The morning sun rose, but it didn't bring warmth.
The sky over Abuja was still tinted with that strange, vanta-blue hue. The clouds hadn't moved. The birds hadn't returned. Everything felt… paused.
Anthony hadn't slept.
He sat outside the apartment on the front step, a cut on his lip and a tightness in his chest he couldn't explain. The world felt distant, like it no longer belonged to him—or maybe he no longer belonged to it.
Confidence showed up just after 7 a.m.
No warning. No knock. She just stepped into the yard, wearing a hoodie, eyes red, holding a cracked phone.
"You're alive," she said quietly.
He stood up fast, surprised. "You came here?"
"I couldn't stay over there," she muttered. "My street's not normal anymore. People are acting like they're not people. One guy was speaking backwards and walking on the ceiling."
Anthony blinked. "You're serious?"
She didn't laugh. "Dead serious. Something happened to them… and maybe to us too."
Anthony looked at her closely. "Did anything… change for you?"
She hesitated. "A little. I keep hearing this noise no one else hears. Like a frequency under everything. It gives me headaches. But it also lets me sense things... people."
Anthony's hand twitched. "I saw a man floating last night. Glowing. And earlier, something ran across my fingers. Like lightning."
They both stood in silence.
Then Emmanuella appeared in the doorway, still sleepy-eyed. "Tony… the radio came on."
They exchanged glances and rushed inside.
---
"...this is a national emergency..."
The voice on the old battery-powered radio crackled through static.
"...we repeat, do not engage with anyone showing abnormal behavior. Do not trust unexplained abilities. Stay inside until a Rift Patrol Unit reaches your area."
Anthony frowned. "What's a Rift Patrol Unit?"
Confidence looked at him. "Sounds like the government finally noticed we're not in control anymore."
The broadcast continued.
"...affected individuals are being categorized. If you are experiencing strange physical or mental changes, report to the nearest containment checkpoint. Do not resist."
Anthony muttered, "Yeah, because people will definitely line up to get locked away."
Then the last part hit hard.
"...the global phenomenon is no longer isolated. Over 18 countries have confirmed similar sky anomalies. America, Brazil, Germany, South Africa, China, and more are reporting collapses in key cities. This is a worldwide event."
Confidence stared at him.
"This isn't a Nigerian crisis," she whispered.
"This is something else. Something bigger."
And for the first time since the sky bled vanta-blue… Anthony felt truly afraid.