Israel and Femi appeared in a vast land of endless sand.
No buildings.
No sky landmarks.
Just dunes stretching for thousands of miles in every direction.
"AHH…!" Israel shouted, spinning around in panic.
"What is this place?! Why am I here?!"
"Chill, bro," Femi said casually.
"Chill?!" Israel snapped.
"Why did you bring me here?! Where even is this?! I have class!"
Femi burst out laughing.
"You have the power of a god," he said, wiping a tear from his eye,
"and you're worried about school?"
"It's not like I can access the power whenever I want!" Israel shot back.
Femi grinned.
"Exactly. That's why I brought you here."
Israel froze.
"…Really?"
"You're going to teach me how to control it?"
"Yep," Femi replied.
"But first….I'm going to teach you something else."
He snapped his fingers.
"How to create a pocket dimension."
Israel blinked.
"…A what?"
"Your own world," Femi explained.
"A space that exists outside reality. Only people you allow can enter."
Israel stared at him.
"Is that even possible?"
"You're saying I can actually do that?"
Femi smiled.
"Bro," he said, spreading his arms,
"we're standing in mine right now."
Israel turned slowly, scanning the endless desert.
"…Wait. Seriously?"
"It looks real," Israel muttered.
"It feels real."
"That's because it is," Femi replied.
"Though… it's not as good as my dad's."
Israel snapped his head back.
"Your dad?"
"Who is your dad….and how can anyone's world be better than this?"
Femi laughed.
"You've been living in his world this whole time, bro."
Israel's brain stalled.
"…What?"
"You mean" Israel stammered,
"your dad created the world?"
Femi shook his head.
"More like our dad," he said calmly.
"He created all of us."
Israel's eyes widened.
"…That's insane."
"So… will I get to meet him someday?"
Femi's smile faded slightly.
"…Probably not," he said.
"We haven't seen him for centuries."
"Where did he go?" Israel asked.
"…Is he dead?"
Femi shook his head again.
"No," he said firmly.
"He can't die."
Without him
there is nothing.
Femi looked away for a moment.
I wonder where you are now… he thought.
Israel was about to ask another question
But Femi raised a hand.
"Yeah, yeah. We'll get to that," he said.
"But first….let me explain everything from the beginning."
Israel nodded.
"Okay."
Femi crossed his arms.
"You've heard the story of how the Almighty created the world and humans, right?"
"Yeah," Israel replied quickly.
"Good," Femi said.
"Tell me what you know."
Israel thought for a moment.
"Um… in the beginning there was nothing.
Then a being rose from the nothingness and created the world… and humans… stuff like that."
Femi burst out laughing.
"That's it?" he asked.
Israel frowned.
"What?"
"Isn't that what happened?"
"No, no," Femi said, still laughing.
"It's just the way you said it."
"Okay, okay," he continued.
"Let me tell you how it really started."
Femi explained everything.
The nothingness.
The loneliness.
Creation born from boredom and curiosity.
They talked for over thirty minutes.
Israel finally spoke again.
"So… he created us just because he was bored?"
"And why create other beings?"
"Weren't humans enough?"
Femi shrugged.
"You can't really blame him," he said.
"He was alone for a very long time."
"…I get that," Israel said slowly.
"But then why create beings like Ikoko… or Apanirun?"
Femi smiled faintly.
"To spice things up," he replied.
Then he continued.
"Back in the old days, humans were strong
really strong."
Israel blinked.
"Seriously?"
"Yeah," Femi nodded.
"Your ancestors were stronger than most beasts."
"But humans have short lifespans," he continued.
"And with each generation, they grew weaker."
"The beasts didn't."
Femi's tone darkened.
"Eventually, humans became food."
Israel clenched his fists.
"So the Almighty got tired of it," Femi said.
"He locked the beasts away in the underworld to protect his precious humans."
"…We were really that powerful?" Israel whispered.
"There are still some humans who believe in the old ways," Femi said.
"They train themselves far from civilization."
"They call themselves ATIJOR."
Israel's eyes lit up.
"That's… actually cool."
"They keep to themselves," Femi replied.
Then he smiled.
"Anyway"
He cracked his knuckles.
"Enough history."
"It's time to train."
"Alright," Femi said calmly.
"Lesson one…. don't think of it as creating something new."
Israel frowned.
"…Then what am I doing?"
"You're claiming space," Femi replied.
"The world already exists. You're just telling reality…. this part is mine."
Israel swallowed.
