The doorbell rang again.

  Its sharp chime cut through the quiet house and echoed up the stairs.

  Mayo glanced toward his bedroom door. Near the window, Toviro stood silently, still watching the strange morning sky. At the sound, he slowly turned his head toward the hallway.

  "That is the second time," Toviro said.

  "Yeah."

  For a moment they looked at each other. Then both turned toward the door.

  "Let's go see who it is."

  They stepped into the hallway and started down the stairs. From below, footsteps approached the front door. Haruto's voice followed, calm but slightly curious.

  "Alright, alright, I'm coming."

  The latch clicked.

  The door opened.

  "Finally!"

  The visitor stepped inside before anyone could react, chewing loudly on something wrapped in paper.

  "Man, your bell is loud."

  The voice was unmistakable.

  Mayo reached the bottom step just in time to see Ozair standing in the doorway, mouth full of whatever he was eating. Behind him stood his little sister Ava, clutching the strap of a small bag and looking painfully embarrassed.

  Haruto blinked in surprise, then smiled.

  "Ozair? What are you doing here this early?"

  Ozair swallowed and wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve.

  "Morning," he said casually, as if nothing unusual had happened.

  Ava tugged on his sleeve.

  "You're supposed to say sorry for ringing the bell so hard," she whispered.

  "I barely touched it."

  "You pressed it like five times!"

  Ava's face turned bright red the moment she realized she had raised her voice.

  Just then, Mina stepped out from the kitchen, drying her hands with a cloth. When she saw Ava, her expression softened immediately.

  "Ava! Come here, sweetheart."

  The girl stepped inside shyly while Mina gently brushed a loose strand of hair from her face.

  Mina looked between them, her brows knitting together.

  "You're freezing," she said. "You two look like you've been outside for a while. Are you alright?"

  Ozair nodded. "Yeah. Mostly."

  Haruto folded his arms, a faint smile still on his face.

  "Mostly?"

  Ozair shrugged. "Our house partially collapsed."

  The room went quiet.

  Mina froze. Haruto blinked once in surprise. From the stairs, Toviro turned his head toward them.

  "Collapsed?" Haruto repeated.

  Ozair waved a hand like it wasn't a big deal. "Just part of it. One side wall and a bit of the roof."

  Ava frowned at him. "Our room doesn't even have a wall anymore," she said softly.

  Ozair gave a confident nod. "That's just extra ventilation."

  Toviro tilted his head slightly. "Structural damage is not commonly referred to as ventilation."

  Ozair pointed at him. "See? Even the robot is worried."

  Haruto sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

  "And your father?"

  "Not home," Ozair said. "He left early yesterday morning to check the factory. He hasn't come back yet."

  Mayo stepped forward. "So you came here to ask for help?"

  Ozair grinned. "Exactly."

  Haruto let out a small chuckle. "Well, if the house is really that damaged, I can come help too."

  Ozair immediately shook his head.

  "No, no. It's okay. We just need a few hands to move some stuff and patch the wall for now. Nothing big."

  Haruto raised an eyebrow but didn't argue.

  Mayo glanced at Toviro.

  "Guess we're going."

  "I will accompany you for observation," Toviro said as he reached the bottom of the stairs.

  Ozair clapped his hands once.

  "Perfect. Let's go before more of the roof falls."

  Outside, the morning air felt strangely heavy.

  The sky was bright, yet something about the light felt wrong. The sun shone normally, but the color of the sky looked slightly off, like a reflection trembling on moving water.

  People were already outside.

  Some stood in small groups talking loudly. Others stared down at their phones. A few simply looked up at the sky as if waiting for something to happen.

  Mayo, Ozair, Ava, and Toviro walked down the street together.

  From a nearby electronics shop, the voice of a news broadcast spilled through the open doorway. A large television inside showed a reporter speaking quickly while footage of the night sky played behind her.

  "…scientists around the world continue to investigate the unusual movement of celestial bodies observed last night…"

  A logo appeared beside the broadcast.

  Spake.

  Ozair glanced at the screen as they passed.

