Alex’s vision was hazy as he slowly regained consciousness. The world around him was a blur of shapes and colors, but gradually, everything came into focus. He was lying in bed with an IV drip attached to his arm. The sterile smell and white sheets told him all he needed to know—he was in a hospital. Confusion washed over him, and he voiced the question burning in his mind.
“How did I get here?” His voice was hoarse and strained from the effort of speaking.
He tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through his body, forcing him back down. Just then, a soft, calm voice broke the silence.
“Trust me, Mr. Carter, you need to rest for a few more hours before we can be sure there won’t be any complications.”
Alex turned his head slightly, wincing as he did. His eyes settled on the figure of a woman in a white lab coat. She walked toward him, revealing herself fully—a doctor with striking blue eyes and red hair, holding a syringe filled with some liquid.
“How do you feel now, Mr. Carter?” She asked, her tone professional yet gentle.
Alex blinked, trying to process everything. “Are you the doctor?” he asked, though it was more of a reflex than a genuine question.
“Yes, I am Dr. Baker,” she replied with a small smile. “One of the doctors here at the hospital.”
“How did I get here?” Alex’s voice was more urgent this time.
Dr. Baker hesitated for a moment before answering. “A Mr. Harrison brought you in two nights ago. You lost a significant amount of blood. We weren’t sure you were going to make it.” Her eyes searched his face, concern etched in her features. “What happened to you, Mr. Carter? We figured you were beaten aggressively and stabbed in the abdomen.”
As the memories came flooding back, Alex’s heart sank. He remembered Noah’s twisted smile, the knife, the pain, and then—nothing. He had lain there, unconscious and bleeding out, until Mr. Harrison found him and brought him to the hospital. If not for Mr. Harrison, he would have died on that cold, hard pavement.
“When can I go home?” he asked, ignoring her question about the incident.
“Well, you can leave as soon as we’re sure you’re healed enough. That should be in a couple more hours,” Dr. Baker said as she prepared the syringe. “I’m just going to inject you now and check your wound. After that, you can rest for a while.”
Alex winced slightly as the needle pierced his skin. As she administered the injection, he remembered something else he needed to ask. “What about the bill? I don’t have…”
Before he could finish, Dr. Baker interrupted him. “Don’t worry about the bill. Mr. Harrison has already taken care of it. He just wanted you to get better.”
Relief washed over Alex, but it was short-lived. The doctor suddenly exclaimed, “Oh!” as if remembering something. “He left you a note. Please check it out later.” She handed him a sealed white envelope and exited the room, leaving Alex alone with his thoughts.
***
A few hours later, still feeling the dull throb of pain from the bandage that covered his shoulder down to his abdomen, Alex managed to hail a taxi and return to his small, tattered apartment. The room was as depressing as ever—walls made of weak planks, a bed that had seen better days, and a lingering sense of hopelessness that clung to every corner.
He sat on his bed, feeling the weight of everything that had happened, and pulled the envelope from his back pocket. With a deep breath, he opened it and began to read:
“Dear Alex,
I am aware of how students at this institution bully you from time to time. I am also aware that on this day, July 22, 2024, Noah St. Patrick beat and stabbed you. This is a gruesome act that would be penalized when reported. But you know how well-connected Noah’s family is. Even when you report him, his father can buy his way out and make the case disappear. At least, this is how he has done it with the school. I advise you to try to let this go. Just get better and return to class like nothing happened. Someday, all of this will be over.
Yours sincerely,
Mr. David Harrison.”
As Alex read the letter, his hands trembled with anger. The injustice of it all—the fact that he had been brutally attacked and yet could do nothing about it because of his poverty—was too much to bear. The system was rigged, and he was at the bottom, powerless to fight back.
The letter slipped from his fingers and fluttered to the floor. A scream of pure rage tore from his throat as he sprang to his feet, fists clenched. This was an unfair world—a world where the rich could do as they pleased, while the poor suffered in silence.
Ignoring the pain that shot through his body, Alex punched the wall with all his might. The weak plank splintered under the force, creating a gaping hole. But Alex didn’t stop. He punched again and again, his anger fueling each blow. Another hole appeared, then another.
But then something unexpected happened. As his fist crashed through the wall one more time, he heard a small, metallic sound—something falling to the floor. Breathing heavily, Alex looked down and saw something glinting in the dim light. He knelt, squinting at the object.
It was a ring—golden, shining with an ethereal glow that seemed almost unnatural. His curiosity piqued, and Alex reached out, his fingers trembling.
As if drawn by some invisible force, the ring flew onto his finger before he could even touch it. The moment it made contact with his skin, a sharp pain shot through him as the ring embedded itself into his flesh, drawing blood.
The pain was excruciating, unlike anything Alex had ever felt. He screamed louder and more desperately than before as the ring tightened around his finger, its glow intensifying. Something was happening—something beyond his comprehension.
