In a room crowded with lab equipment, a man stood—thin, pale, and lifeless-looking. His long, unkempt black curls were tied up in a messy man-bun. His eyes were dull and empty, like someone who had long stopped dreaming. He wore a lab coat so stained and discolored that you could barely tell it was once white.
Surrounded by catalysts embedded into the walls, he held a syringe, letting its liquid drip slowly. His hand stayed steady, while his mind was fully locked in on the task.
He was locked in… Until a memory surfaced.
It was of his boss yelling orders at him, laughing with his mouth full, bits of chewed-up food flying in his direction.
He tried to suppress it- he always did. Enduring each day just to earn a salary barely enough to survive. But this time something within him snapped.
Frustration clouded his mind, with his thoughts getting distracted. Without paying attention to the chemicals he was mixing- It resulted in a small explosion.
A puff of black smoke filled the room. His face was now covered in soot.
His hand trembled. Then, without a word, he hurled the syringe across the room. He shot up from his chair, slammed the table, and shouted:
"Screw this!"
Storming over to the couch by the wall, he dropped onto it with a heavy thud.
"I hate this job."
While staring at the ceiling, he started to remember his college days- the days where he crammed himself in his room, reading all sorts of books related to science. Dreaming about the things he could discover, and all the things he could create.
While his peers went out and had drinks with friends, he choose to be alone and pursue his career.
Since childhood, he'd been obsessed with discovering the unknown- conspiracies, UFOs, the fringes of reality. He devoured everything- every field of science, every bit of knowledge that could bring him closer to that dream.
Such a hard working man he was! But reality introduced itself into his life...
Living in a third-world country, his profession wasn't appreciated. The government didn't give a rats ass about his career. To make it worse, he grew up as an orphan, making any thoughts of flying to another country unrealistic.
So, after graduation and years of searching, this was where he ended up- a run-down pharmaceutical company in the middle of nowhere.
Well, at least he had his own lab?
'Fuck this lab, It smells like shit!'
With a sigh, he threw an arm over his eyes, letting the exhaustion consume him. His body ached all over, his head throbbed with sharp, rhythmic pain.
Bitterness and regret filled his heart. The dream he once clung to now felt like a joke.
'Sleeping a few hours won't hurt'
For the first time in years, he let himself rest without finishing the assignment. The contract he signed was cruel- he had to finish every task as fast as possible.
Time was literally money. One clause read:
[Each hour past the deadline results in a percentage deducted from your salary.]
It was this reason that he spent a couple days awake trying to finish it as fast as he could. He can only barely survive with his salary, a percentage taken off for him is deadly!
But the long hours had left his body broken. What choice did he have? A man's got to eat.
'I hope I can have a nice dream… even just for a while.'
He always looked forward to dreaming. Sometimes, in those rare nights of sleep, he found himself in magical, mysterious worlds born from his imagination.
But tonight's dream… would be different.
This one would last a lifetime.
***
In a small cottage deep in the forest lived a couple who looked no older than their mid-twenties. Inside, the woman lay on a straw-filled mattress, gripping her husband's hand tightly.
Her silver hair clung to her face, and her robe was torn and stained. Beside her, her husband- his black hair soaked in sweat- wore a tunic splattered with blood.
She breathed in short, sharp bursts, doing her best to endure the pain.
Her husband, however, was on the verge of panic.
"D-dear, what do I do?! Do I push your belly?!"
With a pale, exhausted face, she grit her teeth and shouted back, her voice filled with more strength than his.
"Don't do anything! Just—hnng!"
Feeling the baby coming, she gave one final push with everything she had. The pain slowly faded as her belly emptied. She lifted her head and saw her husband cradling something in his arms.
"A son... Sera, we have a son!" She was filled with excitement that suddenly turned into a crushing anxiety. Sera stared at her husband that suddenly had an ashen face.
Looking at him she said, "Vialo... What's wrong?".
Still staring at the baby, he whispered, "He… he's not breathing."
Before the weight of those words could crush her, she saw him suddenly stand up. Holding the baby close, he supported the newborn's head with his right hand.
Sera's face twisted in horror as she saw his hand rise and then drop in a sudden motion. "What are you doing?!"
Vialo paid her no attention, then with all seriousness he said, "Just wait."