  "They've been talking about that all morning."

  Mayo looked around. Some people seemed worried. Others didn't appear concerned at all.

  One man laughed while showing something on his phone to a friend.

  "Relax. Spake will fix it," he said.

  Nearby, a group of elderly women stood together, whispering quiet prayers.

  A shopkeeper adjusted the volume on his television and shook his head slowly.

  "This isn't normal," he muttered.

  Phones buzzed all around them with emergency alerts.

  Ava stepped closer to Ozair.

  "Why are people praying?" she asked quietly.

  Ozair shrugged.

  "Because people panic when things get weird."

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  They turned down another street.

  The farther they walked, the more signs of last night's earthquake appeared. Cracks stretched across several walls. Broken tiles lay scattered along the sidewalks. Some shop windows had already been covered with rough wooden boards.

  Mayo felt a faint pressure building behind his eyes.

  He rubbed his temple.

  Toviro noticed immediately.

  "Are you experiencing discomfort?"

  "It's nothing," Mayo said.

  The pressure faded a moment later.

  They kept walking.

  After a few minutes, they reached Aryan's house. Ozair knocked loudly, and a moment later the door opened.

  Aryan stepped outside with his phone still in his hand.

  "You guys saw the news?" he asked immediately.

  Ozair nodded. "Yeah. Also, my house tried to fall apart."

  Aryan glanced past him toward Ava. "Seriously?"

  "Part of it," Ozair replied. "We're going to fix it. Want to help?"

  Aryan checked his phone once more before slipping it into his pocket.

  "Sure."

  Within minutes they were walking again. With Aryan joining them, the group felt larger and noticeably louder.

  Aryan talked about the strange news reports while Ozair insisted the scientists were exaggerating again. Ava walked quietly beside Mayo, occasionally glancing at the gathering crowds.

  People stood in groups along the streets. Some argued loudly about the strange movement in the sky, while others continued their routines as if nothing unusual had happened. Even so, the tension in the air was impossible to ignore.

  When they reached Ozair's house, the damage was immediately visible.

  Half of the outer wall had collapsed inward, leaving broken bricks and wooden beams scattered across the yard. One section of the roof hung at an awkward angle.

  Toviro studied the structure for a moment before letting out a soft whistle.

  "Yeah… that's more than ventilation."

  Ozair scratched the back of his head.

  "Okay, maybe a little more."

  They got to work quickly. Haruto had given them a few basic tools before they left, and the boys began clearing rubble from the entrance.

  Aryan lifted a heavy beam alongside Ozair while Mayo gathered loose bricks and stacked them nearby.

  Dust filled the air as they worked, and sweat slowly ran down their faces. Toviro occasionally stepped closer to examine the structure and point out adjustments.

  "That beam needs to be aligned properly," he said, inspecting the frame. "Otherwise the structure will remain unstable."

  Ozair groaned as he pushed the wood into place.

  "You sound like my math teacher."

  Despite the hard work, the mood stayed light. They joked as they went, complained about school, and argued about whether classes might be canceled given everything happening in the world.

  The work took hours. By the time they reached the final damaged section of the wall, the sun had already begun sinking toward the horizon.

  Warm orange light stretched long shadows across the yard.

  Most of the broken beams had been moved, and the collapsed bricks were stacked neatly to one side.

  Only one last plank remained before the temporary support would be finished.

  Ozair stood near the damaged wall with several long screws in one hand and a hammer in the other.

  "Just bring that wood over here!" he called.

  A few meters away, Aryan carried a bundle of wooden planks. Dust clung to his shirt, and sweat ran down his temple as he walked forward.

  After a few steps, he suddenly stopped.

  His eyes lifted slowly toward the sky.

  Ozair frowned.

  "Hurry up! It's the last one!"

  Aryan didn't respond.

  "Aryan?"

  Still no answer. The wooden planks remained in his arms, motionless.

  "Oy, handsome!" Ozair shouted again, louder this time. "Are you deaf or something?"

  When there was still no reaction, Ozair walked over and placed a hand on Aryan's shoulder.

