Caleb tried to act nonchalant, but he couldn't hide his interest. "Why are you showing me this anyway?"
"Your...tattoos," Jeremiah said. "Are not a natural part of the human body. People aren't supposed to be born with them."
Caleb felt his jaw clench. "Then why have I and everyone I know done so?"
Jeremiah leaned back, a smirk hiding on his lips. "Haven't you wondered why the twins haven't?"
Jeremiah's words stunned Caleb. "Haven't they?"
An eyebrow rose on Jeremiah's face and moments after, the smirk spread across his lips. "You mean you don't know? The twins don't have tattoos."
"Like I said," Caleb said, trying to hide his concern for the twins. "We don't look at each other's tattoos. Not even the children."
"Surely somebody noticed when they were born?" The leader inquired.
"A healthy birth was more of a concern to us," Caleb argued through gritted teeth. "Than some writing on their arms."
"Nevertheless, the point I'm trying to make is that I believe the chemicals in your bloodline have worn off."
Caleb blinked. "Chemicals?"
Jeremiah nodded. "The substance that caused you all to be born with those." He nodded at Caleb's arm, which was still tied behind his back. "You see, your ancestors didn't escape from our civilisation. They were exiled."
"Exiled? Why?"
"They were volunteered for scientific testing. Our scientists believed that they had discovered a new drug that would induce superhuman abilities. However, when it was tested on our ancestors, something went wrong and they grew violent instead. We managed to keep it under control for a while, until those tattoos started appearing. Their concerns about the tattoos increased the violence and we were forced to exile them as they became a threat to our community. We were prepared to let their children rejoin, but we observed that they, too, were being born with these tattoos. The twins are the first two who haven't been born with one, so we took them under our wing, where we can raise them as humans should be raised."
"Your...tattoos," Jeremiah said. "Are not a natural part of the human body. People aren't supposed to be born with them."
Caleb felt his jaw clench. "Then why have I and everyone I know done so?"
Jeremiah leaned back, a smirk hiding on his lips. "Haven't you wondered why the twins haven't?"
Jeremiah's words stunned Caleb. "Haven't they?"
An eyebrow rose on Jeremiah's face and moments after, the smirk spread across his lips. "You mean you don't know? The twins don't have tattoos."
"Like I said," Caleb said, trying to hide his concern for the twins. "We don't look at each other's tattoos. Not even the children."
"Surely somebody noticed when they were born?" The leader inquired.
"A healthy birth was more of a concern to us," Caleb argued through gritted teeth. "Than some writing on their arms."
"Nevertheless, the point I'm trying to make is that I believe the chemicals in your bloodline have worn off."
Caleb blinked. "Chemicals?"
Jeremiah nodded. "The substance that caused you all to be born with those." He nodded at Caleb's arm, which was still tied behind his back. "You see, your ancestors didn't escape from our civilisation. They were exiled."
"Exiled? Why?"
"They were volunteered for scientific testing. Our scientists believed that they had discovered a new drug that would induce superhuman abilities. However, when it was tested on our ancestors, something went wrong and they grew violent instead. We managed to keep it under control for a while, until those tattoos started appearing. Their concerns about the tattoos increased the violence and we were forced to exile them as they became a threat to our community. We were prepared to let their children rejoin, but we observed that they, too, were being born with these tattoos. The twins are the first two who haven't been born with one, so we took them under our wing, where we can raise them as humans should be raised."
