Putting aside Ethan's not-so-elegant choice of words, I focused on rekindling the fire so we could get breakfast going. While I arranged the firewood and gently blew on the embers, Ethan and Oliver were busy skewering chunks of ostrich meat onto the makeshift sticks I'd carved from dried branches.
In the end, getting the fire going again wasn't all that hard — just a few minutes of patience, a handful of dry straw, and the lingering heat from the night before. Since most of the heavy lifting had been done the day before, reigniting the fire was a much easier task this time. The setup was already in place, and the sleeping embers, still holding onto a bit of warmth, gave me a solid starting point.
The partially burned wood — darkened, brittle at the edges — caught fire surprisingly quickly. A few dry twigs, positioned just right, and some well-placed puffs of air were all it took to feed oxygen back into the heart of the fire. With a bit of patience and focus, the flames came back to life, rising lazily, almost as if stretching after a long nap.
As I watched the embers slowly rise, flickering in the air like tiny sparks of life, a small smirk tugged at the corner of my lips — a quiet blend of pride and satisfaction. Behind me, Oliver's voice broke the stillness with a tone that was equal parts sarcastic and good-natured: "At least we're not living like cavemen"
I raised an eyebrow at his comment, slightly intrigued, then glanced around at our surroundings. We were, quite literally, inside a cave — damp, uneven walls covered in moss, the air thick with old, clinging moisture.
Instead of high-tech long-range weapons, we were carrying swords, daggers, even crude bows — doing our best to survive in a world full of creatures that felt like they were ripped straight from a paleontology textbook. Monsters with brutal strength and massive proportions surrounded us, their existence more suited to prehistoric times than any modern era.
And just because we hadn't come face-to-face with a dinosaur yet didn't mean they weren't out there — hiding in the dark, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. With that thought in mind, I looked back at Oliver, more skeptical than ever.
A subtle smile formed as I responded, voice dipped in irony: "You really think so?"
Oliver arched an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. He took a moment to look around more carefully, as if trying to see through my eyes. His gaze swept slowly across the cave, analyzing every detail with a mix of surprise and doubt. Then he turned to me with a playful grin.
Letting out a small laugh, he said: "Okay... maybe you've got a point. Feels like we're living in the Stone Age or something"
Still riding the humor, I replied with a smirk of my own: "Not exactly the Stone Age... just the simple life of cavemen"
Ethan, who had been silent up to that point, finally spoke up, his tone light, almost joking as he tried to break the tension: "Well, at least we don't have dinosaurs around"
Oliver and I exchanged a quick glance — blank, almost unreadable — like we were both trying to figure out if he'd really just said that. The silence that followed was heavy and strange. Slowly, we both turned to look at Ethan, who now looked visibly confused by our sudden attention. He blinked a few times, furrowed his brow, and asked, hesitantly: "... What?"
Oliver was the one to answer, a half-disbelieving grin on his face, eyes gleaming with amusement: "Are you serious? We literally fought a giant centipede and enormous rats, and you still think dinosaurs are out of the question? Come on, man — that's the least of our worries!"
I added my own thoughts, a slight smile tugging at my mouth: "Honestly, I wouldn't even be surprised if we ran into a massive dragon at this point"
Ethan took in our words in silence, his gaze drifting as if something had just clicked in his mind. A brief pause followed before he muttered under his breath, almost like talking to himself: "Now that you put it that way… yeah, that actually makes sense"
I let out a short laugh, almost amused by how everything was unfolding, then turned my attention back to the fire. The embers were still rising steadily, releasing tiny sparks that danced like glowing fireflies. The gentle warmth was slowly spreading through the cave, pushing back the lingering cold — a much-welcome comfort considering the chill that clung stubbornly outside.
As usual, the fog beyond the cave entrance remained thick, wrapping the world in a dense, impenetrable haze. Honestly, I had no idea if that would ever change.
Just then, the smell of breakfast began drifting through the air. Alice — with my female body in tow — was making her way back toward the cave. Her steps were cautious, almost soundless, as if the atmosphere demanded a kind of reverent silence. I figured she'd reach us in about two minutes.
Taking advantage of the moment, I looked up and spoke in a clear, firm voice so Ethan and Oliver could hear me: "Alice is on her way back"
They both heard me and exchanged a quick, silent glance before nodding in acknowledgment. To be honest, mentioning my female body would've made things way more awkward — I mean, I was there with Alice, so... how exactly was I supposed to talk about Noa? Should I refer to her as me? I'm not exactly an expert in weird identity crises — at least, not yet.
Anyway, just like I'd predicted, about two minutes later Alice's voice started echoing softly from outside. Her tone was relaxed, almost playful, like she was telling a funny story to a close friend: "So, like I said, you really need to take better care of your hair. Trust me, oily hair is every woman's worst enemy" she said, with a light laugh that seemed to brighten the space.
