The city was alive, but William felt as if he were moving through it in a haze. He walked without direction, the cool evening air biting at his skin as neon signs flickered in the distance, painting the streets with hues of pink, blue, and green. Cars zipped past him, honking at pedestrians or stopping at red lights. The hum of distant conversations from sidewalk cafés drifted through the air, but none of it reached him. He was disconnected from everything around him.
William's footsteps echoed as he passed crowded restaurants, upscale shops, and bustling night markets. To the outside world, he was just another young man wandering through the city, but inside, he felt lost—adrift in a sea of people who seemed to know exactly where they were going, exactly who they were.
Where am I going?
That question kept spinning in his mind, each step heavier than the last. For years, he had tried to belong at the Cain estate. He had tried to prove himself worthy of their respect, tried to carve out a place for himself in their world. But that was over now. He had left the estate with nothing but the clothes on his back, walking away from the only semblance of stability he had known since his father died.
And now?
Now, he had no plan.
He stopped at a street corner, his eyes drifting across the city skyline. Skyscrapers stretched toward the stars, their windows glowing against the night. This was a city built on power, money, and ambition—three things William was beginning to realize he'd have to master if he wanted to survive here.
But at this moment, he didn't feel powerful. He didn't feel like the son of a hidden dynasty or a man who could carve his own path. He just felt… alone.
What would my father think of me now?
The thought was almost painful. His father, the mysterious figure whose legacy had always loomed over him, had built something William could barely comprehend—a world of underground power, influence, and wealth. William had always been too afraid to step into that world. He wanted to make his own name, his own life. But now, standing here in the middle of the city, he wasn't sure if that had been the right choice.
He could feel the weight of the dragon ring in his pocket. He had taken it off earlier, not wanting to be reminded of the family he came from, of the expectations that came with it. But the ring was still there, a silent reminder of the man his father had been and the world he had left behind.
William found a bench on the edge of a small park and sat down. The noise of the city was quieter here, the trees offering a small barrier between him and the bustling streets. He ran a hand through his hair, staring at the ground as memories of the Cain estate flickered through his mind.
They never saw me as anything but weak.
Ethan's smug face flashed before him, the memory of their last conversation replaying in his mind. The way Ethan had laughed at him, calling him a coward, a failure. Greg Cain's cold, dismissive words about William not lasting a day in the real world echoed in his ears. They believed he would crawl back, begging for their help.
But William knew one thing for certain—he wouldn't go back. He couldn't. Going back meant admitting that they had been right, that he wasn't strong enough to make it on his own. And even though he wasn't sure how to move forward yet, he knew that he had to. He had to prove to himself that he could survive, that he could build something real, something that was his own.
But where to start?
He looked up at the skyline again, watching as the lights of the city twinkled in the distance. Somewhere in this massive, sprawling place was the answer. Somewhere, he would find the next step.
As the hours ticked by, William continued to wander through the city, his mind working through a storm of thoughts and doubts. He passed high-end restaurants with velvet ropes and doormen, their clientele dressed in tailored suits and designer gowns. He passed parks where people jogged, walked their dogs, or sat on benches enjoying the night air. It was a city that never slept, a place where opportunity and challenge lay around every corner.
Eventually, his wandering brought him to a small, dimly lit coffee shop on a quieter street. It wasn't the kind of place the Cains would have ever stepped foot in, but that's why it appealed to him. The smell of fresh coffee drifted out into the street, and for the first time that night, William felt the stirrings of hunger. He hadn't eaten since leaving the estate, and his stomach reminded him of that now.
He pushed open the door and stepped inside, the warmth of the café wrapping around him like a blanket. The place was mostly empty, save for a few students with laptops and notebooks scattered across the tables. The barista behind the counter, a woman with short black hair and a nose ring, glanced up as William approached.
"What can I get you?" she asked, her tone friendly but tired.
"Just a coffee. Black," William replied, reaching for his wallet. As he handed over the money, he noticed how light his wallet felt. He had barely anything left in there. He had left the Cain estate without taking any of their money, and even though he had access to his father's inheritance, he wasn't sure how or when to use it.
The barista handed him the coffee with a small smile. "Rough night?"
William nodded slightly, though he didn't elaborate. "Yeah. Something like that."
He took his coffee and found a table in the corner, away from the windows. As he sat there, staring into the black liquid, he let his mind wander. The doubts were still there, lurking in the back of his mind, but something else was starting to take root—something small but persistent.
I can do this. I have to.
He wasn't sure where the thought came from, but it was enough to pull him out of the spiral of uncertainty that had been consuming him. He had made it this far, hadn't he? He had left the Cain estate with nothing but the clothes on his back, and even though he felt lost now, he wasn't broken. Not yet.
He took a sip of the coffee, the bitterness waking him up a little. The city outside the café window continued to buzz with life, people moving through their own worlds, their own struggles and triumphs. Somewhere out there, William knew his future was waiting for him.
He just had to find it.
As the hours passed, William began to feel a shift within himself. The fog of uncertainty that had clouded his mind was slowly lifting. He realized that this moment—this feeling of being lost—was part of the process. Everyone had to start somewhere, and for him, this was the beginning.
You can't wait for the perfect moment. You have to create it.
The words echoed in his mind, and for the first time in hours, he felt a spark of determination. He didn't need to have all the answers right now. He didn't need a grand plan. What he needed was to take the next step, whatever that was.
And he knew exactly where to start.