2026-09-14 23:17:12Ethan stared at the back of his hand like it belonged to someone else.
The stone was gone. In its place was a thin tattoo shaped like a closed eye. It still felt warm. Panic hit him hard.
“Why is this on me?” he muttered. “People are going to think I’m in some weird group.”
Lately the city had seen more and more strange little groups that tricked tourists with fake charms. A mark like this would only bring trouble.
Then the calm voice spoke inside his head again.
[First task. Level zero. Place a one-thousand-dollar bet on any lottery or sweepstakes. Watch what happens.]
Ethan’s eyes went wide. “After you already took the money for Sophie’s surgery, now you want the last of it too? No way.”
He walked fast, anger and fear twisting together in his chest. Sophie was still in that hospital bed. The deposit had to be paid by seven. He had thrown away almost everything on a rock that turned into a tattoo. Every minute that passed made the fear worse.
Sterling Holdings stood tall in the middle of the business district. The glass building shone in the afternoon sun. Ethan’s father used to work there before the family pushed him out ten years ago. Maybe someone would still help. Blood was supposed to mean something.
Ethan walked into the cold lobby. His clothes still smelled of the street and sweat. Everyone else looked clean and rich. A security guard named Carl watched him from the moment he stepped inside. When Ethan headed toward the private elevator that only owners and big bosses used, Carl blocked his path and raised a small electric baton.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“I need to see Mr. Victor Hale. It’s important. My sister is dying.”
“This company doesn’t give handouts. Leave.”
“My father used to work here. Mark Rivers. I’m family.”
Carl’s face twisted. “I’ve been here five years. Never heard of any Mark Rivers in the family. Get out.”
Ethan raised his voice. “He was part of this company!”
People in the lobby stopped to watch. The name Hale always drew eyes. Carl’s face turned red with embarrassment and anger. He jammed the baton into Ethan’s shoulder.
Pain shot through him like fire. Ethan’s body jerked and shook. He fell to his knees, muscles locked. Laughter broke out around the lobby. Someone called, “Throw him out, Carl!”
Carl dragged him to the street and left him there, still shaking. Ethan pushed himself up. His shoulder burned and his face felt hot with shame. People had laughed at him. They looked at him like he was nothing. He clenched his fists so hard his nails dug into his palms.
“They erased Dad like he never existed,” he whispered to himself. “And now they treat me the same. Fine. I’ll get the money myself.”
He limped down the sidewalk, heart heavy. Sophie’s deadline was getting closer. He had nothing left.
Then a bright shop sign caught his eye across the street.
Lucky Pearl Lottery
Grand Prize: $200,000
Free vacation for the winner
A smiling woman on a beach stared out from the poster. Ethan’s feet carried him toward the door. He stopped with his hand on the handle.
“This is stupid,” he told himself. “I need that last thousand for Sophie. I can’t risk it.”
But the bright sign pulled at him. He stepped inside anyway.
A middle-aged woman sat behind the counter, head down over some sewing. She wore Eastern-style clothes. Something about her made Ethan’s stomach drop.
It was the same woman who sold him the stone.
He turned to leave.
Her soft voice stopped him. “Lucky Pearl Lottery. You never know what good luck is waiting until you hold the tickets.”
Ethan froze. Part of him screamed to run. Sophie needed every dollar. But the same strange pull from before settled over his mind, warm and heavy. His hand moved on its own. The last thousand dollars left his pocket. In return she gave him a thick stack of thin paper tickets. The ink looked a little smeared.
Outside, the spell faded. Ethan stared at the tickets in his hand and felt sick.
“What is wrong with me?” he whispered. “I keep giving away Sophie’s chance.”
At home he made a rough wire cage and pinned the whole stack of tickets to his bedroom door so he would not lose them. Then he went back to City General Hospital with empty pockets and a heart full of dread. The deposit time was almost up. Sophie still needed that money.
---
Five o’clock.
Ethan stood in front of the administration desk again. The mean nurse from before was gone. A kinder-looking older woman sat there instead, a small radio playing soft music beside her.
“You look like you’ve had a rough day,” she said. “Can I help you?”
Ethan opened his mouth to say he still had no money, that Sophie’s surgery was slipping away—
The radio volume jumped. An announcer’s voice came through clear and loud.
“Drawing number eleven thousand seven hundred forty-three! The winner of this round’s two-hundred-thousand-dollar prize can collect at Lucky Pearl Lottery right away!”
