《Darkborn: Dawn of the Unnatural》 WHEN NIGHT BECAME DAY OLAMILEKAN I stood in at the side of the road unable to cross to the other side as the cars and other vehicles refused to move- more like they were unable to move. I looked up to the sky which was once dark, now lit up by an unknown light source. Little spots of light each with its own unique color floating in the air. At that point in time all I could think about was how extraordinary and beautiful it all looked ¨C yet I couldn''t help but tremble in fear for I know that what was happening wasn''t something ordinary. At first, I thought that maybe I was hallucinating, but as I looked to my left, multiple people all around me ¨C probably numbering in tens, some scared, some struck in awe as they experienced the same phenomenon that I''m also experiencing. A young boy, not more than the age of 15, possessed a round face and slim body- probably almost as tall as the average person, his eyes wide open in awe. I couldn''t help but stare at him as the color of his eyes changed color. His once brown eyes now turned Ice blue. As I moved my body in the boy''s direction in hopes of approaching him and getting a closer look at what exactly happened, I couldn''t help but notice a man ¨C dressed in a green native attire (probably that of the Yorubas) ¨C holding a ball of fire in his hands. The people around him scurried away in fear of what was happening. The man holding the Ball of fire didn''t seem to be scared as it seemed like he conjured the ball of fire at his own will. The situation caused an unexpected- yet expected chaos. People began running out of fear as more and more people began to perform strange things. I looked to the left as I remembered the boy I intended to go meet. Luckily, the boy was still standing there but what I saw was bone chilling. Every single person within a 3- meter radius of the boy has been frozen to death. The boy standing at the center confused and scared yet emitting a terrifying aura. My breathing became shallow as I laid eyes at the frozen bodies. At that instant, I knew instinctively in my mind that staying here any longer was dangerous but with the terrifying aura being emitted, I couldn''t help but tremble, my body refusing to move. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. The boy, confused and in tears tried to approach me, crying out for help but all I could do was scream for help, shouting at him not to come closer. With all my screaming and shouting, the boy continued to approach me, drawing closer and closer. At that moment, in a state of frightening terror, my body emitted a strange bright yellow light. I closed my eyes tightly almost blinded by the light. By the time I opened my eyes, the confused- innocent boy, laid on the ground, burnt to a crisp. All that was left of him was his burnt black bones and ashes. I tried to console myself by telling myself repeatedly that I didn''t kill the boy but deep down in my heart and soul, I knew that I had done something very terrible. I tried my hardest to endure what had happened and what was in my sight, but I couldn''t help but throw up. My breathing became shaky as I turned around and began walking away from the scene. As I made my way home, wherever I passed was filled with chaos and confusion. People dying of strange causes and others experiencing strange things happening to them. It was as if the world itself has become a fantasy movie. Nothing seemed ordinary. As I made my way along the confused path that led to my home, I couldn''t help but tremble. A few meters from getting to my home, the sky which was once lit by an unknown source, reverted to it''s normal form, a dark sky beaming with stars and the crescent moon staring down on us. At that point in time all chaos, shouting and confusion seemed to stop. A few more meters left for me to get home, my body got heavy. It was hard to move my legs and arms. My sight became blurry as I fell face first into the ground, losing consciousness. A Warm Embrace OLAMILEKAN Darkness everywhere...all I could see was nothing but darkness. It felt like I was floating in a vast open space filled with nothing but darkness. I couldn''t see, hear or hell even speak. It felt like I''ve been floating there for years and I''ll continue to remain there for all of eternity. I was scared as fear continued to grow inside of me - yet, it felt like I wanted to give up everything, to remain there forever, not to be bothered by anyone or anything but it all ended, when all of a sudden I heard a voice saying ''It is the end''. The sound came from all around me like I was being surrounded. The voice kept repeating the same phrase ''it is the end- it is the end- it is the end...'' until I eventually sprang up from a bed- covered in white bedsheet- at which I laid, regaining consciousness. I looked around noticing that where I am isn''t my home or where I had lost consciousness. The