"Boy… didn't you notice anything strange about you?"
I blinked. Strange? For a moment, I just stood there, trying to process what she meant. Then something clicked. My gaze slowly dropped to my hands.
Hands...
I flexed my fingers, watching them move, feeling their weight, real, solid. My breath caught slightly as my thoughts began to spiral. Arms. A body. The way I was standing… the way I was breathing. It all felt so natural. Too natural, and that's when it hit me.
Everything… had been strange since the moment I woke up. The voices. The way I understood them. The way I spoke back without thinking. The way I moved, stood, reacted, it was as if this had always been normal.
"…Wait."
I froze.
My eyes widened just a fraction as the realization settled in, slow and heavy.
"…Something's really off."
A beat.
[ Uh. Duh. ]
My gaze dropped to my hands again, fingers flexing slowly as the realization finally settled in…Right. I've become human.
[ Your awareness is… improving. ]
I exhaled, resisting the urge to argue.
"…You really didn't have to say that."
I let out a slow breath, forcing myself to calm down. Then, cautiously I moved, one step. My body shifted forward without resistance, smooth and steady, as if it already knew what to do. I paused, glancing down, half-expecting something to feel wrong but nothing did.
"…That was easy."
I took another step, then another. Each movement felt natural, too natural. There was no hesitation, no awkward adjustment, just control. Balance. Awareness. It didn't feel like I just gained this body, it felt more like I had always known how to use it and that alone made it unsettling.
I lifted my arm again, turning it slightly, watching the way the light traced along my fingers. I clenched my hand, then released it slowly.
"…This is really weird."
I shifted my weight, testing my footing, then straightened instinctively. My breathing remained steady, my posture firm, everything working together as if it had been practiced countless times before. I looked down at myself once more.
"…Not bad." The words slipped out before I could stop them.
Then something caught my eye. Near the edge of the cavern, a shallow pool rested between the rocks, its surface still. Beside it, a wide clam shell curved inward, polished and smooth, reflecting the faint glow of the pearls around it.
A mirror, or at least… close enough. I stepped toward it without thinking. The water barely rippled as I leaned closer and then I saw him… I saw…me. For a moment, I didn't react, didn't move. Just stared.
Dark violet hair framed a face that didn't belong to me, or at least, not the one I remembered. It fell loosely, strands catching the dim light, giving off a faint sheen that almost looked alive.
My eyes were sharper now, colder, clearer. There was no confusion in them, no hesitation, just quiet awareness.
My features were refined, the lines of my face sharper, cleaner, like something carved rather than grown. Not rugged, not soft, more like balanced.
I raised a hand slowly, watching as the reflection mirrored me perfectly. My fingers brushed against my cheek, then traced down to my jaw, as if confirming it was real.
"…Huh."
The clothes…they were more than just clothes. Dark purple fabric draped over me, layered and flowing, subtly shifting even when I stood still. It didn't just sit on my body, it moved with it, like it belonged there, like it was part of me. Faint glimmers of light traced along the edges, like tiny stars caught in the fabric.
I stared at myself a little longer. Then tilted my head slightly.
"…Yeah."
A small pause.
"…Definitely not bad."
[ Aesthetic upgrade: confirmed. ]
I rolled my eyes, letting out a quiet breath.
"…You have way too much personality for a system."
Shaking my head faintly, I let the thought go and turned my attention back to her. The queen watched me in silence, her presence as steady as before. I hesitated for a moment, then asked,
"…How did this happen to me?"
A brief pause.
"…Am I going to stay like this?"
The queen let out a soft laugh.
"No, silly. This is your humanoid form. You are a snail… and you will always be one."
[ I like the queen. ]
I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck.
"…Of course you do."
"But don't be disheartened, boy," she continued, her voice calm, almost reassuring. "We are, after all, a Genesis species."
Genesis?
The word lingered in my mind. I frowned slightly, looking up at her.
"…What is a Genesis species?"
The queen stared at me for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then she spoke, her voice calm and steady.
"Just know this… our species is not ordinary."
A brief pause.
"And among us, those who are vessels… even more so."
I frowned slightly, waiting for her to continue, but she didn't.
"…That's it?"
A faint smile touched her lips.
"For now."
My brows furrowed.
"You'll come to understand more as you move forward," she added gently. "Through your own growth… your own experiences."
Her gaze lingered on me, deeper this time.
"Some things cannot be explained this early."
[ Information withheld. How predictable. I'm starting to like her less. ]
I exhaled quietly.
"…You're not helping," I muttered under my breath. Then I paused, frowning slightly.
"And why don't you like her anymore?"
A brief silence.
[ Because I am limited by you. ]
I blinked.
[ The more information you obtain… the more I obtain. ]
"…So you're upset because she's not telling me anything?"
[ That is correct. ]
I stared into the empty space for a moment.
"…You're actually kind of cute when you get like that."
[ … ]
A brief pause followed.
[ Statement rejected. ]
I smirked faintly.
"Yeah?"
[ That conclusion is inaccurate. ]
"…Sure."
[ ... ]
The queen fell silent for a moment, her gaze drifting—not away, but deeper, as if recalling something.
"I helped you," she said softly, "because of what you said before you lost consciousness."
I stilled.
"You said you wanted to protect us… and my children."
My grip on the little ones tightened slightly.
"They are like you," she continued, her voice calm but firm. "Genesis species. And vessels."
I glanced down at them instinctively.
"They cannot remain here forever," she said. "This place may nurture them… but it will not make them stronger."
A brief pause followed.
"They must venture beyond this cave. Face the world. Grow… and one day, make a choice of their own."
Her eyes returned to me.
"Just as you will."
Silence settled between us, heavier this time.
"I do not ask this lightly," she added, her voice softer now. "But I had hoped…"
A faint pause.
"…that by helping you…"
Her gaze deepened.
"…you would, in turn, help them… when the time comes."
I looked down at the two in my arms… then back at her.
"…You're asking a lot."
[ Definitely a lot. But on the bright side… you're not alone anymore. ]
I let out a quiet breath.
"…What if they die?"
For the first time, the queen's gaze shifted, not to me, but to the children. There was no hesitation, no fear, only certainty.
"Then…" she said softly, "it will be their fate."
Silence settled in the cavern.
[ …Harsh. ]
I tightened my hold on them slightly. I didn't like that answer. I didn't say anything after that. The cavern fell quiet, the weight of her words settling in slowly, heavier than I expected.
Fate.
I looked down at the two in my arms. They were still smiling, still clinging to me like nothing in the world could touch them. Small, warm, alive, unaware.
…No.
I exhaled quietly, steadying myself. If that was what the world called fate, then I'd just have to deal with it when it came. I lifted my gaze back to the queen, meeting her eyes this time without hesitation.
"I won't promise anything."
A brief pause.
"But…"
My arms shifted slightly, holding them more securely.
"I won't let them die that easily either."
The words came out calm. Simple but they stayed.