Anomaly Catching Anomaly

―――Beeeeeeeeee!

The siren blared loudly enough to fill the room.

It must have been designed to alert someone of danger, but instead, it produced a sound so grating that it sent chills of terror through me.

I had no choice but to force my body to rise, glaring at the speaker on the ceiling with a displeased look, all because my ears were being assaulted by the noise.

‘What a racket,’ I grumbled inwardly, hoping no one could hear my complaints.

Here I was, trying to plan my future, and this was the last thing I needed.

I couldn’t tell if this was a fire drill or an actual emergency, but really, if they were going to install a speaker blaring like it’s a warzone, shouldn’t they also create a system where the door opens simultaneously with the siren?

Seriously, who designed this place? Do they even know modern building codes?

‘…If it was really urgent, someone would at least open the door for me.’

With my eyes shut, I leaned against the wall, trying to focus and ignore the sound coming from that ridiculous speaker.

I couldn’t tell if this was just a fire drill or an actual life-threatening situation.

Even if it were a real fire and everyone had evacuated, it wouldn’t hurt to wait a bit longer; it would make escaping less chaotic.

If the fire spread to this room, they’d assume I was gone anyway.

I mean, who would dig through ashes looking for my survival?

‘Escape. It’s not like I hadn’t thought about it.’

Honestly, the option to escape had crossed my mind from the very beginning.

I was back in my hometown after so long; there was no reason to be trapped in this tiny room with a mountain of things I wanted to do.

But my hometown’s scientific advancements reached the point of developing a Dimension Gate, and I worried that acting clumsily might lead to a chase by my own kind.

So, I decided to stay put and observe the situation, leaving escape as a last resort.

‘Well, turns out this place is just a glorified lost child protection center.’

I let out a small, amused chuckle.

My past self, brimming with unnecessary caution, now seemed ridiculous.

To be honest, this place turned out to be far more ordinary than I expected.

There’s no way some secret society would build a playroom in their facility.

‘That means I have to start thinking about what comes next after I leave this place.’

Realizing that this was more than just a peculiar location, escaping was no longer my last resort.

While it was still a perfectly fine idea to receive some support here before heading into society, if there was a way to leave quietly, why wouldn’t I take it?

Alright. So, let’s think about what happens if I make my exit.

First off, I don’t want to be stuck with this mute act again.

It wasn’t that fun, and I learned how frustrating it was not being able to communicate clearly.

And not just for the escape, even if I end up staying here longer, I should let them know I can talk to some extent.

Maybe I could say something vague about my memory returning or some mental issue being resolved?

They wouldn’t dig too deep at a lost child protection center anyway—

—Click!

Just as I came up with some valid excuses, a mechanical clicking sound came from the only door in the room.

“19th entity!”

A familiar voice came through the slight gap in the door.

Without even needing to see her, I knew it was Sophia. We had just gone through something similar not long ago.

But the urgency on her face this time was miles apart from last time.

She was half-squeezed through the barely opened door, frantically calling for me.

“Ah… I’m glad you’re safe.”

Then, just like usual, she greeted me by pulling me into a hug.

Um, sorry to interrupt, but doesn’t it seem like the physical contact is getting a bit intense lately?

Even families don’t hug this often!

I’ll have to tell her to tone it down a bit once I start talking again.

“Listen carefully. Something very dangerous is happening outside. I know you have a lot of questions, but first, let’s get to safety, okay?”

After a quick hug, she swiftly grabbed my shoulders and began to explain the dire situation outside.

Even though I shook my head in confusion, she was already dragging me out through the door before I could even protest.

Wait, is this really an emergency?

“Senior!”

As we emerged into the hallway, I heard someone calling from the other end.

A young man in a lab coat appeared.

His name… was Arthur, right?

From the little bits of conversation I had overheard, he was Sophia’s junior.

We hadn’t met often; he’d just given me some candy a few times, but to be honest, I preferred this casual distance more than Sophia’s intense closeness.

“Arthur? Why are you here?!”

“I was just going to ask you that! You said you were off to get something, so why are you here?”

“Well, I just happened to see 19th entity on my way to get it, so I couldn’t just ignore it…”

—Boom!

Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from the other end of the hallway, interrupting their conversation.

It sounded like something heavy hit the ground hard.

If I had to guess, it felt more like a giant creature stomping rather than a collapsing building.

“…Let’s go! It’s dangerous here!”

“Do you know the nearest safe house?”

“Of course! That’s why I’m dragging you here! You wouldn’t know much beyond a few places anyway!”

Arthur gripped Sophia’s arm and started running.

I had no choice but to follow, confused about what was causing their sudden panic, but not wanting to be a nuisance.

Besides――

―――Kwagagagagah!

I was about to find out what they were running from, sooner than I expected.

“Whoa?!”

“Yaaaaah!”

Something suddenly burst from the side wall of the hallway.

It shattered through the wall, scattering debris and dust as it blocked our path.

The intense shockwave rattled the two of them, and they could only scream as they fell helplessly into the corridor.

―――Creeeek!

A sickening sound echoed as rusty metal grated against each other.

And it was a doll.

To specify, a grotesquely twisted heap of a doll.

Its original form was stretched and torn hideously, adorned with dangerous modifications that screamed it was designed solely to harm.

The monstrosity resembled a corpse turned inside out, earning it an unsettling resemblance to human bones and features.

―――Creeeek!

With that awful sound, one of its arms shot up, smashing through the ceiling.

Its elongated arm had a beast’s fang wedged forcefully into its appendage.

The two of them were still trying to recover from earlier, helplessly gazing up at it.

“Ah, aaaaaah…”

Sophia’s voice echoed in despair.

Yet, ignoring any shred of mercy, the doll raised its gigantic arm, ready to strike us down――――――