The pain seared through Alex’s body, relentless and all-consuming, but it lasted only a few agonizing minutes. He thrashed around the room, his limbs moving as if controlled by some unseen force, as though something foreign was crawling beneath his skin. Then, as suddenly as it began, it stopped. His body went still and unnervingly calm, like the surface of a pond after a storm. But inside, everything was different.Even before the ring had shot onto his finger, Alex had sensed something peculiar about it. Lying on the floor, it pulsed with an eerie energy, almost as if it were alive. The moment the ring attached itself to him, a shiver ran down his spine, as though it whispered secrets that only his soul could understand. His eyes darkened, his sclera consumed by a pitch-black void, and suddenly, his reality shifted.He was no longer in his run-down apartment. Instead, he found himself in a hospital ward, standing unnoticed in a corner. He watched as a couple, radiant with joy, cradl
Alex stared at his fingers, captivated by the transformation unfolding before his eyes. His nails, once ragged and chipped, now gleamed with an almost supernatural cleanliness. His skin, which had been dull and worn from years of hardship, now shimmered with a vibrant glow, radiating health and vitality. It was as though he were witnessing a miracle—his body rejuvenating right before his eyes."What is happening to me?" he whispered, a mixture of awe and fear tingling in his voice.A strange, almost electric sensation pulsed inside his head, a warmth spreading through his skull. In an instant, it was as if a veil had been lifted—memories that had once been hazy and distant now came rushing back with vivid clarity, as though they had occurred only yesterday. He could recall every detail of his past with newfound sharpness, each memory playing out like a scene in a movie.Simultaneously, he felt his bones growing stronger, the frailty that had plagued him for so long vanishing as if it
The confidence surging through Alex was something entirely new—a heady, intoxicating feeling that filled him with a sense of purpose and certainty. With his father’s memories now intertwined with his own, he knew exactly where to go to claim his birthright.“Summit National Bank,” Alex muttered to himself as he shrugged on his jacket. He could hardly believe that he was about to step into a world that had been beyond his reach until now.For centuries, Summit National Bank had been the exclusive domain of the country’s elite—a fortress of wealth and power. This wasn’t just a bank; it was a symbol, a gatekeeper for those whose influence stretched far beyond mere money. To even have an account there meant more than being rich; it meant belonging to a different world. But now, Alex knew—an account had been created for him at this very bank.Stepping out of the taxi, Alex paused to take in the grand facade of the bank. Its towering pillars and ornate architecture were imposing, almost int
Thirty years ago, the Sebastian Southlake Corporation reigned supreme over Southlake City, a titan of industry that every business aspired to partner with. Its influence was unmatched, and securing a partnership with the corporation was a guaranteed path to prosperity. Even today, the legacy of the Sebastian Southlake Corporation holds firm, though the company has been without a president for more than two decades.The reason for this long-standing absence was a tragedy that shook the entire city. Sebastian Carter, the president of the corporation, perished in a horrific fire that consumed his home, taking with it his family. The fire left the corporation leaderless, and since then, only a vice president has managed its affairs. But before his untimely death, Sebastian Carter had left behind a will—a will that foretold the day his only son and rightful heir, Alex Carter, would come to claim his inheritance and assume control of the corporation. The day had finally arrived, and the mer
The vault was a treasure trove beyond imagination. Stacks of dollars were meticulously arranged in bundles, but what truly caught Alex’s breath were the countless gemstones—gold, diamonds, jade—all shimmering under the dim light. The sheer wealth inside was staggering, easily worth over a hundred billion dollars.Despite possessing his father's memories, Alex had no idea what the vault contained until this very moment. His eyes widened in disbelief as he took in the sight before him.“All this is mine? This is my inheritance.” Alex murmured, still in shock, struggling to comprehend the magnitude of what he was seeing.Mr. Sterling, the bank manager, was equally stunned. In all his years of managing the bank, he had never encountered anything like this. He knew Sebastian Carter had been an exceptionally wealthy man, but the fortune left behind was far beyond anything he could have imagined. The legacy left to Alex was truly astounding.As Alex tried to process what was happening, he cl
Jake Lawson, the project manager at Sebastian Southlake Corporation, stepped out of the elevator and immediately took in the scene before him. A young man, dressed in shabby clothes, was struggling against two security guards. The situation looked precarious, and Jake's heart raced as he assessed the potential threat. The young man’s appearance suggested he might be a street thug or a common thief, posing a risk to the corporation’s property.“What’s going on here?” Jake's voice cut through the lobby with authority as he turned his piercing gaze towards the secretary.The secretary quickly pointed a finger at Alex. “This man asked to see Madam Ava, sir.”Jake’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the young man. “And why does he want to see Madam Ava?”“I don’t know, sir,” the secretary replied, her tone dismissive. “But he doesn’t seem important. He’s probably here to steal something.”Jake nodded in agreement. Recently, Madam Ava had reported an attempted break-in by some rough-looking ind
In her opulent office, Ava Williams extended a courteous welcome to Alex Carter. Following the late Sebastian Carter's will, which mandated that family members be treated with the utmost respect, Ava offered Alex every comfort imaginable. Despite her warm hospitality, Alex declined everything with a polite smile, his focus unwavering. His visit was not about indulgence; it was about reclaiming his rightful place.As he settled onto the plush sofa, Alex announced, “I am Alex Carter, the son of Sebastian Carter. I’ve come to claim my rightful position as president of this corporation.”Ava’s eyes widened in disbelief. Though she recognized the family resemblance, the news that Alex was Sebastian’s son was shocking. The official reports had declared that all of Sebastian’s immediate family perished in the fire. The existence of Alex, and his claim to the presidency, seemed contradictory and confusing.Fortunately, Sebastian had anticipated such a scenario and had set up a rigorous securi
Unlike the previous days, Alex approached the school gate with a sense of confidence. He wasn’t scared; in fact, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction as he walked through it.As he entered, he noticed that no news of him being bullied or stabbed had spread around the school. The students who had witnessed the incident went about their day as if nothing had happened, mostly staring at him strangely. It was clear that they hadn’t expected him to be in such good shape.Alex smirked. “Such is life for the poor,” he thought, continuing his slow walk toward the school building. Each passing student eyed him with a mix of surprise and curiosity, but he remained unfazed.He knew that if the situation had involved a wealthier student, the school authorities and possibly even the police would have been involved by now. The student who had stabbed him would likely be facing expulsion. But with no money and no family to advocate for him, his case was easily ignored, especially with someone lik