After the Twins finished their leisurely meal, they decided to look up more information about Bane, their future Mate. They were curious and, to be honest, already somewhat enamoured with him.
They settled at one of the desks, connected their terminals to the holoscreens, and started searching for Bane. The first thing they saw was a full-length picture of him, which they saved and displayed on a holoframe on a bookshelf.
Then they read about everything he had done since birth and were in awe of what they discovered. He was just as infamous as they were, though there was a key difference: he hated being interrupted while researching, but other students never seemed to learn from the consequences and kept interrupting him, which understandably made him lash out.
The Twins really couldn't understand why people just wouldn't leave him alone and let him do his thing. It wasn't like he was in anyone's way. Both Twins made a vow: when they turned ten, they would ensure Bane had the peace he needed to do his research without interruptions.
After they learned all they could about Bane, the Twins decided to watch a movie before going to bed, since they had the next day off and were determined to relax in their Dorm, doing nothing but laze around. Maybe they would read, listen to music, watch another movie, or play some games—anything but training.
They settled down on a sofa and bickered about which movie to watch until they finally agreed on a war film about one of the previous Universal Wars. It seemed both fitting and interesting. They streamed it on the big holoscreen and enjoyed every minute of it—three hours well spent, they agreed when it was over.
They washed up, brushed their teeth, and went to bed, determined to wake up naturally the next morning.
Famous last words—for them and for Bane—because that night, Tian Dao decided to intervene. The Twins began generating their Talents, and Bane's was being updated at the same time. As if that wasn't enough, Tian Dao also decided to create the Oath for all three of them at once!
When the Twins didn't wake by ten the next morning, Morgranna decided to check on them, just in case. It was a good thing she did—she found both Twins unresponsive, in a deep slumber. Doing what any good Mammy would, she dialled Head Nocturne and immediately screeched at her as soon as she answered the holocall.
Morgranna: "Head Nocturne! You need to come here at once!"
Head Nocturne: "Morgranna, what's wrong? Why are you shouting?"
Morgranna: "It's the Twins! They're not waking up. I've tried everything, but they're unresponsive—deep asleep, like nothing I've seen before."
Head Nocturne: "Are they breathing? Any sign of distress?"
Morgranna: "Yes, yes, they're breathing, but it's like they're lost in some dream. Nothing wakes them! I've never seen them like this. You have to come. Now."
Head Nocturne: "Stay calm, Morgranna. I'm on my way. Don't move them or try to wake them again. Monitor their breathing—I'll bring a Med team immediately."
Morgranna: "Thank you. Please hurry!"
Head Nocturne: "Hold tight, Morgranna. Help is coming."
At the same time, on a different Planet in the Nursery, with a different Mammy and Head, the same call was being made about Bane.
Within ten minutes—even faster, thanks to an emergency teleportation directly to Morgranna's location—the Med Team appeared and started diagnosing the Twins immediately.
Med Tech 1 (checking the Twins): "Pulse is steady. Breathing normal. No visible signs of trauma or distress. They're just… deeply asleep."
Med Tech 2 (scanning): "Vitals are within expected parameters for resting state. There's heightened neural activity—almost like they're dreaming intensely, but deeper."
Head Nocturne (arriving, out of breath): "Morgranna! Report, please. What happened between last night and this morning?"
Morgranna (anxiously): "They seemed fine after dinner. Went to bed happy, planned to sleep in since it's their day off, but when I checked, they wouldn't wake. Nothing rouses them!"
Head Nocturne: "Any sign of fever, illness, anything unusual last night?"
Morgranna: "No, nothing! They read about Bane, you know, to get to know him better, watched a movie, joked around, brushed their teeth—straight to bed as normal. I've never seen them like this."
Med Tech 1: "They're stable, but their neural readings are off the scale for sleep. It's almost as if something external triggered this state."
Med Tech 2: "No toxins detected. No signs of magical or chemical interference—at least nothing physical. Should we run a Talent resonance scan?"
Head Nocturne: "Immediately. If this is a Talent event or ritual, even though they're still Unawakened, we need answers. Morgranna, stay with us. If you recall anything—absolutely anything—out of the ordinary, tell us."
Morgranna: "All right. Please help them. I don't care what it takes!"
Med Tech 1 (prepping scanner): "Beginning resonance scan now. Results in sixty seconds."
Head Nocturne: "Good. Med Team, prepare to stabilise them if their state changes. Morgranna, thank you for calling so quickly. We're going to do everything possible."
Sixty Seconds Later: The Resonance Scan Finishes
Med Tech 2 (reading the scanner): "Scan complete. We're seeing extremely high resonance patterns—readings consistent with Talent Awakenings, but synchronised and identical across both Twins. That's highly unusual."
