As the gentle crackling of the campfire filled the silence around us, I was met with the attentive gazes of Oliver, Alice, and Ethan. On their faces, confusion was clear — furrowed brows, narrowed eyes, as if each of them was trying to make sense of what they had just heard.
And honestly, I couldn't blame them. The way I had expressed myself moments before, I probably sounded like someone about to reveal some cosmic secret, something that could change everything they knew until then.
While I was still lost in my own thoughts, trying to organize the whirlwind of doubts in my mind, Oliver was the first to break the silence. With a calm expression but a focused look, he said: "Are you sure you really want to tell us?" His voice was understanding, almost gentle: "Honestly, everyone's got their secrets. And if you ask me, I think you've already proven yourself trustworthy enough to keep one or two without guilt. Besides, it doesn't seem like it's anything that would put the group at risk... right?"
I can't say Oliver's words surprised me — in fact, in a way, I kind of expected that. From the start, it was clear to me he was that kind of person. That's precisely why I decided that telling him — and also Alice and Ethan — would be the best choice.
As they say, it's in moments between life and death that people's true character shows. And by now, after everything we've been through together, I think I finally understand who these three people standing in front of me really are.
With that thought, I turned my gaze to Oliver. There was a quiet firmness in my chest, as if, despite everything, I had already accepted the weight of the decision. The next moment, my words came out naturally, filled with conviction and sincerity: "I trust you three enough to tell this. You don't need to worry... this was the choice I made"
Hearing my words, Oliver raised an eyebrow, and his expression turned thoughtful. From the corner of my eye, I noticed his gaze discreetly shift to Noa — my female body. From his point of view, the way I expressed myself must have sounded, at the very least, curious.
After all, it seemed like I had just revealed a secret shared only between Justin — my male body — and Noa, as if both had already agreed on the decision beforehand. It was subtle, but Oliver's look betrayed his doubt.
Maybe he was trying to figure out if that choice had been made between the three of us, or if there was something more going on. Of course, it's possible he considered that we might have discussed this earlier, in private.
But honestly, I don't think he'll be satisfied with such a simple explanation. After all, as far as I know, Oliver is a pretty sharp guy — detail-oriented and quick to notice when something doesn't quite fit.
While those thoughts still echoed in my mind, Oliver, who had been silent with a serious and distant expression until then, finally broke the silence. His voice was low, almost hesitant, as if carefully choosing his words: "Can I ask you something?"
Hearing his question, I just nodded silently, confirming with a slight tilt of my head. For a moment, Oliver hesitated, as if weighing the right words, before continuing: "Sorry if this sounds kind of strange, but..." He paused, casting an uncertain look between me and Noa: "Justin, Noa... do you two have some kind of connection? I mean, before we ended up here"
Oliver's words seemed to have some effect on Alice and Ethan. Right after he spoke, both started shifting their gaze between Noa, my female body, and Justin, my male body, as if only then noticing something that had escaped them before.
The change in their expressions was subtle but noticeable — a mix of surprise and a quiet attempt to understand what they were seeing. In the end, I just stared at the three of them for a few seconds in silence before shrugging indifferently and letting out a brief sigh.
"Look, first of all, I need you to stay calm about what I'm about to say. Please, no panic" My voice was firm, but there was still a noticeable tension. The three stared at me, exchanging suspicious looks as they furrowed their brows, now clearly more confused than before.
I took a deep breath, trying to gather courage, then continued: "Alright... getting straight to the point" I paused briefly, hesitant: "Noa and I... well, we're actually the same person"
The silence that followed seemed to stretch forever, as if time had stopped for a moment. I could see in their eyes the effort to understand what they had just heard, as if their minds were trying to rearrange pieces of a puzzle that, until then, seemed to fit perfectly.
After my words, the atmosphere plunged into complete silence. The only sound breaking the stillness was the constant crackle of the fire, casting dancing shadows on the uneven cave walls. Outside, the soft sounds of crickets and other insects echoed, creating an almost hypnotic, distant soundtrack.
I turned my gaze back to Oliver, Alice, and Ethan; the three remained motionless, like statues, with stiff expressions and eyes fixed on me, almost as if absorbing every syllable spoken. The air felt thick, loaded with unspoken tension.
In the end, there was nothing left to do but wait silently. The first to snap out of that trance — or whatever it was — was Alice. Her face, once still, now twisted in an expression of confusion mixed with disbelief.
With furrowed brows and wide eyes, she finally broke the silence: "Wait... let me see if I got this right... you're saying that at the same time you're Justin, a man — someone male — and also Noa, a woman — someone female?"
There was a mix of astonishment and curiosity in her voice, as if trying to solve an impossible equation, trying to find logic in what seemed like a paradox.
Although Alice spoke in a slightly odd way, honestly, she wasn't exactly wrong with her choice of words. So, in the end, I just nodded, confirming what she said.
Alice, noticing my confirmation, blinked several times, as if trying to process something internally. Her mouth opened and closed, hesitating between saying something or staying silent. It seemed like, at that moment, she simply didn't know what to say, caught in a subtle indecision.
