twins

At dawn, the mountain stream was shrouded in a thin mist, the water icy cold. Du Siling squatted on the bank, cupping water to wash his face, trying to wash away the fatigue of a sleepless night. When he looked up at the water, he was struck dumb—

The reflection in the water wasn't his own face, but Han Beimo's.

Du Siling stumbled back, his heart pounding. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and looked at the stream again. The reflection was still Han Beimo, his amber-gold eyes appearing exceptionally sharp in the morning light, even raising an eyebrow at him.

"This is impossible..." Du Siling reached out and touched his face, his reflection in the water moving in sync.

"What's impossible?" Han Beimo's voice came from behind.

Du Siling turned around and saw the real Han Beimo standing a few steps away, his brows slightly furrowed. Looking back at the water, there were now two reflections of Han Beimo—one in reality and one in the water.

"I...I saw your face in the water," Du Siling said hoarsely.

Han Beimo immediately squatted down beside him to examine him. When the two reflections overlapped on the water's surface, a strange phenomenon occurred—amidst the ripples, the two images merged into one, resembling neither Du Siling nor entirely Han Beimo, but rather a hybrid of the two.

"How long has it been?" Han Beimo's voice was unusually tense.

"At least three minutes," Du Siling replied, then realized something even more terrifying, "and... I seem to know what you're thinking. Not through feeling, but directly... knowing."

Han Beimo's pupils contracted slightly. Du Siling didn't need an explanation, because he already understood—their consciousness connection had exceeded a certain threshold and was beginning to merge.

"Excessive gene resonance." Han Beimo stood up, took a few steps back to create some distance, and said, "My mother's theory mentions that if two compatible RH-0 carriers are in contact for too long, their genes will try to 'repair' the separated state, fusing the two individuals back into a complete system."

Du Siling recalled the data on the USB drive Lin Yue had given her: "Chen Yan's video said... they wanted to study our 'live separation'. Did they know this would happen?"

Han Beimo nodded, a shadow crossing his eyes: "We need to speed things up. Find the second time capsule."

Following the clue in Ren Yuqing's letter about "the place where we first met," they decided to go to an affiliated facility near the Azalea Valley Biological Research Institute—records showed it was the earliest experimental site. On the way, the two deliberately kept their distance, but the invisible connection grew stronger. Even from a distance of more than ten meters, Du Siling could sense Han Beimo's emotional fluctuations, as if she had gained a remote sensory system.

Around noon, they arrived at their destination—a concrete building half-buried underground, its entrance hidden by lush azalea bushes. Han Beimo parted the bushes to reveal a rusty iron gate. The lock was broken, and a slight push produced a harsh metallic scraping sound.

It was drier inside than I had imagined, but the air was thick with the smell of some kind of chemical agent that hadn't dissipated even after all these years. On either side of the corridor were transparent observation rooms, containing small culture chambers and various monitoring equipment. The innermost room was labeled "Twin Project Room."

The moment Du Siling's hand touched the doorknob, a strong sense of déjà vu washed over him—he "saw" young Ling Hua and Ren Yuqing standing in the room, arguing fiercely. Ling Hua was holding a silver container, while Ren Yuqing was crying...

"Memory or illusion?" he murmured to himself.

"Yes, they are." Han Beimo placed his hand on his, and together they pressed the doorknob. "The memories of RH-0 gene carriers are stored in every cell."

The door opened. In the center of the room was a large laboratory table with two small incubation chambers fixed on it, just the right size to hold an infant. The walls were covered with monitoring charts and photos, one of which stood out—two newborns placed side by side in the same incubation chamber, their tiny fingers intertwined. The label read: "Alpha & Beta, First Contact Response, May 10, 1995."

"We were born the day after we were born," Han Beimo said softly, his finger lightly touching the photo.

Du Siling's temples throbbed as more fragments of memories flooded his mind—the glaring lights, the cold metal countertop, and the stinging pain of being pricked with needles. These weren't obtained from Han Beimo through the connection, but rather were his own childhood memories that had been sealed away.

In the corner of the room was an inconspicuous safe, embedded in the wall. Du Siling immediately knew this was his target, as if guided by some kind of inner compass. The safe required a fingerprint and password, but he pressed his thumb on the scanning area without hesitation and entered "Ling Hua Ren Yuqing 0509".