room was painted in white and filled with multiple medical equipment. "I''m in a hospital", I said to myself. I looked to my right and I saw two elderly people, a man and a woman the man in his early 50s and the woman in her late 40s. The man- bald, dark skinned and a shaved beard, dressed in an ash colored top and black trouser and the woman, fair skinned, with a black long braided hair in a purple native Yoruba dress designed with yellow flowers- sitting next to each other, immediately sprang up from their chairs, their face filled with relief as they saw me sit up on the bed. The woman, almost immediately before I could say a word, moved quickly towards me, wrapping her hands around me, holding me into a warm hug. She said with a shaky voice ''Thank goodness, you''ve finally woken up''. ''Yes mum...I''m awake'' I said as I wrapped my hands around her. My dad stood there quietly for a few seconds, by the look on his face, I could tell that he wanted to do something but didn''t know exactly what to do. My dad has always been known to be a cool, strict, level- headed man, but in actuality, he''s just a shy, caring man. He finally opened his mouth and said ''Welcome back Mr.Olamilekan. You''ve been unconscious for Seven whole days, but thank goodness that you''re finally awake''. I nodded then immediately, he turned around and walked out of the room. My mother finally released me from her tight warm hug. "How are you feeling?" , she asked. I nodded then answered "I''m fine ma". She smiled. She and said to me as she opened the door intending to leave the room " wait here, I''ll go call the doctor to have you checked up. Hopefully, if there''s nothing wrong with you, you will be discharged immediately". Only after she left the room that I noticed that the atmosphere wasn''t right. I could hear cries and weeping, disturbing noises coming from the other rooms. The entire hospital was in chaos, but underneath those cries, I could hear faint sounds of joy and laughter. I got up from the bed then moved towards the window. Unlike the hospital, the street was silent, almost like it was abandoned. I contracted my eyes, looking at a dark skinned boy, with a sharp jawline, broad shoulders, and a rough- uncombed hair in a taper fade haircut. He looked like a person with a terminal disease. That person was my me- my reflection to be exact. I stared continuously at my reflection, examining my thin worn out body as my once black eyes turned bright yellow. I flinched, stepping back from the window, then moved back towards the window once again, staring fiercely at my eyes. "Whoa...what the hell?", I whispered to myself while using my right hand to widely open my right eye. I stayed there for about five seconds until I heard a clacking sound from the door. I turned around and a man- in glasses,fair skinned, in a low cut hairstyle, dresses in a matching blue top and trouser and a lab coat, walked in along with my mother. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª A few minutes after a series of tests performed by the doctor had been completed, I was finally discharged from the hospital. I walked out of the white painted hospital with a board placed at the top in front of the building with "T&P Medical Center" inscribed on the board. I towards my Dad''s black SUV parked in front of the hospital. As I was about to open the back door of the car, the phrase "It is the end", sprang up into my mind. I stood there trying to recall where I had heard that phrase from because I knew I had heard it from somewhere, but my thinking was cut short as my dad said to me with a hint of annoyance in his voice "will you get in the car, or will you rather stay here?". I smiled slightly then opened the door and got in the car. Whilst on the road, the streets we passed on our way home seemed foreign to me. The pathway which I once knew was now nothing but ruins. Tall buildings had collapsed. A once beautiful green field now withered giving off a strange blackish visible aura. Other facilities and buildings, burnt. It was as if it was the start of an apocalypse. It was all so...unreal. It was all terrifying and all, but what caught my attention, was tall spikes of ice 2.7 kilometers wide and almost as tall as a skyscraper. It was beautiful yet terrifying. I noticed that during our ride home, my parents didn''t seem to flinch at the sight of everything, it all seemed natural to them. We eventually arrived at our destination, my home. A duplex, painted in grey with a touch of navy blue. I stepped out of the car, moved towards the front door of the house, opened the door and the first thing I saw was my brother dressed in a plain white top with a letter "Z" written at the front which was the logo of a fashion brand, running towards me with an excited smile on his face. My younger brother, Joshua, is a fair-skinned, 5 ft 8, 17 years old boy, with features that look almost like