Chapter 1: The Zero

The Zero

The rain tapped gently against the windowpane of Ethan's small bedroom. The only sound in the room was the low hum of his old laptop, flickering in and out of life as if it too shared in his uncertainty. The walls, once white, were now faded with age, peppered with old posters he'd never quite bothered to take down. There were no dreams of grandeur here. Just the quiet hum of routine.

Ethan stared at the screen, blinking at the numbers in front of him. His bank account balance was a mere $23.41. He scrolled through his email inbox, filled with unopened job applications, reminders of bills past due, and a flood of daily newsletters from self-proclaimed "financial gurus" offering "secrets to becoming a millionaire."

He snorted and closed the laptop with a soft click. The idea of becoming a millionaire felt like a joke. People like him didn't get that lucky. They didn't level up in real life. They simply worked to survive.

"Ethan, you okay in there?" his sister's voice broke through the silence. Olivia, at just 14 years old, was wise beyond her years. She'd always had a knack for knowing when things weren't right.

"Yeah, just thinking," he replied, sitting back in his chair and glancing at the door as she stepped in, her face full of concern.

She didn't buy his answer. "About money again, right?"

Ethan nodded, feeling a pang of guilt. He had never been able to explain to Olivia just how stuck he felt. To her, he was the older brother, the one who was supposed to have the answers. But all he had were questions—and no clear path forward.

Olivia sat next to him, her bright eyes scanning the room, before fixing on the pile of old notebooks on his desk. "You know, Grandma's been asking you to come over. She's got something she wants to show you. Something about money."

Ethan groaned. "Money? She's always on about money. It's not like I can just snap my fingers and fix everything, Liv."

But Olivia didn't argue. Instead, she simply stood up and held out her hand, her expression full of that unspoken wisdom only a younger sibling could possess. "Maybe Grandma's got something that can help. Besides, you could use a change of scenery."

With a sigh, Ethan relented. He grabbed his jacket, and they both made their way to their grandmother's house—a small but cozy cottage just a few blocks away.

When they arrived, Grandma Vera was already at the kitchen table, her sharp eyes twinkling behind her glasses as she gestured for Ethan to sit down. She'd been retired for years, but her mind was still as sharp as ever. She had always been the one to explain the importance of budgeting and saving, but until now, it had all felt like abstract advice. Words he nodded at but never truly understood.

"I've been thinking, Ethan," Grandma Vera began, handing him a pen and a notepad. "You've got potential. But what you're missing is a plan. A financial blueprint."

Ethan frowned. "A financial blueprint? What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means setting goals, understanding how money works, and figuring out how to make it work for you," Grandma said, her voice steady but firm. "I'm going to show you the basics of finance. You need to start thinking about your future, not just your next paycheck."

Ethan wanted to resist. He really did. But as he looked at Grandma's face, he saw that same spark in her eyes—the same spark that had kept her going for decades, despite the financial hardships she'd faced. Maybe, just maybe, she had a point.

"Alright," Ethan said, his voice soft. "I'm listening."

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Ethan leaves Grandma's house that day with more than just a notebook full of advice. He has an embryonic vision of what he needs to do, but it's still fuzzy. He's not yet convinced it will work, but there's a glimmer of hope. That night, as he lies awake staring at the ceiling, he wonders if maybe there's a way out of this cycle after all. Could he really learn how to manage money? Could he level up?

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