I woke up to find myself… floating.
Not lying in bed, not standing on the street, not drowning in cold river water — just floating in a vast, endless, blindingly white space. There was no up, no down, no walls, no ceiling. It wasn't even bright in the usual sense. The light was… everywhere and nowhere, like the air itself glowed.
I turned my attention — or at least, I thought I turned — only to find more of the same. Nothing. Pure white emptiness stretching forever. No horizon. No shadows.
That's when I noticed something odd.
I wasn't in my body anymore. I wasn't even human. I was a small, white, glowing orb, slowly drifting. No hands, no feet, no heartbeat. Just light. Strangely, I could still "see" my surroundings… except I wasn't using my eyes. It was a new sense entirely — something deeper, like perceiving the world through thought alone.
I didn't panic. In fact, I found the whole thing rather… fascinating.
I didn't know how I got here, but the novelty of it all was strangely exciting. My last memory was… ah, right. Jumping from a bridge. The bitter taste of regret mixed with acceptance. The shock of the cold water closing over me. The instinctive, frantic struggle. And then… pain. My lungs burned until I couldn't breathe anymore.
When I lost consciousness, I expected darkness. Nothingness. The end.
Instead, I woke up here.
As a believer in cosmic nihilism and absolute determinism, I couldn't help but be curious. What kind of phenomenon brought me here? What kind of cause led to this effect? Was it a cosmic accident? Some obscure metaphysical law? A statistical fluke in the machinery of the universe?
"Welcome."
The voice was sudden — booming yet calm, like it came from everywhere at once.
"I will tell you what is going to happen. You have no choice or power to change it."
Comforting.
"There are five lottery wheels in front of you. One will determine the world you will be reincarnated into. The other four will give you advantages that will help you in the new world." The voice paused briefly, letting the words sink in. "I will not tell you why this is happening. You just have to accept it. Now, will the wheels to spin, and they will."
I looked ahead — or at least, my sense of perception "focused" — and sure enough, five enormous, colorful wheels materialized out of the whiteness. They stood in a row, each one the size of a small house, each divided into countless slices labeled with words and images I didn't recognize.
I didn't feel fear. Not even surprise. In my past life, I had long since given up fighting the current of events. I lived like a soulless husk — wake up, go to work, come home, read in my spare time. My beliefs were simple: nothing has inherent meaning, and no one truly has free will. The universe drags us along its pre-written path, and we're just passengers.
So, naturally, I had no "dreams" or "goals." No will to live. The only thing keeping me going was my survival instinct, a stubborn biological program that refused to shut off.
Now, for the first time in years, I felt something. Excitement.
A faint smile — or whatever counted as one for a glowing orb — spread through my awareness. "Alright then," I thought.
The wheels began to spin.
The first wheel's colorful blur flashed names of worlds both familiar and strange — Harry Potter, Naruto, Attack on Titan, Elder Scrolls, and hundreds more.
The second wheel was filled with strange items, glowing potions, mysterious cards, and artifacts that hummed with power.
The third, fourth, and fifth were similar, each one filled with impossible treasures.
I didn't care which world I'd get. It was all the same to me.
Slowly, the wheels began to lose speed. The clicking sound of their turning slowed until — clack! — the first one stopped.
I read the glowing golden letters: MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE.
The second wheel slowed and stopped on… SEQUENCE 9 TO SEQUENCE 2 OF THE FOOL PATHWAY.
The third landed on POTION OF LIFE.
The fourth: FLOAT-FLOAT DEVIL FRUIT.
And the fifth: MASTERY CARD PREMIUM.
Suddenly, information flooded my mind.
The Fool Pathway — from Lord of the Mysteries. Sequence 9 "Seer" all the way up to Sequence 2 "Miracle Invoker." Powers of mystery, fate, and manipulation.
The Potion of Life — immortality in liquid form, the same one Pan consumed.
The Float-Float Devil Fruit — from One Piece. Granting the power to make anything, including myself, float.
And the Mastery Card Premium — granting complete mastery over all my abilities, while also removing their weaknesses. Even the "Primordial One's Will" drawback from the Beyonder potions, and the Devil Fruit's weakness to seawater, would be erased.
"You will be reincarnated at a random time relative to the main MCU storyline," the voice said. "Prepare yourself."
Before I could respond, my mind shut down again.
I awoke to an entirely different kind of sensation — being squeezed. Compressed. Forced through a narrow tunnel.
…Oh. I was being born.
The pressure was immense, the sound muffled, and my awareness hazy. After what felt like an eternity, I emerged into a cold, bright space. My tiny body was lifted and flipped upside down.
A sharp smack landed on my bare backside. Instinct took over. I cried — loud, raw, and new.
Somewhere nearby, a weak but warm voice spoke, "Give him to me."
I was passed into a pair of trembling arms. A faint scent of sweat, blood, and something softer — warmth, comfort.
"My beautiful son," the woman whispered. Her voice was full of love I didn't remember ever receiving in my past life. "Your name will be Adam. Adam Spectre."
And just like that, I knew — in this life, my name was Adam Spectre.
A final wave of information entered my mind: my powers would slowly integrate into my new body over the next five years. I would reach my full potential at the age of five.
For now, I was just a newborn. But in five years…
A small thrill went through me again. It seemed this life would be more interesting than the last.