Immortal Paladin-Chapter 138 – Inside the mist [3]

Emily remained frozen in her seat, unsure of how to react to the response of the being in front of her — a figure that, at first glance, seemed like just an ordinary little girl. Instinctively, she searched her face for any sign that this was all just a joke.

A restrained smile, a gleam of malice in her eyes, anything that would contradict those words. But there was nothing. No ambiguous expression, no trace of humor. Just that unsettling serenity.

Did anomalies even know what a joke was? The question came to her mind like an annoying whisper, but she quickly pushed it aside, as if afraid to give in to thoughts that might be too dangerous.

The next moment, Emily’s gaze returned to the girl in front of her. She was still sipping the hot chocolate that had been offered to her moments earlier, as if she had no worries in the world.

That almost childlike calmness contrasted with the whirlwind of thoughts racing through Emily's mind. There were countless questions she wanted to ask, but for now, she decided to focus on one specific point — something the girl had mentioned just moments ago.

“You… read the Bible?” Emily asked, her voice low, almost hesitant, as she carefully observed every nuance of the being’s expression in front of her.

As soon as Emily asked the question, the being sitting across from her momentarily paused in the act of bringing the cup of hot chocolate to her lips. Her golden eyes flashed with intensity as she stared directly at Emily. Even after all this time, Emily still found it strange to be looked at that way.

It was no longer uncomfortable like it had been at first — on the contrary, there was something almost comforting about that firm and penetrating gaze. However, the fact that she didn’t understand why she felt that way made it all the more confusing. It was as though something inside her reacted instinctively, though she couldn't explain why.

While she reflected on that, Emily was interrupted by the soft voice of the little being in front of her. Her lips moved delicately, almost as if hesitating with each word, while her golden eyes watched her with a penetrating calm: “Hmm... my grandmother believed in God. That sparked my curiosity. I looked into this being that nearly all humans worship”

Emily listened attentively to the girl’s words, maintaining a firm but gentle gaze, but nothing prepared her for what came next. With a soft voice and misty eyes, the little girl in front of her said, almost in a whisper full of sadness: “Unfortunately, my grandmother died before I could tell her that god... didn’t exist”

Emily froze upon hearing the girl’s words. Her gaze slowly shifted to the little one who, unaware of the gravity of what she had just said, was calmly sipping her hot chocolate, her feet swinging carelessly beneath the chair. It was as if nothing had happened — as if she hadn’t just uttered a sentence that could change the course of humanity forever.

At that moment, even without needing to see their faces, Emily could feel with precision the silent chaos that must be reigning among the high-ranking members of the organization. It was as if an earthquake had just occurred behind closed doors — pale faces, wide eyes, trembling fingers over keyboards and reports. The simple word of the little girl had shattered certainties, broken protocols, and triggered something that could no longer be contained.

Of course, it wasn’t as if Emily truly believed in God or anything like that. The truth was, in the organization, at least 95% of the scientists strictly followed the logic and methods of science — not dogmas or beliefs.

Still, Emily, in silence, sometimes wondered: if before the Big Bang there was nothing, then how could something have come into existence? Something — a spark, a presence, a force beyond human comprehension — might have existed in that supposed absolute void, giving birth to everything.

Even she, as rational as she was, couldn’t completely ignore the possibility that a greater force had been behind the beginning of everything.

Still confused, Emily remained silent for a few seconds, her eyes slightly narrowed as she formulated new questions in her mind. Then, she took a deep breath and cautiously parted her lips: “When you say “God”... you're referring to the God of the Bible, right? What did you mean by “he doesn’t exist”?”

As soon as Emily spoke those words, her gaze fixed on the little girl in front of her. At first, the child stared at her with a confused look, as if trying to understand the meaning of what she had just heard.

Her expression showed slight hesitation, a mix of curiosity and uncertainty. A few seconds later, the little girl finally broke the silence, her eyes shining with an unusual intensity, while her voice echoed, breaking the tense atmosphere in the air.