Moments later, Alice and Noa — my female form — appeared at the entrance of the cave. Oliver and Ethan were the first to notice them, walking over to say hi, though it was obvious they weren't quite sure how to react to Noa. After all, deep down, Noa was still me — the same person they'd been talking to just seconds earlier.
But honestly, I couldn't care less. While I controlled my female body, I slowly raised my arms in a lazy stretch. With a laid-back tone, I said: "Anyway, we should probably head in and eat. I'm starving"
Everyone nodded in quiet agreement, like the thought had hit them at the same time. Before long, we were all gathered around the crackling fire again. Alice, Oliver, and Ethan sat across from me, their faces lit by the flickering flames, while both of my forms — male and female — sat side by side, slowly enjoying the tender ostrich meat we'd hunted earlier. The smoky aroma mixed with the cool morning air, creating a sense of calm and closeness among us.
At first, no one said a word. We just focused on the meal, which, I have to say, was absolutely delicious. Like I mentioned before, not only was the meat incredibly juicy and tender, but there was also something special about that liquid dripping with every bite — fat, or whatever you want to call it.
Weirdly enough, it felt almost energizing — like the relief of sipping an ice-cold soda after being out in the scorching sun for hours. The aroma coming off the meat added another layer of temptation, turning that quiet moment into something almost sacred — a small pocket of pleasure in the middle of all the chaos.
I took my time with the food, enjoying every bite while everything around me felt... normal. That was until I started noticing their eyes on me. All three of them. Their stares weren't fixed just on one version of me — their gazes shifted back and forth between my male and female forms.
It was like they were trying to make sense of the duality I carried so naturally. In the end, I just let out a quiet sigh of resignation. To be honest, I wasn't surprised that it would take some time for them to get used to it — it was obvious this wasn't going to be a quick or easy adjustment.
With that thought in mind, I switched back to my male form and looked up slowly, meeting their stares with a calm expression: "You guys got any questions?"
As soon as the words left my mouth, the three blinked in surprise. Oliver was the first to react, his face showing a mix of awkwardness and curiosity. He scratched the back of his neck and looked away for a second before answering, a little hesitant: "Oh, sorry... I just... before I even realized it, I was staring" He chuckled nervously, trying to ease the tension: "Still am, honestly. Just trying to, uh... wrap my head around the fact that you're both you, you know?" His eyes gave away his clumsy sincerity as he searched for the right words.
I gave him a small, calm smile and nodded. Honestly, it didn't really bother me, but being stared at while I was eating was at least a little uncomfortable.
"I don't really mind" I said with a casual shrug: "But if you guys wanna ask anything, go ahead. Honestly, just knowing I don't have to micromanage every little movement to avoid weird looks? That alone is a huge relief"
The moment I said that, the three of them exchanged glances in silence for a few seconds, like they were trying to process the weight of what I'd just said. Oliver broke the silence, turning toward us with a curious, thoughtful look.
"You know" he began, voice low, almost like he was thinking out loud: "I've actually been wondering about this since yesterday"
His eyes flicked rapidly between Noa — my female body — and Justin — my male one — as if he was trying to spot something I hadn't mentioned yet.
"So... how exactly do you see?" he asked, with a mix of genuine interest and just a hint of caution, like the answer might change everything.
The moment Oliver asked, Alice and Ethan leaned in, clearly intrigued. Their eyes lit up with curiosity as they waited for my reply. I paused for a moment, weighing whether or not I should just tell them outright. In the end, I shrugged and kept it casual, like it was no big deal: "My left eye sees from Noa's point of view, and the right sees from Justin's. Simple as that"
Of course, things weren't as simple as I was making them seem. To be honest, even now I still struggle to coordinate both bodies at the same time — it feels strange, like trying to write with both hands simultaneously but in opposite directions.
However, when I compare it to the first time I woke up in this condition, the difference is striking. Before, every movement was awkward, almost chaotic. Now, although there are still stumbles, I'm able to guide them with at least a bit of harmony. It's slow progress, but it's clear.
Ethan and Alice exchanged looks, clearly impressed. Their expressions were a mix of surprise and admiration. Oliver, on the other hand, had a different kind of curiosity — one brow slowly arched as he slipped into deep thought, like he was trying to solve a puzzle.
Noticing that, I couldn't help but ask, with mild interest: "Why? Is that important?"
Oliver didn't answer right away. His eyes narrowed slightly, like he was turning over every word I'd said. He stayed quiet for a moment, weighing something internally. Then, finally, he turned to me and replied with a calm but focused tone: "Actually, yeah. It depends on how you answer. But based on what you just told me... I see a lot of potential. You'd basically be a walking surveillance camera, sending out nonstop feeds, twenty-four seven. We'd be fools not to use that"
His words didn't surprise me — in fact, that had been the plan all along. The tricky part had always been figuring out how to explain to them how I knew what Noa was seeing and feeling.
But now that they were in on the secret, everything was about to get a whole lot easier — and, more importantly, a lot more efficient.