Chapter 2: Finding the Riches

Ethan trailed Sophia over the rain-drenched streets of New York City, his head whirling with a rainbow of questions and feelings. The black, sleek card in his fingers felt like a physical link to the life he had forgotten, a key opening the secrets of his past.

Sophia said nothing as they strolled; her eyes were forward. Ethan kept glancing at her, trying to understand her cryptic words and her relentless will to lure him into this realm of the Night Watchers.

At last, they came upon a tall skyscraper, its glass front shining under the grey heavens. With steady confidence, Sophia guided Ethan across the grand foyer and into a private elevator.

"Where are you going?" With his voice a little above a whisper, Ethan asked.

Sophia answered, "To the bank," staring right at him. "It's time to find the scope of your power and fortune."

Ethan's heartbeat as the elevator rose, and his thoughts wrestled with Sophia's words' ramifications. Could it be accurate? Could he indeed be the rich and robust man she had described?

When the elevator doors swung open, Ethan discovered he was in a slick, contemporary banking hall. Sophia moved toward a private office, and Ethan followed behind. As they arrived, a well-dressed woman emerged from behind the desk, looking surprised and happy.

 

"Sophia!". The woman answered, "I wasn't expecting you so soon," looking at Ethan. "And you have to be Ethan Cooper. We had been expecting you.

 

Ethan felt anxious, not knowing what to say. Sophia, though, moved ahead, grinning confidently.

 

"Fiona, this is Ethan. She handed the black card to the woman and stated, "I brought him here to access his account."

 

Fiona nodded, fingers skillfully tapping the computer keyboard. "Of course, of course." Let me compile the specifics.

 

Ethan silently anticipated Fiona's brow wrinkling in focus. After a moment, her eyelids opened, and she softly gasped.

 

"My goodness, Ethan... this is quite remarkable," she murmured, her voice slightly awful. Your account balance is six hundred billion dollars, three trillion.

 

The words registered, and Ethan felt the air leave his lungs. Six hundred billion dollars for three trillion? It was an incomprehensible sum so significant that it seemed nearly unthinkable.

 

"That cannot be right," he muttered, looking between Sophia and Fiona. "Some mistake has to be there."

 

Sophia laid a comforting hand on his arm. "Ethan, everything is correct. Your wealth is your money. All this time, it has been waiting for you.

 

Fiona nodded in unison. "Everything is in order. Three years ago, just following your memory loss, your name was registered in this account. Ever since, it has drawn increasing interest.

 

Ethan passed out from a wave of vertigo. The numbers were in the three trillion to six hundred billion dollar range. The sheer weight of the numbers was intolerable, and he battled to make sense of the ramifications.

 

"But how? His voice tinged with doubt, he questioned, "How could I have this wealth?"

 

Sophia's tone became more somber. "As I told you, Ethan, you belonged to the Night Watchers, a select group endowed with superhuman capacity and resources. Your position as the team ace came with great riches and authority.

 

Fiona nodded in approval. "This account was designed to ensure you would have the means to fulfill your destiny and recover your identity should you ever regain your memory."

 

Ethan tried to digest this data, but his brain whirled. His role as their ace, the great wealth—all so strange, so utterly detached from the life he had been living.

 

His voice was almost above a whisper, and he whispered, "What am I supposed to do with this?"

 

Sophia had fierce determination in her eyes. "Employ it, Ethan. Use it to recover your appropriate place among the Night Watchers, power, and purpose. With this abundance, you may reconstruct your life, assemble a team, and prepare to meet the worst threat this city has ever known.

 

Ethan had a flash of anxiety as much as enthusiasm. The idea of controlling such great riches and authority was exciting yet also intimidating. Could he be the person Sophia and Fiona said? Could he live up to their expectations of him?

 

He said, staring at the sleek black card in his fingers, "I... I don't know what to say."

 

Fiona warmed and reassuringly reached across the desk. Ethan, take your time. This is much to digest. Nevertheless, we are here to help you and serve as your road map on this rediscovery trip.

 

Ethan nodded; a thousand ideas and possibilities were flying through his head. For three years, he had been trying to make ends meet and find meaning in his life. And suddenly, in one day, he had been thrown into a universe he never could have imagined.

 

"Where do I even start?" he questioned, his voice a mix of doubt and will.

 

Sophia leaned forward, staring right at him. "Start by Ethan, recovering your dignity. Use this cash to reconstruct your life and demonstrate to those who have offended you that you are far greater than they could fathom."

 

Ethan's first thoughts went to his wife, Isabelle, and her mother, Clara. Their treatment of him and their disrespect revealed a continual cause of suffering and shame.

 

"Isabelle and Clara," he said, his face wrinkling with a mixture of resolution and wrath. "They have been nasty to me."

 

Sophia nodded, her body stiffening. "Then it's time to let them see Ethan Cooper's actual might. Use your riches to recover your life, to honor and dignity you have denied yourself."

 

Ethan was suddenly driven with great will. He had been a victim for too long, a punching bag for others who had used his sensitivity. But now that he had such great riches, he could turn his life around.

 

"Alright," he answered, his voice more steady than it had been in years. "What have I to do first?"

 

Sophia's lips drew into a little, victorious smile. "We first have to get you away from Isabelle, Clara, and that building site. You will have to find somewhere else to live and a fresh beginning. We may begin assembling the team and preparing for the upcoming conflicts.

 

Ethan nodded, his hand clenching on the black card. "I'm prepared. Let us accomplish this.

 

Ethan had a fresh drive and direction as they walked out of the bank. Though his world would turn upside down, he was no longer the helpless, abandoned guy he had known. He was equipped with riches and authority and prepared to take back his destiny and embrace the ace Night Watcher role.

 

Though the road ahead would provide difficulties both personally and professionally, Ethan was resolved to meet them squarely. Using his means, he would restore his life, face those who had offended him, and finally find the truth about his past and the Night Watchers.

 

Ethan steely resolvedly narrowed his eyes as he walked out into the downpour. Sophia was at his side. He was ready to welcome the road ahead; the time had arrived to regain control over his life.