  "Hey, are you even listening—"

  The words stopped in his throat.

  Aryan wasn't looking at him.

  He was staring at the sky.

  Ozair followed his gaze briefly before glancing back at him.

  "What are you staring at? The sky's been weird all day."

  Aryan spoke quietly, almost to himself.

  "Look at the sun."

  Ozair glanced upward. The sun hung low near the horizon, glowing orange behind thin clouds.

  "What about it?" he said. "It's just setting."

  A soft mechanical whir approached as Toviro walked over and stopped beside them.

  "What are you two discussing?" he asked.

  Aryan kept his eyes on the sky.

  "Look at the sun."

  Ozair snorted. "Are you nuts? It's the sun. It's just setting."

  Aryan spoke again, calm but firm.

  "It's setting in the opposite direction."

  For a moment neither Ozair nor Toviro said anything. Then both looked up again.

  Ozair stared at the sun for several seconds. The orange light spread across the sky just like every evening. After a moment he scratched his head.

  "I don't see anything wrong," he said. "This is how it sets every day, isn't it?"

  No one answered him.

  Aryan slowly turned and looked at him.

  "Do you even know which direction the sun rises from and which direction it sets?"

  Ozair crossed his arms immediately.

  "You think I'm a fool? Everyone knows that."

  "Then say it," Aryan replied calmly.

  Ozair scoffed.

  "It rises from… west… and sets to…" He paused, thinking. "North, I think."

  Aryan stared at him.

  "You fool."

  Ozair's eyes widened.

  "What did you just say?"

  Before the argument could go any further, Toviro spoke.

  "Aryan is correct."

  Both boys turned toward him.

  "The sun rises in the east and sets in the west," Toviro explained.

  Ozair waved his hand impatiently.

  "Yeah, yeah, east, west, whatever."

  Toviro pointed toward the horizon.

  "But today it appears that the sun rose from the east—and appears to be setting in the same direction."

  Ozair blinked.

  "I'm lost now."

  The sun continued lowering. Something about its position felt deeply wrong.

  "In simple terms," Toviro continued, "the sun rose normally and reached its highest point at noon. However, instead of continuing toward the west, its path reversed."

  Ozair stared at him for several seconds, then slowly looked back at the sky.

  "Wait…"

  He pointed toward the horizon.

  "So you're saying something is wrong with the sun?"

  "Not necessarily the sun itself," Toviro replied.

  Ozair frowned.

  "Then the solar system?"

  Toviro was quiet for a moment before answering.

  "An event like this should not be possible. If our observation is correct, it would mean reality itself is behaving incorrectly."

  The sun continued its slow descent.

  Ozair crossed his arms.

  "I didn't understand everything you said, but I got enough to know it's bad."

  "Yes," Toviro replied quietly. "It is."

  Behind them, the sky continued changing color as evening spread slowly across the town. Somewhere beyond the fading light, the universe itself seemed to be shifting.

  Mayo looked up quietly.

  The light bent strangely along the edges of the clouds. For a brief moment he thought he saw something enormous lurking behind the sun—a shape too large to belong to any world he knew.

  It looked like a giant eye, staring through the light.

  Mayo blinked.

  The image vanished instantly.

  A sharp pulse struck behind his eyes, forcing him to grip a wooden plank until the feeling passed.

  "You alright?" Aryan asked.

  "Yeah," Mayo replied.

  They finished stabilizing the damaged wall just as evening settled over the neighborhood. Ozair's mother stepped outside to thank them, then invited everyone in for dinner.

  Toviro accepted immediately, even though he didn't need to eat. Ozair followed without hesitation.

  Mayo hesitated.

  "I'm going to head home," he said.

  Ozair shrugged.

  "Suit yourself."

  Mayo waved goodbye and began walking back toward the main street.

  The neighborhood felt quieter now. One by one, the streetlights flickered on, casting pale yellow light across the empty road.

  Above him, the sky still looked slightly distorted, as if the air itself were warped.

  Suddenly, a shout echoed from down the road.

