​A Call from an Unknown World

Author: Sara Sayed Ramadan 🥰

Novel: A Call from an Unknown World.

Dawn crept slowly over Cairo, as if the city had not fully woken up yet. The faint sunlight reflected off old windows and slipped gently through narrow alleyways, while the cold air carried the scent of coffee and the distant voices of street vendors beginning their usual day.

On the third floor of an old building overlooking a busy, living street, Sara’s room was wrapped in a warm silence—one that felt almost like a dream.

Her room wasn’t luxurious, but it held her entire soul.

The walls were painted a calm white, decorated with small photos she had taken in passing moments of her life: a sunset over the Nile, an open book beside a cup of coffee, and an old picture of her laughing naturally with her grandfather.

Near the window stood a simple wooden desk, covered in a neat mess—university books, papers filled with her handwriting, scattered pens, and a small lamp that gave off a warm yellow glow during long nights.

But the window…

That was the closest thing to her heart.

Its white curtains moved softly with the morning breeze, allowing sunlight to draw golden lines across the floor, while the sounds of the city slipped through like distant music she had grown used to over the years.

On the bed, Sara was still asleep, her features strangely calm.

Her long black hair spread across the pillow in soft disarray, strands gently shifting with the air. Her face carried a quiet blend of exhaustion and softness, as if she were someone who thought too much, even in sleep.

She was beautiful in a quiet way…

Not the loud kind of beauty that demands attention immediately, but the kind that lingers—noticed late, yet impossible to forget.

Her soft wheat-toned skin, her wide eyes that always seemed slightly distant, as if part of her mind lived somewhere no one else could reach.

Even asleep…

It felt as though a thought was still trapped inside her, refusing to let her rest completely.

Then, slowly, she opened her eyes.

She stared at the ceiling for a long moment without moving, as morning light reflected softly in her brown eyes.

She sighed faintly, then sat up on the edge of the bed, pulling the blanket closer around her.

There was something strange inside her since she woke up.

A feeling she couldn’t explain.

Not fear… not comfort either.

Something like waiting for the unknown.

Something that hadn’t happened yet… but was coming.

She closed her eyes for a moment and whispered in a sleepy voice:

“I feel like today is different…”

Then she smiled faintly, almost mocking herself, and reached for a small notebook beside her pillow.

It was her favorite notebook.

Its black cover was scratched from constant use, and its pages held thoughts she had never shared with anyone.

She opened it slowly, flipping through until she stopped at a sentence she had written months ago in clear handwriting:

“I am certain my life will change suddenly… I just don’t know when.”

She stared at the words silently, then let out a short laugh, shaking her head.

“I can be so dramatic sometimes…”

But even as she laughed…

She couldn’t ignore that feeling returning to her heart.

That old sensation that had followed her since childhood.

She had always felt different from others in a way she couldn’t explain. Sometimes she knew what would happen moments before it occurred, and sometimes she could feel people’s emotions without them speaking.

And many times…

She saw strange dreams that didn’t resemble ordinary dreams.

Places she had never visited.

Black skies.

Massive gates.

And voices calling her name from far away.

At first, she thought they were just childhood illusions, but the experiences continued even as she grew older.

As if something had been watching her silently for years.

She quickly closed the notebook, as though escaping her thoughts, then stood up and walked toward the window.

She opened it slightly, and cold morning air rushed into the room, carrying the sounds of traffic, street vendors shouting, and the smell of fresh baked goods from below.

She smiled without thinking.

Despite everything…

She loved Cairo.

She loved its chaos, its noise, its endless sense that life never stopped.

And yet, even though she loved the city deeply, her heart always longed for Gharbia—her family, her old home, and all the memories she left behind there.

A whole year had passed without seeing them. A long year in which she tried to appear fine, but always felt something missing. She had even turned twenty-one away from them, without family warmth or the voices that once made everything brighter.

But today, happiness finally filled her heart, because she believed her waiting had ended, and she would see them again after this long absence.

She didn’t know that this day would change everything… and that fate was hiding something completely different for her.

Something that would turn her life upside down before she even reached them.

