A SUDDEN ANNOUNCEMENT

MAY 1, 2026: PRESENT DAY

OLAMILEKAN

I was yanked from the depths of sleep by a firm rap on my door. My eyes opened, out of focus, and stared blankly at the even white-painted ceiling. I remained there for a while, my brain in a lag, declining to take in anything else but the lingering mist of sleep.

Bang! Bang!

The knock came again, more insistently this time.

"Ola, get your arse down here now. Mum's calling you—she's in the kitchen," Joshua's voice yelled through the wooden door.

I breathed out slowly, not stirring, refusing to respond to his impatience with an answer. Seconds passed, then—

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Will you stop that?" I said, standing up finally.

Joshua snarled from the other side. "Whatever. Just get your arse to the kitchen," he muttered before his footsteps faded down the corridor.

I lay still for another moment, listening until his noise had entirely disappeared. I gave a weary groan, swung my legs over the edge of the bed, stretched my stiff limbs, and then pulled myself upright. I opened my door and shuffled along to the kitchen.

The scent of something warm and savory filled the air as I came in. My mother stood by the stove, stirring a steaming pot of something. Her dark hair was tied back into a loose bun, and despite the warmth of the kitchen, she was perfectly put together.

"Good morning, Mum," I croaked.

She stood before me with a small, knowing grin. "Morning," she said. And, without missing a beat, added, "You've been asleep since yesterday afternoon. Wasn't your seven-day nap enough yet?"

There was a brief silence between us. I had no response to that, so I simply stood there, letting the weight of her words settle in the air.

She sighed. "Your food is on the dining table. Go eat."

"Alright, ma'am," I muttered before I turned and strode away.

---

---

After having totally ruined my breakfast, I entered the living room, where my father was occupying the three-seater couch, mesmerized by the news. I did not give much attention to the bland voice of the TV—until I heard two ominous words that made me jump.

"Cataclysmic Event."

I snapped my head towards the screen, suddenly alert. My legs carried me closer, my focus shrinking to the newscaster as she continued.

The woman, likely in her early thirties, was dark-complexioned with a glossy bobbed hairstyle. She wore a form-fitting black turtleneck beneath a well-fitted gray suit, her face sharp and composed. A curved navy blue desk behind her further helped to create an aura of professionalism.

She shuffled the papers before her before speaking.

"In a bizarre occurrence that has defied all known scientific understanding, an enormous phenomenon has irreparably altered the trajectory of human existence. At precisely 9:27 PM WAT, Nigeria was caught unawares—night inexplicably turned to day. The inexplicable phenomenon sent the nation into a state of pandemonium, resulting in utter confusion, chaos, and claiming multiple civilian casualties and extensive destruction of property."

She paused briefly before continuing.

"The cause of this turmoil appears to be the sudden development of strange abilities in a group of individuals. This has been officially designated as the 'Cataclysmic Event.'"

She paused once more. This time, she took a deep breath before pushing on.

"The United States government has requested an international effort to find and assess all subjects exhibiting these new powers. Initial findings are that these awakenings are not the 'meta-powers' of fiction but 'magical abilities'—a finding that has raised serious concern about their potential for hazard."

My heart was pounding in my chest. Magical abilities?

The woman continued, flipping over her notes.

"A tentative process of screening awakened individuals has been developed, though it is hugely unreliable. Still, one pattern has been observed—millions of civilians lost consciousness at the exact moment of the event. Officials have since given a stern warning: those who remained awake must keep themselves far from those who blacked out during that hour. There is a alarmingly high probability that these individuals are among the awakened."

Before she could go on, my father abruptly took the remote and switched off the television. The screen blinked black, and there was a sinister silence that ensued. 

I turned to him, my heart still racing, but before I could open my mouth, he met my gaze, his face unfathomable. 

"Go fetch your brother," he commanded gently. "I need to speak with both of you."

There was a quality to his voice that had my stomach tightening.

I did not ask questions. I simply followed.

---

Minutes later, Joshua and I stood in front of our father, who remained seated on the couch. His hands were folded together, his eyes weighed down by unspoken words.

"Ola," he began, his voice low but commanding, "you saw the news. You know what's happening."

"Yes, sir," I replied immediately.

He exhaled, then leaned forward slightly. "You both passed out that night. That gives you a strong chance of being one of the so-called 'awakened.'"

The words hovered in front of me like a thick mist. I slowly turned to look at Joshua, my mind spinning.

Wait… we both passed out?

Joshua rolled his eyes at my obvious curiosity. "What's with the face?" he complained. "It's nothing. I woke up the next morning, anyway." He shrugged, feigning indifference.

My eyebrows furrowed. He woke up the next day? Then why had I been unconscious for an entire week?

My train of thought was derailed by the sound of our father's voice. "I want both of you to be honest with me," he said, his voice now sharper. "Has either of you experienced anything out of the ordinary upon waking? Anything… off?"

Joshua's demeanor changed in an instant. He glanced down at the ground, shoulders stiffening.

My eyes narrowed. "Joshua…?"

I reached out to poke him—but before I could even make contact with him, he lifted his left hand.

A black, dark energy fizzed to life in his hand. It was not glowing, and it did not illuminate the room. Instead, it wrapped around his fingers like living darkness, writhing and contorting prior to coalescing into an unstable, imperfect sphere.

My breath hitched.

"What the hell…?"

My eyes widened in shock.

For the first time since waking,

I knew—

Everything was different.

And there was no going back.