“Don’t cry.”Uichan gathered the two tiger cubs into his arms and gently patted them, trying to calm them down. Their damp tongues brushed against his skin wherever they could reach. He didn’t know why it almost felt comforting. Lying back on the wide grass that smelled faintly of dry sunlight, he let the warmth soak through him. The cubs curled up against his sides, one on each flank, their small bodies round and soft as they nestled close.Now that he looked closely, one had a small spot on its nose, the other a dot near its eye.“Don’t fight, okay? You’ll only hurt yourselves.”The cubs opened their eyes halfway and buried their noses against his ribs, purring softly. A quiet laugh slipped between Uichan’s lips before he even realized it. As he stroked their velvety fur, a heavy drowsiness seeped in.Above the endless blue sky, not a cloud in sight, a bird cut a white curve through the air. Bathed in golden light like fine threads, Uichan blinked slowly and let his eyes drift closed.So he didn’t notice—there was another hollow in the grass where the cubs had been fighting.And in that hollow, a single withered sprout was dying, its color fading away.And that process, it seemed, had begun long ago.***The chill hit him first. Uichan shivered and woke with a start. The first thing he saw was a white ceiling. It took him a moment to remember where he was. When he tried to sit up, someone’s hand pressed gently on his shoulder. Lifting his head, he saw Park Rion.“Why are you getting up? Just lie down. You’re not on your own anymore, you know… Why didn’t you tell me? Am I that useless because I’m a nerd? Still, you shouldn’t have carried this alone….”“…Why are you crying again? Your eyes look like a rabbit’s. Stop it.”“That’s what you’re worried about?! I’ve been dying inside over here! What were you thinking, running around carelessly and getting hurt when you’re carrying kids in your belly? You’re… you’re seriously a hopeless idiot, Uichan!”Rion hurled every insult he knew, fuming. His eyelids were swollen like dumplings, but clearly he’d been terrified enough to run here with mismatched shoes.As Rion blew his nose loudly, the curtain rustled and the doctor entered.“Ah, you’re awake?”Uichan nodded awkwardly at the familiar physician, and the curtain drew open fully. Beyond the hospital bed were a desk and a computer. Dr. Oh Juhyuk, holding a chart, sat beside him.“How are you feeling? We treated the burns on your leg and hand and gave you a painkiller—you’re not in pain now, right?”“Yes… I’m fine for now.”When he rubbed his stomach, the sharp ache had dulled. Strangely, the little ones inside seemed calm, quieter than usual. Seeing him touch his belly, Oh Juhyuk sighed and pulled the ultrasound monitor closer, angling it toward Uichan’s view.“All the tests are done for now. I heard the general situation from your friend. The babies… you don’t need to worry about them at the moment.”Uichan’s expression tensed until that last line released him. On the screen, the two tiny beings were curled together, no bigger than beans. Asleep, perhaps—or maybe not, since to Uichan’s eye they looked like they were grabbing each other by the collar.“I need to ask a few things. You’ll have to answer honestly, no matter how uncomfortable. That’s the only way I can help you.”“……”“Have you had this kind of pain often?”Uichan thought back to the ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) weeks since his diagnosis. The pain came irregularly, but usually worsened at night.“Yes, it’s usually worse in the evenings.”“And how frequent? Has it ever been as severe as today?”“It started mildly about three days after the diagnosis and got worse recently. Sometimes it lasts from one to five hours. But nothing’s ever hurt like this before….”“Good, good. Then one last question.”Rion, standing beside the bed, squeezed Uichan’s hand nervously and glanced at the doctor.“Ha Uichan—do you have any restoration or time-based ability?”At that, both men froze. Cold silence filled the room. Oh Juhyuk waited patiently, hands folded, until Uichan finally gave an answer.“…Yes. Something close to that.”“I thought so.”The doctor ran a weary hand through his hair, removed his glasses, pressed his brow, then put them back on. He pointed at the monitor.“You might not notice it, but look here—the babies’ gestational age has decreased. Their size has actually shrunk. That’s impossible under normal circumstances. Once a fetus grows, it doesn’t just get smaller.”“This… does it have to do with the pain I’ve been feeling?”“I believe so. Normally, if growth stalls or the fetus doesn’t develop with the weeks, it’s a serious issue. If by the eighth week there’s no heartbeat—or if it’s too slow—we perform a therapeutic curettage. In other words, the pregnancy ends.”Uichan listened quietly. Don’t jump to conclusions, he told himself. The babies on the monitor were still moving—alive, active.“The other case,” Oh continued, “is when a miscarriage has already occurred inside the womb. The fetus stops growing, and there’s no heartbeat. But your situation is different.”“……”“When you first came in, you were seven weeks along. Now, two weeks later, your fetuses are slightly smaller than they were at seven weeks—but their heartbeats are strong, perfectly strong. They’re healthy. As expected.”Rion stared at him, his face screaming, Is this guy a quack? Oh Juhyuk simply adjusted his glasses and went on calmly.“As expected—because you told me they’re the children of heroes.”Rion’s eyes went wide as fists. He turned to Uichan, trembling. Uichan averted his gaze, unable to respond.The doctor wasn’t wrong. Only about twelve percent of Ability Users ever became official heroes, and they were far above the rest. They carried dominant genes—humanity’s elite, proven by power and resilience in a world where seventy percent of the population was born with some ability.A hero’s child inherited exceptional traits, often becoming extraordinary Ability Users themselves. A tiger births a tiger; a dog births a dog. It was only natural.Of all the hero offspring Dr. Oh had seen, most had grown into top heroes themselves. So if these fetuses had strong heartbeats and no sign of disease, any anomaly had to stem from an outside factor.“The fathers, then, Mr. Ha. You said they’re active heroes, correct?”“…Yes, that’s what I’ve been told.”“Even so, the fetuses are shrinking. So I considered another angle—an external cause. Perhaps your own ability, or the fathers’ influence.”And indeed, as the doctor suspected, the problem lay with Uichan.Yet he’d barely used his Regression ability lately—only a handful of times, maybe three in total, each lasting mere minutes, reverting objects just moments into the past.And still, the babies had regressed by two full weeks of growth. Uichan couldn’t comprehend it.“Parental abilities often affect fetuses. It’s not unheard of. Now that we know the cause, it’s manageable. Simply avoid using your power until the babies are born. Their size will stabilize. However… there are two other concerns.”Oh Juhyuk’s expression turned heavy. He hesitated, then chose blunt honesty.“While you were semi-conscious, I examined you more closely using my ability—without prior consent. I should’ve asked first. I apologize.”His power was Extreme Vision: the capacity to view any part of a living body internally, up to three times a day. It was the ability that had made him such an exceptional physician.While reviewing the ultrasound, he’d sensed something abnormal and immediately used it. What he found astonished even him.“First, you were right. My ability confirmed it—the two babies have different fathers. Their genetic codes and internal energy signatures are distinct. If you weren’t sure whose they were, you can safely inform both parties.”Rion looked like he wanted to melt into the wall and become a barnacle. Twins with different fathers?! He couldn’t even process the words.“…But there’s one more thing.”

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