  A second later, the sharp sound of breaking glass followed.

  Mayo stopped.

  Across the street, the doors of a small bank burst open and three masked men rushed out carrying large bags.

  One of them raised a gun and fired a shot into the air.

  The gunshot shattered the silence.

  People screamed and scattered in every direction. Panic spread instantly as pedestrians ran blindly from the bank.

  In the chaos, someone shoved Mayo from behind. Before he could react, another person crashed into him.

  He lost his balance and fell hard onto the pavement.

  His glasses slipped from his face and slid across the ground. The world instantly blurred.

  Mayo's heart pounded as he dropped to his hands and knees, desperately searching the pavement.

  Around him, people kept running past in panic, their footsteps echoing loudly across the street.

  Just then, a car screeched to a stop nearby.

  The robbers' escape vehicle had arrived, pulling up only a few meters away.

  One robber ran toward it, but another came out of the bank gripping a small girl tightly by the arm. She struggled weakly as he dragged her across the pavement toward the car.

  Mayo still couldn't see clearly.

  His hands searched the ground.

  Finally, his fingers touched the familiar frame.

  His glasses.

  He grabbed them quickly and pushed them onto his face.

  The world snapped back into focus.

  At that exact moment, the robbers rushed past him.

  And that was when Mayo saw the girl.

  One of the masked men gripped her arm tightly, pulling her forward. The little girl looked terrified. Tears streamed down her face as she struggled helplessly.

  "Help me," she cried. "My mom is waiting."

  For a brief moment the world seemed to freeze.

  Everything faded into the background as Mayo stared at her. His mind hadn't begun to think yet. But his body had already decided.

  Before he realized it, Mayo was running forward.

  The robber barely had time to react before Mayo grabbed the girl's wrist and pulled her back.

  The sudden resistance made the robber stop. He turned slowly.

  "Let go, you pathetic shit."

  The punch came instantly.

  Pain exploded across Mayo's face as the blow sent him crashing to the ground. Another punch followed, then a heavy kick slammed into his side.

  His glasses cracked when they hit the pavement, and his vision blurred from the pain.

  The girl tried to run, but another robber grabbed her again.

  Even from the ground, Mayo reached out and caught her hand.

  His fingers wrapped tightly around hers.

  Every part of him wanted to let go. He didn't want to be hit again. His whole body screamed with pain and fear.

  But somehow, his hand refused to release her.

  "What the hell is your problem!" the robber shouted.

  Another rushed over. He grabbed Mayo by the collar and drove his fist down again and again.

  A brutal kick slammed into Mayo's ribs, forcing the air from his lungs. He coughed violently, blood filling his mouth.

  His fingers trembled.

  He almost let go.

  Almost.

  But he didn't.

  Sirens wailed in the distance.

  The robbers looked toward the sound as flashing lights appeared at the end of the street.

  "Police!"

  They were out of time.

  One robber shoved the girl away as they rushed for the car. Before leaving, one of them turned back and landed one final, heavy punch across Mayo's head.

  The world spun.

  Sound became distant and muffled as he collapsed against the cold pavement. Everything felt strangely quiet as darkness crept into the edges of his vision.

  He was about to lose consciousness.

  But just before everything faded, something strange happened.

  The air around Mayo shimmered faintly, like heat rising from scorched pavement.

  A pulse of pressure expanded outward from his body.

  Car alarms began blaring all at once.

  Several nearby windows cracked sharply.

  A thin vapor—almost like steam—slowly curled from his skin.

  The pressure lasted only a moment.

  Then it vanished.

  Mayo's body went still as the darkness closed in.

  Not far away, high on the edge of a tall building, two figures stood without moving.

  One tilted their head slightly.

  "Did you feel that?"

  The other nodded slowly.

  "That energy pressure wasn't ordinary."

  Both looked down toward the street, scanning for the source.

  "Is it the one?" the first figure asked quietly.

  The second watched a moment longer before answering.

  "It must be."

  A second later, both figures moved—leaping from the building and crossing to another rooftop so quickly it looked as though they had simply vanished.