The soft hum of the heater filled the quiet bedroom. The warm afternoon light filtered through the curtains, casting golden hues on the walls.
Adrian sat beside Ethan on the bed, close enough to feel the lingering warmth of his husband’s body.
Ethan had only woken up a few days ago, and though he looked much better than before, his body was still weak. His
golden eyes
, once sharp and piercing, held traces of exhaustion, but they softened every time they landed on Adrian.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The world outside was moving fast—
too fast.
The hidden organization. The mysteries surrounding Ethan’s unstable genes. The Shaw family’s involvement in past events.
But here, in this quiet room, it was
just the two of them.
Adrian shifted, leaning slightly toward Ethan. His
long black hair
fell over his shoulders, framing his pale face.
"I won’t go abroad," Adrian said softly, breaking the silence.
Ethan turned to him, his brows slightly furrowing.
"What?"
"I mean it," Adrian continued, meeting his gaze. "I won’t leave. Not until the hidden danger is eliminated."
Ethan’s expression darkened.
"...Adrian," he said, voice low. "You can’t—"
"I can."
Adrian’s silver eyes held
determination
, unwavering and firm.
"I know you worry," Adrian continued, his tone gentle but resolute. "I know you want me to be safe, but Ethan—
I can’t run away.
"
Ethan clenched his jaw. His fingers curled into the blanket, as if trying to suppress the emotions bubbling within him.
"I almost lost you once," Ethan muttered, looking away. "If something happens to you and the twins..."
Adrian reached out and
gently covered Ethan’s hand with his own.
"We’ll remain in front of your eyes," Adrian whispered. "Always. No matter what happens,
we will always be by your side.
"
Ethan’s body stiffened, but Adrian didn’t pull away.
"Ethan," Adrian murmured, squeezing his hand lightly. "You don’t have to carry everything alone."
For a long moment, Ethan said nothing.
Then, slowly, his grip
loosened
.
He turned back to Adrian, his
eyes filled with warmth
.
"...Till old age?" Ethan asked, a faint smile playing at his lips.
Adrian
blushed
at the teasing tone.
"Yes," he said firmly, though the pink tint on his cheeks betrayed his emotions. "Till old age. I’ll be by your side, even when your hair turns gray, and your back is bent, and—"
Ethan
leaned forward suddenly
and kissed his cheek.
Adrian
froze
.
His heart
skipped a beat.
Ethan pulled back, a rare
soft, genuine smile
on his lips.
"I’d like that," he murmured.
Adrian’s face burned.
"You—"
"Hmm?" Ethan tilted his head.
Adrian
glared at him
, lips twitching. "You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?"
Ethan chuckled, the sound deep and rich.
"A little."
Adrian huffed, but there was no real annoyance behind it. He looked down at their intertwined hands, fingers lightly touching.
"...You scared me,] you know," Adrian admitted after a pause. His voice trembled slightly. "When you wouldn’t wake up."
Ethan’s grip tightened.
"I know," he said quietly. "I’m sorry."
Adrian shook his head. "Don’t apologize. Just...
never do it again.
"
Ethan
lifted a hand
, tucking a strand of Adrian’s hair behind his ear.
"I won’t," he promised. "I’ll always come back to you."
Adrian exhaled softly,
leaning into the touch
.
For a while, they just sat there, lost in each other’s presence.
Knock. Knock.
A firm yet familiar rhythm.
Adrian and Ethan turned toward the door at the same time.
Before either of them could say anything, the door swung open, revealing
Isaac.
He was dressed in his usual dark clothes, a phone in one hand, an exasperated look on his face. His
black hair
was slightly disheveled, and his sharp eyes flickered between them with amusement.
"You two done flirting?" Isaac drawled.
Adrian narrowed his eyes. "What do you want, Brother?"
Adrian sometime wanted to hit this elder brother, though he is nice and spoil him he is way too clingy and ruins the mood.
Isaac smirked. "Lucas and Dr. Zara want to check up on your whole family."
Ethan frowned. "The whole family?"
Isaac nodded. "That includes you, Adrian, and the twins."
Adrian’s heart clenched.
"Why?" Ethan asked, his expression serious.
Isaac exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don’t know the details. But
Dr. Zara said it’s important.
"
The atmosphere
shifted.
Ethan and Adrian exchanged a glance.
The clock ticked relentlessly.
For
five hours
, Dr. Zara and Lucas conducted a
detailed and thorough examination
of Ethan, Adrian, and the twins.
The medical laboratory in
Levistis Manor
had been transformed into a space filled with
advanced genetic sequencing equipment
, vials of extracted samples, and holographic displays showing strands of DNA sequences in mesmerizing patterns of blue and gold.
Lucas, standing beside the glowing panels, adjusted his
gold-rimmed glasses
, his scholarly face serious as he analyzed the final results.
Dr. Zara, a renowned geneticist and hidden genius in the field, tapped her fingers against the
transparent screen
, cross-checking every reading.
She wasn’t the type to leave
any room for error.
As the examination concluded, the group gathered in the
spacious living room
of
Levistis Manor.
The atmosphere was
tense.
Adrian and Ethan sat together on the plush sofa,
close, yet silent.
Isaac leaned back against his chair, arms crossed, his sharp blue eyes observing everything. Lucas sat beside him, flipping through the final data on his tablet.
Leclair and Augustin, both strong presences in the room, sat with solemn expressions.
Augustin cradled
both twins, Aurelius and Seraphina,
in his arms. The tiny infants were nestled against him,
oblivious to the storm brewing among the adults.
