Spirit Game

Two days had passed in a blink.

Rain was back in the real world again, but this time it felt like he'd been gone for ages. He hadn't even noticed how close the final exams were or that his time in high school was almost over.

Rain's thoughts began drifting to his future, college prospects, and what lay ahead when something hit him like a lightning bolt.

Rain's empire was thriving, and he had no doubt his people could fend off any beasts that dared approach, even in his absence.

This time, though, Rain was ready to step back, leave the battles behind, and finally enjoy the real world.

Maybe he'd go on a vacation after high school to celebrate—but first, he'd have to conquer the final exam before he could actually set off on his journey.

Rain checked his balance: $117.

Well it better than zero. Then he thought of his Soul Elixirs.

He had more than 10,000+ liters of Soul Elixirs.

Rain blinked, doing the quick math in his head. 10,000 liters . . . That's . . . 10 megaliters.

He paused, heart racing, as he grasped the enormity of it and went to his calculator app in his phone.

10,000L×1,000mL/L=10,000,000mL

His mind spun. 1mL = $1000

Then . . .

Rain was having trouble counting all the zeros and kept thinking he'd made a mistake, so he had to start over and count again.

T-Ten . . . billion . . . dollars?!

Rain's breath caught in his throat. His vision blurred, and he almost passed out from the sheer shock.

Was he dreaming?

This couldn't be right, could it?

He quickly grabbed his calculator, afraid that his phone might have broken and playing tricks on him. He then punched the numbers into the calculator with trembling hands. When that didn't feel real enough, he used an AI to double-check his math.

He stared at the result, wide-eyed.

"It really is . . . ten billion dollars," Rain whispered to himself in disbelief.

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Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined having this kind of wealth.

A billionaire?!

Him?!

The thought sent his mind reeling. It felt unreal, like a dream where he'd won the lottery a thousand times over.

But just as quickly as his excitement surged, reality came crashing down.

He needed the Soul Elixirs to build his empire, to grow his power. Blowing through them now would be reckless.

Rain's initial rush deflated.

He couldn't just squander it all.

But . . . a small voice in the back of his mind whispered, taking a million wouldn't hurt, right?

After all, he deserved it!

After everything he'd been through in the Spirit Realm, didn't he deserve a little reward? He could afford to splurge a bit without even scratching the surface of what he had.

His imagination ran wild. He could buy anything he wanted, take care of his parents, maybe even retire them early. They'd never have to work again. He could send them on luxury trips around the world, treat them to the best life had to offer.

Rain's lips curled into a grin as the thought took root. Yeah, he deserved that. A little taste of the good life wouldn't hurt.

Just a million . . . what could go wrong?

~DiinNgG!~

The doorbell rang, jolting Horizon from his morning routine.

Who could be here this early?

It wasn't even six in the morning yet, and he still had to get ready for school if he didn't want to be late.

Rushing to the door, Horizon leaned close to the peephole—and his eyes widened.

It was his parents!

What the . . . ? Why were they here unannounced, and with so many bags?

"Rain? Are you there? Open up." His mother's familiar voice, though muffled, instantly triggered a wave of nostalgia and worry.

Rain quickly unlocked the door, pulling it open to see his parents standing there, travel-worn yet smiling. His mother barely had time to step over the threshold before he hugged her tightly.

"Mom! Dad!" he said, a grin breaking out despite the shock. "I can't believe you're here!"

"We missed you, Rain," his mother murmured, pressing a warm kiss to his cheek, her eyes glistening with emotion.

His father clapped him on the shoulder with a gentle firmness, a gesture full of unspoken words.

But as Rain stepped back and took a closer look at them, a strange heaviness settled in his chest. They looked . . . different. Had they really aged so much in just ten months that I hadn't seen them in personal?

Or had he simply missed it over the brief video calls?

"Are you here to visit me? You should've called—I would have come to the airport," he said, glancing down at the pile of luggage by their feet.

But something didn't feel right. There was an unspoken tension between them; the air felt charged with something unsaid.

His parents exchanged a quick glance, and Rain felt the hairs on the back of his neck prick up.

"What's wrong?" he asked, a hint of concern creeping into his voice.

"Let's go inside first," his father replied, his voice steady but careful. "Help us with the bags, will you?"

Rain nodded and immediately pulled the heavy suitcases inside.

By the time he returned, his mother was already in the kitchen, moving through the familiar motions of making breakfast as if she'd never left.

His father helped arrange the bags by the door, but an unusual silence hung between them, as if both were avoiding saying something.

Finally, when they were all seated around the table, Rain couldn't hold back any longer. "You guys usually don't come here out of the blue. I'm the one who always goes to see you during vacation."

His parents shared another one of those looks that said everything and nothing at the same time, and Rain's heart began to race.

"What's going on?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

His mother took a deep breath, glancing at his father before speaking softly. "Rain . . . we have something to tell you."

His father cleared his throat, his words coming out slowly, carefully, as though he'd been rehearsing them. "We've been laid off, son. Both of us."