"…That sounds insane."
Femi smirked.
"It is."
He snapped his fingers.
The desert twisted.
The sky folded inward like paper.
In an instant….everything went dark.
Israel staggered backward, panic rising in his chest.
"W–WHAT DID YOU DO?!"
"We're outside my pocket dimension… and outside Earth," Femi said calmly.
"This is where you'll create yours."
Israel looked around.
There was nothing.
No ground.
No sky.
No sound.
Just endless black.
"This," Femi continued, "is the nothingness. Watch closely."
He raised his hand and pressed his palm against empty air.
"Visualize what you want," Femi said.
"How your world should feel. How it should exist."
He slowly dragged his hand outward…
Reality responded.
Green exploded into existence.
Grass rolled across the void.
Trees burst upward.
A vast forest formed in seconds.
Israel's eyes widened.
"Woah… there's grass everywhere," he said, turning in awe.
"A whole forest…"
"Now your turn," Femi said.
Snap.
Everything vanished back into nothingness.
"Close your eyes," Femi ordered.
Israel hesitated.
"…Are you sure?"
"Trust me."
Israel closed his eyes.
"Now," Femi said softly,
"feel your heartbeat."
Israel focused.
Thump.
Thump.
"That rhythm," Femi said, "that's you."
"Now visualize your world."
"…Okay," Israel whispered.
Something expanded inside his chest.
Pressure.
Warmth.
"Imagine the space responding to that rhythm," Femi continued.
"Like water reacting to a stone."
Israel clenched his fists.
The void trembled.
Invisible waves rippled outward.
"Don't force it," Femi warned.
"You're not fighting reality."
Israel exhaled.
"You're not fighting…"
"You're claiming," Femi said.
The pressure eased.
The space in front of Israel wobbled.
"…Good," Femi muttered, surprised.
"Most MALAIKA don't even reach this stage."
Israel opened his eyes.
"…I feel it," he whispered.
"Like something's waiting."
"That's the door," Femi replied.
"Open it."
Israel raised his hand.
It trembled.
"I don't know how."
"Yes, you do," Femi cut in.
"Stop doubting yourself."
Israel gritted his teeth.
This is mine.
The air split.
A thin crack of golden light appeared
then spread wider.
BOOM.
A space tore open.
Not sand.
Not sky.
Israel blinked.
"…Are we home?" he asked.
Femi shook his head.
"Nope. This is your pocket dimension."
"But… it looks just like Earth," Israel said.
"It's a clone," Femi replied.
"Your Earth. No humans. Just us."
Suddenly..
The world shook.
The crack trembled violently.
Everything shattered back into nothingness.
Israel stumbled backward, breathing hard.
"W…what happened?! Why did it collapse?!"
Femi burst out laughing.
"HAHA! Bro relax!"
He wiped a tear from his eye.
"It's your first try. The fact you even opened it is a miracle."
Israel frowned.
Femi crossed his arms.
"You created it on your first attempt," he said seriously.
"That's rare."
"Now you just need to learn how to stabilize it."
"Let's try again," Femi said.
"Close your eyes. Stretch your hand. Visualize."
"I'm trying," Israel said desperately.
"I feel something!"
"Nope," Femi laughed.
"You're doing it wrong this time."
"Stop laughing!" Israel snapped.
"This is hard!"
"Not for me," Femi grinned.
"Yeah, right…" Israel muttered.
They tried again.
And again.
And again.
Eighteen failures.
Then…
On the nineteenth attempt
Reality answered.
A vast world unfolded.
Oceans.
Land.
Sky.
As large as Earth itself.
"You did it," Femi said, impressed.
Israel stared around, smiling wide.
"Yeah… I did."
Then he frowned.
"But… why is the sun crimson red?"
"It's reacting to the seal's power," Femi replied.
"…Is it safe?"
"Yeah," Femi nodded.
"And next time a monster appears, you can bring them here."
"So I can trap them?" Israel said with a grin.
Femi burst out laughing.
"BRO….NO!"
He held his stomach.
"It's a pocket dimension. Any strong being can shatter it."
"And if it breaks," Femi said seriously,
"it damages you. The world is tied to your existence."
"…Oh," Israel muttered.
"Exactly," Femi laughed again.
"Now"
He cracked his knuckles.
"Second phase of training."
Israel looked at him.
"…What is it?"
Femi smiled.
"You're going to fight me."
"And don't worry," he said.
"I won't hold back."
TO BE CONTINUED…