— AHHHH!
The scream sliced through the air like a snapped rope, and everyone passing by stopped to stare at him.
Staring at his own hands, at the city, at everything around him, he tried to speak, but couldn't. In place of words, only low sounds escaped, almost like tiny mews.
— This is a dream. It has to be a dream! — he paused for a moment, analyzing his own statement. — R-right?
Dehvon ran his hands over his own head. His fingers got lost among long strands — another weird sensation.
— But what happened? — he whimpered, his thin, trembling voice barely coming out.
Still in shock, an equally thin voice echoed from afar:
— DEEEEHVON!
It was Navi.
He was running toward him, too fast, too out of control. His long legs moved as if they had a mind of their own, and his arms flailed in the air, useless, trying to balance something that no longer existed.
— Stop! STOP! — Dehvon shouted, more terrified with each step Navi took. — I DON'T KNOW HOW TO STOP!
He tried, he tried to bend his body, pull his legs, throw himself to the side like he always did when he was a cat, but it didn't work.
Dehvon, like Navi, didn't know how to move those "paws." Using all his strength, he did little hops with his butt to move backward, desperate.
— DEHVON, GET OUT OF THE WA—
THUMP!
Navi slammed into Dehvon, and the two hit the ground together, rolling across the stone floor in a tangle of arms, legs, and screams.
— OW!
— NAVIII!
They slid a little further before stopping, completely sprawled out.
Navi lay still for a few seconds, breathing too fast, eyes wide, as if his body were still running on the inside.
— I can't stop — he murmured. — My body won't listen to me.
Dehvon tried to get up and failed on the first attempt, slipping back to the ground.
— Mine won't either — he said, swallowing his tears. — Nothing's right.
Navi propped himself up on his arms, trembling.
— Where's my tail? — he asked suddenly, reaching behind himself in despair. — I tried to turn and there was nothing there to help!
Dehvon froze.
Only then did he realize...
That he didn't feel anything back there either.
His lips curved into a trembling little wave, on the verge of tears.
— Mine's gone too.
They stared at each other for a few moments and then started crying, hugging each other awkwardly, holding tight.
— What happened to us? — Navi asked, amidst the tears.
Before Dehvon could answer, a loud splash of water exploded behind them.
SPLAAASH!
— WHAT the he—!
The two spun around, startled.
Daylor had just fallen backwards into the town square fountain. Water sprayed everywhere. Seconds later, he emerged drenched, hair plastered to his face, eyes burning with fury and humiliation.
— WHO PUT A LAKE IN MY WAY?! — he shouted, spitting out water.
He tried to stand up too fast, slipped, and almost fell again.
— I hate this — he snarled, trembling with rage. — I hate this body.
Navi and Dehvon looked at each other in silence.
The drops dripping from Daylor's hair wouldn't stop. Every movement he made was a different splash, water hitting the ground, his feet, and the face of someone lying too close to the fountain.
Plop.
Plop.
— Hm?
Pearl frowned, still half-asleep. Something cold landed right in the middle of his forehead.
— Rain? — he murmured, opening one eye.
Plop.
Now on his cheek. And another directly on his throat.
He choked, fully waking up.
— WHAT — COUGH! — WHAT THE HECK?!
Pearl sat up with a jolt, slipped in his own movement, and fell flat on his butt on the wet ground, eyes widening as he took in the scene: Daylor soaked to the bone, cursing out the entire universe, a fountain overflowing behind him... and two other guys hugging on the ground.
— I'm still dreaming — Pearl declared, running a hand over his face.
Daylor turned toward him.
— Dreaming? More like a nightmare — he retorted. — So welcome to hell.
Pearl opened his mouth to respond, and only then realized.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
His hands. Too big. Strange. Heavy.
His body upright, balanced in a way he didn't recognize.
He tried to stand up with the natural ease of a cat's habit and almost fell flat on his face.
— WHOA — WHOA — WHOA — he flailed his arms like a poorly assembled doll until he managed to stand. — Why are my legs SO LONG?