The safe slid open silently, revealing a small cryogenic container emitting white, frigid air. Du Siling took out the container and, through the frosted glass, saw a vial of pale blue serum inside, labeled: "Twin Fusion Agent - Reversal Protocol, Unique Dosage."

"What is this?" Du Siling asked, puzzled.

Han Beimo took the container, his eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions: "My mother's notes mentioned... an inhibitor that can temporarily block gene binding. Theoretically, it could safely separate two already bound RH-0 carriers."

"A single dose?" Du Siling seized on the key phrase, "Enough for only one person?"

The two stared at each other in silence. This serum represented a cruel choice: either one of them would receive the injection and return to normal, or the two would remain connected until they were fully fused—or both would die.

"Take it with you for now," Han Beimo finally said, carefully placing the container into his backpack. "We need to know more before we decide."

Just as they turned to leave, an alarm suddenly blared in their minds—not a real siren, but a premonition of danger transmitted through that connection. Du Siling and Han Beimo simultaneously lunged to either side, and the next second, bullets pierced the door and struck the spot where they had just been standing.

"Come out, children," Yang Zhiming's voice came from the corridor. "The game is over."

Du Siling and Han Beimo stood back to back, quickly assessing the situation. The front door was blocked, there were no other exits, and the only window was also sealed with steel bars. They were trapped.

"Hand over the serum." Yang Zhiming continued to approach, his footsteps like a death knell. "It's not for you."

Han Beimo gave Du Siling a wink, and the two tacitly understood each other's plan—Han Beimo would draw fire while Du Siling would find an opportunity to break through. But Du Siling firmly shook his head; he refused to accept such a sacrifice.

The door was kicked open, and Yang Zhiming and four fully armed special police officers appeared in the doorway. Surprisingly, Yang Zhiming was not wearing a mask, revealing his face for the first time—a face that bore a striking resemblance to Han Beimo, only older and more weathered. As he turned, a faint, indistinct Γ-shaped brand was visible on the back of his neck.

"You think you're special?" Yang Zhiming sneered. "The Gamma series has twelve 'twins,' and I'm the only one who survived to adulthood." His eyes darkened. "My brother chose self-destruction rather than let them succeed."

Du Siling suddenly understood why Yang Zhiming was so persistent with them—he was not only a pursuer, but also a survivor of the previous experimental phase.

"Why did you help Chen Yan?" Du Siling demanded. "Do you know what he's doing!"

Yang Zhiming's expression twisted slightly. "Of course I know. But I know even better what will happen if the serum falls into your hands." He raised his gun. "Last chance. Hand over the serum."

Han Beimo feigned relent and slowly put down his backpack. The moment Yang Zhiming relaxed his guard slightly, Du Siling and Han Beimo acted simultaneously—not by attacking, but by lunging at the power control box in the corner of the room. Han Beimo ripped open the panel, while Du Siling plunged a dagger into the main circuit.

Sparks flew, plunging the entire facility into darkness. The night vision granted by the RH-0 gene proved invaluable; Du Siling could clearly see the outlines of every humanoid figure. He charged towards the nearest enemy, delivering a precise chop to the neck plexus, and the opponent fell silently.

Gunfire erupted in the darkness, bullets whistling through the confined space. Du Siling felt a burning sensation run across his upper arm—a bullet had grazed him. Strangely, this time he felt no pain, but rather a strange sense of detachment, as if his soul had left his body...

Suddenly, his perspective shifted. He was looking at himself—no, looking at Han Beimo from his own point of view. For a few seconds, he "became" Han Beimo, seeing himself standing on the other side of the room, bleeding from his arm, through the other's eyes. This exchange of consciousness lasted only a brief moment, but it was enough to send chills down one's spine.

"Du Siling!" Han Beimo's shout pulled him back to reality. "The window!"

Du Siling then realized that Han Beimo had already removed the window steel bars. Without hesitation, he rushed over, and the two of them climbed out of the window one after the other. Bullets chased after their backs, but miraculously missed—Du Siling later realized that Yang Zhiming had deliberately missed them.

