Misery and Hope

The message was brief, and Kayden could imagine the firm's management laughing at him as they wrote it.

[Termination of your contract with the law firm]

[We regret to inform you that, due to the imminent global economic crisis, we have been forced to reduce the number of employees in our firm. We thank you for your years of service and wish you all the best].

"Those damn bastards!" Kayden cursed, not caring about drawing others' attention. 'I worked my ass off for the company for over three years, and instead of promoting me as a reward for my efforts, they decided to fire me without even telling me in person.'

After a while, he realized he could not do anything about it, trying to calm down while he looked through the other unread emails.

Seeing that none of them were important besides the one about his dismissal, he searched some of the main newspapers of the country.

As he read, his expression darkened since the situation was even worse than he had thought.

When he saw an article about several banks failing, a bad feeling ran through his body.

He finished reading it, his body feeling several times heavier than usual.

The bank where he had his primary bank account was one of those going bankrupt, blocking all kinds of money withdrawals as they were up to their necks in debt.

Kayden rubbed his eyes and re-read the bank's name, checking to see if he made a mistake.

He hit the table upon looking at the words of the article.

He realized his situation was much worse than he imagined since he barely had a thousand dollars without his primary account. Thus, after paying his medical bills, he would have about a hundred at best.

As he kept reading the news, he discovered that tsunamis had partially buried cities like New York, Rio de Janeiro, and Shanghai, and there was a long road ahead to bring their former glory back.

This, of course, without considering the numerous smaller coastal cities devastated by the waves, especially those in poorer countries.

On the other hand, large earthquakes also left extensive damage, especially in places not prepared enough to withstand earthquakes of great magnitude.

Fortunately for Kayden, despite all the bad happening to him, at least the city of Los Angeles had not suffered severe damage, considering how close it was to the coast.

'Heh, no house nor money, but at least I'm alive.' Kayden thought wryly after reading the article.

While Kayden was still assimilating his dire situation, his computer time ended. Picking up his crutches with a wince of pain, he headed for his gurney.

Two days later, as Kayden greedily finished his lunch, the doctor and nurse came to examine his wounds.

"It looks like you're all healed up," the doctor exclaimed with the same tone of surprise and excitement he always had when speaking to Kayden.

"Will I be able to leave today ?" Kayden asked, his eagerness to escape the pavilion and breath fresh air evident in his voice.

"There shouldn't be any problem with that. Just wait until I remove the IV saline and the bandages, and you'll be able to discharge yourself in the next few hours," he replied, giving Kayden the first good news since the beginning of this ordeal.

"I'm still amazed that you haven't required painkillers since you regained consciousness," the elderly nurse commented, who seemed to have found a new pair of glasses.

"The pain wasn't as bad as it looked," Kayden replied, smiling.

However, the truth was different. The pain had been quite bad, especially the day he awoke. Yet, after enduring the excruciating agony in front of the gate of the palace, the injuries caused by the collapse were not a big deal.

***

Kayden came out of the pavilion with a gloomy look on his face.

As he had feared, when he tried to pay the hospital bill charged with his savings account, the hospital administration informed him that it was not possible, so Kayden had to use his secondary account, leaving him with less than a hundred dollars.

The most ironic thing was that he only had enough money to pay because he had not used painkillers, which would have been a big problem as he would have had to go into debt.

In normal circumstances, when someone lost their home due to a natural disaster, the government would support the citizen, enabling them to resume their lives with normality.

However, the current situation made it significantly more difficult for the countries to help the population.

One of the few things the American government had done was to set up several buildings known as help centers, which offered shelter and food for those who had lost their homes.

Kayden was now making his way to the nearest one as he thought about the surreal of the situation. Just a week ago, he had completed another trial, and now he found himself in this dire situation, plagued by regret.

Once again, it all seemed to come back to the same problem, his lack of selfishness.

'If I had acted differently and taken part in some dirty laundry instead of following the rules imposed by society, I might have made enough money to live somewhere else better and, who knows, might not have lost it all in a collapse.'

Kayden arrived at a building surrounded by fences, stopping near what appeared to be the entrance.

A brown-skinned military man approached him with a firm stride, "Identify yourself." He ordered in a cold voice.

Taken aback by his brusqueness, Kayden quickly replied, "Kayden Hale."

"Are you here for lodging? I assume you know it's only for those who lost their homes."

"I do."

"I hope so. Fill out this document with your details. If everything is correct, you'll be assigned a bed," the soldier instructed, his gaze piercing Kayden as if he wanted to tear him to pieces.

"Sure..." Kayden replied, still dumbfounded by the soldier's attitude.

'What's wrong with this madman? He treats me as if I had committed a treason crime.'

After completing the form, Kayden approached to hand it over.

The soldier snatched it from his hands, but before he could start reading it, a voice sounded behind him, causing him to flinch.

"Is there a problem, Private Martinez?" A man with Asian features asked.

"N-No, Sergeant Lee." The soldier stammered nervously.

"That's fine. I'll handle this. You can return to guarding the entrance."

"Yes, sir." The soldier quickly left, as if he had been granted amnesty.

The sergeant turned to Kayden. He exuded confidence typical of someone experienced, that contrasted with his appearance since he looked like he was not yet in his thirties.

"Please forgive him for his attitude. His sister died in a collapse caused by the earthquakes, and now he hates anyone who lost their home but survived," he explained.

Kayden nodded his head, finally understanding the soldier's attitude toward him.

"Everything seems to be in order," the sergeant said after reviewing Kayden's form. "Enter the building and request a bed at one of the tables you will find on the left."

"Thank you, sir," Kayden uttered, heading toward the building, which ironically had held up better than his previous home despite looking a little run-down.

***

Kayden surveyed the place that would become his temporary home, uncertain of how long he would stay. The room contained ten beds, including his own modest cot. A solitary bathroom could be seen, which Kayden assumed was shared by the ten people.

However, according to the woman in the lobby, this arrangement was considered a luxury compared to other centers. It was a somber reminder of the dire circumstances that had befallen the world.

Knowing that he had to find a job, Kayden had his hopes set on the construction companies, since others would not hire him due to the crisis. It was a change for the worse, but it was the best option within his current situation.

When Kayden was about to sit down on his new bed, and exactly one week after the terrible earthquakes devastated the entire world, an awe-spiring spectacle unfolded in the sky.

Vivid lines of enchanting colors danced across the sky, painting a captivating scene reminiscent of a mesmerizing fairy tale.

The minutes passed, and the breathtaking view finally came to an end, bringing everyone, including Kayden, back to reality. However, just when they thought nothing more could happen, an enormous figure materialized in the skies.

Unbeknownst to Kayden, the same happened in every corner of the planet.