Navi lifted his head immediately.
— YOU TOO?!
Dehvon's eyes went wide.
— Pearl?
Pearl looked behind himself in a desperate reflex. Reached back. Nothing.
No tail.
The silence that followed was deadly.
— No — Pearl whispered. — No, no, no.
He ran both hands behind his body, as if his tail would miraculously appear.
— WHERE IS IT? — his voice rose. — WHERE'S MY TAIL??
— IT'S GONE — Navi answered too fast, shouting from afar, already on the verge of collapse. — MINE TOO! WE ALREADY CHECKED.
Pearl brought his hands to his head.
— This isn't funny.
— Nobody's laughing — Daylor retorted, dripping water onto the ground. — I FELL IN A FOUNTAIN because this body is HORRIBLE!
Pearl stared at the fountain, then at Daylor, then at the other two on the ground.
It finally clicked.
— We turned into people.
Dehvon swallowed hard.
— Or something like it — Daylor said.
Pearl took a deep breath. Once. Twice.
— Okay — he said, trying to stay calm and failing miserably. — Okay, great, excellent, wonderful.
Pearl exploded.
— NOTHING IS GREAT, I HAVE NO FUR, I HAVE NO CLAWS, I HAVE NO TAIL —
He tried to walk and tripped again, grabbing onto Daylor out of pure instinct.
— AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO WALK!
Daylor almost fell with him.
— GET OFF ME!
It didn't take long for the two to start fighting amidst the chaos. Dehvon and Navi, on the other hand, were trying to stand up leaning on each other, but it wasn't working. Until a not-at-all-strange voice began calling them.
— DEHVON, NAVI, DAYLOR, PEARL!
It was little Théo, standing, eyes shining, as if this were the simplest thing in the world.
The other four stared at him in absolute shock.
For a few seconds, everything was silent, broken only by the distant chirping of birds.
Quack-quack.
— WHAAAAAT?! — they shouted in unison.
Théo, confused, tilted his head.
— Huh — he paused — why are you all looking at me like that?
He brought his index finger to his lips and smiled softly, too innocent for that situation.
— HOW?! — Navi shouted. — YOU'RE STANDING?!
— How did you manage that, Théo? — Dehvon asked, still leaning on Navi to keep from falling.
Daylor crossed his arms, dripping water onto the ground.
— This is your fault, isn't it? — he accused. — Admit it.
Théo blinked a few times, thoughtful.
— Oh, well — he began. — I woke up a little bit before you guys. When I saw no one was waking up, I decided to take a walk around the square and... about walking.
He made a vague gesture with his hand, as if wandering around were completely normal.
— You just walk and stand up — he paused for a second. — It's really easy!
The four's eyes went wide.
— EASY?! — Pearl almost fell again.
— Yeah! — Théo confirmed, excited. — You just have to picture it in your mind and then do it.
Before anyone could protest, Théo started walking.
His steps were steady, though still a bit clumsy; his body swayed slightly, his arms moved too much. But he didn't trip.
— See? — he said, turning to them with a proud smile. — You just have to not overthink it.
— NOT OVER THINK IT?! — Pearl exploded. — I'M THINKING ABOUT EVERYTHING AT ONCE!
He tried to imitate him, not overthinking.
And fell.
— OW!
Daylor let out a short laugh at the sight.
— Great advice, Théo. Brilliant. Why don't you teach them how to breathe too?
Théo blinked.
— You forgot how to breathe?
Dehvon sighed, running a hand over his face.
— Théo...
Struggling to balance, Dehvon finally managed to stand. His legs were still trembling as he grabbed the boy's shoulder, searching his eyes.
— You're not scared of this situation?
Théo answered with a smile too wide.
— Scared?
He tilted his head, his eyes shining with an almost absurd intensity.
— Don't you guys get it?
He took a small step back, opening his arms as if presenting the world around them.
— This was our wish to the butterfly!
Silence fell.
— Wish? — Navi whispered.
— Yes! — Théo continued, too excited to notice the panic in the others. — We finally did it!