They rushed into the dense forest, only stopping to catch their breath when they were sure they had shaken off their pursuers. Du Siling's arm wound wasn't deep, but Han Beimo insisted on treating it anyway. When his hand touched the wound, that feeling of consciousness switching returned—Du Siling briefly saw his own pained expression through Han Beimo's perspective, while Han Beimo saw his own focused face through Du Siling's eyes.

"This is happening more and more frequently," Du Siling said, panting.

Han Beimo silently bandaged the wound, then took out the vial of serum: "We have no choice. We must decide who will use it as soon as possible."

Looking at the small blue liquid, Du Siling suddenly understood Han Beimo's plan—he was prepared to sacrifice himself. Through that ever-strengthening emotional connection, he could sense the resolute determination deep within Han Beimo's heart and a strange sense of relief.

"No." Du Siling grabbed Han Beimo's wrist. "Don't try to be a hero all by yourself."

Han Beimo tried to break free, but Du Siling gripped him even tighter. At the point where their skin touched, blue patterns flickered violently, like short-circuited wires.

"You saw those memories," Han Beimo said in a low voice. "You know who I am—my father's blood flows in my veins. You shouldn't sacrifice yourself for someone like me."

"You are not your father," Du Siling said firmly, "just as I am not my mother. We have the right to decide what kind of person we want to be."

A flicker of doubt crossed Han Beimo's eyes, but it quickly returned to its resolute tone: "The serum is only enough for one person. If we don't use it, we'll eventually fuse... or die together."

"Then let's find another way." Du Siling snatched the serum and put it back in the frozen container. "My father and Ling Hua left this behind, definitely not just to force us to choose between them. There must be other clues."

He went through all the documents he had brought from the lab and finally found scribbled notes on a folded piece of paper:

"The reversal protocol is only a temporary measure. The real solution lies in the initial experimental site. Remember: twins don't necessarily have to kill each other; they can also coexist. —L"

"The initial experimental site..." Du Siling pondered, "Isn't it the place we just went to?"

Han Beimo shook his head: "That's the second phase. The first phase should be at..." He suddenly paused, his eyes widening slightly, "...the azalea cultivation base. The place where my mother first worked."

As dusk fell, they decided to rest before continuing their journey. Du Siling sat down against a large tree, utterly exhausted. Han Beimo sat a few steps away, deliberately keeping his distance, but the connection rendered the physical separation meaningless—Du Siling could clearly feel every emotional fluctuation in the other's body, as directly as his own heartbeat.

"When I was little..." Han Beimo suddenly began, his voice unusually gentle, "Those days in the orphanage were the brightest time of my memory."

Through the connection, Du Siling saw fragments of Han Beimo's memories—two little boys chasing each other on the grass, sharing a piece of candy, and whispering secrets under the covers. That pure joy stood in stark contrast to the darkness that followed.

"I remember," Du Siling replied softly. "You always gave me more blankets. Mother Li said you were the most caring child she'd ever met."

Han Beimo gave a bitter smile: "Then I was taken back to that hell, and you were adopted. They injected us with memory suppressants to make us forget each other."

"But we still found each other," Du Siling said, unsure whether she was comforting Han Beimo or herself.

Night fell, and a thin mist rose from the forest. The two took turns keeping watch, but neither could truly fall asleep—whenever they closed their eyes, they would see fragments of each other's memories, or worse, fall into a chaotic state of identity confusion.

In the early hours of the morning, Du Siling was awakened by a sharp pain. He rolled up his trouser leg and was horrified to find that the old scar on Han Beimo's leg was being perfectly replicated on his own skin—not only the shape, but also the old pain. And through the connection, he could feel that Han Beimo was also suffering the pain of the gunshot wound in his arm.

"It's accelerating," Han Beimo said breathlessly. "Gene fusion is speeding up."

They had to get to the rhododendron cultivation base as quickly as possible. But a more pressing question was—if a solution couldn't be found, were they prepared to accept the choices brought about by the serum? Or, even more terrifyingly, if the fusion continued, who would ultimately survive? Du Siling? Han Beimo? Or some entirely new entity?

In the morning light, the two silently embarked on the final leg of their journey. Each step deepened their connection, and every exchange of glances conveyed complex and unspoken emotions.

Meanwhile, in the distance, Yang Zhiming and his team relentlessly pursued the "twins," ordered to prevent them from finding the real solution at all costs...