Ethan awoke to the gentle buzz of the city life outside his window. Dawn's early light seeped through the curtains, softly illuminating his cramped and messy room.
"What... time is it?" he mumbled to himself.
Sitting up slowly, memories from the night before flooded back, causing his heart to race. His gaze quickly shifted to his phone on the nightstand.
'It couldn't have been real, could it?'
Eager for answers, Ethan grabbed his phone and unlocked it. To his astonishment, the screen displayed the interface of the Unlimited System.
The very same system that had indicated he now had access to a billion dollars. A shiver of excitement ran through him.
Determined whether this was reality or just a strange dream, Ethan decided there was only one way to confirm it.
"Let's test it," he whispered, his hands trembling slightly as he opened an online shopping website and headed straight for the digital games section.
He browsed through the game listings, adding to his cart some of the most expensive titles he had always wished for but never imagined he could afford.
At the checkout screen, Ethan saw a jaw-dropping total of $3,500. Hesitating, he lingered on the "purchase" button, his thumb suspended.
"This is insane," he thought, wrestling with the decision. "What if I'm wrong?"
Yet his curiosity improved, and he pressed "purchase." For a brief moment, his heart seemed to freeze in his chest.
As the loading icon spun, Ethan held his breath in anticipation. Then, suddenly, the transaction was complete.
[Transaction successful.]
A confirmation email popped up immediately. Everything had gone through without a hitch—no alerts, no errors, just a smooth transaction.
Ethan had just spent $3,500 on games, which he had effortlessly paid despite insufficient funds to cover the purchase.
Shocked yet intrigued, Ethan realized he needed more evidence, something more conclusive, to test the system's limits.
He quickly searched and found a custom-built gaming PC, a high-end gaming chair, and a desk totaling over $9,000, which was far beyond what he could typically afford.
Without a second thought, he added the entire setup to his cart and clicked "purchase" again.
"I'll worry about where to set up this later," he said.
Again, the loading wheel spun. Ethan's stomach churned with nerves. What if it didn't work? What if it had all been a fluke? But then—another confirmation.
[Transaction successful.]
Ethan was in shock. Holding his phone, he could hardly believe what he saw on the screen. It was all real. The system that promised unlimited money wasn't a scam.
The money was actually there!
"What's actually happening?" Ethan wondered aloud, setting his phone down with utmost care. His mind raced with what this could mean.
A mix of excitement and disbelief surged through him. This wasn't a dream or a figment of his imagination. He really did have access to unlimited money. However, he knew he had to keep this a secret for now.
Taking a deep breath, Ethan swung his legs off the bed and stood up, trying to calm the whirlwind of emotions inside him.
He had to act like everything was normal, even though his life had changed dramatically.
"I should help my parents first," Ethan thought.
Quietly, he opened his bedroom door and stepped into the hallway. The comforting sounds of his home—dishes clinking and his parents' voices softly conversing in the kitchen—greeted him.
His mother was busy making breakfast, and he saw his father flipping through the morning newspaper at the dining table.
When Ethan walked into the kitchen, he saw his dad, Aaron, intently searching through newspaper job ads, marking some with a pen.
Aaron's face showed signs of wear and worry, indicating he was intensely focused on finding a solution to a tough problem.
"Morning," Ethan said, trying to sound relaxed.
His dad briefly looked up and responded, "Morning, son," before returning to his job hunt with a sigh, turning to the next page of the newspaper.
Ethan's mom, Elise, was busy at the stove, preparing eggs and bacon. She looked over and gave Ethan a warm smile.
"You're up early. Sleep well?" she asked.
"Yeah," Ethan lied, having spent a restless night worrying about the activated system. "It smells great in here."
"Breakfast will be ready in a bit. Your brother and sister will wake up soon," she said, focusing back on the stove.
Right then, Ethan's younger siblings, Lily and Jacob, came into the kitchen, still in their pajamas and looking sleepy.
Lily managed to smile a sleepy smile for Ethan and sat down while Jacob went straight to the fridge to get some juice.
"Morning, sleepyhead," Ethan joked, playfully ruffling Lily's hair as she passed him.
Lily glanced at him, too groggy to respond; the early morning wake-ups were not her thing.
Taking a seat at the table, Ethan's heart was racing. He took a moment to observe his father, who was engrossed in circling another job ad in the newspaper.
'Don't worry anymore, Dad. This will all be over soon,' Ethan silently promised himself.
He was determined to finish his mission quickly, to better his and his family's lives. They had been through enough hardships, particularly his parents.