He laughed, spinning in place, still a bit clumsy, but steady.
— We became human.
His smile widened even more.
— Crap.
Daylor stood up on pure impulse, without even realizing his own movement.
— Crap — he repeated, running a hand through his wet hair. — So that butterfly...
— She really was magic, after all — Navi affirmed.
— I was hoping this was a dream — Pearl murmured.
Navi looked around.
— Guys — his voice came out low. — What do we do now? — he asked.
Théo answered before anyone could panic again.
— After learning the basics of walking — he said confidently, clapping his hands together. — I think we should go to Mama's house.
They didn't have much else to do at that moment.
Even with fear clinging to their skin, they couldn't just sit in that square, watching the world go by as if nothing had happened.
A few hours passed.
Théo guided his older siblings with an almost irritating patience: walking slowly, going back whenever someone tripped, explaining things far too simple for him, but a challenge for the rest: how to lift your foot, shift your weight, not run, not jump.
They still walked strangely: awkward, crooked, wrong.
But they walked.
And that was enough.
As the sun began to set in the sky, painting the city orange, they managed to follow their own path.
— We're almost there, guys — Pearl said, out of breath but relieved.
— Isn't this incredible? — Dehvon commented, looking at his own hands, still amazed by his own body, wiggling his fingers and turning his hand over as if they were something new.
Pearl shot him a sideways glance.
— Define "incredible."
Daylor snorted behind them.
— Because if "incredible" involves falling, tripping, almost dying three times, and losing your tail — he pointed at himself — then yeah. It's been an unforgettable experience.
— Come on, is complaining all you know? — Navi retorted, turning to him. — Making that choked-cat face and going blah-blah-blah.
Daylor opened his mouth to respond, but Dehvon let out a weak laugh.
— But some things never change, huh...
The smile, however, didn't last. He lowered his gaze, his shoulders dropping slightly, as if the human body were too heavy to carry that thought.
— Will Mama recognize us?
Silence returned, this time more delicate.
Théo, without hesitating, grabbed Dehvon's hand. His touch was warm and firm.
— She's taken care of us since we were little — he said, his voice soft but full of certainty. — I'm sure she will.
Still confident, Théo walked ahead, leading the way with that same charming smile, as if the world hadn't just turned upside down.
— Well, we're here — Pearl announced, stopping in front of the house.
He took a deep breath before finishing:
— Whether she'll recognize us or not, that's what we're about to find out.
The five exchanged glances for a moment.
Then Pearl pushed the door open.
The house was empty.
The relief was almost immediate. They wouldn't have to explain anything. Not yet.
— Okay — Navi murmured, stepping inside slowly. — This is good, right?
The house was the same as always and, at the same time, it wasn't.
The furniture seemed smaller. The hallway, narrower. The shelves, once unreachable, were now at eye level. The smell was familiar — wood, dried herbs, old fabric — and it tightened everyone's chests.
Dehvon ran his hand over the kitchen table, his fingers gliding across the surface.
— I used to climb up here — he commented softly. — Now it's just a table.
Daylor opened a cupboard on reflex, hoping to find a place to hide.
— No one fits in here — he closed the door too hard.
Navi paced back and forth, restless, touching everything: chairs, walls, curtains.
— It's wrong — he murmured. — Everything's in the right place, but we're not.
Théo, quieter than before, went down the hallway.
He was the one who stopped suddenly.
— There's a mirror.
The mirror was leaning against the bedroom wall, tall, old, with a worn wooden frame. They had only ever seen pieces of it — distorted reflections, human legs, shadows.
Now it was different.
One by one, they approached.
And then they saw.
Five children staring back at them.
Dehvon brought his hand to his mouth.
— Is that me?
His skin was kissed by the sun. His hair fell over his face in a difficult-to-define shade, not exactly brown, nor chestnut, maybe grayish. He couldn't say for sure. His eyes were too big, too blue, for a body that still didn't feel like his. His expression was the same: scared, sweet, but everything was different.