those of my mother. He pulled me in for a hug but almost immediately pulled back out as he whispered to himself "damn...not cool". I couldn''t help but laugh as I said "you really like acting cool when you''re definitely not". "Whatever" he said as he turned around, walked towards a one seater couch in the living room and sat on it. "You need to eat something. Look at how skinny you look" my mom said while walking into the kitchen which was at the left side of the living room upon entry through the front door. My father sat on the three seater couch then signalled to Joshua to get the remote. I left the living room immediately after ¡ªheaded straight to my room located at the right-end in the corridor which was at the right side of the living room upon entry through the front door. I sat on my bed, placed both my hands on my head. I felt bitter as I recalled what happened the night everything changed. I thought about the boy I had unintentionally killed, "what of his parents? How will they feel right now? What if they''re looking for him or worse find his burnt dead body on the ground?". I thought about all that till I fell asleep, lying down with my face facing my right and my body facing upwards in an uncomfortable position. The Other Side (1) APRIL 24, 2026: NIGHT OF THE EVENT DARRYL VIGGS: An excavation to discover what was on the other side of the ice wall in Antarctica. The atmosphere was freezing as we stood, waiting for the machine ¡ª a 9 foot tall machine with something which shot out like a cannon at the front of it¡ª to completely create a path big enough for me and 3 other scientists like myself, and a group of mercenaries¡ª seven in number, to pass through the gigantic Ice wall in Antarctica. Viktor Tanley, a short man, with pale skin, dressed in a thick white coat¡ª almost as white as snow, stood at my right side with his head facing up as he gazed at the machine. "This baby sure works like a charm. Just a few minutes left for her to complete her work", he said as he placed both his hands behind his neck. "Imagine if the United States government got their hands on something like this, they could go to war with enemy countries with her", he continued as he chuckled. I placed my right hand in the pocket situated at the right side of my white thick coat and took out a hand-held transceiver. "Stop the machine", I said while waving gently to the man seated at the top of the machine in what looked like a Small portable box with a chair and controls used in operating the machine. "Roger ", he replied. The machine stopped immediately and we all geared up to move to the other side of the wall. The path was foggy as we made our way to the other side. A small camera was placed on the left breast side of each of our coats so as to record what we''ll see or encounter. The other side of the wall compared to the side we came from was dark, but not too dark as we could still see. There were no stars, no sight of the moon nor the sun. It was as if this place was excluded from the outside world and the wall was a barrier stopping humans from coming here. The atmosphere there was ominous. It felt like we walked into the devil''s lair. The excited look on Viktor''s face before we got to the other side completely vanished, what was left was a frightened look as he also could feel the evil in the air. Even the mercenaries that accompanied us were trembling in fear. But no one said anything or tried to stop the excavation as we knew that we had to complete our mission. Stolen novel; please report. After walking endlessly in the cold dark unknown for Forty-seven minutes and thirty-six seconds, we came across a large round stone placed on the ground with strange symbols written on it. The stone was as big as an average bedroom. I moved closer to the edge of the stone to get a closer look at the stone. Viktor followed immediately behind me. I knelt down and placed my right hand on the stone, tracing the symbols with my fingers. "It''s written in an ancient language. It''s written in Sanscript" I said as I looked up at Viktor who was standing right beside me. I got up, stood on top of the stone, then walked towards where the sentence starts. I looked at the symbols on the stone for a few seconds then began to say the sentence written in it. "Beware the evil dragon consumed by dark magic...", I paused for a bit raising my right eyebrow in confusion as I looked towards Viktor who was standing right outside the stone. I looked back down at the stone then decided to continue to read out what was written on the stone. "To those who will find this stone tablet, do not speak his name for he will be released from his prison. Do not speak the name...DANAKAH". Almost immediately, a blackish-red light shot up from the stone beneath me, engulfing me. I could feel my body being torn to pieces from the pressure. All I could do was scream until I couldn''t scream anymore. I