Dr. Zara exhaled
deeply.
"There are
two good news and one bad news,
" she announced, glancing at each person in the room.
Before she could elaborate,
Isaac scoffed.
"Tch.
No news from a doctor is ever good news.
"
Dr. Zara narrowed her eyes, but before she could retort,
Lucas pinched Isaac’s arm.
"Show some respect," Lucas muttered. "At least
pretend
to have some manners."
Isaac winced, rubbing his arm, then shot Lucas a pitiful look. "Babe, that hurt."
Lucas sighed,
unimpressed.
"You’ll live."
Isaac pouted but
leaned against his lover, coaxing him
with quiet murmurs of affection.
Dr. Zara shook her head, muttering, "Idiots."
She then turned back to the group.
"The first piece of good news is regarding the twins," she began.
Augustin, holding the
tiny seven-month-old babies
, visibly tensed. His
blue-green eyes
sharpened, ready for anything.
"Their genetic sequencing has been
analyzed thoroughly,
and I can confidently say that they are
completely stable.
"
Ethan exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.
"They won’t have the same issue as me?" Ethan asked cautiously.
Dr. Zara shook her head. "No.
Aurelius and Seraphina have perfectly balanced gene expressions.
"
Lucas took over, adjusting his glasses as he explained, "In simpler terms, their DNA is structured
without any instability markers.
We ran multiple scans, tested for mutations, and even
stress-induced instability simulations.
Their genome remains consistent in all scenarios."
Augustin let out a breath of
relief.
"These two," he murmured, looking down at the babies in his arms, "are like my own children. I couldn’t bear it if they suffered."
Leclair, seated beside him, placed a hand on Augustin’s shoulder.
"They’re strong," Leclair assured, voice steady.
Adrian, who had been quiet for a while, suddenly
let out a relieved laugh
and turned toward Ethan.
He
hugged him
, wrapping his arms tightly around Ethan’s waist.
"We worried so much for nothing," Adrian whispered, his breath warm against Ethan’s neck.
Ethan
let him cling.
He simply
raised a hand
, fingers running through Adrian’s soft black hair,
comforting him silently.
Then, with a
gentle tug,
Ethan
pulled Adrian onto his lap.
Adrian blushed but didn’t resist.
Dr. Zara cleared her throat, bringing them back to reality.
"The second good news is for
Ethan.
"
Ethan
lifted his gaze.
Lucas nodded and continued, "Your genetic structure has
fully stabilized.
"
Ethan blinked, as if not believing what he had just heard.
Dr. Zara confirmed, "Your body is no longer in danger. The instability we feared?
It’s gone.
"
The
room fell silent.
Then, Adrian
tightened his hold on Ethan
, his silver eyes glistening.
"Completely?" Adrian asked softly. "No risk at all?"
Dr. Zara nodded. "None."
Ethan exhaled. He hadn’t realized how much
weight he had been carrying
until that moment.
"I... I never thought I’d hear that," Ethan admitted, voice almost
shaky.
Adrian
cupped his face
, his fingers tracing the familiar features, as if trying to memorize this moment.
"You’re safe now," Adrian whispered. "Truly safe."
Ethan
smiled softly.
Then,
Leclair spoke.
"And the
bad news?
"
The air
grew heavy.
Dr. Zara’s gaze shifted toward
Adrian.
Adrian, who had been
glowing with happiness just moments ago,
suddenly felt a pit in his stomach.
"It’s about you, Adrian," Dr. Zara said carefully.
Adrian
froze.
Ethan and Isaac both
stiffened immediately.
"What do you mean?" Ethan asked, his tone no longer light.
Adrian, still in Ethan’s lap, turned to look at Dr. Zara, his voice hesitant.
"Is it... serious?"
Dr. Zara sighed. "It’s
complicated.
"
Lucas tapped on the screen of his tablet and projected
Adrian’s genetic sequence
onto the large screen in the living room.
It was...
strange.
Unlike a natural human genome, Adrian’s DNA sequences had
unnatural alignments.
It was too
perfect.
Too
deliberately structured.
"I ran multiple comparisons," Lucas explained, his voice clinical. "Adrian, your
genetic sequence isn’t normal.
"
Adrian’s hands clenched.
"What do you mean?" he asked, a slight tremor in his voice.
Dr. Zara folded her arms. "Your
DNA was tampered with.
"
The words
hung
in the air.
Isaac
stood up immediately.
"WHAT?!"
Ethan’s
eyes darkened.
Adrian
stared, stunned.
"My DNA was... tampered with?" Adrian repeated, disbelief in his voice.
Dr. Zara nodded. "And most likely,
artificially stabilized.
"
"Which means?" Ethan pressed.
Lucas exhaled sharply. "It means Adrian’s entire
existence has been manipulated.
"
Adrian suddenly felt
dizzy.
He couldn’t remember anything before the age of six.
Nothing about who he was. Where he came from.
Only that his
biological parents—Cain Sebanil and Jesper—had claimed he was lost at birth.
Isaac clenched his fists.
"That doesn’t make any sense," he said through gritted teeth. "If he was lost at birth, then how the
hell
did someone get their hands on his DNA?!"
Leclair, who had been silent, finally spoke.
"There’s only one possibility," he said, his voice dangerously calm.
The room
stilled.
Adrian looked up at him, his silver eyes searching.
Leclair’s next words sent
chills down Adrian’s spine.
"Adrian," Leclair said, "You weren’t just lost.
You were experimented with."