- The Reincarnated Eldest Witch Sister Embraces Self-Sacrifice

Another peaceful day in the research lab! Again, today, I research and manage the entities known as anomalies. Why do I do this? The answer is plain. These anomalies suddenly appeared before humanity one day, and soon thereafter, they swept away humanity’s sovereignty. No, to be precise, they had always been there. However, a place called the Management Bureau had hidden them rigorously. If anyone had seen these anomalies, they kept the secret through means like memory erasure. But even the all-reaching Management Bureau has its limitations. In the end, the Bureau failed in managing and isolating the anomalies and as a result, the whole world learned about their existence. And what happened then? Well, private research labs like the one I work at, Zernia Research Lab, sprung up like mushrooms after a rain. Of course, so many appeared that governments eventually had to set some standards, but that’s nothing concerning to me. I'm not the head of this lab after all. “Ah, Lead Researcher.” “Hi, Merissa. You're early today?” While walking, I ran into a familiar face. She didn't exactly belong to my department, but we'd collaborated on several projects, so we were acquainted. So, I know roughly when she usually clocks into work. She's always late. This habit once got her into serious trouble with her team leader, but she never changed. Eventually, even the team leader gave up. Anyway, I commended her for coming in early today. There’s a saying, isn't there? The early bird catches the worm. So, it's not a bad habit to cultivate. Of course, I'm not insisting on it. One’s personal freedom should be respected, after all. However, Merissa seemed off. When I mentioned that she was early, she abruptly fell silent. "Merissa?" "Yes?" "You okay?" Merissa assured me she was fine and then quickly excused herself, saying she had work to do.