could feel my life slipping away as everything became dark and... I died. The Other Side (2) VIKTOR TANLEY: I couldn''t help but tremble as I witnessed Darryl''s gruesome death. My eyes filled with fear and my jaws wide open. The light emitted by the stone shot up into the sky. I wanted to run but my body refused to move as I was struck with unimaginable fear. I looked up at the beam of light that shot up into the sky when ¡ª "Viktor... Viktor, are you there?", a voice sounded from the transceiver situated at the left side pocket of my coat. The pressure I felt from the beam of light rendered me unable to move nor talk. I was like a human statue. After a few seconds of standing still, I managed to pull out my transceiver in my pocket which was situated at the right-hand side of my coat. "Help! Help!", I screamed through the transceiver. Ethan Connors, a young man not much younger than i am, blue eyed, brown hair and a full beard, came running towards me. He was dressed the same way I was, a big thick white coat and trouser and a fur coated pair of shoes. Three of the seven mercenaries came running along with him. They were about twenty meters away from where I stood yet the sight of them filled me with a little bit of relief but all of a sudden, everything went dark. ETHAN CONNORS: "Stop!!!", I screamed, spreading my hands out wide in order to stop the mercenaries behind me from moving any further. Viktor Tanley, the fellow scientist who had screamed for help was now a pile of blood and bones, crushed by the hands of a strange huge creature. The beam of light which shot up to the sky was now gone. A thick fog surrounded the area and the only thing I could see was the huge paws on top of Viktor with blood seeping from underneath it. A huge gust of wind blew away the fog in an instant and what I saw was something extremely terrifying. A huge black creature, the size of a two story building and very large wings. It looked like an eagle with four pointy horns on its head. "A dragon", I mumbled while trembling in fear. I looked back to try and signal to the mercenaries to run back to the tent, but there wasn''t anyone behind me. They all ran away, leaving me alone. "Bastards", screamed in anger while running back to where we had set our tent. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Finally! I am free!" A sharp petrifying voice sounded behind me stopping me in my tracks. "Hahahahaha!", the dragon laughed maniacally which resounded all around the area. "Every human living on this planet will feel my...", the dragon was cut short as chains sprung out from the ground beneath the dragon and bound it. The dragon struggled to break free from the chains but was unsuccessful. "Ugh, damn you, Dhaivat." The dragon shouted in anger. "Do you really think this would hold me?" The dragon said. " I''ll break out of this once I regain all of my power and then I''ll kill and devour the humans to care so much about. Just wait and see. I''ll end them all, every last one of them!", the dragon stopped them curled up, covering its head and part of its body with his large wings. At that moment all the evil pressure I felt subsided. With what I just witnessed, I knew that something terrible was about to happen and I had to inform this to the government as soon as possible. I turned around and made my way back to the tent we had set up. The mercenaries were nowhere to be seen. "Stupid bastards" I snarled. I picked up a black bag I had brought with me and made my way back to the wall. Luckily, it wasn''t that hard to find my way back thanks to a trail of lights we left on our way here. "What have we done?", I said as I made my way into the foggy passageway that led back to the main side of the wall. A Sudden Announcement MAY 1, 2026: PRESENT DAY OLAMILEKAN: A knock on my room door woke me up from my very long nap. I opened my eyes, looking directly at the white painted ceiling. "Ola, get your arse down here now. Mum''s calling you. She''s in the kitchen.", Joshua said rudely. I sat down on my bed quietly, not replying to him, until he knocked again¡ª this time more loudly. " Will you stop it.", I snarled. "Whatever. Just get your arse to the kitchen.", he snarled back as he walked down the corridor, away from my room. I sat down there till the sound of his footsteps receded completely. I got up, opened my room door and went straight to the kitchen. "Good morning mum." I said as I walked into the kitchen. "Good morning.", she replied. "You''ve been asleep since yesterday afternoon. The nap you had for seven days wasn''t enough for you?", she added. There was silence for about four seconds as I stood there quietly without replying to her. "Go get your food. It''s on the dining table" she said after the four seconds of silence. "Alright ma''am", I replied as I walked out of the kitchen. After completely devouring my wonderful breakfast, I made my way to the living