And, strangely, good.
Navi approached the mirror as if standing before a dangerous lake. His skin was lightly tanned, sprinkled with freckles. His green eyes shone with curiosity, and his short, spiky red hair seemed to have a mind of its own.
— Why do I have shoulders? — he touched his own arm, squeezing lightly. — I never had shoulders.
He paused, tilting his head.
— Not bad, actually, now that I see it.
Daylor hung back a few steps. He crossed his arms, glaring at his reflection with clear disdain. His hair was short, black, with bangs falling over his forehead. His eyes had a strange tint — green mixed with yellow — that seemed to analyze everything with suspicion. His skin was too pale for his liking.
— Looks like someone I don't trust — he grumbled.
Pearl watched in silence.
And then he smiled.
Without a doubt, that was the most beautiful human he had ever seen. His skin was a flawless deep brown, his almond-shaped eyes attentive and steady, and his white hair — ah, the white hair was the final touch. His posture was upright, natural, almost regal.
— If this is what the world sees — he paused dramatically — then it's perfect, because I am gorgeous.
He placed a hand on his chest, full of himself.
Théo, finally, approached the mirror.
He didn't smile big. He didn't smile wide.
Just a calm smile.
His skin was fair, his hair curiously divided — one side red, the other black — as if two parts of him coexisted there. His green eyes reflected a strange tranquility, and a few freckles dotted his face.
— I think it's pretty — he said softly. — Different, but pretty.
The sound of the front door broke the moment.
Creak.
— I'M HOME—
The five children turned their heads at the same time toward the woman.
— I can't believe the day's already over... the festival was so beautiful! — she continued, walking in distractedly, dropping her bags on the table.
— Didn't you think so, honey?
The man entered behind her, closing the door with his foot, still excited.
— The priestess's presentation was incredible! I swear I felt the ground vibrate—
An apple escaped from the bag the woman had left on the table. It rolled across the floor, heading straight for the mirror.
Before she could react, a small hand caught it mid-roll and held it out to her.
— I wish I'd seen the festival too.
— Oh! Thank you so—
The woman stopped mid-sentence.
— Huh?
She tilted her head slightly, her smile frozen on her face. And the five children stared back at her.
The world seemed to freeze for half a second.
— AHHH!
The scream was so loud that the man reacted on pure instinct: he grabbed a wooden spoon that was under the table and threw himself in front of his wife, holding it like a sword, pointed directly at them.
— WHO ARE YOU?! — he bellowed. — AND HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE?!
The five children all spoke at once.
— W-wait! — Dehvon stepped forward, hands raised. — It's us!
— Get away with that spoon! — Daylor retorted.
— Mom, look how tall I am! — Navi tried to jump.
— Us who?! And how did you get in?! — the man retorted, trembling more from anger than fear.
Daylor answered right away:
— Well, the door was already open — he replied too quickly, crossing his arms. — We just walked in.
— THAT DOESN'T EXPLAIN ANYTHING!
Chaos erupted.
Navi started talking over everyone. Pearl tried to maintain composure and failed. Théo tried to calm things down. Daylor argued back. The father threatened. A mess.
The young woman, who had been observing from behind until then, her hand gripping her dress, began to look more closely.
The eyes.
The expressions.
The strangely familiar mannerisms.
Her heart lurched.
— My...
Her voice failed.
She stepped forward.
— My babies?
For a second, no one moved.
Then Théo ran.
His steps were still clumsy, almost tripping on the rug, but he didn't stop. He threw himself at the woman and hugged her tightly, burying his face in her chest like he did when he was small.
— I knew it! — he spoke with a smile on his face. — I knew you'd recognize us!
The woman's eyes widened.
Her hands hovered in the air for a moment, before falling onto his hair.
— Théo — she said with sorrow. Her legs faltered.
The man let the spoon fall to the floor with a dry clack, staring at the scene unable to process.
When, suddenly, upon analyzing the other four children more closely, he realized. When, suddenly, upon analyzing the other four children more closely, it clicked.