this was standard procedure in experiments involving anomalies. From time to time, two anomalies were placed face to face to observe their reactions. However, even knowing that, this particular time, Laura couldn’t feel comfortable thinking that the small anomaly would have to fight against another anomaly inside the facility.