Head Nocturne (concerned): "Synchronised Talent Awakenings? For both—wait. What about Bane? Did your colleagues report in from the other Planet?"
Head Nocturne glanced at her communicator. It buzzed, and she answered immediately.
Remote Head (audio only): "Status update from Nursery Planet Twelve. Our patient, Bane, presents identical symptoms: deep, unresponsive sleep, stable vitals, unusual neural activity."
Med Tech 1: "It's the same event, isn't it? Linked across Planets."
Head Nocturne: "Likely. Prepare them for Talent stabilisation protocols. Morgranna, I know this is frightening, but what they're experiencing may be the beginning of something extraordinary."
Morgranna (worried): "But will they wake up? How long will this last?"
Med Tech 2: "It's unpredictable. Combined Talent Awakenings for the Unawakened are rare and not well documented. We must monitor closely and keep them stable. They're not in danger, but their minds are… elsewhere."
Head Nocturne (gently): "We'll keep you updated every hour, Morgranna. Our best Healers and Talents are on their way. We'll do everything possible to bring them back safely."
Morgranna (softly): "Thank you. Please bring them back to me."
The Med Team worked quietly, monitoring the scans as the room settled into anxious silence, each person hoping for the Twins—and Bane—to return soon.
The door slid open, and three Healers entered, their robes shimmering faintly with energy. One bowed slightly to Morgranna, then addressed the team.
Healer 1: "We came as fast as we could. Let us examine the resonance data. Has their condition changed at all?"
Med Tech 2: "No change, Healer. Still deeply asleep; their resonance is identical to the report from Nursery Twelve about Bane."
Healer 2 (closing eyes, focusing): "I'm reaching out energetically. There is a powerful binding here... it feels like an Oath, laced with Talent Awakening energy. All three Children are connected by it."
Head Nocturne (quietly): "Can you break it? Should we even try?"
Healer 2: "No. If this is Tian Dao's doing, interference could harm them. We must be patient, but supportive."
Healer 3: "Set up protective barriers. Let no outside interference disturb them further."
Meanwhile, on Nursery Planet Twelve, Mammy Morgana held vigil over Bane as Medics and Healers bustled in.
Mammy Morgana: "Is there really nothing else we can do but wait? I've never seen a Child so still."
Nursery Medic: "Not quite nothing, Mammy. We'll keep him safe and observed. And... sometimes the best thing is to be here when they wake. He knows you're close."
Healer (softly): "It's not ordinary sleep, but I sense peace within. Struggles may come, but he's not alone. Hold his hand, keep talking to him, remind him he's loved. The soul wanders, but love calls it home."
Back with the Twins, Morgranna sat at the bedside. She gently smoothed their hair and murmured to them.
Morgranna: "You two have never been so quiet, not since I was summoned. Come back to me, darlings. Tell me your stories again."
Med Tech 1 (softly, to Head Nocturne): "All readings remain stable. If anything changes, we'll notice right away."
Healer 1: "This is a night of thresholds. Let's keep a calm presence—talk, sing, and shine a light for them. We'll stay until whatever is underway comes to a safe end."
The Dreamscape: Within their shared slumber, the Twins and Bane found themselves standing together in a glittering, abstract landscape—a meeting of minds guided by Tian Dao. They felt each other's presence, power stirring between them as a voice spoke.
Tian Dao: "You are called, all three, by fate's weaving. Your Oath is to Awaken—together. Trials lie ahead, but your bond will be your strength. Choose trust, choose unity, and when you wake, the world will feel your change."
The trio exchanged looks of wonder and determination.
Everything faded back to their peaceful, sleeping forms and the tense hope of those watching over them.
In the dreamscape, the Twins and Bane stood together on an endless silver plain, shimmering with starlight. Ethereal currents swirled around them, their senses sharpened—everything felt more vivid than any real world.
Chaos Er (in awe): "Where are we? Are we… dreaming together?"
Bane (warily): "If this is a dream, it's not like any I've known. I feel your minds with mine. All our thoughts echo."
Chaos Yi (reaching for Bane's hand): "We're really here together. I think… Tian Dao brought us here for a reason."
A radiance pulsed above as Tian Dao's voice resonated through the dreamscape—warm, wise, inexorable.
Tian Dao: "Children. You stand at the Universe's crossing. Each of you holds a piece of fate. The Oath binds you, forging your paths as one."
The landscape shifted—visions appeared: glimpses of battles, alliances, mutual triumphs, and hardships they would share.
Bane (voice trembling): "Why us? What do you want from us?"
