It was precisely Thursday morning. 8 o'clock. And already chaos began. It didn't begin with a bang but rather a gentle reminder of what was to come.
Damien, who was awoken by Phillipp was immediately notified of the family doctor's visit. That's right. It was the dreaded secondary gender testing.
All he had ever wished for was a peaceful and easy existence. Nothing more complicated than that.
Not a second life.
Not a system.
And definitely not a life-altering revelation about his biological destiny.
Just... peace.
Unfortunately, fate had other ideas. And those ideas involved a silver tray, a kind but portly old doctor, his diligent medical team, a gathering of high-ranking staff, and a disturbingly long needle.
Damien stared suspiciously at the head butler whom he rarely saw.
"Everyone is acting weird." He accused. "Especially you, William."
"What ever do you mean, second young master?" William—the head butler—said in his usual crisp tone. "This is a normal routine procedure. A simple medical check-up, if you will. Lord Arel and Lady Yuri have approved of it."
"If it's a simple medical check-up, then why is there a velvet chair and... a chandelier?"
Then, Phillipp interjected. "For ambience, young master."
More like dramatic effect. Damien thought, bewildered. Have they all lost their minds...?
The Grand Medical Room was located in the west wing of the manor and was generally utilized by the family doctor and his team. However, it was rarely used by the Hertz family and was more of a display of the absurd wealth that they had. It was a large room boasting five gilded beds, floor-to-ceiling shelves filled with all kinds of medication, and a small chandelier. A chandelier. In a medical room. And now, situated in the middle of the room underneath that chandelier was a deliberately placed plush velvet chair.
Damien trudged reluctantly toward the chair. Behind him followed a battalion of staff, including the doctors, two maids, one valet, one butler, and lastly the family archivist. He wondered why the archivist would even be here, but he saved that thought for another day.
"Alright, young master," said Dr. Charles Albrecht, adjusting his glasses resembling a solemn surgeon preparing for surgery. "Today is the day we determine your secondary gender."
"Isn't it too early? I'm only six."
Albrecht softly smiled. "Young master, doing the test is vital in the early moments of childhood. If one doesn't determine their secondary gender before six, then they wouldn't be able to attend school."
Damien's eyes widened. "Really?"
"Yes. Schools are usually segregated by one's secondary gender to avoid mishaps especially during the ages where children are prone to presenting. That is why secondary gender testing is free and widely accessible." Albrecht explained. "In rare cases that one's gender is undetermined, there are mixed or special schools for temporary enrollment until their secondary gender is known."
"..."
Taking out a clipboard, the doctor proceeded to bombard him with a flurry of questions.
"Have you ever experienced a heat, rut, or unexpected pheromone spikes?"
"No."
"Any symptoms of scent-related sensitivity? Increased aggression? Perhaps intake?"
Damien raised a brow. "To what?"
Albrecht blinked. "To others' scents?"
Ever since Damien had learned about secondary genders, he'd become hyper-aware of those around him, trying to deduce what secondary gender they might have. Damien had even tried discerning other people's scents, only to learn from Emerson that scent recognition and only became possible after one presented their secondary gender.
"Define... scent." Damien said hesitantly.
"Well...."
Albrecht paused briefly before enthusiastically scribbled something down.
Next came the scan, then the scent sample from his glands, and lastly a blood sample.
Damien held out his tiny hand.
Albrecht saw his hesitant expression, thinking Damien was scared, and said kindly, "It'll only be a brief prick."
Then, the needle went in. Damien hissed and tensed.
Hey, system. Will you be able to change my secondary gender?
System: [Sadly, host, genetic alterations are beyond what I can do.]
"..."
Then he closed his eyes, praying to no entity in particular.
Please... I beg of you. Present me with good news.
...
A few hours later, the Hertz family was called into the Grand Medical Room for the results of Damien's secondary gender.
Damien sat stiffly with his family, his brown hair neatly styled, and clothes that were different from this morning. Yuri sat elegantly beside Damien, looking as serene as ever. Arel, his father, stood quietly beside her with a stern expression. Meanwhile, Lukas sat reclined on the sofa, legs crossed casually. When he saw Damien's green eyes nervously wander, he laughed.
"Calm down, little brother. No matter what secondary gender you have, the family will support you."
Damien shot this older brother of his a sharp look. Is he being serious? This was hardly a laughing matter. He couldn't believe that he was taking this so lightly.
"But I—"
Before Damien could voice his thoughts, the door swung open and Dr. Albrecht along with his group of doctors stepped in, holding papers and a clipboard. Seeing the family, he and his team bowed respectfully.
"Good afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Hertz, sir Lukas, sir Damien. We have compiled the data gathered this morning."
Damien's heart thumped. It felt like all he could hear was the beating of his chest.
"We've determined that Damien is...."
Damien felt a cold bead of sweat run down his temple. He swallowed nervously, repeating softly, "Please please please... please."
Albrecht adjusted his glasses, flipping through his papers before he finally announced, "An alpha."
A moment of silence followed, during which he felt a surge of growing joy welling up inside him.
Yes! Hahaha! Take that, universe! He shouted inwardly, nearly leaping from his seat.
It took all his might to compose himself. Fate and the world itself really had it out for him, transmigrating to this unfamiliar world setting. But now that he was an alpha, he was extremely relieved.
System... Do you know how many times this absurd universe has tried to screw me over since I arrived? It's about time something finally went my way!
As long as he avoided getting involved with any geneias, everything was golden.
System: [...]
The system could only stay quiet, unsure of how to tell his host that fate works in funny ways.
Yuri was mildly surprised at the result. "I thought surely one of our sons would become an omega." Then she affectionately squeezed Arel's hand. "It seems that your genes are much stronger than I realized."
"Dear..." Arel replied sheepishly.
Yuri chuckled, seeing her husband's reaction.
Lukas, hearing the result, turned to his brother and saw his sparkling eyes. "So, it's confirmed then? Alpha?"
"Indeed." One of the doctors replied.
Damien smirked, folding his arms and looking exceptionally smug. "Jealous much?"
Lukas raised an eyebrow. "You realize I've been an alpha for years, right?"
"Irrelevant!" Damien waved his hand dismissively. "The universe doesn't have an eternal vendetta against you. For me, this is a massive victory!"
"I see," Lukas mused. "Well, enjoy your victory."
"Oh, I will." Damien replied confidently.
Universe: zero. Damien: one.