“Hmm... maybe I expressed myself confusingly” began the being, her golden eyes gleaming slightly as if she were pondering the best way to explain: “God exists... or at least, something you consider divine. However, the characteristics you’ve described, the abilities attributed to Him, among other things, none of that is true, or at least, it’s far from what you imagine” The being's voice was calm, almost serene, but with a tone of certainty that made the room seem quieter around Emily.

Despite hearing the being’s answer, Emily was still lost in her own thoughts. The truth was so unbelievable that, for a moment, she questioned whether she had really understood correctly.

Had the being in front of her really meant what she had said? The revelation, though overwhelming, was undeniably true, but Emily chose to postpone any reflection on it. There was something else, an even more important question, that she needed to ask the anomaly.

Emily tried to find a way to formulate the question, but the words seemed to escape her. She wanted to know, but she didn’t know how to ask without sounding strange or, worse, giving the impression that she was trying to cause harm. Her body felt heavy, tense, as though something was paralyzing her.

When the being in front of her spoke, her voice broke the silence, saying exactly what Emily feared, what was on her mind: “Hmm... so, you want to know how to kill us?” She could only blink, incredulous, before any other reaction.

For a moment, Emily didn’t know how to react to the little girl’s words. Doubt invaded her: had she thought aloud? However, she quickly convinced herself that she hadn’t expressed her thoughts. Or, to be more precise, she was certain that she would never make such a silly mistake.

But when she realized that, somehow, the little girl seemed to know what was going on in her mind and still hadn’t taken any action, Emily concluded that she could proceed with her question. Making that decision, she simply nodded, her expression silently confirming her consent.

In the next instant, while holding the cup of hot chocolate with both hands, her fingers delicately wrapping around the vessel, the little girl spoke, her voice soft but firm, revealing a mix of concern and clarity: "I fear that this is impossible, both physically and mentally, and spiritually"

“Because we don’t have enough technology?” Emily asked, her voice filled with insatiable curiosity, as her gaze intensified.

The being in front of Emily let out a brief laugh, almost a whisper, but the sound carried a subtle weight of amusement. Emily knew exactly why: she was, in an almost imperceptible way, trying to find a way to defeat the entity before her.

Surprisingly, she was still alive after this moment of tension. After the laugh, the being brought the cup of hot chocolate to her lips, savoring it slowly, as if enjoying every second of the situation. In the next instant, her gaze lifted, her eyes locking with Emily’s with an intensity that seemed to pierce her soul.

"Let’s see... how to explain this... What you see now isn’t really me, I mean, it is me, but not my true self. The one you could, in fact, “hurt” Both my sisters and I have something that you humans would probably call a core” The being spoke with an unnerving calmness, as if describing the most ordinary of phenomena.

Emily felt a strange sensation, like something was out of place. The being had just admitted to having a weak point, something that seemed to completely contradict its earlier statement, when it had said it was impossible to kill it.

The discrepancy in its words didn’t go unnoticed, and at the same time, its presence felt even more invasive, as if it knew exactly what was going on in Emily’s mind. With a fixed gaze and an unsettling calm, the being spoke, as if already anticipating her reaction.

“I know exactly what you’re thinking, but let me explain more clearly how my core forms... Well, do you feel alive?” the being asked, its voice calm and controlled, maintaining an unchanging, almost ethereal expression.

Emily raised an eyebrow at the being’s question, confused. She couldn’t tell if it was referring to something metaphorical or physical. In either case, the only answer she could give was a simple “yes” After all, here she was, standing in front of that enigmatic presence, speaking, breathing, and articulating thoughts in her mind, without knowing exactly what to say.

What else could she offer but a silent confirmation? After a moment of hesitation, Emily just nodded, her response lingering in the air like an echo. The being then gave a small, enigmatic smile before beginning to express its thoughts. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com

“Hehe, congratulations, you now have one of my cores” The being replied, flashing a genuine smile that seemed to radiate an enigmatic calmness, as if that moment held some deep significance for it.

