Aren sat at his desk long after midnight, phone in hand, laptop open, eyes moving between both without really focusing on either.
The Origin Framework hadn't appeared again.
That bothered him more than if it had.
Every few minutes, he glanced at the corner of his vision out of habit, expecting the broken text to crawl back into place. He felt Nothing, Just the faint sense that something was still running, quietly, somewhere behind thought.
Online, things were falling apart in real time.
Live footage flooded every platform that still worked. Some clips were shaky, others too clean to be fake. A man in Spain tearing through concrete walls with his bare hands. A woman in Manila screaming as her body twisted into something inhuman before stabilizing again.
Somewhere in Eastern Europe, an entire apartment block collapsed after a single individual lost control of whatever had changed inside them.
Aren scrolled through threads faster than he could read them.
Some talked about awakening. Others used the word evolution. A few insisted it was mutation or nature correcting itself under pressure. Scientists argued on livestreams, pointing at brain scans and genetic markers that hadn't existed weeks ago.
None of them sounded confident.
Nigeria's response showed up in fragments.
The federal government issued a late-night address, calm voices behind polished desks, assuring citizens that the situation was under control. They called it a "global anomaly event," said emergency forces were mobilized, urged people to remain indoors.
In Lagos, that advice was already outdated.
Smoke rose in distant columns where transformers had blown and fires hadn't been contained. Sirens ran constantly now, sometimes cutting off mid-sound. Traffic was locked in some areas, abandoned in others. Social media showed military vehicles posted near government buildings, banks, broadcast stations.
Similar scenes played out everywhere.
The United States announced a temporary suspension of civilian air traffic. China locked down multiple provinces under "public safety protocols." Europe coordinated joint task forces while insisting there was no threat to sovereignty. Every nation spoke slowly, carefully, like saying the wrong thing might make the situation worse.
They were left way behind to follow up the changes happening
And it was kind of obvious.
Whatever was happening didn't follow borders, and it wasn't waiting for permission.
Aren leaned back in his chair and rubbed his face.
"So what are you?" he asked quietly.
The question wasn't directed at anyone in particular, but a few seconds later, text bled back into his vision.
Origin Framework active
User focus detected
His posture stiffened.
"Okay," he said. "Good. You can hear me."
No response.
He tried again. "What am i supposed to do now?"
The framework popped up again.
Function: developmental structure
Purpose: growth facilitation
That didn't clarify much.
"Everyone else seems to be getting… more advanced while mine is behaving like a shitty ass," Aren said grumbling to himself.
Another pause.
And answers to his doubt.
"Rapid growth correlates with stability of user progress"
Aren frowned. "me?"
The text shifted slightly, as if rearranging itself.
The system framework prioritizes continuity of user to make progress to amplify the full max of the system.
He stared at the words...
This time, the response came kind of quicker and easier for him to get.
Outside, something exploded. The sound rolled through the city a second later, distant but heavy. Aren didn't move toward the window this time. He already knew what he'd see.
Chaos.....
He checked his phone again. A livestream from Abuja showed crowds arguing outside a government building. In Port Harcourt, an oil facility had shut down after personnel reported "non-human interference." In Benin City, someone uploaded a video of a man whose shadow didn't match his movements.
The comments were worse than the footage.
People were scared. Angry. Some were excited in a way that didn't sit right.
Aren scrolled past a post claiming the world had finally entered a power era. Another claimed this was humanity's punishment. Someone else offered instructions on how to "force an awakening," complete with warnings buried under bravado.
That one ended abruptly, the account wiped minutes later.
His framework flickered again.
External data integration complete
"What did you just say?" Aren asked.
Public behavior patterns
That settled uneasily in his chest.
Aren exhaled grumbling. "So you're slow and I don't know what to do with you," he said.
Minutes passed….
The city noise dipped, not into silence, but into something like anticipation. Even the sirens seemed to calm quietly
Aren felt it before he heard it.
The pressure, it felt heavenly like a Buddha pressing down his hands on the world.
Not sound at first weight. Like the air itself had thickened. His screen froze. His phone locked up mid-scroll.
Then the thunder struck again.
It was stronger this time.
louder and deeper. The kind of force that made joints ache and teeth vibrate. The entire building shuddered. Somewhere nearby, glass shattered.
The power went out.
Everything went black.
No lights. No screens. No signals,
For a fraction of a second that felt longer than it should have, the world held its breath.
Then power surged back.
Lights flickered on. Routers rebooted. Phones buzzed as notifications flooded in all at once. The internet stuttered, caught, and resumed like nothing had happened.
Aren's framework reappeared immediately.
Clearer than before.
Global synchronization event confirmed
Framework stability increased
He swallowed. "That was you?"
Negative
"Then what was it?"
The text didn't answer directly.
Phase transition acknowledged
Aren stood slowly.
"Phase of what?"
Another pause.
The word stayed longer than the rest.
His heart rate ticked up from fear, This was the point everyone online was guessing about. The moment some people would change further, and others wouldn't.
Character slot unlocked
The air in front of him shifted not visually, but he felt it
Then the system came up again…..
You may designate one narrative entity
Entity will evolve alongside user
Aren didn't rush he felt anticipation from what is to come thinking at least faith at least favored him a little even if he wasn't to be the main protagonist. At least he has to survive.
He thought about the clips he'd seen. The people burning. The ones already losing control. The governments trying to contain something they didn't understand, it felt like hell on earth.
"One character," he said.
Correct
"And it grows with me.?"
Growth is mutual
"And upgrades?"
Conditional.
Aren nodded slowly.
This wasn't a weapon selection screen that he could see.
Outside, the city hadn't calmed. Smoke still drifted. Sirens still sounded.
Aren sat back down.
"Okay," he said. "Don't show me options yet."
The framework didn't argue.
He stared into the dark window, reflection faint against the city lights.
If he chose wrong, he'd live with it. If he chose right, he'd still have to survive long enough to matter.
And whatever the Origin Framework really was
He will just have to do with it.