It’s been about nine months since Bathsheba first announced she was expecting. I wasn’t counting, but today’s the day, it has to be. Bathsheba went to the hospital just a few hours ago. That is to say, I haven’t been counting. I just happened to pull that amount of time out of nowhere since Bathsheba happened to go to hospital a few hours ago. It wasn’t necessarily an emergency or no one had to panic. David had some kind of ‘gut feeling’ and happened to take Bathsheba to the hospital an hour before she went into labor. Did David perhaps see the future or was it his guts?

Any how, I have been mad to stay home along with our maid, Claire. However Claire was busy taking care of the house she hardly had time to check over me. Not like I needed it anyways, I am well over and fine with being alone, I could even take care of myself. Which surprised my parents and Claire, since I was only around 4 years old. But they didn’t take long to get used to it.

I have been studying, or well, revising everything I have read so far and just have been re-reading them again and again. Not like I had much of a choice anyways. I only had some books to read since ever since I have been ‘caught’ having books from the study, Bathsheba has been extra cautious and keeping a close eye on both me and the study. Luckily, I have been smart and only studied when she wasn’t looking.

But other than that, I have been practicing my magic more. Though the same spells and tricks, I have been trying hard to mastering them perfectly. So far, I have been good with water and fire magic. I even created fire balls, small yet dangerous. Dangerous to the point I once almost got the curtain in my room burnt and setting the house on fire…

But there was one magic I haven’t perfected yet. That was the Earth magic. Though it seemed easily, it really wasn’t. No mater how hard I tried and no matter how much mana I use, I still end up making small pebbles. It alone is the mater I haven’t gotten good at and it only ends up draining my whole and leaving me tired by end of the day.

Let’s forget that for now. I was at the moment sitting at my desk, flipping through the pages of my notebook. It had some of the things I have been writing down. The pages were filled with neat formulas and hastily scrawled observations about mana manipulation, chemical reactions, and even some rudimentary physical theories. All written and proposed by yours truly!

I leaned back a little, looking at the ceiling as I smiled.

"Man! I can’t wait! I wasn’t always the biggest fan of infants or toddlers, but having a sibling might actually be worth it."

I spoke as I looked at the ceiling. Then my smile turned into a small grin. Since I was an older brother now, that means I can be a mentor of sorts to my little siblings. Or when they get older, I can make them do stuff for me or get away with doing certain things like stealing books from the study by saying they wanted to read something. Oh ho! Perhaps this wasn’t so bad after all!

I then sighed as I looked around the window. They sure were taking their time. The sun dipped lower, casting a warm golden light into the room. Hours passed, and finally, the sound of the front door creaking open echoed through the house. I quickly got away from my desk and bolted out the room, quickly making my way down the stairs. Some part of me was excited, way too excited for this.

I quickly ran to the living room as I made it to the end of stairs, dashing forward and passing Claire, who was surprised but I could still hear her chuckle. As I came to a halt in the living room, I saw my parents standing just inside the door. I quickly scanned them using my eyes, from top to bottom. David, was holding a bundle in each arm. While Bathsheba looked exhausted but full of radiance and joy. I quickly stepped forward, bowing at my waist.

“Welcome home, my amazing father and mother!”

I stood up properly again and I could see them chuckling. Bathsheba immediately looked at me, smiling as she spoke.

“Well, aren’t you quite the little gentleman today?”

Bathsheba said with what little energy she seemed to have had left. Meanwhile David grinned like an idiot.

“Hey Soly, you forgot to greet your siblings! Just kidding, come over here, meet your siblings.”

David said as he knelt, lowering the bundle so I could see my sibling- Wait, why did he say ‘siblings’ as in plural? Wait…

I quickly walked over, looking over the bundles, then it hit me. In the bundles of cloth, were two infants. One boy in a blue cloth and a girl in the pink cloth bundle. Wait… so they were…

“Twins…?”

I mumbled out, genuinely surprised and in awe. Wow, I wasn’t expecting that. Not at all. I was actually expecting either a little brother or little sister. But I guess I got both of them now. Bathsheba chuckled, kneeling down and rustling her hand through my grown brown hair.

“Yes, surprise! It seems you’re going to be doubly blessed as a big brother.”

Though I was happy and in a good mood at the news. Something felt off… Not about my surroundings or my parents, rather something was off about the newborn twins… I wouldn’t really know since I don’t have any experience with babies or even twins in this case. But something just wasn’t right. These babies weren’t making a fuss or even trying to grab his face like more infants would. Rather, they were silent and just staring at Solomon. Not any ordinary stare, a stare of inspection and judgment.

“Huh…”

I muttered as I looked at the twins.

“Why aren’t they crying or trying to grab my face? I’m no expert on babies, but… they’re acting way too calm.”