room, where my dad sat, watching the news. I didn''t pay attention to what was being said on the television until a certain phrase caught my attention, "CATACLYSMIC EVENT". That certain word drew me closer and I paid more attention to what was said on the news. The newscaster, a woman¡ª probably in her early 30''s, dark skinned, and a sleek bob hairstyle. She wore a black turtleneck sweater underneath and a grey suit on top. She sat behind a long navy blue desk that curved inward. She arranged the sheets of paper on the table in front of her before reading out the contents of the sheets of paper. "In the recent event that has defied all known scientific understanding a massive phenomenon has irrevocably changed human existence. At precisely 9:27 PM WAT in Nigeria. Night all of a sudden, became day. This Phenomenon caused a lot of confusion and chaos in the country, resulting in the death of multiple civilians and property damage.", she paused for a bit, then continued. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. "The unprecedented development of strange abilities in civilians caused this chaos, which resulted in it being deemed the "CATACLYSMIC EVENT". She paused again, then continued. "The United States government has proposed an idea to all other countries to gather all individuals who developed abilities and perform a series of tests on them as this awakening isn''t meta-powers but magical powers, which they deemed more dangerous. We''ve also been informed that there is a way to know if a person is awakened, the only problem is that it''s not a very effective way of determining if one is truly an awakened individual or not." She paused again, this time a bit longer as she flipped over the paper in her hands. "After the event there was a series of cases where civilians ¡ª millions of them lost consciousness. The government has advised that people who didn''t lose consciousness should stay away from those who lost consciousness that very hour for they have a very high probability of being awakened." The woman was about to continue as my dad, who was seated on the three seater couch switched off the TV using the remote in his right hand. He has a worried look on his face as he looked at me immediately then said "go get your brother. I need to have a talk with both of you." By the look on his face, I instinctively knew that something was wrong. Immediately, I went to my brother''s room and called him out. We both stood in front of my dad who was still seated on the couch. "Ola, you saw the recent news, so you know what''s going on."my father said. " Yes sir", I replied immediately. "The both of you fainted that same night so there''s a probability that you''re one of those people they call ''awakened''." He added. Immediately my father finished what he was saying, I looked at my brother with a curious look on my face that even cats will be able to tell what that kind of look meant. "What''s with that face?", he asked. "It''s not a big deal that I fainted that night, besides I woke up the next day.", he added as he lifted his shoulders in an indifferent shrug. "He woke up the next day? Then why did I wake up seven days later?", I thought to myself. "I need the both of you to tell me if you''re experiencing anything weird. Don''t try to hide anything from me.", my dad said, his voice sharp and cold. Joshua who was standing right beside me look to the ground as if he was hiding something. As I tried to tap him with my right hand to ask him if he''s hiding something, he looked back up, took out his left hand and some kind of black light¡ª although not bright, sprang out of his hand, spiraled around his hand then later formed an imperfect ball. "What the hell?", I thought to myself as my eyes widened. A Knock On the Door OLAMILEKAN Whatever my brother showed put my dad and me absolutely beside ourselves. Black, curling cloud hung against the top of his hand, writhing and contracting like it consisted of living smoke. "Just. what is it?" I queried, my own voice little better than a whispered breath as I extended a trembling hand, overcome by some unreasonable impulse. Joshua scrunched up his face, gazing down at the dark strands curling around his fingers. "I don''t know how to describe it, but when I do this, I feel. connected¡ªlike I''m a part of the shadows, like the shadows can hear me." A shiver worked its way down my spine. "So, a darkness. ability?" The term didn''t feel strong enough, not heavy enough, for what I was witnessing. He nodded, slow. "Yeah, I think so." Our dad, who''d been sitting silently, finally said something. "Ola, what about you?" My breath caught. My power¡ªthe very same power that had incinerated that kid to death¡ªstrobed through my mind like an insistent nightmare. My fists clenched involuntarily. "It''s safer if I don''t show you," I growled, struggling to keep my voice from shaking. "If I lose control, I could kill every single person in this house." My father didn''t bat an eyelid. Rather, he got up, shaking his hands clean. "Then you''ll simply have to show me outside." His voice was level, yet firm, no room for negotiation. "Let''s go, both of you." He led us out to the back yard, where he picked up an old wooden chair and placed it in the center of the lawn. He sat down, crossed his arms, and looked at me, waiting. My heart started racing. I stalled, then extended my hand, trying to tap into whatever potential was stored away inside of me. I focused, forehead wrinkled in intense concentration. Nothing. