After returning home,
Lucas sat on the edge of his bed,
a towel draped over his shoulders.
His body still ached from the run.
Not the sharp pain of injury
but the dull soreness of muscles.
But he welcomed it.
Because it meant he has done something.
After changing into a clean shirt, he lay back and stared at the ceiling.
The fan spun lazily above him.
It's Summer break.
No school.
No deadlines.
No immediate pressure.
And yet… his mind refused to rest.
Money.
The word surfaced quietly in his head.
"In my previous life,
Money ruled everything
People say's, that money is not everything
That money alone cannot give you happiness what gives you happiness are The people you are with your family, friends, relatives, etc.
But I think it differently in this world if you don't have enough money and power even the people who you think are close to you will eventually turn their backs on you in your hardest times".
Lucas closed his eyes.
Then
A memory surfaced.
Clear. Sharp.
A convenience store near the main road.
A small poster taped near the counter.
A local lottery draw.
He remembered it because of how meaningless it had felt back then.
A coworker had laughed that day.
"Someone won," he had said casually.
"Some kid from this area, apparently."
At that time, Lucas had only nodded.
Now, his eyes slowly opened.
"…That draw," he murmured.
"I think I know the date and the winning lottery number"
He remembered them.
Not because they were special.
But because he had stood there that day, exhausted and bitter, thinking:
If only this kind of luck ever came to people like us.
His heart beat a little faster.
This wasn't a skill.
Nor it was an effort.
And it wasn't something he wanted to rely on.
But—
"I need a foundation," Lucas said quietly.
Not to live comfortably.
Just to breathe.
Just enough to ease his mother's burden… even a little.
He sat up.
The room felt different now not hopeful, not desperate.
Focused.
Lucas exhaled slowly.
He stood up and reached for his wallet.
Inside were a few worn notes.
Not much.
But enough.
He paused at the door.
For the first time since coming back
He wasn't afraid of the future.