Emily blinked slowly several times as she watched the being in front of her, her gaze fixed, as if trying to process something she couldn’t immediately understand. Then, she lowered her eyes, lost in her own thoughts.

She stood there, absorbed, thinking, and thinking, and thinking again, without even noticing the passing of time. The minutes dragged on, and the sense that she was trapped in a mental loop intensified. The being, on the other hand, remained still, calmly sipping its hot chocolate, in no hurry, as if time wasn’t a concern.

Somehow, Emily felt she understood what the being meant minutes earlier, but at the same time, something in her mind kept her from fully grasping it. It was a strange feeling, a mix of clarity and confusion.

She raised her gaze again, thoughts intertwining in her mind, creating a tangled mess that was hard to organize. Doubt set in, and she wasn’t sure if she was closer to the answer or still lost in the questions. Her gaze locked on the being in front of her. It, in turn, seemed to notice Emily’s attention and, with an enigmatic calm, looked back at her.

Perhaps, after spending so much time with the [Angel of Death], Emily had forgotten something simple, something anyone, no matter how ordinary, would understand at first glance: the being in front of her, though its smile was seemingly innocent, like a child’s, carried something beyond human comprehension.

Something so vast and indescribable that, no matter how much Emily studied it, it would be like trying to find a single grain of sand in an endless desert. The human mind, limited in its perception, could never bear the immensity and complexity of these beings.

***

(POV - Oliver Bennett)

Oliver, Edward, and Sophie moved slowly through the frozen forest, their heavy steps leaving deep imprints in the fresh snow. The trees around them were lifeless, their twisted forms devoid of leaves, the bare, brittle branches like skeletons from a distant past.

The cold air sliced through their faces, and the silence was broken only by the sound of their feet sinking into the snow. No leaves stirred; everything had perished under the ruthless climate that dominated the place.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, immersed in the eerie stillness of the forest, until, in the distance, the dark reflection of a lake appeared between the trees.

When they reached the shore, what lay before them was a mysterious lake, its dark waters dense, almost muddy, as if they absorbed all the despair from the surrounding landscape.

The lake seemed to invite forgetfulness, to a deep and silent immersion, holding a secret that seemed as ancient as winter itself.

“Disgusting...” Sophie remarked, turning her face in disdain as she looked at the lake.

Edward, who was close to Sophie, approached the lake cautiously. His eyes fixed on the viscous surface, and with a quick motion, he dipped his finger into the dark water. When he pulled it out, he examined the liquid running down his skin: “The texture’s really weird” he said, furrowing his brow: “It’s like mud, but there’s something else, like it’s thick, almost... alive.”

“You’d be the first idiot to die if that “Mud” tried to attack us” Sophie replied, casting a scornful and almost challenging look at Edward.

Oliver kept his gaze fixed on the lake, absorbing its serene tranquility, while Edward and Sophie began yet another heated argument. He considered this completely normal—or, more accurately, so constant that he no longer bothered to react.

Over time, he had learned to ignore the conflict, focusing instead on the calmness of the landscape before him. However, as the echoes of the heated words in the background seemed to fade, a soft voice cut through the silence, drawing his attention. Slowly, he turned his gaze toward the speaker.

“Ah! You finally made it!” The man exclaimed, approaching Oliver, Edward, and Sophie with an ironic smile: “I’ve been here for almost a month. They told me a new squad was coming, but... well, you’re almost a week late”

The man wore a suit with a relatively futuristic design, fitting his body perfectly and standing out with subtle metallic details and minimalist lines. In his hand, he held a sophisticated-looking weapon, ready for combat.

By his side, Oliver, Edward, and Sophie were similarly equipped, wearing matching suits that reflected the same advanced technology. As the man had stated, they were the “next squad” the new team assigned to replace him.