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Joshua erupted into laughter. "Hah! You said your powers could kill all of us, but now? Nothing? What a joke!" He chuckled, shaking his head. "At least I know one of my sons is normal." Our father grunted, standing up from the chair, clearly disappointed. But as he started to turn away, my still-extended hand suddenly erupted into a dazzling, blinding light. A golden flash illuminated the backyard, bathing everything in a radiating blast. My father and Joshua took a step back, their eyes scrunched shut against the raw intensity, while I just stood there, untouched, feeling the raw power coursing through me. It blinked out within a few seconds, leaving behind the strange stillness. I reminded them that they could now safely open their eyes. But even then, it took some pause before they complied. Once their eyes opened, however, fear took control over them. "I. I can''t see," stammered Joshua, his fists shaking. "Neither can I," our father spoke, his usually calm voice frayed with agitation. I swallowed hard, guilt gnawing at my belly. I coaxed them both carefully back in, making them rest on their beds to recover. Soon enough, a loud knock came at the front door, shaking me out of my daze. I walked slowly to it and opened the door. Standing before me was a dark-skinned young woman, not more than five feet tall, with black braided hair cascading down her shoulders. Her brown eyes locked into mine with an almost mischievous glint. A very slightly pointed nose and thin lips completed her familiar face. She had on a black crop top beneath a grey jacket, the sleeves of which had two wide white stripes. Grey wide-leg pants and sparkling white sneakers completed her outfit. "Temi?" I blinked, an eyebrow lifting. "What are you doing here?" She snorted, rolling her eyes and pushing past me. "What do you think, idiot?" she growled. "I''m here to see you, obviously!" We hadn''t talked in a whole week because someone had to go unconscious for Seven whole days. I shut the door with a sigh. "Whatever." She spun around, eyes blazing with excitement. "Now, tell me¡ªare you one of the Awakened?!" I backed away, gasping with a sharp hiss. "Yeah," I admitted. "I am." She grabbed at my hands before I could do something about it, literally bouncing up and down. "Can I see?" "See what?" "Your powers, obviously!" she blew out in exasperation. I broke loose. "I can''t show you. It''s dangerous. My dad and Joshua lost their vision temporarily because of it." Her enthusiasm didn''t waver. If anything, it increased. "Ohhh, so it''s a light power! That''s awesome! I wish I''d gotten here earlier so I could have seen it firsthand." I shook my head at her ridiculousness when a loud and insistent knock on the door came, cutting me off. Temi frowned. "You expecting someone?" I wasn''t. A sense of sinking began in my stomach as I walked towards the door. Peering through the peephole, I stood still. Standing outside were three individuals¡ªtwo men in crisp black suits, their faces expressionless, and a woman in dark blue with an insignia on her chest. Government agents. They weren''t here for a casual visit . They were here for Joshua and me. To test us. To determine what we were truly capable of. A Fathers Stand, A Sons Fury OLAMILEKAN I motioned to Temi, instructing her to take cover somewhere within the house. She hesitated for a second before hiding behind a nearby wall. I took a deep breath and flung open the door a few seconds later. The three individuals standing in front of me radiated an eerie presence, their icy, unreadable faces sending a shiver down my spine. "Good day, gentlemen and madam. How may I help you?" I attempted a cheerful note, glossing over the fear that was building inside. The dark-haired woman in the center, thinner than the men on either side of her but exuding without doubt authority, stepped forward. Her black braids were slicked back from her face, and in her gloved hand she was clutching a thin handheld unit. "Are you Mr. Johnson Bamidele?" she said, her voice sharp and unyielding. I took a step back. "No, ma''am. I am Olamilekan Bamidele. My father''s name is Johnson Bamidele." Her sharp eyes locked with mine. "So you are Olamilekan. You and your brother have been identified to be Awakened. According to