Diego returned from school like any other day, but something felt different. As he opened the door to his house, he found his entire family gathered in the living room. They were waiting for him. Their faces showed a mix of surprise, concern, and curiosity.
"Diego, sit down," his mother said in a soft but firm voice. "We need to talk to you."
Diego set his backpack aside and sat in front of them, feeling the weight of their stares. Then his father spoke:
"Today… Matías did something we can't explain. A kind of light came out of his hands. And with everything you've been doing these past years, we believe you're the only one who can give us answers."
Diego took a deep breath. He knew this moment would come. He couldn't keep hiding the truth.
"Three years ago," he began, "I started having dreams. A voice… said it was God. It spoke to me every night, guiding me. It warned me that in the year 2025, an apocalypse would hit the world. It told me I had to prepare, that my family and I were the key to humanity's survival."
His words fell like stones in the silence of the room, but no one interrupted him.
"Every day, that voice told me what to do—how to improve, how to train, how to live. It spoke of the 'Awakening,' a power that all humans carry in their blood. Over time, if we're prepared physically and mentally, that energy can manifest. That's why I asked so much of you these past years—meditation, exercise, discipline…"
Diego raised his hands. A dark shadow began to flow from his palms, like thick smoke that didn't burn, yet seemed to absorb the light around it. Everyone watched in awe.
"This is my power," he said calmly. "Darkness. Each person awakens something different, depending on what they carry inside. The closer the apocalypse gets, the easier it is for these abilities to emerge. Matías awakened because he's followed all the steps since he was little."
There was a long silence. No one dared to speak. His parents looked at each other, processing everything they had just heard. Finally, his mother was the first to break the silence:
"I don't know if all of this is real, Diego… but I can't deny everything we've experienced, everything we've achieved… or what we just saw with Matías. If there's even a chance it's true… then I believe in you."
His father nodded slowly, his expression serious but resolute. The rest of the family silently agreed, knowing that even though it all sounded like a fantasy, the facts spoke for themselves.
"There's something else you need to know," Diego continued, once the silence gave way to calm. "It's not just about developing abilities… what's coming is something the world has never seen."
Everyone paid close attention again. Matías, sitting beside his mother, looked at him with wide eyes full of excitement and wonder.
"The apocalypse won't be just a war, or a natural disaster. It will be a mix of everything. The voice in my dreams showed me visions… chaos in the cities, new diseases, creatures that don't belong to this world. The sky dyed red. Humans losing their minds. And worst of all… a dark force that doesn't come from Earth."
Grandma Roxana covered her mouth with her hands. Grandpa Juan Carlos frowned, but still, no one interrupted.
"There's a rupture coming," Diego said. "As if the veil between worlds was tearing apart. What we once thought were myths or legends will start to become real. Some people will awaken powers like us… but others won't be able to control theirs and will be consumed by it."
He paused to look at each of them.
"That's why we need to prepare even more. We have less than a year. The voice said the change will begin in December 2025. Everything will collapse within weeks. What comes after… will be pure survival."
"And what can we do?" his father asked, more serious than ever.
"We need to strengthen our bodies, but also our minds. Constant meditation, emotional control. We need to learn to defend ourselves, train with weapons if necessary, build endurance, learn first aid. Gather supplies, find a safer refuge. And something very important… help awaken those who are compatible."
"What do you mean by 'compatible'?" his uncle Pablo asked.
"Not everyone can awaken," Diego explained. "But in our families, there's a special bloodline. I'm sure you all have potential. That's why I want us to start real training. Starting today."
There was another silence. This time, full of purpose. No more doubt—only decisions to be made.
"Then we start now," his mother said, standing up. "If we only have a year left, we're going to make the most of it."
One by one, they all stood up, as if an invisible spark had been lit inside them.
Diego looked at his brother Matías, who smiled proudly at him. For the first time in a long while, Diego felt that he no longer carried the burden alone.
The countdown had begun.