A knock on the windshield broke my reverie. Reflexively, I raised my head, staring at the figure of a man in a bck suit standing outside swiftly. There was no expression on his face, just the formality of a professional carrying out his duties.

  I took a deep breath, easing the tension that was still hanging in my mind. With a leisurely movement, I opened the door and stepped out. The cold morning air brushed against my skin, bringing my consciousness fully back to reality.

  Then, I saw them.

  Aurelia stood there with our little baby in her arms, her face ft, but I knew she was waiting for me to act 'reasonable'. Without hesitation, I immediately stepped closer, and once within reach, my hand slid out quickly to try to pinch my baby's cheek.

  Just as I had expected, a slender hand brushed my wrist deftly before my fingers touched the baby's skin.

  I withdrew my hand in mock resignation, "I just wanted to test the esticity of his cheeks, it's part of a father's duty," I replied, the rest was the same as before; I opened the car door for them, teased Aurelia, and so on.

  Although my motivation to touch his cheek was not a lie. But my action just now wasn't just a reflex of a father meeting his son for the first time, it was a test.

  In the split second before my hand was swatted away, I had already noted many things.

  His hair was jet-bck, like mine; with the structure of the strands looking smooth, slightly shiny in the sunlight. His eyes were dark, too dark, as if they could swallow light, with almost no reflection in the eyeballs. His height and weight seemed normal, no discernible oddities. His skin looked soft, white with a slight reddish tint on his cheeks, just like a typical baby.

  However, what caught my attention the most was the way he was looking at me. Babies aren't supposed to look at someone like that.

  Supposedly, babies only react to strong stimuli such as sudden movements, noises or physical contact. But him? He wasn't just looking at me, he was observing me. Even when my hand almost touched his cheek, there was no startled reaction, no instinct to dodge, no typical baby expression that should be spontaneous.

  His breathing was steady, the small movements on his face controlled. When I took a step back, I swear, those eyes still followed me as if they were measuring my steps, as if he... "Knew."

  I took a quick gnce at Aurelia, checking to see if she had noticed too. But of course, she was silent. She must have seen it before me.

  I took a slow breath, trying to calm the heartbeat that was a little too fast. No, I can't jump to conclusions too quickly. I need to confirm more, collect more data. Because if my hunch is right... Then the fear I shared with Aurelia was no mere paranoia.

  I started teasing Aurelia as usual, although the main purpose was to see the baby's reaction.

  Without showing any direct interest, I stole gnces, observing every detail I could catch without arousing suspicion. Hisrl eyes remained staring at me with an intensity that a baby shouldn't have; his breathing was still steady; his small movements were controlled; I didn't notice any expression of astonishment typical of a baby when he sees a world that is foreign to him.

  I needed something sharper, something clearer. So, I decided to test my hypothesis.

  "Hey, nameless baby," I said in a light tone, as if this was just part of a casual conversation, "Do you think this reality is an absolute construct or just an illusion that we all agree on?"

  Aurelia immediately turned her head sharply.

  "Dante, cut the crap," her voice was full of warning.

  I ignored her. The only world I care about right now is this baby, and he... Still looking at me.

  There is a slight change in his facial muscles. It's not a confused expression, nor is it the reflex response that babies should have when they hear a certain sound or intonation. It was more subtle, deeper. Barely detectable if I wasn't used to reading human expressions at the micro level. I noticed how his pupils shrank slightly, as if he was trying to understand. His breathing had stopped for a split second before returning to normal. His previously rexed fingers were now slightly moving, like someone who was about to say something but decided against it.

  This reaction... Not the baby's reaction.

  Supposedly, a baby will ignore sounds without a familiar pattern; instead of caring about adults gossiping, a baby will be more concerned about the sound of loud firecrackers. If I ask a question in a cheerful or singing tone, perhaps he will respond with a smile or a small murmur. If I speak in a deep and firm tone, there might be a shock reflex in his body. But this? It's not a natural reflex.

  This is an analytical response.

  I swallowed, holding back the wave of disbelief that tried to invade my mind. If my hypothesis was correct, then this kid wasn't just a genius; he was something that had never existed before.

  I continued my question, leading it in various directions, changing patterns, pying with intonation, inserting pauses. I didn't really care about the content of the question, after all it was just a tool. What mattered was how he responded.

  And she... responded. Not verbally, of course. That would be absurd. But through smaller, more subtle, more arming things.

  I noticed how his pupils kept adjusting faster than they should, as if he was actually processing something rather than just reflexively following the light stimulus. He didn't blink regurly like other babies... In fact, he barely blinked at all.

  I deliberately asked questions in a more complex pattern, inserting an irregur rhythm in the intonation of my voice, hoping that she would show some confusion. But no. His breathing remained steady, as if he understood the rhythm of my questions and anticipated them.

  I changed my strategy. Instead of speaking directly to him, I pretended to talk to Aurelia, letting my voice float in the air, without direct pressure. If he was a normal baby, he should have lost focus, his attention would have been distracted by something else-perhaps the sound of a vehicle outside, or a fsh of light from the window. But no, his eyes remained locked on me.

  I sharpened my gaze. Was this just an innate reflex, or something more than that?

  I moved my hand slowly, as if to touch his face. He should have reacted by blinking or moving his head back slightly. That's the basic human response when something approaches their face.

  He didn't even make the slightest effort to blink.

  I tried once more, this time with faster movements. Not scaring him, just testing his response. He only blinked when my hand almost touched his skin.

  Too te.

  The reflex is not an automatic reflex that babies have. It's an awareness reflex, where a person only acts when they realize a threat is actually approaching.

  My heart beat faster. I took a deep breath, trying to control the turmoil of my thoughts.

  This is not ordinary intelligence, this is not just a baby who is more alert than others, this is something that has never existed before.

  I stole a gnce at Aurelia, she already knew. Her gaze was cold, but I could see a hint of tension at the corners of her lips. Because she knew... We both knew, that this was no longer just specution.

  This is the reality, and this reality is... very dangerous.