A life without purpose.

Hello everyone, this is the author and I hope you enjoy the chapter. I am new, so any tips or criticism are welcome.

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RING! RING! RING!

In a messy small apartment, an alarm clock was constantly ringing on the living room table indicating that the sun had already risen.

A few moments later, a hand rose from the floor and turned off the alarm clock, and soon a dirty man with unkempt hair and beard got up from the floor while putting his hand on his forehead.

The environment reeked of alcohol and trash, with several empty vodka and beer bottles all over the place.

Ethan groaned as he grabbed his throbbing head and slowly walked to his small kitchen to have a glass of water with a headache medicine.

"I shouldn't drink so much." Ethan said quietly as the medicine started to take effect and his hangover subsided. He had been living as a drunken bum for almost 6 months, ever since he found out that his beloved wife and childhood friend, Luci, had cheated on him while he was serving in the army.

To make matters worse, she was supposedly pregnant with their child, and when he started the divorce process, the house he had bought and all his belongings, along with half of his savings, went to her, including the savings left to him by his deceased parents.

All that remained was a few thousand dollars and a small apartment in New York where he was now. Ethan had lost everything - his job, which he had left to take care of his family, his possessions, his wife.

"Now all I have is alcohol, haha." Ethan said with a bitter laugh, grabbing a bottle of wine from the table, only to realize it was empty.

(Sigh)

Ethan let out a long sigh, seeing that there was nothing left to drink in the house. His stomach, which hadn't been properly fed for days, let out a loud growl, prompting him to decide to go out and get something to eat.

Without much thought, Ethan took a quick shower and put on the least dirty clothes he had before leaving his apartment and finally his building.

The sun hit his face, reflecting his lifeless gaze, and people on the sidewalk unconsciously moved away from him, disdainful of his appearance.

"Oh right, I should check my phone." Ethan said quietly, remembering that he hadn't even turned on his phone in the past few days, afraid of going through the gallery and seeing pictures of him with his ex-wife, which could make him break down in tears.

Letting out another weak sigh, Ethan continued walking down the street, absorbing the warmth of the morning sun.

It didn't take long for him to reach a café in the outskirts of the city, called "Donuts and War", owned by his former sergeant who had retired several years ago.

Ding!

"Welcome! Oh, and you, Ethan, looking as messed up as ever, hahaha!" as Ethan walked in, he was greeted by a tall, strong, slightly overweight man.

"Hello, Mr. Max, how have you been?" Ethan politely replied, and the two exchanged a long hug.

"I'm definitely better than you, man. You look like a zombie!" Max joked, leading Ethan to sit at the counter while serving him some donuts with a coffee.

"These have been tough times, Sergeant." Ethan sighed before starting to eat, and he saw Max's expression turn slightly solemn before his usual smile returned.

"Well, my friend, don't worry, I've found the perfect solution for you!" Max unusually excitedly said, causing Ethan to raise an eyebrow.

"You see, I would like to introduce you to someone!" Max said as he picked up his phone and showed a picture of a young and beautiful dark-haired and brunette woman, making Ethan shake his head.

"I'm sorry, Sergeant, I don't think I can." Ethan said, as if remembering his whole history with Luci, but before he could become melancholic, Max slapped him angrily.

"Stop being a crybaby, it's time to look forward and be a man. I arranged a date for you two next Monday, so you have a week to put a smile on your face and get your life together!" Max told Ethan, who could only sigh and agree. Deep down, he knew that Sergeant was right.

"Now that you've eaten, get out of my diner. I don't want people thinking this is a shelter for beggars!" Max said, and before Ethan could protest or pay the bill, he shooed him away.

Ding!

Ethan looked at the closed door and silently thanked his friend. "I guess I can't go on living like this." He said firmly and started walking back to his apartment.

It was time for him to move on from his past relationship. He had already gone through infernal battlefields, seen comrades and beloved friends die by his side. He had to keep moving forward.

Ethan muttered these thoughts to himself and quickly arrived at his apartment, deciding to tidy it up.

He threw the bottles and trash into bags and put them outside, sorted out his clothes and put them in the washing machine, cleaned the rooms and the mess, and finally started organizing his belongings.

"Hmm? What's this?" Ethan, who was picking up the items scattered under his bed, noticed something emitting a silver glow beneath it.

Grabbing the object, Ethan pulled it out and saw that it was a silver cube with smooth surfaces on all sides.

"But what is this?" Ethan wondered and held up the silver cube against the sun to observe it better. At that moment, after the cube received sunlight, a blue light shone on it.

"What?" Ethan wondered, surprised, and the next moment, the cube melted into a silver liquid and began to wrap around his wrist, scaring him deeply as he tried to throw the liquid away.

"But what the hell is this!" Ethan shouted and, for a moment, thought he might be hallucinating, but dismissed the idea as soon as the liquid finished enveloping his arm and he felt a slight sting before a tremendous pain flowed from his wrist to the rest of his body.

"AHHHHHH!" Ethan screamed in pain before falling backward and feeling his vision bend until his consciousness fully blacked out.