His mind focused as he watched the baby's lifeless face suddenly grimace and produce a subtle sound.
A breath.
***
Just before the man's consciousness faded on the sofa, his mind wandered into wild, chaotic thoughts.
'I hope I dream of a supermodel...'
But the "supermodel" he was thinking of wasn't a woman. It was a highly advanced laboratory machine built for complex experiments- his idea of beauty.
Still... what came next wasn't what he wished for.
As his mind drifted into sleep, something strange happened.
'Huh?'
He found himself surrounded by darkness. It felt like he was underwater- yet somehow, he could breathe.
'I must be dreaming…' he thought.
But then, doubt crept in.
His surroundings began to sway, as if he were inside something rocking gently from side to side.
'What's happening…?'
Before he could think further, it suddenly felt like he was launched forward- like being inside a bullet train. Whatever form he was in, it was thrown back by sheer force. It was fast. Uncontrollably fast.
He had no sense of time. There was no sight, no smell, no weight- only motion. Then, just as suddenly as it started, everything stopped.
Stillness returned. But not entirely.
Now and then, he could feel something- a soft nudge, a faint poke, and once in a while, a muffled voice.
'This is the weirdest dream I've ever had.'
And then... a light.
It appeared far ahead, then grew larger until it swallowed him completely.
Startled, he thought he had waken up. Opening his eyes slowly due to the blinding light, taking his time for his eyes to adjust. However, after a few seconds... His head rocked back as if he was going to fall.
'The heck was that?!'
Finally opening his eyes, what greeted him was an adult man smiling down at him like an idiot.
'W-who'
He grimaced at the sight, instinctively trying to swat the man away. But then he noticed something strange.
'Huh? What tiny hands…'
But realization slowly came as he realized, 'These are my hands?'.
He lifted both of his hands for him to see, opening and closing them for good measure till he was satisfied. With a shocking conclusion that he was now in fact:
'A baby... I-I'm a baby?!'
***
Wa!
...
Vialo stared down at his newborn son, relief washing over him like a wave. He turned to his wife and gently handed the child to her.
"Sera… He's okay."
She didn't smile right away. Her face was still filled with worry- until she looked down at the baby herself.
There he was, wide-eyed, moving his little hands around, curious and alive.
Finally, a smile formed on her face.
'He's adorable… He's got my hair, his father's red eyes… and such smooth ivory skin…'
She caressed his cheek lightly with her finger. A thought appearing in her mind.
"Sevia... That will be your name."
Her voice caught the baby's attention. His eyes turned toward her.
Smiling softly, she brought him close to her chest, ready to feed him for the first time. It was a moment she had long waited for- her first act as a mother.
But the baby's eyes slowly moved from her face… to her chest.
Then, without warning-
WAHH!!
He let out a cry that echoed through the cottage.
Startled, Sera quickly checked her son and glanced around the room, searching for any sign of danger. Seeing nothing, she turned to her husband, her face filled with worry.
"Why did he suddenly start crying?"
Vialo shrugged.
"Isn't it normal for babies to cry?"
He paused, eyes wandering to her chest.
"Maybe the little guy got scared of your massive-"
Before he could finish, Sera shot him a deadly glare.
"I'm being serious! What was that thing you did to his head?!"
He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Oh… that? It's something you do when a baby isn't breathing. You make them cry to get them to take their first breath."
Sera raised an eyebrow, clearly doubting that her idiot husband knew something so important.
"Where did you even learn that?"
Vialo chuckled sheepishly.
"Just one of those random things I picked up. Anyway, look- he's not crying anymore."
Sera looked down and saw her son quietly drinking milk. His tiny hands gripped her chest as his expression softened into peace. A deep feeling of love and completeness filled her heart. She smiled gently.
'Such a pure and innocent boy…'
She held him close, rocking him gently with a soft hum, letting him drift off to sleep.
"I'll always protect you," she whispered.
Mother and child slowly closed their eyes, resting together in quiet warmth.
Vialo stood nearby, watching over them with a calm smile.
The sight of them- mother and son, asleep in each other's arms- was a peaceful one. Despite the cottage being messy and worn, nearly falling apart like a pigpen, the family looked complete. Happy. Content with what little they had.
Or rather... what they once had.
...