Time is like water, and life is the plant. 8 whole years of watering have passed and the child is now a bit grown.
"Hey." Eve whispered to his twin. "Are you awake?"
"... Yes." Adam answered.
They were still in the middle of the night and no they couldn't sleep. On the other hand, who would? Tomorrow is the day where people of all ages looked forward to in Gilgan, the festival of Rings. From games to food, it is an entire day of entertainment dedicated to the Divine Nymph believed to be dwelling in their lake, Gilgan. It is a day of happiness, and the twins were far too excited for any sleep.
Dave pondered of what to do to pass even just a little bit of time. Anything that he does right now will be known to his parents. They have a little bit of... overprotective tendencies that Adam is too frustrated to even talk about.
"Who would put over a thousand magical contraptions inside a home of 6 people?" Adam bit his sleeves in frustration. No matter what angle you try to see this, it's clearly very excessive.
Still, Adam grabbed his sister's arm and stood in front of the door. He can't take the boredom any longer, boredom that makes a second feel like a minute and a minute feel like an hour. All he needs to do is to avoid the contraptions.
While carrying his sister in a piggyback, Adam evaded the contraptions by slithering through slits, walking on the wall, jumping and grabbing something strongly fixed on the ceiling, he even dodged contraptions that moved as he thought, all the while carrying his sister. How did he do it? He's been living in that house for 8 years. Naturally, he already knows how everything works. Still, timing everything was insanely difficult. After the grueling escape, Adam triumphantly stood in front of the door that leads outside.
"We did it!" Eve cheered in a whisper. Adam, thinking that her sister is cute like a poodle, pets her fluffy head.
"To the library, we go!" He spoke as he opens the door. When he did, the morning wind blew a cool breeze, as if the congratulate them. As they were about to rush towards the library, a sound of a twig snapping attracted their attention. Looking to the side, they couldn't believe it.
It was their older siblings accompanied by their father, escaping through the window of their house. The gust of wind that blew victoriously now feels like a whisper that mocked the scenario. For a long time, they stared awkwardly towards each other with the same thought- "Oh, so they couldn't sleep too."
It was the calm before the storm, for when they snapped out of it, an argument arose.
"What are you kids doing here?" Father asked although he already knew the answer. It wasn't a question, it was more of a "You shouldn't be here" type of message that Adam received with clarity. Seeing that Eve was frozen in fear and disbelief, Adam gave her a protective hand and spoke-
"No, what are YOU guys doing here?" Adam asked them. It was also not a question, it was more of a "You shouldn't be here as well" type of message and the three received it just as clear. He went through all that trouble just to get outside, he's not backing up now.
Cain and Jubelian were troubled but Dave, their father, gave them the "I got this" look and pat on the shoulder to assure them.
"Look, Adam. You clearly should be sleeping. Did you know that a kid who doesn't sleep gets mangled by spirits? You even brought Eve to your mischiefs!" Dave scolded. Jubelian and Cain nodded in agreement. However, Adam wasn't stupid. Those "spirits" were just a superstition that parents created to make their children sleep early.
"You too, Father. You should be sleeping and YET you even brought older brother and older sister. Is that how a parent should act, making his children miss out on sleep?" Adam responded with confidence. Cain and Jubelian, his older siblings, were shocked at the child's witty response.
Dave couldn't say anything beyond that and responded in a fit of frustration, "Ugh! Go back now before I tell your mother!" before grabbing the Twins' shoulders to take them back to the house.
Noticing that their father's voice was not too loud, he realized that he too was keeping this a secret to his mother. With a wide smirk, Adam slipped out of his father's grasp and grabbed Eve with it.
"Fine, we'll go back." Adam said curtly. With a big gasp, he yelled out a sad song as he slowly made his way towards the door. In a rush, Dave covered his child's mouth to refrain him from yelling any further.
"What are you doing! You're gonna wake her up!" he told his child who was still smirking. Adam noticed that his father didn't want to wake their mother up as well, so he took this as a weapon to threaten his Father. It was a way of saying "Fine, if we'll go back, you'll go back too!"
Adam replied, "I was just sad so I sang Ave Maria. Eve, sing with me please."
Eve obeyed his brother and started to sing. It was even louder than Adam's singing earlier, to the point that the birds in the forest scattered through the skies in fear of a predator.
"Fine! You can go! Just stop singing before your mother notices!" Dave pleads to Adam, who immediately told Eve to stop. He was planning was to play the victim in case their mother really wakes up by blaming all mischief on his father, but it seems like that is not needed anymore.
"Thank you, Father!" Adam smiled brightly as he grabs his sister's arm and rushed towards the town library. The three stood there as they watched. Now, he's gonna use this as an excuse for later. "Father gave me permission!" is what he'll say.
Cain, who couldn't believe what he just witnessed, asked Dave, "Father, did you just lose to Adam-"
"Don't talk about it." He sternly commanded, hiding his embarrassment by turning around to hide his reddened face.
Meanwhile, the twins entered the library through the windows.
"Are you sure we're not gonna get in trouble brother?" Eve pulled Adam's collar.
"As long as we're quiet Now, go pick your books-"
"Yay!"
"Shh! I said as long as we're quiet! Don't be too loud!"
"Okay, brother."
Gilgan's Town Library. It is the only place in Gilgan where you can explore the Midlands through mere sheets of paper.
The library is not only for the travel-thirsty, it is also, if not mostly, used for studying your future profession. Every person has a profession, a role they would give themselves to bring forth meaning into their lives. Most struggle to find their meaning, some dream of a profession only to end up becoming the exact opposite of it, some pick a random profession because they couldn't think of one, some even have their profession decided by others.
Fortunately for Adam, he had already decided on a profession.
"The Theory of Numbers. I'm gonna be this town's merchant!" he tidies a dusty book up.
"A merchant?" Eve tilts her head.
"It is someone who earns money. A lot of money." Adam said proudly.
"Really? Then when you become a merchant, will you help me make my own flower shop?" her eyes sparkled.
"Of course." Adam pets his sister.
"Yay! Though, brother, I'm curious. Why don't you practice swordsmanship with Father and Older brother?" Eve tilts her tiny little head once more. Adam was reluctant of how reply but still managed.
"It's because I have no talent for the sword." he replied with a straight face. He isn't bitter about it, in fact, he is happy that he's unique compared to the others, he was just unsure if Eve would understand.
"You're agile though... and smart, like a monkey!" Eve smiled.
"A monkey, huh."