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, cradled a newborn baby. The father, his eyes brimming with pride, spoke in a voice filled with love.
“I will call him Alex because this is the name I have always wanted for my first child,” he declared, and the mother smiled, her eyes shimmering with tears of happiness.
“Alex Carter it is, from now on,” she responded, her voice soft and tender.
A shock of recognition jolted through Alex. “That’s me,” he whispered, stunned. “And those... are my parents?”
For as long as he could remember, Alex had been an orphan. His parents had died in a fire when he was too young to remember them. He had grown up hearing about their tragic deaths, shuffled from an orphanage to a foster home, and eventually ran away from his abusive foster parents. Since then, he has lived alone in his tiny, tattered apartment, scraping by in a world that has never shown him kindness.
Seeing his parents now, alive and happy, overwhelmed him. He didn’t care how this vision had come to be. All he wanted was to embrace them and tell them how much he had suffered without them. He stepped forward, his heart aching with longing.
“Dad? Mum?” He called out, his voice trembling as he reached out to them.
But just as he was about to wrap his arms around them, they vanished, and the scene shifted. The sterile hospital ward dissolved, replaced by a luxurious home filled with opulent furnishings. His parents reappeared, sitting comfortably on a plush sofa, watching television.
Alex blinked, confused by the sudden change, but there was no time to dwell on it. He saw himself again, a baby crawling around his mother’s feet, when a housekeeper entered the room, scooped him up, and carried him away.
The scene morphed once more, but this time it was a nightmare. Flames roared to life, engulfing the room and consuming everything in their path. His parents were trapped inside, their faces twisted in agony as they screamed for help.
“Help us, please, help!” They cried out, their voices filled with terror.
Desperation surged through Alex. He tried to rush into the fire to save them, but no matter how hard he ran, the flames remained out of reach. He stretched out his hand, screaming for them, but they couldn’t see him. They continued to burn, their screams piercing through him like daggers.
Just as his hope began to wane, Alex noticed a figure standing beside him. It was his father, but older, wearing the same clothes he had been in when the fire claimed him. Unlike the tormented man burning in the flames, this version of his father was calm, serene, and even had a gentle smile on his face.
“Alex Carter,” his father said, his voice soft yet clear.
“You can see me?” Alex asked, his confusion evident. His father nodded, still smiling, and began to speak.
“I know you have many questions,” he began. “Alas, you are in a trance because you have discovered the ring.”
“The ring?” Alex echoed it, his confusion deepening.
“Yes, the ring of the Conqueror of the Underworld,” his father replied, his tone reverent.
Alex stared at him, bewildered. The words meant nothing to him. “I don’t understand,” he admitted, hoping for clarity.
His father’s smile remained as he continued. “Your mother and I fought against the demon of the underworld during our lifetime. We were victorious, and as a reward, the gatekeeper bestowed upon us the Ring of the Conqueror. This ring was the source of our wealth. We were the richest people on Earth, but my younger brother, consumed by greed, coveted our wealth and sought to steal the ring.”
“To protect the world and the ring from him, we built a small room in another city, hidden away in a modest home made of planks, where no one would suspect it. This infuriated him, and in his rage, he set fire to our home, killing us. But now, the ring has found you. It is your destiny to become the wealthiest man on Earth and to protect the ring from my brother. You are no longer the poor, insignificant person people see you as. You are now destined to be the billionaire everyone will bow to.”
His father’s words hung in the air, heavy with meaning, yet they felt distant and strange to Alex. It was too much to process, too fantastical to believe. Before he could voice his confusion, his father’s form began to fade, and the trance ended abruptly.
Alex found himself back in his dilapidated room, the ring still firmly on his finger. But something was different now. He could feel it—a surge of energy pulsed through him, powerful and intoxicating. The world had shifted, and so had he.
The future, once bleak and uncertain, now seemed to shimmer with endless possibilities.
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
In the classroom, Alex had always chosen to sit at the back. It wasn’t that he couldn’t sit in the front or the middle, but the last time he did, he was severely mocked. Since then, he has relegated himself to the rear of the room.Today was different. Bolstered by his newfound confidence, Alex felt that even if he faced ridicule from now until next year, he would remain unfazed. So, he boldly chose a seat in the front row, directly across from where Janet and Noah sat.Previously, Alex had never participated actively in class. Not that he wasn’t capable—he was a bright student—but he feared that answering questions would only lead to more mockery. But today marked a turning point. He was ready to embrace boldness in every aspect of his school life. As soon as Professor Willson posed a question, Alex raised his hand.The room fell into surprised whispers. Alex sitting in the front row, raising his hand, was a new and shocking sight.“What’s up with him? He’s acting so strangely since