Ethan’s heart slammed against his ribs.
He pulled out his old phone with shaking hands and checked the notes where he had written every ticket number. Eleven thousand to twelve thousand. The winning number sat right in the middle.
Two hundred thousand dollars.
His face went pale, then broke into a stunned smile. For the first time since the hospital call that morning, real hope rushed through him.
Sophie still had a chance.
He turned and ran.
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Chapter 20
The loud pop of the silver pistol cut through the night air, and a small metal bullet tore straight toward Ethan's chest with deadly speed.Time seemed to slow down to a crawl. Ethan pulled Sophie behind his back with his left hand, his eyes locked on the flying piece of lead. The Nine Heavenly Path Technique surged through his veins, filling his fingers and palms with blinding speed. He did not dodge or jump out of the way. He raised his right hand in front of him and caught the bullet right out of the air between his thumb and index finger.A sharp metallic ring echoed through the quiet alley.Silence fell instantly over the entire street.David stopped smiling. His mouth stayed wide open, his eyes popping out in
Chapter 19
The heavy iron hatch sealed shut behind them, cutting off the roar of the fire and the choking smoke of the burning tower.Ethan stood in the dim light of the drainage tunnel, his arm wrapped firmly around Sophie to keep her steady. The air down here smelled damp and old, but it was clean enough to breathe. The distant sound of rushing water echoed through the concrete pipes, mixing with the low rumble of traffic far above their heads in the city streets of Lagos.We cannot stay here long, Victoria said, clicking off her small emergency flashlight to save the battery. My uncle Marcus controls the municipal security cameras. If he realizes we escaped through the drainage system, he will have every sewer exit blocked within ten minutes.Sophie looked up at Ethan, her face pale
Chapter 18
Thick gray smoke rolled through the open doorway like a creeping monster, filling the underground room with a sharp, choking chemical smell.Ethan pulled Sophie closer against his chest, wrapping his jacket tighter around her face to keep her from breathing the poisonous air. Her eyes were wide with fear, and her small hands grabbed onto his shirt.Don't worry, Sophie. I am right here. You are going to be okay, Ethan said, his voice steady even as his heart raced.Victoria stood near the edge of the smoke, coughing slightly as her face turned pale with fury. Her uncle Marcus was not just trying to trap them. He was planning to burn the entire lower level down and bury every secret of Sterling Holdings in ash.My unc
Chapter 17
The iron door slammed shut with a heavy, final sound, plunging the small medical room into total blackness.Ethan stood frozen in the dark. The cold air felt heavy against his skin. He reached down and touched the bed again, his fingers tracing the cold plastic of the oxygen mask. It was empty. The monitors were completely dead.Victoria stood near the door, her breathing shallow. Even in the dark, her voice cut through the silence with sharp surprise.This was not supposed to happen, Victoria said, her usual calm tone finally cracking. I gave strict orders. She was supposed to be kept as leverage, not moved or harmed.Ethan did not answer her. He closed his eyes and let his mind go quiet. For the past two days, sin
Chapter 16
The elevator shook violently and stopped dead between floors. The bright overhead lights blinked out completely. Only the dim, red emergency glow remained, casting long shadows across the small metal box.Victoria did not even flinch. She stood her ground in the dark cabin, her dark leather coat brushing against Ethan's arm as the robotic voice echoed from the ceiling speaker about the facility lockdown.It looks like my security team is very efficient, Victoria said, her voice entirely calm. They realized I was compromised and cut the power. We are stuck between floors, Mr. Rivers. And the air in this shaft is on a timed filter.Ethan kept the alchemical needle pressed firmly against her neck. He did not care about the lockdown or the dark elevator shaft. His mind was fixed
Chapter 15
The sound of heavy tactical boots filled the ruined office as a dozen armed guards fanned out across the room, locking down every exit. Victoria Sterling stood at the front, her dark leather coat catching the light of the city below. She looked down at David, who was still scrambling backward on the floor like a frightened dog, then turned her sharp gaze back to Ethan.Put that down, David, Victoria said again, her voice completely calm and deadly.David dropped the metal statue with a loud clatter. He scrambled to his feet, pointing a trembling finger at Ethan. Aunt Victoria! He broke in! He destroyed the office and tried to kill me! Make these men shoot him right now!Victoria did not even glance at her nephew. She kept her cold eyes fixed on Ethan.
