THE BILLIONAIRE DOPPELGÄNGER

Chapter5

Chapter 5

the path of strength

Days in Greyshore village moved slowly, as if time itself had chosen its abode there.

No factory noise,no horns from automobiles, no crowded streets or rushing crowds. It was quiet,with the rhythm of waves hitting against the shore and the faint voices of fishermen thrusting their boats into the water before sunrise.The silence still felt unfamiliar for Rolland. He sat outside Old Joe's small wooden hut on a worn-out bench, his eyes drifted across the wide lake that stretched beyond the scanty village houses. The early morning air was pleasing,and the wind carried the scent of wet wood, salt and dried fish.It had been four days since he regained consciousness,Four days since he discovered he had survived the night that was meant to end him.The wounds on his chest still aches with pain whenever he moved too fast, but the sharp burning sensation had subsided. Evidently,Old Joe’s unique herbs and treatments was effective.

Nonetheless,the deepest wound was not physical,It hid somewhere inside his mind.

Their faces kept appearing each time his thoughts wandered. The sounds of the laughter they once shared resound in his mind leaving a daunting question within..“Why?”

The question escaped him unconsciously,drawing the attention of Old Joe who was standing behind him. With a calm voice he answered.“Because jealousy grows silently.”Rolland turned his head and saw the old fisherman standing in the doorway holding two wooden cups, steam rising gently from them. As old Joe walked over,he handed one to Rolland,it contained warm herbal tea.Rolland stared at the cup suspiciously.

“ Does this taste like the herbs from yesterday that almost killed me? He asked jokingly.Old Joe sat beside him smiling.

“It will not kill you,besides you have cheated death once,you could just do it again.Rolland was surprised at old Joe's sense of humor. He took a cautious sip of the tea, it was bitter but soothing to the chest. As the two men sat quietly,watching the sunlight shining across the lake,Rolland spoke again.“They wanted the promotion.”

Old Joe didn’t ask but guessed he was referring to the ones behind the attack. “Power is a revealer of one's true intentions.”

Rolland laughed dryly…“A factory supervisor isn't exactly power, is it?”Old Joe kept his eyes forward as he responded. “For some people, even a small throne is worth the bloodshed.”

Rolland stared blankly at his hands.“ I and Rufus used to eat lunch together every day.I even helped him fix his car last year. Old Joe listened without interrupting him while Rolland continued with his fist tightened,venting his pains.“I trusted them.”The fisherman finally said as he turned to face Rolland." Yet that trust almost got you killed.”Rolland stared out across the lake and looked utterly confused. “What then do I do now?”Old Joe gave him a serious look.

“ The question is,What do you want to do?”.After a moment of thought,Rolland exhaled slowly.“They think I'm dead.” Old Joe nodded.“Yes,and that changes everything.Sometimes death creates alternatives.”Rolland gave Old Joe a side look.“That sounds dangerous.”

“It is.” The old man answered truthfully.

For a brief period,the lake became perfectly still.

Rolland began to recall the strange man’s words;..Your first life ended that night.

He sighed and spoke,breaking the silence

.“Do you believe in fate?” considering the question,old Joe replied..“I believe life presents us with crossroads,Our choices decide which path we follow.”Rolland rested his back on the bench.“Well… all i can see right now in my life is an empty path.”Old Joe shook his head disapprovingly. “No road is ever empty…..” he was interrupted by slow footsteps approaching the narrow path beside the hut.

Rolland need not turn to know who it was,the grey-robed stranger has appeared again. He walked calmly towards them,with the morning light outlining his tall figure.Rolland sighed.

“Well,here comes the mysterious fortune teller.”

The stranger chuckled.“I see you survived the tea.”Rolland raised his cup.“Barely,do you care for a sip?”The stranger shook his head, “nah..I will pass”.the joke between the two tends to light up the atmosphere.Old Joe stood up as he spoke.“Your visit is becoming often.”

“I go where there is unusual.”The stranger motioned toward him as he answered. That made Rolland to frown. “Unusual occurrence?”

“A man survives betrayal, brutal stabbing,and drowning. That is unusual,”Rolland nudged and said..

“That will definitely disappoint some people.”The stranger watched him deeply before speaking.

“You are thinking of revenge.”Rolland stiffened on hearing that,but immediately regained himself.

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t need to.The human heart hardly forgets betrayal.”Rolland looked away,as if hiding something,Images flooded back into his mind.

The lane,rufus’ voice,The knife piercing his chest,

The cold sea and his fists slowly tightened unconsciously. “They tried to erase me.” He finally said.The stranger nodded without answering.

