1 Chapter 1: Cracks in the Stone Stairs
In a small room, a young man lay on the ground, lost in deep contemplation about his life.
"Alex, come quickly! I need you!" Suddenly, the voice of his instructor resonated through the room, jolting Alex to his feet. He hurriedly made his way to the instructor to see what was required of him.
"Yeah, I'm here. What do you need?" Alex asked lazily, lacking enthusiasm.
"Stop overthinking, my dear boy. Your time will come. Don't fret over your failed business. You're only 18 years old, so don't burden yourself with unnecessary worries," the instructor's elderly voice comforted Alex.
"Go and buy the items on the list. I'll prepare something delicious for dinner tonight!" The instructor spoke with a gentle and caring tone, attempting to uplift Alex's spirits.
Alex listened to his instructor's words, feeling a warmth envelop his heart. He nodded in response.
"I'll be back soon," Alex said before leaving the modest dwelling.
An orphan with no family to call his own, Alex found solace in the presence of his instructor, Daniel. Amidst an abandoned orphanage where nobody cared anymore, the authorities turned a blind eye, waiting for the building to crumble so they could seal its fate. They withheld any funding for the orphanage, deeming it useless.
"I'm the only one who wasn't adopted, and now my business has failed in just two months. Why is my luck so terrible?" Alex muttered in frustration. He was the lone orphan left unadopted and, simultaneously, the unluckiest one.
But this unfortunate circumstance had a silver lining: it allowed Alex to remain in the orphanage with his beloved instructor. At 18 years old, he had been expelled from school due to his inability to afford an education. Others might argue that financial constraints shouldn't hinder one's pursuit of knowledge. However, if you were the only boy wearing a shirt with missing buttons, tattered jeans, and worn-out flip-flops, you might think twice.
After leaving school, Alex and the instructor had a heated argument, resulting in Alex spending the following two nights sleeping rough, far away from home. During that time, an entrepreneurial idea took hold of him.
He embarked on various odd jobs, diligently accumulating a decent sum of money. Eventually, he purchased a small cart and a barbecue grill, setting up shop at the beach to sell mouthwatering barbecues. However, not everything went according to plan. His barbecue stand operated outside the confines of legality, and two months later, the police caught him, confiscating his belongings, including the money in the cart. This setback left Alex in a state of despair, requiring time to contemplate his next move.
Fortunately, he lived in a prosperous country, although he happened to belong to the unfortunate 0.2% of its poorest population. Alex was determined to rise from the bottom to the top, making his mark.
"I need to find a new path where I won't be constantly pursued by the police," Alex said to himself as he headed towards the supermarket near the dilapidated orphanage. With the authorities withholding financial support, the instructor had to rely on his own meager earnings, often taking on construction jobs and similar tasks.
"I must ensure a comfortable life for the instructor in the future," Alex vowed to himself, witnessing the instructor's unwavering support. The instructor had become the father figure Alex had never had, and Alex longed to reciprocate that love.
On his way to the supermarket, Alex passed an old temple, its steps leading downwards. He habitually entered through the upper entrance, descending the stairs, and exiting from the lower one. As he descended, something caught his eye—an ephemeral gl
immer of gold emanating from one of the steps.
"Why is that step shimmering? Could something be hidden there?" Alex approached cautiously, observing the sun's rays illuminating the crack, causing the gold to glisten.
Curiosity piqued, Alex descended further, his eyes fixated on the source of the radiance. He soon discovered a small crevice within the weathered stone step, seemingly concealing something made of gold.
"Could this be the return of my luck? If it's gold, I'll have more than enough money to start anew," Alex whispered excitedly, envisioning a brighter future.
His imagination ran wild as the sun momentarily vanished behind the clouds, causing the glimmer to fade. Determined, Alex resolved to retrieve whatever lay hidden within the step.
Since these stairs were seldom used by anyone, Alex had ample time to pry open the crevice. He noticed that the crack had already expanded within the stone, requiring only a few forceful strikes to break it open. Unlike other steps, this one possessed a hollow space, ideal for concealing treasures.
Armed with a stone he procured from the temple's surrounding gardens, Alex summoned all his strength and struck the step repeatedly. The initial attempts yielded no results, but with each subsequent blow, the crack widened. On the fourth strike, the stone split apart completely.
