[Lobotomy Corporation] I'm an Abnormality...

We're the Extraction Team.. EP. 33

...

...

I've come so far that all I see are unfamiliar hallways.

...Honestly, all hallways look the same, but they're subtly different, you know?

It was originally a pure white hallway, but as I moved along, black started to mix in.

What's going on? Am I even going the right way?

"...So, this time..."

Ah, I hear staff members talking.

Is there somewhere I can hide... Oh, there's a small box in the corner.

Squeeze.

...This was quite a small box, but it easily hides my whole body and then some.

Ugh, whatever. I can't keep worrying about every little thing.

So I just decided to give up.

Wah. I'm a baby Abnormality. Send me home.

"About the new Abnormality, its eyes are just insane, right?"
"Yeah, I saw it too. Looks like a bird, but it doesn't have any feathers... and it's carrying a huge lantern."
"If it weren't for the eyes, it'd be as cute as the 'Judgment Bird'..."
"Don't even get me started, that thing's got a nasty temper. Keeps coming out of its containment unit and pecking the heads of employees it doesn't like."

Right now, I'm sticking my head out of the box just enough to hear the staff's conversation.

From what I gather, they're talking about a new Abnormality. What's a 'Judgment Bird' anyway?

"Then... later... again..."

The two staff members who were talking suddenly started walking really fast, like they had urgent business.

They didn't even talk that much, but they're already that far away.

Wait a minute. This situation feels awfully familiar.

Getting lost, eavesdropping on staff conversations, and next...

Swish.

I suddenly felt uneasy and turned around, but no one was there.

Huh, usually when I look back like this, there's a bald guy or a Sephirah like Malkuth.

Instead, there's just a door with a small sign, like a containment unit door.

It's not along the hallway, but at the end, so maybe it's an exit or a passage to another place?

With hopeful expectations, I scurried towards the door.

And on the sign, it read:

- Lower Department: Extraction Team -
(Extraction Team)

Sephirah in Charge: Binah

The door was slightly open. Maybe the two staff members forgot to close it.

Extraction Team, huh...

...

Whatever. If things go south, I can just run away.

Fearlessly, I swung the door open in one motion, and what I saw before me was...

"Welcome. You're quite the audacious little child."

Black hair, black eyes. Even the clothes she was wearing were a pitch-black coat.

And she was incredibly tall. Much taller than anyone I'd seen so far.

As if that wasn't terrifying enough, behind her were countless tombstones.

...Oh, dear.

This seems like a pretty big problem. Maybe if I just play it cool like I did with Malkuth, it'll be okay?

"Uh, um... Hello?"
"Yes, you're the Abnormality, aren't you."

What? How did she know?

"Um, could you just let me..."
"Don't worry, whether you turn him bald or bring chaos to the company, it doesn't really matter to me."

Huh?

...

...

Honestly, I thought she'd immediately call the bald guy and have me captured.

This woman, who introduced herself as 'Binah', said she'd show me around the Extraction Team since it's been a while since she had a guest.

...So now I'm walking alongside this 'Binah' and touring the Extraction Team.

"...'Binah' is not a name."
"Then what is it?"

As I was walking absentmindedly, she suddenly spoke to me.

What does she mean it's not a name? Is it some kind of wordplay?

If Binah eats rice, the rice bowl is binah. (empty)

The manager's head is binah. (empty)

"Child, I don't know what you're imagining, but stop thinking those things."
"...Gasp!"
"Binah is the sorrowful name of this place, a space with many graves."

For a moment, I thought I had spoken my thoughts out loud.

More importantly, Binah wasn't a name.

I don't know why, but I started disliking this place even more.

All these stones. I thought they were just tombstones, but they're graves.

...

Binah said I could look around comfortably, but I can't bring myself to feel at ease.

Besides, there's nothing to see here but tombstones with strange letters written on them, everywhere you go.

And what language is this? It's definitely not anything I know.

"Are you looking at the tombstones?"

Eek. You startled me.

I thought she was taking a stroll on her own, but Binah was suddenly behind me.

"Y-yes... Yes."
"It's understandable to find them fascinating. There was a time when I, too, would spend all day staring at these meaningless letters."
"Uh..."
"These are also countless coffins. It's death itself, and yet, it's also the possibility of birth."

That's really scary.

It feels like the more time I spend here, the more terrifying things I learn.

Honestly, based on what I've heard so far, this is just a cemetery.

"Hmm, since I have a rare guest, I can't let you just see these tombstones."
"No, it's fine..."
"Don't refuse. I'll show you something interesting."

No, really, it's fine.

Excuse me?