The two women, seemingly satisfied after feeding Marcus and Adrian, exchanged a few more words in their melodic, unfamiliar language. They then gently set the boys back onto the soft bedding and quietly left the room, Marcus and Adrian could hear their footsteps fading into the distance. The closing door emitted a low creak, leaving Marcus and Adrian in silence once more.
As that settled, Marcus shook his head, still trying to process their new reality. Another question popped into his mind, and he voiced it hesitantly.
｢Hey, Adrian… since we’re babies now… Does that mean you can speak? You should try, right?｣
Adrian had thought about it as well. He had spent his entire previous life as a mute, the result of a condition that had left his vocal cords malformed from birth. Communication had always been a little struggle, reliant on gestures, written words, and sometimes Marcus’s ability and other people close to him to intuit his thoughts. But now… now things were surely different. Weren’t they?
Adrian took a deep breath, unsure whether to hope or brace for disappointment.
｢Alright, I’ll try,｣ he said, his voice steady in Marcus’s mind.
Marcus held his breath, his anticipation clear.
Adrian focused, the sensation of tiny lungs expanding with effort. He opened his mouth, willing sound to emerge. His small chest strained, and his throat worked—but the result was silence. Not a whimper, not a squeak. Nothing.
The quiet that followed was a little deafening.
Marcus called out cautiously, ｢Adrian?｣
A soft, shy mewl began to be heard.
Marcus perked up, his tiny, blurry world sharpening with interest. He reached out instinctively, his mind brushing against the familiar presence of his twin through their shared telepathic link.
｢Adrian? That was?｣ he asked, his voice tinged with cautious hope.
A moment of silence stretched between them, but then—
｢…Yes.｣
The single word echoed in Marcus’s thoughts, hesitant and subdued.
For a heartbeat, neither spoke. Then—
Marcus burst into laughter. His thoughts also rippled with pure amusement, waves of mirth bubbling through their connection.
｢Oh my god! You actually did it! That was adorable!｣
Adrian’s presence recoiled slightly, embarrassment seeping through their link. ｢Shut up.｣
｢No way! Do it again!｣ Marcus prodded, grinning.
｢No.｣
｢Oh, come on, just once—｣
｢No.｣
Marcus pouted mentally. ｢You’re no fun.｣
Adrian sighed. ｢It was hard enough the first time.｣
Marcus hummed, considering. ｢Wouldn’t it be a good idea to ask the System if it can run a diagnostic on our bodies? Just to make sure everything’s fine?｣
Adrian hesitated. ｢… Yes, that’s not a bad idea.｣
It was strange, though. This System was different from the ones they had encountered previously. There was no direct communication—no mechanical voice responding to their queries. Instead, everything was handled through an interactive game-like menu interface.
Adrian concentrated, summoning the translucent blue System screen into view. He navigated through the options, scrolling carefully. After a few moments, his gaze landed on a particular button.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
[DIAGNOSE]
His eyes widened. ｢I think I found it.｣
Marcus perked up. ｢Great! What does it say?｣
Adrian tapped the option, and a new notification appeared.
[DIAGNOSTIC SCAN: 25 SP/person]
They both stare at the number.
Marcus groaned. ｢Of course, it costs points. That’s literally all of our SP right now.｣
Adrian frowned. ｢It does seem expensive… But this is important. We need to know if we’re truly okay.｣
Marcus grumbled under his breath before sighing. ｢Fine, fine. Let’s do it.｣
Adrian nodded, and together, they confirmed the purchase.
The System responded immediately.
[25 SP deducted from the account]
[Commencing full diagnostic scan…]
A tingling sensation ran through their tiny bodies, spreading like static electricity beneath their skin. Marcus stiffened at the odd feeling, while Adrian remained still, analyzing the process.
Then, a new message popped up.
[DIAGNOSTIC REPORT]
* Subject: Adrian
* Status: Healthy
* Subject: Marcus
* Status: Healthy
The twins absorbed the information in silence. They will make a jig if they can for celebration's sake.
