"Ashes of Crestfall: The Rise of Aaron San Agustin"

He turned away from the road, stepping past the leaning bamboo fence back into Aunt Colleen's yard. The smell of damp soil and freshly washed laundry drifted through the breeze. Goats bleated from the small pen under the mango tree, and birds pecked at the fallen guavas scattered across the dirt.

Inside the house, he sat down on the edge of his thin mattress, elbows resting on his knees, phone clutched loosely in his hand. For a while, he stared at the cracked cement floor, listening to the muted sounds of Crestfall waking up around him—roosters crowing, motorcycles rumbling in the distance, women calling out greetings as they fetched water from the communal pump.

His chest felt hollow. Heavy.

A scam, he thought again. Just another lie dangling hope in front of desperate men.

He placed the phone beside him and rubbed his face with both hands, exhaustion curling through his bones. The door creaked softly as Aunt Colleen entered with a small basket of cleaned malunggay leaves.

"You okay, Aaron?" she asked gently.

"Yeah," he lied, forcing a faint smile. "Just tired."

She nodded, not pressing further, and stepped back outside to finish preparing lunch.

He was about to lie down when his phone buzzed violently against the mattress, rattling with an urgency that sliced through his haze of disappointment. He grabbed it quickly, expecting another spam call, but froze when he saw the caller ID.

INCOMING CALL – WORLD FINANCIAL BANK

His breath caught in his chest. For a moment, he just stared at the glowing screen, pulse thudding in his ears. Then, with a trembling thumb, he pressed Accept and raised it to his ear.

"Hello, this is Aaron San Agustin," he said cautiously.

"Good morning, Mr. San Agustin," a crisp, professional voice replied, layered with static from the poor signal but undeniably authoritative. "My name is Daniel Hayes, Senior Account Manager from World Financial Bank, Velmont City branch."

Aaron straightened unconsciously, his grip tightening on the phone. "Yes… how can I help you?"

"I'm reaching out regarding a high-value transaction initiated earlier this morning under your name. We received a withdrawal request of two billion USD from an affiliated investment portfolio, BITX Holdings."

His chest constricted. He glanced out the window at the rice fields shimmering under the sun, sweat beading along his brow despite the cool breeze drifting through the bamboo slats.

"I… didn't think that would even process," he admitted, his voice quiet.

"I understand, sir," Daniel said smoothly. "Due to the nature of your account upgrade and its recent classification under Sovereign Asset protocols, we require physical identity verification before releasing any funds."

"Sovereign… what?" Aaron echoed, his mind spinning.

"Sovereign Asset Account, sir. Your card has been reclassified as a Tier One asset holder account, and upgraded from rural bank to World Financial Bank requiring in-person biometric verification for full activation. This ensures global remittance protection, strategic investment privileges, and non-collateralized loan opportunities under international banking security protocols."

Aaron closed his eyes briefly, pressing his thumb and forefinger into his temple. The words felt like a foreign language.

"So… what do I need to do?" he asked finally, his voice steady despite the tremor in his chest.

"We need you to visit the Velmont City branch for fingerprint scanning, iris confirmation, and final signature registration," Daniel explained. "Once completed, your withdrawal and Card issuance will process within 24 hours."

Aaron remained silent, staring at the peeling paint on the opposite wall, his mind caught between disbelief and awakening certainty.

"Thank you. I'll… arrange my trip to Velmont City as soon as possible," he said, exhaling shakily.

There was a pause before Daniel replied, his tone shifting into something even smoother, almost deferential. "Mr. San Agustin, as a distinguished VIP under our Sovereign Asset Protocol, we would be honored to arrange transportation for you. A secured executive vehicle with an escort can pick you up at your current address within the next two hours."

Aaron blinked, staring at the silent phone pressed to his ear. The idea of a bank arranging an executive pickup for someone like him felt almost absurd. He hesitated, his chest tightening with an old instinct to refuse out of pride, to say "No, I can handle it myself."

But something deeper spoke beneath that reflex.

Practicality. Strategy.

He swallowed hard. "…That's… generous. Are you sure?"

"It's standard protocol for our elite clients, sir," Daniel assured him. "Please text me your exact location pin after this call. We will notify you once our team is en route."

Aaron closed his eyes briefly, feeling the trembling quiet within him settle into a calm, sharp line. "Alright. Thank you, Daniel."

"We look forward to assisting you today, Mr. San Agustin. Congratulations again. This is only the beginning."

The call ended with a faint beep, leaving him gripping the silent phone as the midday breeze shifted through the window, rustling the thin curtain.

Outside, Aunt Colleen hummed an old folk song as she plucked malunggay leaves, unaware that just a few feet away, the life of the boy she raised had shifted irrevocably into something vast and unknown.

Aaron set the phone down gently and leaned forward, elbows on his knees, hands clasped loosely. His eyes were distant, locked onto something only he could see.

For so long, I walked this earth with nothing to my name, he thought. But now… now the game is different.

He inhaled deeply, the scent of damp earth and boiled rice filling his lungs.

This time, he wouldn't let it slip away.

This time, he would rise.

And the world would learn his name.