She left her room and walked quietly toward the kitchen, where her grandfather sat as usual near the small window, sipping his tea.

He was a man in his seventies, but his presence carried a strange kind of authority that didn’t resemble ordinary old men.

His white hair was neatly arranged, and his facial wrinkles spoke not of weakness, but of a long life filled with hidden stories.

And his eyes…

His eyes were the most striking part of him.

Strangely calm.

As if they had seen things no one else could understand.

He wore his old glasses and read a thick book in silence, steam rising slowly from his tea.

The moment he sensed her presence, he looked up and smiled.

A warm smile that always made Sara feel safe.

“Good morning, Sara.”

She smiled back as she approached.

“Good morning, Grandpa.”

He looked at her for a long moment, as if reading something in her face, then said calmly:

“You didn’t sleep well, did you?”

She paused in surprise.

“How did you know?”

He chuckled softly and returned to his book.

“I know you better than you think.”

She sat in front of him, watching him quietly.

She had always felt her grandfather was different too.

Too calm… too aware in a strange way.

Sometimes he answered questions she hadn’t even asked, and sometimes he looked at her like he already knew her future.

But she always thought it was just wisdom earned from age.

Suddenly, he stood up and went to an old cabinet nearby, then returned holding a small black box.

He handed it to her gently.

“This is for you.”

She frowned in confusion and quickly took it.

The moment she opened it, her eyes widened.

“A new phone?!”

He smiled while sipping his tea.

“Your old one barely works… I thought it was time for a new one.”

She laughed like a child and hugged him tightly.

“You’re the best grandfather in the world!”

He gently patted her head with a calm smile… but for a brief moment—

His smile disappeared.

Replaced by something else.

Something like worry.

But Sara didn’t notice.

She sat on the couch, excitedly exploring the phone, scrolling through settings and apps like a child with a new toy.

Then suddenly…

The phone rang.

She froze instantly.

The ringtone was strange.

Sharp… deep… unlike any normal phone sound.

A cold shiver ran down her spine.

She lifted the phone and looked at the screen.

No name.

No number.

Only a faint vibration, like an irregular heartbeat.

“Strange…” she whispered nervously.

Then suddenly…

The screen turned off by itself.

Silence filled the room.

Even the street noise outside felt distant for a moment.

Then the screen lit up again slowly…

And a single sentence appeared:

“You have been selected.”

Sara’s expression froze completely.

Her breathing grew heavier as she stared at the words in confusion.

“…Selected for what?”

The message disappeared.

Another appeared.

“Recipient: Sara.”

Her fingers trembled without control.

“…Me?”

She tried to turn the phone off, but it didn’t respond.

The light only grew stronger, as if she wasn’t looking at a screen anymore… but something deeper.

Something not belonging to this world.

Then the final message appeared:

“You are the chosen one.”

She stumbled backward in shock.

Before she could say anything—

The phone shut off completely.

It returned to silence in her hands, as if nothing had happened.

But Sara’s heart was no longer the same.

She stood frozen, staring at the black screen as her breathing became slow and heavy. It felt as if the room itself had changed… as if the air had grown colder.

She slowly looked up at her grandfather.

He was watching her silently.

That silence made her skin crawl.

She forced a weak laugh:

“I think the new phone is already broken…”

But he didn’t laugh.

He only looked at the phone for a moment, then said calmly:

“Perhaps… it isn’t broken.”

Her smile slowly faded.

“What do you mean?”

He took a slow sip of tea, as if choosing each word carefully.

“Some things are not as they appear, Sara.”

She frowned and stepped closer.

“Grandpa, this isn’t normal… how does it write my name by itself? And what does ‘you are the chosen one’ even mean?”

He looked at her for a long moment, as if holding back countless words.

Then he smiled lightly:

“Maybe it’s just a wrong message.”

But his voice didn’t sound convincing at all.

She felt it clearly.

As if he was hiding something.

She looked at the phone again, pressed the power button repeatedly, but it remained dead.

Great… it stopped working completely.

She muttered in frustration and stood up, trying to convince herself it was just a strange malfunction.

But deep down…

Her heart told her it was far bigger than that.