For the first time in months, Julius Alon slept peacefully.
There were no thoughts about overdue bills. No anxiety about loan reminders. No fear of waking up to another empty bank account. His mind felt lighter than it had in a very long time, and the deep exhaustion that had been building for eight months finally released its grip on his body.
The small apartment in Taguig remained quiet throughout the night, and Julius slept without waking even once.
When morning sunlight finally slipped through the thin curtains, Julius slowly opened his eyes.
For a moment he simply stared at the ceiling, feeling strangely calm.
Then the memories of the previous night rushed back.
The casino.
The roulette wheel.
The rewind ability.
And the number that had changed everything.
₱1,420,000.
Julius sat up immediately and grabbed his phone from the table beside the bed. His fingers moved quickly as he opened his banking apps one by one.
BDO.
BPI.
GoTyme.
Each account displayed the balances he had transferred the night before.
The numbers were still there.
They hadn't disappeared.
They hadn't turned into zero.
Julius slowly leaned back against the wall and let out a quiet breath.
"So it wasn't a dream," he murmured.
A small smile spread across his face.
"Good."
He stretched his arms and stood up, walking toward the window. The city was already alive outside. Jeepneys honked as they moved through traffic, street vendors prepared their stalls, and office workers hurried toward bus stops.
Julius watched the scene quietly.
Just yesterday, he had been one of those stressed office workers rushing through life without hope of getting ahead.
Today…
Everything felt different.
He grabbed a notebook from his desk and sat down.
"Alright," he said to himself. "First thing I need is a plan."
He began writing.
1. Go to the bank.2. Upgrade account limits.3. Buy proper clothes.4. Send money to family.
Julius paused when he reached the fourth point.
His parents.
His family had no idea what had happened last night.
His father was still working as a fisherman in their small province, waking up before sunrise every day just to bring home enough fish to sell in the market. The income was never stable, and sometimes bad weather meant they earned almost nothing for days.
His mother managed the household carefully, always stretching whatever little money they had.
And his younger sister…
Bella.
She had just started high school.
Julius felt a small knot form in his chest.
He had left the province hoping to help them someday.
But after eight months in the city, he had barely managed to survive himself.
Until now.
He grabbed his phone and dialed his mother's number.
After a few seconds, the call connected.
"Hello?" his mother's gentle voice answered.
"Mom," Julius said warmly.
"Oh! Julius! Son, how are you?"
"I'm good, Mom. How about you and Dad?"
"We're fine," she replied. "Your father just came back from the sea this morning."
In the background, Julius heard a familiar voice shouting.
"Moooom! I'm hungry!"
Julius smiled.
"Is that Bella?"
His mother laughed softly. "Yes, she's been complaining since morning."
Julius checked the time.
It was almost noon.
"Wait," he said, frowning slightly. "Why are you still cooking? Haven't you eaten yet?"
There was a brief pause.
His mother hesitated.
"We're… still preparing food," she answered.
Julius knew immediately.
She was lying.
They probably didn't have enough groceries again.
He felt his chest tighten.
But instead of confronting her, he took a deep breath and said calmly,
"Mom… I have good news."
"Good news?" she asked.
"Yes," Julius replied, forcing excitement into his voice. "I got promoted at work."
His mother gasped.
"Really?!"
"Yes. My boss said I've been doing great work. They even gave me a bonus."
"How much?" she asked.
Julius hesitated for a moment.
Then he said,
"Two hundred thousand."
Silence filled the call.
Then suddenly his mother's voice trembled with joy.
"Two hundred thousand pesos?! Julius!"
In the background, his father spoke up.
"What happened?"
"He got promoted!" his mother exclaimed.
His father took the phone.
"Son, is that true?"
"Yes, Dad," Julius replied calmly. "My salary will increase now too."
His father laughed loudly.
"That's my son!"
Julius smiled.
Then he spoke gently.
"Dad, I'm transferring money to you."
"No, no," his father immediately said. "Save it for yourself."
But Julius shook his head.
"I'm sending ₱100,000. Buy food, fix anything that needs repair, and make sure Bella has everything she needs for school."
His mother gasped again.
"That's too much, Julius."
"It's not," he insisted softly.
"You've taken care of me my whole life. Let me help now."
His mother's voice softened.
"…Thank you, son."
Julius leaned back in his chair.
"I'll come home next week too."
"Really?" she asked excitedly.
"Yes. I want to visit."
Suddenly Bella's voice shouted through the phone.
"KUYA!"
Julius laughed.
"Yes, Bella?"
"You're coming home?!"
"Yes."
"Bring me pasalubong!"
"What do you want?"
"I don't know! Just bring something cool!"
Julius chuckled.
"Alright, alright. I'll bring something."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
After saying goodbye, Julius ended the call and sat quietly for a moment.
His chest felt lighter.
Helping his family had always been his biggest dream.
And now…
He could finally start doing it.
Julius stood up and stretched again.
"Alright," he said.
"Time to enjoy this new life."
He grabbed his wallet and phone and headed out the door.
His first stop of the day?
Food.
Real food.
Not instant noodles.
Something good.
Julius stepped out of his apartment building with a lightness in his chest that he had never felt before. The warm morning air brushed against his face as the city of Taguig slowly came to life around him. Cars moved through the streets, tricycles waited for passengers, and vendors were already opening their small stalls along the sidewalk.
Everything looked exactly the same as it always had.
But for Julius, the world felt completely different.
