The kid floated—just rose up like something invisible had gently taken hold of his forehead and was lifting him into the air. A soft blue glow shimmered from a strange mark on his skin, right between his eyebrows. It wasn't violent or jarring. It felt... careful. Slow. Like whatever was holding him didn't want to cause harm.
Then, just as calmly, he drifted back down and landed on the bed as light as a feather.
Li Shen stood frozen, mouth parted. His eyes were wide—like he'd seen something that didn't belong in this world.
Meiyin stepped back in a rush, bumping into the table.
Xun? He just yawned, scratching his stomach like it was nothing. Like this was all boring nonsense. Then Xinyin walked in from the kitchen, holding a ladle, humming some ridiculous tune.
"Mom, Dad, soup's ready—"
But the moment she saw the glowing mark on the infant's forehead, she looked away.
Then something shifted in her face—like a light had turned on inside her. She blinked, slowly.
"Did you see that, Xun?" Her voice cracked a little. "Do we... have a new brother now?"
Xun muttered, "This is a dream. I'm going back to bed. Just another dream."
"You idiot," Xinyin shot back, giving him a look like he'd lost it. "You really think you're asleep right now?"
He rubbed his eyes. "God, I hope so."
Xinyin let out a shaky laugh. Then she walked over to the bed.
Meiyin, who'd been distant with the child, approached too. She leaned in and carefully lifted the baby into her arms. Held him quietly, like she was supposed to. She didn't speak. She just turned and headed for the dining table.
"Xinyin, bring the soup," she called over her shoulder.
Xinyin didn't respond with words—just nodded, quick and sharp. She turned back to the kitchen, grabbed the pot, and returned.
Even while setting the pot down, her eyes stayed on the baby.
"He's cute," she murmured. "Kinda handsome, even. Definitely better-looking than Xun. And I'm pretty sure he won't be as dumb either."
Xun squinted. "Watch your mouth."
Still, she snorted and walked over, gave the infant a small kiss on the cheek.
They started eating. No one said anything at first. Only the sound of breathing and spoons tapping bowls filled the air.
"What are we naming him?" Meiyin asked.
Li Shen scratched his ear. "Ling Tian? Or maybe—Little Li Shen?"
Meiyin just stared at him and gave a slight nod.
"Mu Chen?" Xinyin said suddenly, more alert now.
Everyone paused. The name settled into the room like it already belonged.
Li Shen nodded. Meiyin smiled, soft. "Yeah... Mu Chen fits."
Xun didn't speak. He just tapped his spoon on the table again and again. Tap. Tap. Tap.
"I hate this kid," he muttered. "I don't need another brother. I already got Xinyin."
Xinyin rolled his eyes, grabbed an empty bottle, and smacked it over Xun's head. "Shut it."
Xun jumped up, snatched the bottle, and chased him around the table. They shouted, yelled, flailed like dumb kids in a cartoon. Li Shen and Meiyin laughed—one of those tired, breathless laughs that comes out before you even realize it.
The baby—Mu Chen—sat in Meiyin's lap, watching all of it, his eyes wide and unblinking.
Li Shen leaned toward Meiyin, faces slowly closing the gap. Their foreheads nearly touched, breaths close enough to feel.
Mu Chen, confused by how Li Shen was puckering his lips, suddenly slapped him right across the mouth.
Li Shen flinched. Meiyin burst into laughter, slapped a hand over her mouth, and they both quickly sat back, red-faced.
Night eventually came. The lights went off. They lay down—Meiyin on one side, Li Shen on the other, with Mu Chen nestled between them.
The room was still.
But in his sleep, Mu Chen twitched.
It wasn't a peaceful dream.
He saw a city—people sharing meals, holding hands, laughing. Then the sky split apart, and a giant fireball descended, swallowing everything in flames.
Screams. Fire, and ash.
Two blurry faces appeared beside him. He saw himself as a baby. Someone wrapped him in a shell of energy and flung him into a portal. The shell fell through a frozen tunnel. His eyes shut as the cold swallowed him whole.
He jolted awake with a sharp, panicked cry.
Everyone's eyes flew open.
Meiyin sat up, breathless. "Li! Wake up! Something's wrong—he's screaming!"
Li Shen groaned, barely conscious. "What time is it...?"
"Doesn't matter—just look at him!"
Mu Chen's cries didn't stop.
Xinyin burst in as the door creaked open. "What the hell's happening?!"
"We don't know!" Meiyin clutched Mu Chen. "He just started screaming out of nowhere."
"Did you feed him?"
"Fridge's empty!"
"I'll check again."
Xinyin ran to the kitchen, yanked open the fridge. Nothing—until he spotted a bottle of milk tucked way in the back.
"Found something!"
Breath ragged, he rushed back and handed it over.
Meiyin pushed it gently into Mu Chen's mouth. The infant latched on like a starved animal and drank fast.
The moment the bottle emptied, he rolled over and passed out.
Everyone exhaled.
Then three minutes later, he screamed again.
And again.
Four times in total.
Xun came stumbling out of his room with a pillow over his head, growling, "You little demon... shut up already."
By dawn, they all looked like zombies.
Li Shen leaned in the doorway, eyes red from no sleep. Meiyin sat on the couch, sipping cold tea. Xinyin curled on the floor, mumbling weird nonsense in his sleep.
Xun walked out in wrinkled clothes, school bag slung over one shoulder, eyes half-shut. His hair stuck up in five directions.
He looked at Mu Chen, tired and annoyed.
"Screw it…" he muttered, and left.
"Aren't you going too?" Li Shen asked Xinyin.
"I'll stay," Xinyin yawned. "I'll look after my little brother today."
"Alright," Meiyin nodded. "Lock the doors."
They left, dragging their feet.
Xinyin sat cross-legged on the floor, a towel wrapped around Mu Chen in her arms.
Morning light filtered in, quiet and golden.
"Little cutie," she whispered, poking his cheek. "My name's Xinyin. You're Mu Chen. Looks like we're stuck together now."
He stared at her—still and unblinking—like he understood every word.
She laughed quietly. "You get what I'm saying?"
She pulled him in, stood up, and spun slowly with him in her arms.
Outside, birds scattered from the wires, and the wind rustled through the trees.
Then, a portal blazed open.
A man stepped out, barefoot. His hair white as frost, eyes an eerie violet. His skin pale like moonlight.
He stared down at his hands, almost like he was seeing them for the first time. Then a smile spread across his face.
"Bienvenido al mundo humano," he whispered.
Then the portal vanished behind him.
He folded his arms into his sleeves like a monk and walked forward. Calm. Certain.
Mu Chen's gaze shifted inside the house once again.
As a child, he played beside his sister... still smiling, even as something inside him felt like it was beginning to stir.