｢Looks like we lucked out in the RNG part.｣ Marcus began
Adrian smiled gratefully, ｢Seems like it.｣
The two infants lay quietly on the soft bedding after the good news, their tiny chests rising and falling with the rhythmic cadence of newborn breaths. Marcus felt his eyelids droop, a surprising wave of fatigue washing over him. It felt alien yet strangely natural. Marcus also noticed how the Æther bar in his interface has been decreasing at such a fast pace.
｢Adrian, are you feeling sleepy?｣ Marcus asked, his mental voice tinged with curiosity.
｢Yeah, I am, actually,｣ Adrian admitted. ｢I think it might be our bodies. Infant bodies probably have different needs… like sleeping all the time.｣
Marcus huffed in amusement, his thoughts slowing. ｢Man, this sucks. I don’t want to sleep again already, but… I don’t think I can help it.｣
Adrian agreed, his own mental voice growing faint. ｢Yeah, me neither. Guess we’ll just… have to go with it.｣
Before either of them could protest further, the pull of slumber overtook them.
----------------------------------------
When Marcus awoke, a strange discomfort gnawed at his awareness. It wasn’t pain exactly—more like a tight, bloated sensation in his stomach. He squirmed slightly, his tiny body wriggling as he tried to find relief.
‘What the hell is this?’ Marcus thought, frustration mounting. He attempted to reach out to Adrian but found himself met with silence and empty presence.
‘Is Adrian still asleep and that’s why I can’t reach him?’ he wondered.
He resigned himself to wait, the unpleasant feeling making it impossible to settle back into sleep. Minutes later, he heard Adrian’s mental voice echo faintly in his mind.
｢Marcus? Are you awake?｣
｢Yeah, I am,｣ Marcus answered quickly. ｢I’ve been awake for a bit. Did you sleep okay?｣
｢I guess so, but… I woke up feeling kind of weird like there’s this heavy sensation in my stomach,｣ Adrian said.
Marcus perked up. ｢Same here! It’s been bothering me since I woke up. What do you think it is?｣
Adrian sighed. ｢I have a hunch. It might be from the milk we drank earlier. Cow’s milk isn’t ideal for babies, especially if our bodies aren’t used to processing it. It could be upsetting our stomachs since our gut lacks the proper enzymes and all.｣
Marcus groaned. ｢Great. So not only are we stuck in this cursed form, but now we can’t even handle milk properly. This is just getting better and better.｣
Adrian hesitated before speaking again, his tone reluctant. ｢We might not have a choice, Marcus. As much as we hate the idea… we might have to rely on breastfeeding for most of our nutrition. Just like I said, animal milk can be hard on infant bodies, and it doesn’t have all the nutrients we need to grow properly.｣
Marcus balked at the suggestion. ｢Are you serious? No way! That’s just… no. Isn’t there another option?｣
｢Not unless we find some kind of formula milk, but considering where we are—the time period, I mean—it seems highly unlikely that kind of option to be available,｣ Adrian explained.
Marcus grimaced. ｢This is crazy. How often would we even need to… you know… drink?｣
Adrian seemed to ponder the question before answering. ｢It depends on our age. If I had to guess, based on our physical development, we’re probably only a few months old. At this stage, babies need to drink milk seven to nine times a day.｣
Marcus groaned audibly, the sound escaping his tiny throat as a soft whimper. ｢Nine times?! Are you kidding me? That’s insane! How are we supposed to survive like this?｣
Adrian chuckled softly. ｢Welcome to babyhood, Marcus. It’s not exactly glamorous. We don’t have much choice.｣
Marcus sighed, his frustration giving way to resignation. ｢Yeah, I guess so. But seriously, this is going to take some getting used to.｣
｢I think we shouldn’t try to get used to it,｣ Adrian smartly quipped.
Marcus blushed in embarrassment before he nodded back, ｢Right… You’re right.｣