the government decree, you must come with us for immediate evaluation and testing." My stomach churned inside out. I took a tiny step back. "I don''t think my father would¡ª" Before I could proceed, heavy footsteps echoed from the hallway behind me. My father and Joshua, their eyes still rubbing from the effects of my power, came out of their rooms. "What''s going on here?" my father''s deep voice cut through the tension. His piercing eyes swept over the officials, taking in the situation at a glance. "Who are you people, and why are you standing at my doorstep?" The woman barely looked at him twice before she started talking. "We represent the National Security Department for Awakened People. Your boys have demonstrated impressive capabilities, and under government procedure, they must be tested as soon as possible to determine how far they can take it." This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Joshua tensed beside me. "We don''t need testing," he muttered aloud, but the woman didn''t catch it. My father stepped forward, his posture rigid. "If my sons are special, that¡¯s our business. You¡¯re not taking them anywhere." One of the suited men reached into his jacket, pulling out a badge. "Mr. Bamidele, this isn¡¯t a request. It¡¯s a directive from the government. Failing to comply will be seen as an obstruction of official duty." I swallowed hard. The air between us crackled with hostility. The woman swiftly held the device in her hand and pointed it at me. The screen lit up as it scanned me, emitting a gentle hum. All seemed fine at first, but then¡ª BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! The device let out an earsplitting alarm, the digits on the screen racing beyond their highest ratings. The woman''s eyes widened in shock, her hand quivering slightly as she read the results. "This. This is impossible," she gasped. The men in the suits leaned over her shoulder, their otherwise expressionless faces contorting for the first time. "A reading this high shouldn''t even exist," one of them snarled. "His magical power is off the charts¡ªit''s a disaster." I didn''t fully understand what they were discussing, but I knew this much: it wasn''t good. As soon as that word was spoken¡ªdisaster¡ªthe room''s mood shifted. The woman rose, her face impassive again. "He is too dangerous to be left alone. We have to take countermeasures right away." My father stepped in front of me. "You''re not taking my son anywhere." The two business-suited men stepped forward together. One reached to grab something from his waist¡ªa containment device? A gun? "Step aside, Mr. Bamidele," the woman ordered. "Over my dead body," my father growled, his fists clenched. It all occurred so rapidly. One of the men acted swiftly¡ªtoo swiftly. In a flash, he slapped my father on the chest with an open hand, the force sending him crashing into the wall behind him. A sickening cracking noise filled the air as my father collapsed to the floor, still. "DAD!" Joshua and I both screamed in horror. We ran towards him, but he wasn''t moving. His breathing was faint¡ªtoo faint. Temi, hiding behind the corner, let out a shout. The woman turned around to confront the suited attacker who had punched my father. "You hit him too hard. We needed him to comply, not be comatose." I barely heard them. My hands trembled as I touched my father''s unconscious body. My blood boiled, and an unfamiliar sensation clawed at the edge of my control. The energy inside me was sparking. I could feel my body afire. The agents took a step back, their own bravado usurped by fear. "He''s reacting¡­ his energy levels are spiking!" one shrieked out. The woman seized another gadget, a cuff of containment. "Restrain him before it''s too late!" she com manded. But it was already too late. Something in me snapped. Losing Control TEMI The mood Ola emanated when he stood up was intimidating. There was a golden aura of excellence around him that covered his entire body. He stood up from where he had been kneeling, close to his father. With every step he took as he moved towards the government officials, the entire world seemed to be shaking. The officials retreated, their own perceptions influenced by the pressure of his wonderful aura. I examined Ola more closely as he drew near the officials. There was a faint dark spark that ran along the edges of the aura surrounding him. "What was that?" I grumbled. The energy that he carried was not just light¡ªbut something. Something darker. Something primal. One of the uniformed men drew his belt and pulled out what looked like a suppression device. "Stand down, Olamilekan! You are now in the hands of the government. If you resist, we will be forced to¡ª" Before he could finish it, Ola moved. Too fast. One second, he was standing over his father. The next, he was standing next to the official, gripping his wrist so hard that the device cracked in his