"That..." Oliver started, his voice full of surprise, causing me to slowly turn and face him. His eyes were fixed on me, as if trying to process something hard to comprehend: "Honestly... I don't really know how to react to this news. I mean, it's not like I haven't noticed some weird stuff about you two, but... the truth is the answer is way crazier than I could've imagined"
Personally, I had to agree with Oliver — normally, nobody would expect a revelation as strange as that. Silence hung in the air, thick with a curious tension, when I allowed myself a subtle, mysterious half-smile.
Then, using Noa, my female body, I let my soft and engaging voice echo through the room, wrapping around the three of them like an unexpected breeze: "Well... surprise!"
Even though I tried to break the mood with a touch of humor, the three remained still, as if frozen in time. Their gazes flickered, shifting between Justin, my male body, and Noa, my female body, as if each was trying to process a flood of doubts they could barely form.
The confusion and curiosity boiling in their eyes was obvious, but none seemed to find the right words to make sense of it all. Silence took over again, dense and heavy, until Ethan finally broke the tension with his firm voice, bringing the moment back to reality.
Ethan furrowed his brow, clearly confused, as he hesitantly ran his hand through his hair. After a brief pause, he asked, a little awkwardly: "Uh... sorry if this sounds kinda dumb, but... you two have so much synchronicity it's like you share the same body, or something?"
Hearing Ethan's words, a short, involuntary laugh escaped my lips, almost like a warning of disbelief. Alice and Oliver kept exchanging suspicious looks, like they still couldn't believe what I was saying.
That's when I decided not to hold back anymore and reveal everything, leaving no room for doubt: "No, I mean literally, Noa and Justin are one being"
The moment I said those words, I carefully took one of the meat skewers and took a bite. To my surprise, the flavor exceeded all expectations — it reminded me of perfectly seasoned chicken, with just the right balance between salty and mildly spicy. There was a subtle heat, but nothing unpleasant; in fact, it was a touch that made everything even more interesting.
As I chewed, I noticed the juicy drippings from the skewer had a curious effect: a vibrant energy seemed to spread through my body with every drop that fell, a strangely refreshing and unexpected sensation. It was like that meat wasn't just food, but also some kind of mysterious fuel.
Anyway, putting my thoughts about the taste aside, I continued explaining, trying to stay focused: "Before I got here, there was only Justin. Noa was only created at the exact moment we got teleported — or whatever happened to bring us to this strange place. From what it seems, all this is linked to my unique Skill, although I don't fully understand how or why yet"
The three blinked slowly, locking their eyes on me as I ate. Instinctively, I lifted my gaze and stared straight at them, feeling the curiosity thick in the air. In the next moment, I noticed their eyes sliding from Justin — my male form — to Noa, my female version.
When their eyes finally met mine, I couldn't help but flash a subtle, confident smirk. With a friendly nod, I tried to break the tension, but instead, the gesture just made them exchange quick glances among themselves.
Alice was the next to speak, her voice tinged with hesitation: "So... does that mean Noa... uh... you have all the parts a woman normally has, right?"
I won't lie — Alice's question sounded strange at first. Actually, I'd never really stopped to think so deeply about it. It's curious, because honestly, I never imagined I'd have to reflect that much on my own body.
It would even feel weird to keep pondering these things internally. But I guess it's different when I see it from other people's point of view — maybe it makes perfect sense to them, while to me it's still kind of abstract.
Not knowing exactly how to answer, I just nodded lightly before speaking as Noa. My female voice came out soft, almost hesitant, like the words were searching for their place in my confused mind: "Well... yeah... I mean, I've never really stopped to notice that. It would be weird, I guess..."
Alice, seeming to grasp the meaning of my words, gave me a soft, understanding look that softened her features. The next moment, she gently took one of the skewers with a juicy piece of meat, just like I had done, and started savoring it calmly.
Oliver and Ethan, apparently with nothing more to add, exchanged brief glances and followed the same gesture. Gradually, the comfortable silence took over as we all gave ourselves to the meal.
While I bit into another juicy piece of meat, Oliver's voice echoed beside me, full of curiosity. His tone was a mix of fascination and astonishment: "By the way, do your... uh... two bodies need to eat separately, or is it enough for one of you to eat for the other to be satisfied too?"
I swallowed slowly, letting the flavor spread in my mouth before giving him a careful look. I thought for a moment, searching for the right words to explain it as best as I could. Then I spoke calmly: "That's something I found out recently too, but it seems my bodies need to feed individually to meet that need... like each has its own hunger"
Oliver looked thoughtful for a few seconds, furrowing his brow slightly as he pondered his own ideas carefully. After a moment of deep silence, he finally nodded in confirmation, as if he'd found an internal answer that comforted him.
From then on, the atmosphere sank into a comfortable, almost sacred silence. No one spoke anymore — each of us immersed in the peaceful feeling of being in each other's company, slowly savoring the juicy meat resting on our skewers, while the soft crackling of the fire in the distance completed that calm and intimate atmosphere.