Now was their time to live happily and without stress. They had earned it, after all.
For months, the tension of financial worries and the constant hunt for more work had lingered over them.
Ethan saw how hard his father worked, and it pained him to see him struggle so much.
But now, he had a chance to change everything. He could lift the burden off his parents' shoulders.
Yet, explaining it would be difficult.
How could he casually say, "Hey, I've just come into a billion dollars; it's no big deal"?
His train of thought was suddenly broken by the sound of dishes clattering as his mom set a plate of eggs and bacon in front of him.
"Eat up; you've got a long day ahead," she said, smiling.
Ethan nodded, his mind still preoccupied. He ate quietly, his thoughts racing with what was to come.
The excitement of the morning purchases still buzzed under his skin, but he forced himself to stay calm, to act like everything was normal.
After breakfast, Lily and Jacob shuffled into the living room, the television clicking on as they settled on the worn couch.
Ethan watched them for a moment, his heart tightening. They were too young to understand the full extent of the stress over the family, but Ethan knew they could sense it.
The constant worry about money, the tension that sometimes boiled over into arguments, wasn't lost on them.
Ethan picked at his food, his mind racing. After a few minutes, as the sound of cartoons filled the background and his parents sat down to eat, he decided he couldn't wait any longer.
"Mom, Dad," he began, his voice steady but filled with a quiet urgency, "how much do we need for rent and bills this month? Exactly?"
Both his parents looked at him, confused. His mother furrowed her brow. "Why do you want to know that?"
Ethan, trying to keep his voice light, said, "I just… I want to help. We've been stretching every dollar, and I want to do more. Maybe take some of the load off."
Aaron, his brow furrowed in concern, responded, "Ethan, you're already doing so much. You're juggling two jobs and your studies."
With a concerned look, he added, "You shouldn't have to worry about covering the rent or the bills on top of that."
Ethan faced his father, a mix of guilt and determination stirring within him. He didn't want to see his dad take on another job, nor did he want his mom to work overtime to make ends meet.
'I can fix this,' he thought to himself.
He needed to convince them.
Turning to his mother, Ethan persisted, "Mom, please. Just let me know how much we need."
After sharing a look with Aaron, Elise replied, "The rent is behind by $2,500 and for the utilities and groceries for the rest of the month... it's probably close to another $1,000."
Ethan quickly calculated the amount: $3,500. It was just a tiny part of what he now had at his disposal.
Looking at his parents, he saw their weariness and stress. They couldn't even imagine how easy it would be for him to solve this problem.
"I'll take care of it," Ethan said, quiet but determined.
His father, surprised, put his fork down and looked at him. "What do you mean, 'take care of it'?"
Then, making direct eye contact with Ethan, his father's expression was one of concern. He had asked his wife if Ethan could contribute, but he was hesitant to impose any burden on his son.
Aaron, Ethan's father, sighed deeply and said, "Ethan, that's not your responsibility. I've been looking for additional work, and your mom's taking on extra shifts at the clinic. We'll get through this like we always do."
"No, Dad, I'm serious," Ethan insisted, pulling out his phone.
With his heart pounding, Ethan opened his banking app, which he had used earlier that day for some purchases.
His account balance was still substantial, unaffected by his earlier spending. "I've got this."
Aaron had a concerned look on his face as he began to speak to Ethan. "Ethan—"
But Ethan didn't let his father finish. Instead, he quickly pressed a few buttons and started a bank transfer.
Wanting to ensure his parents had enough, he sent double the amount his mother had mentioned.
$7,000.
He had sent money before, so his father's bank details were already stored in his phone.
Moments later, Ethan's phone vibrated with a message.
[Transaction successful]
Looking up at his parents, Ethan could feel his heart racing. "Check your account," he urged.
Aaron and Elise shared a look of confusion, but Aaron picked up his phone with a sigh.
He opened his banking app, squinting as he clicked through to see his account balance. Then he stopped, completely taken aback.
"What…?" Aaron's voice was barely a whisper as he looked at the screen in shock.
Elise leaned in, her hand flying to her mouth in surprise. "Ethan, where did this come from?"
Ethan couldn't help but smile, feeling a burden lift off his shoulders. "It's okay. I've got it covered. You don't have to worry anymore."
His parents were speechless, their initial confusion slowly turning into a mix of relief and amazement.
They couldn't understand how or why, but they felt the pressure lift for the first time in a long while.
And for Ethan, this was just the start.