Good fortune never comes alone, and misfortune never comes singly.

The economy was in a downturn, and the company began to lay off employees on a large scale. Zachary Reed, who had been performing mediocrely and had only been in the company for less than half a year, was naturally on the list.

When Zachary, who was in a depressed mood, returned home, he opened the door and saw a scene that made his blood boil. His girlfriend, who had been dating him for almost six years, was sitting on the sofa with a man in her arms.

Since his parents passed away in high school, Zachary once again felt what it was like to be heartbroken. He pounded his chest, which was a little stuffy due to the heartache. Zachary did not get angry or hysterical. He just watched quietly for a while as the two people seemed very panicked because Zachary had suddenly come back and caught them.

Zachary exhaled deeply, walked into the bedroom expressionlessly, pulled out a suitcase from under the bed, randomly found some of his commonly used clothes, stuffed them into the suitcase, and walked out.

At this time, the man had disappeared. Zachary looked at his girlfriend, who was in a panic—oh, now she should be considered his ex-girlfriend. He forced a smile on his stiff face and pretended to be calm as he said, "I wish you happiness."

However, the hoarse voice squeezed out of his dry throat was a bit harsh even to himself.

Before leaving, he took a last look at the small home where he had lived for almost two years. Zachary gritted his teeth, no longer lingered, and walked out. The sound of his ex-girlfriend crying seemed to come from behind.

He dragged his suitcase and got on a bus casually. Zachary looked out the window with lifeless eyes, his mind full of "why."

Thinking back to the six years he had spent with his girlfriend since college, and thinking about what she did today, Zachary felt his heart twist and ache.

He didn't know how long it took, but he suddenly heard someone say in his ear: "Young man, we are at the terminal. Why don't you get off the bus? Where is your home?"

Zachary woke up with a wry smile on his face. Home? Where did he have a home? After his parents died in a car accident, he no longer had a home. Originally, he thought that wherever she was, that was home, but now...

No, I still have a home. I spent my childhood there, and my parents' graves are still there. Zachary suddenly recalled the old house where he and his parents lived when he was a child. He didn't know why, but he suddenly wanted to go back to the place full of his childhood memories.

Zachary decided to leave San Diego. He took out his mobile phone to check train tickets. There was a train in the early morning. It was just right. He didn't have to find a place to stay that night. Fortunately, he had received his salary from the finance department when he resigned; otherwise, he might not have had enough money to buy a ticket.

There were still a few unread messages from his ex-girlfriend on his phone. Zachary didn't read them. He clicked in and blocked her directly, then got on a bus to the train station.

Zachary's hometown was Millfield, a small city in the Midwest. In recent years, due to urban development, the city's appearance had greatly improved, but Zachary was not in the mood to appreciate it.

Before his parents died, they had bought a house in the city. Although they were gone, it was still a place to live. After getting off the train in the early morning, Zachary stayed in the house for one night.

In reality, Zachary just dozed off in bed for a while because he couldn't sleep at all. As soon as he lay down, his mind was full of her. Finally, he waited until dawn and dozed off for a bit.

Opposite the entrance of the neighborhood was the office of the Millfield Development Zone. When Zachary went out, he saw a banner hanging at the gate. He took a curious look. When he saw that it read, "Warmly celebrate the market value of Orion Technology Co., Ltd. in our district exceeding $100 billion," his already pale face became even gloomier.

After taking a deep look at the banner, Zachary took a taxi and headed toward the station.

The Midwest was full of rolling hills. Millfield had a small plain in the city center, but the surrounding areas were filled with hills. Zachary's hometown was not far from the urban area, just under 30 miles away.

However, due to the terrain, the journey included 20 miles of winding mountain roads and another five to six miles of flat land before reaching the town. From the town to the city, it was another 30 miles.

After returning to his childhood home, Zachary first cleaned up the house, then picked up a hoe and set out to the back hills. His ancestors were buried there, and his parents' graves were naturally among them.

Few people came to the mountains now, and the once-wide mountain path was nearly covered by weeds and bushes. Fortunately, Zachary had grown up here as a child; otherwise, he might have gotten lost.

It took most of the day for him to clear the overgrown brush around his parents' graves. Afterward, he found some dry grass, bundled it up, and placed it on the graves. Once satisfied, he stopped to rest.

After taking a break, Zachary lit the incense he had brought, bowed before his parents' graves, and then sat down against the tombstone, lost in thought.

In the following days, aside from walking around the village, Zachary spent most of his time in the mountains, sitting near his parents' graves in a daze.

After two weeks, he had noticeably lost weight. His once-round face had thinned, his cheekbones more pronounced. He looked hollow and lost.

One day, as he sat near the graves, he noticed the sky darkening. Summer storms were common, and Zachary assumed it was going to rain. As he stood up to head home, he suddenly remembered the vast fields of rhododendrons on the other side of the mountain. Every year, they bloomed beautifully. He had once promised her he would bring her to see the sea of flowers.

Thinking of this, his mood dimmed again. After a moment, he picked up his sickle and walked toward the mountain peak.

As he reached the top, admiring the bright red flowers on the opposite slope, he was lost in memories. Then, suddenly, a thunderclap roared above him. Startled, he looked up and saw a massive dark cloud hovering directly overhead.

Then, a blinding flash erupted. A black spherical object, larger than a basketball, appeared before him.

Instinctively, Zachary swung his sickle at it—only to realize mid-swing that he was striking ball lightning. He braced for the worst.

The black lightning exploded violently, rushing toward his face. He shut his eyes, expecting the worst.

Pain surged through his mind. He blacked out.

When he woke up, everything had changed.