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Bathsheba however just smiled, rustling her fingers through my hair and patting my head.

“They’re just like you were when you were a baby, Solomon. Quiet, observant, and strangely… composed. It’s uncanny.”

‘Just like you’ Something about that phrase was something that struck me. They were acting just like me, like me when I was reincarnated when I was born. A theory started brewing in my mind at that moment, a theory that seemed almost impossible. But it couldn’t be… but, what if it could be that… these twins are just like me, reincarnated?

*

A few weeks had passed. I have been just practicing some earth magic in our backyard. It was during this that I have discovered something; Earth magic works better in an area or surface covered by earth or minerals that are similar to dirt or other earth containing materials in the area.

I originally came to a conclusion to that Earth magic works better in area covered by soil or earth-like materials. As mana absorbs nearby or close earth containing material’s molecules and compresses them, resulting in creating a small pebble or bigger.

Either way, I wrote down the chemical and physical formulas for these down and started practicing more. If my theory holds true, certain elemental magics work better in the domain containing the similar elemental materials or molecules or even atoms.

Thus, I have decided that my new practice area will be, dan da dan! Our backyard!

…

Okay, maybe that wasn’t so cool but still, progress is progress! Either way, I was busy practicing my earth magic, making small pebbles and launching them using the force via mana. It’s hard to explain but it works, somehow. So as I was launching the pebbles, I made sure I was exhausting my mana pool or capacity. Since I don’t wanna be found exhausted or even unconscious in the yard.

But as I was practicing my magic, I immediately felt a presence, or more of a feeling of being stared. I then turned around and started examining the backyard. I was expecting my parents, David and Bathsheba to be looking at me, either surprised or shocked or even proud. Okay, maybe the ‘proud’ part was to stroke my ego.

But my eyes narrowed down on my twin siblings, under a tree, sitting on some cloth laid out for them. They weren’t really ‘playing’ or doing anything. They were just… staring blankly at me, almost as if examining and reading what I was doing.

This didn’t feel right, it felt like unnatural for babies to do. I quickly pointed at them, creating a water ball. It wasn’t too strong or intense, not enough to hurt them. But enough to startle them. I then launched the water ball, the water ball launching and shooting towards the pair, before splashing on their faces and wetting their clothes. However, they didn’t cry nor flinch, just shook or startled.

Okay, that was the last straw. Any ordinary baby would have started crying by now. I quickly started marching towards them. I came to a halt in front of them, putting my hands on my hips as I looked down on them. I then sighed.

“I have three questions. Answer honestly.”

I demanded as I spoke, glaring at the pair. The two just stared at each other then at me. The twins tilted their heads in unison, their wide eyes feigning innocence. But no, I wasn’t going to buy the same tricks I pulled a few years ago.

Lowering my voice, I spoke in Spanish, a language that no one in this town spoke, as far as I knew.

“¿Entienden lo que estoy diciendo? Amigo?”

I knew it was worth a try, since despite being a foreign language to many in my world, it was still widely known and spoken. Someone from my world would naturally realize ‘Amigo’ is Spanish, it was a word in Spanish that meant ‘Friend’ or similar terms. Most people knew the word and its meaning, if they didn’t, then I might look like an erudite compared to them from how dumb I was.

I watched their eyes slightly widen. The twins hesitated. Then, slowly, they nodded. My heart went to my throat, it couldn’t be… Well, I still had two more questions left. I quickly took a deep breath and continued.

“Do you two have memories you normally shouldn’t?”

I asked as I looked at them with suspicion. This question could change many things. Another hesitation. This time, only one nodded. The other shifted uncomfortably, glancing away. my breath quickened as he asked the final question. This question was it, my final question and a question that changed everything I knew about my… younger siblings.

“Were you two also reincarnated?”

Both their heads jerked toward him, their eyes widening in shock. Then, as if realizing they had been caught, they nodded again. My mind and heart raced. ‘Also’. The twins didn’t seem to be surprised by the reincarnated part, they were surprised, don’t get me wrong. But what bewildered them the most seemed to have been the part where I said ‘also’.

They reacted to that word. They knew. They weren’t just ordinary babies. They were like me. Reincarnated souls. But who were they? Why were they here? And what did this mean for my own existence? Was someone behind this? Why was all this so confusing? Damn it! This is going to fry my brain!

My hands trembled as I reached out to steady myself on the ground.

“Looks like I’ve got some new questions, But I will ask those questions when the time is right.”

I muttered under my breath, staring at the twins. They gazed back, their expressions unreadable but undeniably aware. This is gonna be very, very complicated. So not only was I reincarnated, but two others were too. And it happened to be that those two were reincarnated as my siblings.

My life just became a lot more complicated.

*