hand. "You think you can take me?" Twisted, Ola''s voice was thick with something ancient and powerful. His eyes blazed golden, but behind them, a seething pit of darkness pulled at the fringes of everything. Runes¡ªshining, ancient runes¡ªbegan to write themselves in the air about him, twisting and morphing like living things. The second officer threatened him, baton at the back of Ola''s head. Before a heartbeat could pass, Ola released the first man and raised his hand. A snap of his fingers produced a golden shockwave that hurled the attacker across the yard, sending him crashing into the side of the house. A shocked gasp came from behind us. "Ola! What is going on here?!" I spun around and saw his mother in the doorway, bags of groceries spilling from her arms as she struggled to comprehend the chaos before her¡ªher unconscious husband, the fallen official, and her son radiating like an unearthly figure of devastation. "Stay back, Mom!" Joshua yelled, leaping into her path to shield her. It was too late. Ola had totally lost his mind. A guttural, low-pitched voice exploded from his throat, words that made no sense to me. The runes that whirled about him flared brighter, whirling outward as if the power of the cosmos had been unleashed. The ground beneath him broke apart, and in a moment¡ªhe was levitating. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. He was flying. "This is not good," one of the officials complained, stumbling for balance. "He''s developing abilities beyond the recorded parameters. We have to restrain him now!" The first agent recovered, adjusting his suit. "Full force engaged. If we don''t, we''re all dead." The two agents launched themselves at Ola, their movements helped by some unseen power. One pulled out a baton that glowed with electricity, the other summoned a shield of dark energy upon his arms. Ola, still suspended, waved both hands. Pillars of golden light erupted from the sky, crashing into the ground like divine meteors, sending agents scurrying to escape them. But they were professionals. One of them teleported behind Ola, cuffing a energy-restraining cuff around his wrist. It snapped shut in a blue burst of light. Ola''s energy flared in response, and the device shattered into pieces. He snarled in rage, punching the agent in the chest, sending him through the fence. The other two officials took advantage of the opportunity and unleashed a flurry of swift-shot energy bolts. One landed squarely on the back of Ola, which made him spasm forward. Another struck his leg. He merely flinched. "Enough!" Ola yelled, his arms extended. The world itself trembled as raw, unchecked power ripped outward. The blast hurled us all¡ªmyself included¡ªacross the ground. I could hardly draw a breath as the mere weight of his power bludgeoned down upon me. And then, something changed. Ola fell out of the air. The dark sparks in his aura diffused, tainting the golden light with something evil. His face twisted as though he fought an internal struggle. The runes blazed wildly. His breathing grew ragged. "Restrain him now!" the other agent bellowed. A pod-like object of metal exploded from his wrist, stretching itself into a net of chains that glittered. Ola was captured before he could even shift, his limbs wrapped by the restraints. He shouted with a raw, feral sound as his power churned in wild revolt against the chains. But they were designed for someone like him. His flight was unsuccessful. His body spasmned. The runes shattered in light. And then, there was nothing. OLAMILEKAN I drifted in darkness. No earth, no sky¡ªonly a shapeless void that retreated beyond comprehension. I floated uselessly, my body weightless, my mind confused. Then, I heard it. A whisper, faint but echoing in the void. "It is the end¡ªhe can''t be stopped." My gaze swept around. "Who''s there?" No answer. Only the words, repeated over and over, louder, echoing in every direction. "It is the end¡ªhe can''t be stopped." I clenched my fists. "What do you mean?! Who is ''he''?" The whispers merged into a chant, hundreds of voices mingling, speaking an ancient language, older than the very fabric of time itself. The shadows close to me began to writhe, coil, like a snake. Then a single figure emerged from the darkness. Dark, faceless, towering over me. Its very presence made me tremble throughout my entire body. "It is the end¡ªhe can''t be stopped." A jolt of energy ran through me, and I was suddenly¡ª Awake in a dark, cramped space. My head throbbed. The smell of metal and disinfectant stung my nostrils. Joshua sat beside me, wrists secured by strange cuffs. He was drowsy but awake. "Where¡ª" My dry mouth. I struggled to move but felt restrained. "We''re in a van," Joshua slurred. "They''re taking us to the NSDA." "NSDA?" "It''s their headquarters¡ª I suppose." Joshua replied. And then, harsh reality slapped me in the face. I lost. And we were hostages.