He slipped his hands into his pockets and walked toward the main road.
"Well," he said quietly to himself, "first thing on the list… real food."
For months he had been surviving on cheap meals and instant noodles just to stretch his salary. Even a fast-food meal sometimes felt like an unnecessary luxury.
But today…
Today he could finally enjoy something better.
After a short ride, Julius arrived at Max's Restaurant. The familiar red sign stood proudly above the entrance, and the smell of fried chicken drifted out as customers walked in and out.
He pushed the door open.
A waitress greeted him with a polite smile.
"Good morning, sir. Table for one?"
"Yes, please," Julius replied.
She led him to a small table near the window, handing him the menu.
Julius looked at the pictures of the food for a moment before chuckling softly.
"Alright," he said to the waitress. "I'll have the whole fried chicken meal, garlic rice, and… hmm… add the kare-kare too."
The waitress blinked slightly.
"That's quite a lot, sir."
Julius laughed.
"I haven't eaten properly in months. Today feels like a celebration."
"Alright, sir. Your order will be ready shortly."
As she walked away, Julius leaned back in his chair and looked around the restaurant.
Families chatted happily while eating breakfast.
Office workers discussed their plans for the day.
A couple shared coffee in the corner.
It was a normal scene.
Yet Julius couldn't help smiling.
For the first time in his life, he was sitting here without worrying about the bill.
A few minutes later the food arrived.
The fried chicken looked golden and crispy, and the smell alone made Julius's stomach growl loudly.
He grabbed his spoon and fork.
"Let's eat."
The first bite made him close his eyes.
"Wow…"
It was simple food, but to Julius it felt incredible.
For months he had been eating the cheapest things he could find just to survive. Now he could finally sit down and enjoy a proper meal without counting every peso.
He finished the entire meal with a satisfied sigh.
"That was worth it," he murmured.
After paying the bill, Julius stepped back outside and stretched his arms.
"Next…"
He looked at his reflection in a nearby shop window.
His hair was messy.
His shirt looked worn.
His shoes had clearly seen better days.
Julius scratched his head.
"Yeah… that needs fixing."
A New Look
A small barbershop sat a few stores down the street. The familiar buzzing sound of electric clippers filled the air as Julius walked inside.
The barber greeted him with a smile.
"Boss, haircut?"
"Yes," Julius replied, sitting down in the chair. "Something clean. Professional looking."
The barber draped a cloth over his shoulders and began trimming his hair.
"So, what do you do for work, sir?" the barber asked casually.
"I'm a software developer," Julius answered.
"Oh, IT! That's good money nowadays."
Julius smiled slightly.
"Hopefully."
Twenty minutes later the barber spun the chair toward the mirror.
"How is it, sir?"
Julius looked at his reflection.
The messy hair was gone.
In its place was a clean, sharp haircut that made him look more confident and mature.
"Nice," Julius said, nodding. "That's perfect."
After paying, he stepped outside again and checked the time.
"Alright," he said. "Next stop… clothes."
The Shopping Trip
Julius entered a large shopping mall nearby. Bright lights filled the corridors, and expensive stores lined both sides of the hallway.
For years Julius had walked through places like this without ever buying anything. Most of the brands here sold clothes that cost more than his weekly food budget.
Today he walked inside confidently.
He entered a luxury clothing store.
A sales lady approached him immediately.
"Good afternoon, sir. Are you looking for something specific?"
Julius glanced around the racks.
"Just… something nice," he said.
She smiled.
"Business casual? Or something more formal?"
"Both," Julius replied. "I need clothes for work… and something for going out."
The sales lady began showing him several outfits.
Julius tried on a few jackets and shirts, checking himself in the mirror.
Each one looked far better than the old clothes he had been wearing for months.
The sales lady seemed slightly surprised by how quickly he made decisions.
"This jacket fits you perfectly, sir," she said.
Julius nodded.
"I'll take it."
"And these shirts?"
"I'll take those too."
The sales lady blinked slightly as she gathered the items.
"You're buying everything?"
"Yes."
She smiled politely but couldn't hide her curiosity.
"You look quite young, sir."
Julius chuckled.
"Twenty-three."
"Wow," she said with a laugh. "You're already doing very well for your age."
Julius didn't respond.
He simply smiled.
The New Phone
After finishing the clothing purchases, Julius walked toward the electronics section of the mall.
His eyes quickly found the Apple store.
He stepped inside.
Rows of shining devices lined the tables.
A staff member approached him.
"Good afternoon, sir. Looking for a new phone?"
"Yes," Julius replied. "The newest one."
"You mean the iPhone 17 Pro Max?"
Julius nodded.
"With the biggest storage."
"1TB version?"
"Yes."
The staff member retrieved the phone and placed it carefully on the counter.
"This is our highest model."
Julius looked at the sleek device.
"I'll take it."
The employee smiled.
"Excellent choice, sir."
Then Julius paused.
"Oh, and I'll take three more."
The employee blinked.
"Three more?"
"Yes. One for my sister… and two for my parents."
The employee laughed softly.
"Your family will be very happy."
Julius smiled.
"Yeah… they will."
As the payment finished processing, the sales lady whispered to her coworker nearby.
"Wow… he's so young but already rich."
Julius heard it but pretended not to notice.
Instead he picked up the shopping bags and headed toward the exit.
Outside the mall, he paused and looked up at the skyline.
Just yesterday he had been a stressed programmer worried about debt.
Now he stood here holding bags full of new clothes and phones.