CHAPTER 1

The Manifestation 

It started like any other day, the kind that passes quietly, leaving no trace except the faint memory of sunlight on your skin. 

You were walking back from lunch when you saw her. A woman standing by the roadside, clutching a torn tote bag, her face a mixture of confusion and fatigue. You’d helped strangers before, countless times, really. It had become second nature to you. 

So, you stopped. 

Asked if she was alright. 

Helped her gather the papers spilling from her bag and offered to flag a ride. 

She looked at you, eyes strangely calm, and said, “You’re the kind of person who gives without asking what the universe owes you.” You smiled awkwardly, not sure how to respond. It was such an odd thing to say. Before you could speak, she simply nodded, whispered something you couldn’t quite catch, and walked away, disappearing into the crowd like smoke.

You didn’t think much of it after that. You had a normal day at work, answered a few messages, designed a few layouts, listened to music as you worked, the usual. 

When the evening came, you went home, fixed a simple meal, and scrolled absently through your phone until the night deepened and your thoughts began to wander. 

 Then, at exactly 2:47 a.m., the air shifted. 

The stillness was absolute. 

The walls of your room seemed to hold their breath. 

A faint hum rippled through the air, and a voice, ancient yet intimate, filled the silence. 

 “Ayobami, you have been granted three wishes.” You sat up slowly, heart calm but mind alert. It wasn’t fear you felt, just a deep, electric awareness. 

You didn’t ask who it was. Somehow, you knew. 

 “Alright then,” you said, your tone steady. “My first wish; 

$100 million in small bills. Right here in my room.” A wind rose from nowhere, swirling around you. Then came the scent - paper, ink, and wealth.

Stacks of bills appeared, layer upon layer, until your floor was a landscape of money. The reality was overwhelming, tangible, heavy, yet silent. 

But you didn’t shout. You didn’t rush. You simply stared, expression unreadable, as if part of you had always known this day would come. 

 “My second wish,” you continued, “is the ability to teleport anywhere I can vividly imagine.” You thought of Tokyo, its bright chaos, its rhythm. And in an instant, the world blinked. You were standing on the Shibuya crossing, lights glowing, the night air sharp. 

Another blink and you were home again, surrounded by riches. 

 “And for my last wish,” you said softly, “I want a perfect body, perfect health, and immunity to every illness and disease.” A surge of warmth filled your chest, spreading through your limbs like liquid light. Every cell, every nerve, aligned perfectly. The mirror across the room showed someone both familiar and new, you, refined by divinity. 

 The voice faded, leaving only silence, deep, complete silence.

You stood there for a long time, the hum of the ceiling fan returning, the night settling again.

Then, half-smiling to yourself, you whispered, “It is Time”