Evan stared at his phone for a few seconds after the call ended.
The party music still thumped behind him, laughter echoed from his friends, but his mind felt clouded by something... off.
He could take a joke. His friends loved messing with him. The changed number on the cake? Probably one of their pranks. The birthday wishes for his 25th? Likely just part of the fun.
But his parents?
As far as he knew, his mom and dad weren't the type to joke about their child's age. And there's no way they could forget the year their son was born.
He was born in 1990. That would make him 26 today.
Maybe it was just a coincidence. Maybe his mom simply misspoke.
But then... why did this unease keep gnawing at him?
Evan took a deep breath, trying to shake the thoughts.
"Bro, what are you doing out here?!" One of his friends, Rico, slung an arm over his shoulder, a beer bottle in hand. "Come on, let's get back! We're not done partying—it's your 25th birthday!"
Evan's heart skipped a beat.
Again. Twenty-five.
A ringing sound echoed in his ears. That uneasiness grew stronger.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on weird feelings. Maybe it was just the alcohol, or fatigue.
So he forced a smile, took the beer from Rico, and returned to the center of the party.
He wasn't ready to think about it yet. Not now.
The party finally died down just before dawn.
Some of his friends had passed out on the couch—or even the floor—empty bottles scattered around them. The music still played softly, but the room's energy had long since faded.
Even after a few drinks, Evan was still sober enough to drive. He wasn't the kind of idiot who would risk his life on the road. Besides, his place wasn't too far from the party.
After a quick goodbye to the few conscious guests, Evan grabbed his car keys and stepped out of the luxurious penthouse. The cold night air bit at his skin. He exhaled deeply, trying to shake off the creeping exhaustion.
Once in the car, he started the engine and drove through the near-empty city streets. The streetlights were still bright, remnants of New Year's celebrations visible here and there—confetti trash, empty champagne bottles, a few stragglers wandering around in post-party bliss.
But just a few kilometers from the party, Evan spotted something unfortunate ahead.
A police checkpoint.
He cursed under his breath. Not because he was drunk—he was sober enough to pass any test—but he just didn't want to deal with cops on a night like this.
Too bad luck wasn't on his side. As his car approached, one of the officers signaled him to pull over. Evan sighed sharply, pulled the car to the side, and rolled down the window.
A burly officer approached, flashlight beaming straight into Evan's eyes.
"Good evening, sir. May I see your driver's license and registration?"
Evan groaned softly, pulled out his wallet, and handed over his license. "I'm not drunk, officer. Just had a couple drinks."
The officer glanced at the license. Then... a faint smile crossed his lips.
"I know, Mr. Evan," he said quietly, still looking at the card. "Oh, and by the way—happy 25th birthday!"
Evan froze.
Something suddenly felt very wrong.
He frowned at the officer. "What?"
The officer still wore that casual smile, lifting Evan's license as if to confirm something. "Happy 25th birthday, Mr. Evan."
Evan blinked. Suddenly, his fatigue was gone. The uneasiness he'd ignored all night came crashing back.
"You serious?" he asked, voice lower than usual.
The officer nodded and handed back the license with a knowing look.
Evan snatched it quickly, looked down—and at that moment—
His blood ran cold.
Name: Evan Nathaniel
Date of Birth: January 1, 1991
Age: 25
His fingers tightened around the license. No. That couldn't be.
He was born in 1990. He should be 26.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
The officer chuckled at Evan's visibly shaken expression. "Relax, sir. It's just a little prank your friends set up."
Evan looked up sharply. "What?"
"Your friends from the party? They called us ahead of time. Asked us to 'celebrate' you with a special birthday greeting." The officer grinned. "Cool, right?"
Evan kept staring. Not out of anger... but because something didn't add up.
So... this was just a prank?
But if that's true—how the hell did they change his license?
Evan exhaled slowly and shook his head.
Alright, maybe his friends had really gone all out this time. They must've planned everything—the cake, the guests, even roping in the police to pull off this crazy prank.
Kind of funny, actually, when you think about it.
—
Without saying another word, Evan slipped his license back into his wallet, rolled up the window, and hit the gas. His car sped off, leaving the police post—and the strange encounter—behind.
He wasn't going to overthink it. This was probably just a prank.
When he reached his apartment, Evan parked, went up to his unit, and lazily shrugged off his jacket. Sleep began to creep in again. He passed the living room without turning on the lights, headed straight for the bedroom, and collapsed onto his cold bed.
Prank or not, he was too tired to care.
With a deep exhale, Evan closed his eyes.
Five minutes later, he was fast asleep.
January 1st, 2016 – The Wrong Birthday Cake
Evan was still trying to ignore the discomfort in his mind when a waiter came in carrying a birthday cake. Small candles burned brightly on top, and the large number in the center was clear: 25.
"Happy 25th birthday, Evan!" his mom cheered enthusiastically.
Evan's heartbeat quickened. His eyes locked onto that number. Again?
He glanced at his father, who just gave a faint smile as if nothing was odd.
The waiter handed him a small knife to cut the cake, but Evan didn't move.
"Mom," he said, his voice quieter than usual. "Why does it say 25?"
His mom chuckled. "What else would it say?"
Evan stared at her. "26."
Now both Mariana and Nathaniel looked confused.
"You're joking?" his father frowned. "You were born in 1991. It's 2016. Of course you're 25."
Evan's breath caught.
Wrong. That's wrong. He was born in 1990. He should be 26 now.
His head began to throb. He raised a hand and rubbed his face, trying to think straight. Maybe it was just a cake misprint.
But... his parents also said he was born in 1991. Just like everyone else had today.
His hand dove into his pocket, pulling out his wallet. He quickly took out his ID card.
His eyes widened.
Name: Evan Nathaniel
Place & Date of Birth: Jakarta, January 1, 1991
His fingers stiffened.
No. Way.
He barely heard his mother still talking, or the waiter politely waiting for him to blow out the candles.
The world around him felt like it tilted slightly.
Something... was wrong.
Evan stared at his ID, then recalled what happened at dawn. The cop who stopped him. His friends' prank. The license.
Had the birth year already changed then?
His heart raced. He closed his eyes briefly, trying to remember the details. He hadn't really looked at his license earlier—he'd just handed it over without thinking.
His hand reached into his wallet again, this time pulling out his driver's license.
Place & Date of Birth: Jakarta, January 1, 1991
His blood felt like it stopped flowing.
This... wasn't a prank.