Tian Dao: "You are chosen not for ease, but for the strength found in unity. Will you accept this Oath—to support, to protect, to grow together—no matter the darkness that may come?"
Chaos Yi (resolute): "Yes. Together, nothing can break us."
Chaos Er (nodding): "We vow to hold each other up, always."
Bane, hesitating for a heartbeat, looked at the Twins, then nodded solemnly.
Bane: "I accept. I will not face this alone. We are one Oath."
Tian Dao's presence swelled, enveloping them.
Tian Dao: "Then wake, my chosen. Go forth and become the promise I place in you."
The dreamscape blurred, the trio feeling a powerful surge within, knowing they'd return to the world forever changed…
A transmission crackled as the holocall stabilised, bringing the holographic forms of the Nursery Elders into the Twins' Dorm. The atmosphere was tense.
Head Nocturne (urgent, composed): "Thank you all for joining so swiftly. We have a highly unusual event. The Chaos Twins and Bane—on separate Planets—have all fallen into a deep, unresponsive sleep. Standard methods can't wake them. Their vitals are stable, but neural activity is unprecedented."
Elder Soleil (concerned): "You have checked for toxins, illness? Any physical anomalies?"
Head Nocturne: "Yes. Med Techs ran all physical diagnostics. No toxins, no trauma, nothing physiological. Their neural scans indicate intense, synchronised activity—beyond normal dreaming."
Elder Lucius (thoughtfully): "Synchronised Talent Awakenings… that is a rarity. And with Oath-bound resonance across Planets? The omens are extraordinary. Have resonance protocols begun?"
Head Nocturne: "They have. Results confirm identical resonance patterns among all three. Healers believe an Oath, laced with Talent Awakening energy, binds them."
Elder Caine (gravely): "If this is Tian Dao's interference, direct action could be perilous. What measures have you taken so far?"
Head Nocturne: "Protective barriers are in place. Healers remain at the bedside. We're monitoring changes minute by minute—ready to stabilise and support them. Their Mammys are present, offering emotional anchorage."
Elder Lucius: "The connection is a double-edged sword: extraordinary potential, but dangerous unpredictability. Record every fluctuation. The Council must be kept informed."
Elder Soleil: "Agreed. Do not attempt to break the Oath. Support only. If prophecy stirs, we must tread carefully."
Head Nocturne: "Understood. Our best are on hand. I'll relay updates as they come. Is there anything further, Elders?"
Elder Kyle: "Only vigilance and patience. Sometimes fate demands trust in what we cannot see. Stand ready, but do not interfere further unless their condition worsens."
Head Nocturne nodded, determination clear. The Elders' holograms faded one by one, leaving the Med teams to their subtler battle: hope, patience, and waiting for awakening.
The Twins' Room was quiet and tense. Morgranna sat by the Twins' beds, Head Nocturne and the Med Team nearby. Suddenly, both Twins stirred, their eyes fluttering open in unison.
Chaos Yi (groggy, blinking): "Mammy…? What happened?"
Chaos Er (weakly): "Why does everything feel… different?"
Morgranna (tearing up, rushing to hug them): "You're awake! Thank the stars! You've been asleep for hours, and nothing would wake you!"
Head Nocturne (relieved): "Don't try to get up just yet. How do you feel? Any pain?"
Chaos Yi: "No pain. Just… like I've seen a thousand dreams at once."
Chaos Er: "And Bane. We saw Bane. We were together, all three…"
Healer 1 (smiling): "The Oath is complete, then. You crossed the threshold together."
The Med Techs quietly ran fresh scans, confirming their stability and immensely elevated resonance.
Head Nocturne: "Your Talents are Awakening. In time, you'll learn to master them. But for now, you're safe. Just rest."
Morgranna (choking back joy): "I was so scared, darlings. Don't do that to me again!"
The Twins shared a look, remembering the unity and warmth of the dreamscape. They squeezed Morgranna's hands.
Chaos Yi: "We're safe. We promise."
On Nursery Planet Twelve, Mammy Morgana sat by Bane's bed, clutching his hand. Bane's eyelids flickered, then he sat bolt upright, gasping for breath.
Bane: "The Twins! Are they…?"
Mammy Ara: "They're safe, love. So are you. You've all come back."
Bane slumped back, overwhelmed but calm, as the attending Healers nodded and smiled.
Healer (softly): "The Oath has marked you. Your journey truly begins now."
Bane closed his eyes, feeling a new strength thrumming beneath his skin and a sense of connection that would never again leave him.
Of course, all three of them received an additional day of rest after that ordeal, courtesy of the Nursery Elders and the fierce protectiveness of both Mammys.