Rolland turned his face back to the two old men with him.“They believe I’m gone forever.”

“Yes,and that belief grants you power.”The stranger’s eyes sharpened as he spoke.

Rolland frowned.“How,if I may ask?”

“Because a dead man can become someone new.”Those words hung in the air.

Rolland thought carefully,but before he could respond, Old Joe spoke.“You are yet to even walk properly.”

Rolland examined his wounded body and said..

“That’s true.”Old Joe crossed his arms while he spoke.“If you wish to survive the harshness and cruelty outside this village, anger alone will not be enough.”Rolland sighed.“then what will?”

Old Joe looked toward the stranger,and the grey-robed man smiled faintly.“Strength.”

Rolland raised an eyebrow.“ I don't understand, are we talking about emotional strength or something more painful?”.The stranger stepped forward.“Stand.”Rolland frowned at that.

“You’re joking.”The stranger didn’t reply,obviously not ready to slack on his request.Rolland,seeing his determined look,slowly pushed himself off the bench.Pain shot through his ribs,which made him moan.“See? Im Not exactly a warrior stuff.”He spoke, breathing heavily.

The stranger moved suddenly with speed that shocked Rolland. In a split of seconds his hand had stopped an inch from Rolland’s chest. His eyes widened as he hadn’t even seen when the stranger moved.“What the…”. like a shadow,The stranger returned to his normal position.“Your body escaped death,but it is still weak.”

He said,with his hands folded behind his back.

Rolland stared at him.“You move like a ninja or something,how do you do that?” The stranger ignored him and proceeded with his stern words.

“If you wish to return to the world…”He paused.

“…you must transform,you must become stronger than the man who died that night.”

Rolland became serious.“And how exactly do I do that?”“I will teach you.”The stranger answered simply. Rolland blinked with a surprise on his face..“You?“I am far more capable than you realize.”

Rolland studied the stranger carefully.

“Are you serious,old man?”The stranger gave a small nod and began to speak more like recitation. “Your mind needs control,your body needs discipline,while your spirit needs purpose.”

Rolland sighed as he spoke.“Why does this sounds like the beginning of a very harsh training combo.”The stranger smiled slightly

“Rest for a week,when next i return,you shall begin a journey through the martial world.”Rolland raised an eyebrow.“a week, isn't that too sudden”

“You survived death,And now you must learn how to live.The stranger’s voice became rigid,like that of a master addressing his apprentice.

Rolland looked out across the lake again and slowly nodded,“If the world already thinks I'm dead…then I might as well return stronger.” that impressed the stranger.“Good.” All this while,Old Joe was watching quietly from the side. As the wind blew on the surface of the lake,giving a pleasant atmosphere, Rolland stood looking determined. And for the first time since the betrayal…he felt something new rising within him…Purpose.

Across the Sea,far away from the village,in a gigantic glass skyscraper standing tall above a brilliant coastal city,a man stood alone in a luxurious office. Anthony Kyle, the 33 years old

CEO of Kyle Global Industries. He is considered to be one of the most powerful businessmen in the region.Anthony stood beside the huge window staring deep into the city.The lights from the city reflected on the glass.For a moment, he paused staring into the glass with his reflection right in front of him.Something about it felt strange…more like he was looking at someone else.Anthony frowned slightly,but quickly shook the thought away. He was oblivious to a reality that somewhere far away,A man that has the same face as his had just begun a journey that would one day change their destinies.

A week later,in Greyshore Village,evening was setting.Rolland was standing in the open yard beside Old Joe’s hut,His arms were raised awkwardly.though his legs trembled,and his chest hurts,yet he endured.

Opposite him,the grey-robed stranger was standing with his hands behind his back.

“Again,” he said calmly.“I feel like my ribs are planning revenge.” Rolland groaned,but his complaints were ignored.“Again.”

Rolland raised his fists slowly,but still asked.

“What exactly are you training me for?”“I’m trying.”

The stranger stepped forward and stopped his fist mid-air.

“Not enough.”

Rolland frowned.

“What exactly am I preparing for?”

The stranger’s eyes shifted toward the distant sea,and his expression became serious.

“As of this moment…powerful people have already begun searching for you.”

Rolland froze.“What?” Old Joe’s eyes narrowed,and the air suddenly became tense.

“Why would anyone be searching for me?” Rolland asked curiously. The stranger turned back to him slowly,His voice was calm… but heavy.“Because your existence is no longer a coincidence."There was a long silence,none spoke for a while. Something unseen had begun to unfold far beyond the village. Then the stranger spoke…. “Are you ready for the kind of world that’s about to come for you?”....