Leveling Up in Life

Titus perched on the old, wooden bench in the park, the dying light creating elongated shadows on the grass. He stared at the ground, his fingers tracing the rough grain of the bench as if it held the answers to his frustration. That school project had seemed so promising but it all just came unraveled in front of him, a bunch of half-finished ideas and doodles. His heart dropped as he heard the teacher's harsh critique again.

His father sitting next to him, could see how down Titus was. He had been quiet, but the weight of disappointment hung in the air. His father sighed and scooted closer, and his warmth provided some comfort.

Hey bud" he said softly, his voice even. “You okay?”

Titus shrugged, unwilling to meet his father’s gaze. “I messed up, Dad. I mean I figured I could, but I don't know ….. It just didn't work out.”

His dad looked him over for a second and then reached into his pocket and brought out an old copper coin. The surface gleamed faintly in the dimming light, etched with scratches that told stories of their own. “This belonged to my father,” he said, placing it in Titus’s palm. “He gave it to me when I was feeling low. It’s a reminder.”

Titus flipped the coin in his hand, the heft of it, the coolness of the metal against the heat of his father's hand. “A reminder of what?”

“That hard work and perseverance do pay off," his father answered, his eyes locking with Titus's in understanding. “You’ll face challenges, and it’s okay to stumble. What matters is that you keep going.”

He leaned closer, the shadows deepening around them. “You see this coin? It’s been through a lot with me. There were times I felt like giving up too. However, I kept it, and it reminded me that I am stronger than I think I am.

Titus glanced at the coin, his heart warming at the connection. It was a lot more than a piece of metal, it was a link between generations, a sign of strength. “What does it say?” he asked, his curiosity piqued.

“Just a simple phrase: ‘Keep going.’”

Titus nodded slowly, feeling the weight of the words settle in his chest. The coin felt like a lifeline, a token of encouragement he could carry with him as he faced the world.

Titus flipped the copper coin in his hand, feeling the cool sensation it left against his skin. He hesitated, skepticism creeping in. “I don’t know, Dad. It’s just a coin.”

His dad laughed a little, with a knowing smile. “I get it. But it’s more than that. Let me tell you a story." He leaned back, the bench creaked under them and Titus felt the familiar warmth of nostalgia envelop him.

“When I was about your age, things were tough. I had just graduated, and was looking for a job, but the economy was bad. I applied everyday but nothing came through. Bills piled up, and I was scared.” His father paused, his gaze drifting to the horizon, where the sun dipped below the trees, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple.

“I found myself sitting on a bench just like this one, feeling lost and unsure of what to do next. One day, I noticed a homeless man sitting nearby. He was filthy and tattered, but he had a mischievous gleam in his eye. I saw him take a coin, like this one, and he held it close to him as if it was his very own treasure. Well, I was curious, so I started talking to him.

Titus listened with growing openness to his father's words.

“The man told me it was a good luck charm, something he held onto during the hardest times. He had lost everything but kept that coin as a reminder that hope still existed. I thought about that for a long time. It inspired me to keep going. So I started changing my ways, I applied for jobs that frightened me, contacted people I would never have contacted in the past. I finally got a job that led to doors I never thought I would have opened.”

His father looked at him, the depth of his words lingering in the air. “That coin gave me the strength to persevere. It represented perseverance and I would like you to have it. Like it did for me, it can do for you.”

Titus weighed the coin in his hand, still unsure. It seemed kind of foolish to believe that an object could possess such power. But as he met his father’s eyes, filled with warmth and trust, he felt a flicker of something more—perhaps a connection, a shared belief in the unseen strength they both possessed.

“Okay,” Titus said, tucking the coin into his pocket. “I’ll hold onto it.”

Titus looked at the Memento Coin in his inventory and got a shiver down his spine. The good old copper reflected from his phone's light and the memories came flooding in, it seems like forever ago, yet just moments ago. He thought back to the time he had lost it, a chaotic blur of moving boxes and the disarray of transitioning between a string of odd jobs. Even then he could feel the wave of guilt washing over him like he had just cut loose some vital piece of his past, some anchor to his father's voice and the strength it contained.

“How did it get here?” He murmured to himself, tracing the outline of the coin with his finger on the screen. Had the Lifeline System somehow dredged it up from the bowels of oblivion, or had it always been there, simply biding its time? A sense of eerie wonder washed over him, mingling with the familiar weight of nostalgia.

Titus remembered the day he had first received it, the way his father had handed it over with such conviction, a quiet strength that resonated deep within him. Yes, at the time he had been directionless, rafting in an ocean of indecision. Now, with the coin’s presence in his life once more, it felt like a bridge between who he was and who he aspired to be. The chaos of his earlier years seemed to fade away, replaced by a newfound clarity.

He breathed in deeply, letting the memories wash over him. Those early mornings spent staring at the ceiling, the endless cycle of rejections, and the feeling of being trapped in a life he never wanted. The coin had fallen from his fingers in that chaos, but there it was again, a phoenix rising from the ashes of his past.

“Maybe it was always meant to find its way back to me” He whispered, his thoughts racing. It symbolized more than just resilience; it was a reminder of how far he had come. The Lifeline System had breathed new life into his existence, and now, with the Memento Coin at his side, he felt an unshakeable connection to his journey, to his father’s wisdom, and to the hope that lay ahead.

Memento Coin

Description: A timeworn copper coin, etched with a faded yet powerful phrase that reads, "Keep Going" This coin once belonged to someone important in Titus’s life, a reminder of their shared struggles and triumphs. Now, it serves as a keepsake, reconnecting him to his roots and the values that have shaped him.

Effects:

Nostalgic Boost: When held, it gives Titus a moment of clarity, allowing him to remember why he wants to change his life, granting him inspiration for a short duration.

One-Time Use: Can be used to influence a single decision in a critical moment.