Nathan didn't have time to think of what the little in the age of twenties could reward him with. He was thinking of how to handle the giants before him. Not for the compensation, but because he felt the need to save the girl's life.
She shivered under the menacing glares of the goons but didn't show it. "And if I don't?" Nathan asked, fists clenched, as if ready to take on the fight.
"You are a dead man." The man's cold voice echoed and signaled the men with him to attack.
The girl whispered from behind him, "Can you fight them?"
"Probably not. But I can distract them. Run!"
She hesitated, unsure whether to leave the poor man to the beasts. "Are you sure?"
"RUN!" Nathan shouted, and she ran off, promising to come back for Nathan.
"She's running! Catch her!" the men shouted, trying to pass Nathan. He fought them, landing blows and knocking a couple down.
But then, these were no ordinary goons, nor were they just going to let a man like Nathan sabotage their mission.
Nathan felt a cold, sharp pain somewhere on his stomach, weakening him.
A blade cut through his stomach yet again. A punch followed, then another stab from behind. Blood gushed out. They beat him mercilessly.
"You thought you were tough?" The bearded man sneered. "I will show you what we do to heroes."
As the blows rained, pain became unbearable for Nathan. The world started turning dark and silent. He blacked out. His body collapsed to the ground.
"He is dead," one man said.
"What now?" Another asked, worry in his tone.
Their leader responded without hesitation. "We clean the scene to avoid any evidence pointing to us."
"And the body?"
"Let the vultures feed on him. We have to accomplish our mission. If we don't get a girl, then we are done for."
They cleaned the scene and took off after the girl.
But something stirred on Nathan's finger.
A ring—his grandpa's gift. Ordinary, he thought, all the years that he wore it. He never gave any meaning to it. But it wasn't just any ordinary ring. As his blood soaked the soil, the ring absorbed it.
Memories—visions—flooded his mind.
He saw himself on a throne. An emperor. People bowed before him. He practiced martial arts, healed the sick, and heard the voices of the gods. Warnings, instructions—his destiny revealed. It was like he was the intermediary between the gods of a certain land and its people.
"Oh, hail to the gods of the River Clan!"
***********
When he awoke, morning sunlight blinded him.
He jumped up, inspecting himself. No pain. No blood. No wounds. His clothes were torn, but his body? Flawless.
Yet, the previous night's attack was so vivid in his mind. Just like what he saw in his dream.
What kind of magic was this?
He tested a few martial arts moves. His body moved instinctively, like it was in his bones. But he didn't recall practicing those things anywhere.
The visions were real.
The Rivers clan? Who were they? What was his connection with him? Were they his people?
Questions lingered, heavy questions that he didn't have answers to, but one thing was made clear to him: he wasn't a nobody. He wasn't trash.
"And if this is all true, if my mind is not playing tricks on me, then my oppressors better get ready! Because I will do everything to make them taste what they fed me for years, and even more!" He swore, his eyes burning with thirst for vengeance.
He had to uncover the truth of what happened to his family. But first, the divorce.
He left for court.
________
Not long after, the girl he saved returned with guards.
"Is he here, Miss Anna?" one of them asked.
"No," she said, heart heavy. "But something tells me he made it."
"With all due respect, he was alone against six armed men. Unless he's a superhero or has magic—"
"I choose to trust my instincts. He is alive!" she snapped.
"What do you want us to do, Miss Anna?" One of her bodyguards asked, bowing his head.
"Find him! Turn the world upside down if you have to. Don't come back until you do." She ordered, her tone serious and unwavering.
"Yes, Miss Anna!"
__________
It took Nathan nearly two hours to reach the courthouse. As expected, Diana was pacing furiously with impatience.
She turned when she saw him. "Who do you think you are to keep me waiting? You think I have got time to waste like you?"
"Can we just go in?" Nathan said calmly.
But she wasn't done. "You slept on the streets, right? That's your home now. But did you really have to show up looking like a hobo? Are you trying to embarrass me one last time or what?"
Nathan ignored her, walking toward the entrance.
But a male voice halted them. "Hi, babe," said a tall, well-dressed man approaching with confidence.
Diana's eyes lit up as she met and welcomed the fine-looking man.
They kissed like no one was watching.
Edwin.
The man behind it all.
Edwin sneered at Nathan. "Um, babe, who's this beggar? Why is he even here?"
"This is the filth my grandpa forced me to marry. I can't wait to end this, Endy!" Diana said, looking at Nathan with utter scorn.
Edwin raised an eyebrow. "This is unacceptable torture to you, love," Edwin replied, eyeing Nathan from head to toe. "You have been dealing with this for years?"
Diana rolled her eyes. "It was not funny at all. This was an insult to me. I deserve a crown for the most patient woman in the world."
Nathan stood still, watching the circus.
"Man to man," Edwin added smugly, "I have got old suits I can donate. Say the word."
Nathan clenched his jaw.
"Don't bother," Diana said. "His ego's worse than his poverty."
"At least you know one thing about me," Nathan replied coldly. "I didn't know you were capable of learning anything about the man you have lived with for three years."
"Don't flatter yourself." Diana sneered back.
"I wasn't trying to." Nathan cut her off before she could continue. His patience seemed to have worn really thin. "You two can choose to mock me all day or sign the damn papers and let us stop suffocating each other. Trust me, Diana, I want so badly to divorce you more than you want to be with your sugar daddy. So stop wasting my time!"
Diana blinked, taken aback.
His tone, his words—something had shifted. This wasn't the man she thought she had under her control. He wasn't begging like she had thought. He wasn't broken.
She swallowed hard, and for the first time ever since she met Nathan, she wanted to know something about him.
What had changed overnight that he seemed so confident and done with her?