Consciousness hit me like a splash of cold water. One moment, there was nothing. The next, I was staring at a pure white ceiling. My eyes snapped open, and I instantly sat up, my back pressing hard against the wooden headboard. My chest heaved as I took heavy, ragged breaths. The air felt cool in my lungs.
Where am I?
The thought was a frantic drumbeat in my skull. My eyes darted around the room. This wasn't my small, messy bedroom. This wasn't my home at all.
The room was huge. To my right was a large window, its curtains open just enough to show a dark blue sky. The sun hadn't risen yet. A soft, gray light filled the space. The bed I was in was massive, with smooth, expensive-feeling sheets. A thick, soft carpet covered the floor. A fancy dresser and a sleek chair sat in the corner. It looked like a room from a five-star luxury hotel.
"What the hell is happening?" I whispered to the silent room. My voice sounded strange. Hoarse.
Then, a memory flashed in my mind. Me, walking home from school. Me, collapsing on my old bed, scrolling through reels on my phone. Then… nothing. The screen went blank. My consciousness just switched off.
"Did I… transmigrate?" I said out loud, the word feeling weird on my tongue. "Like in those fanfiction novels?"
It sounded crazy, but it was the only thing that made sense. I was in someone else's body, in someone else's world.
A sudden, sharp pain stabbed behind my eyes. I groaned, squeezing my eyes shut. A flood of images and feelings that weren't mine rushed into my head.
I saw a boy who looked exactly like me, but quieter. He barely spoke to anyone. His parents… they died in a car accident. They left him everything. A huge house. A lot of money. He lived here, alone, with no one to bother him.
Then, other words popped up in these memories. News headlines. Stark Tower. Iron Man.
My eyes flew open, the pain gone.
"So," I breathed, my heart pounding. "This is the Marvel world."
I checked the memories again. The year was still 2011. That meant Thor was probably about to show up. And after him… aliens, robots, and crazy villains.
"How the hell am I supposed to live here as a normal person?" I asked the empty room. My hands were trembling. "This place gets attacked every other week. People die all the time!"
Ding.
A clear, digital sound echoed in the quiet room. It didn't come from anywhere, but I heard it perfectly.
I flinched, looking around. Then, I understood. I'd read enough cultivation stories to know what this was.
A holographic blue screen shimmered into existence in the air before me. It looked solid, but I could see the wall through it.
A robotic voice spoke, seeming to come from inside my own head. "Congratulations on complete fusion with your soul."
"So, this body's soul was always a part of me?" I muttered. "No wonder I don't feel weird in it."
The system didn't answer. It was just a machine.
The screen changed. Now, it showed a fancy gift box icon.
"There is a novice gift pack. Do you want to open it?"
Below the words, two options glowed: [YES] and [NO].
"Is this a superpower? Or some kind of weapon?" I asked the screen.
There was no response. The screen just waited.
I took a deep breath. I had nothing to lose. In my mind, I focused on the [YES] option and clicked it.
"Let's see what's in this thing," I whispered.
The gift box on the screen exploded into pixels.
"Congratulations, host, on receiving the Lucifer bloodline (TV Version)."
"Lucifer?" I said, my voice cracking. "As in the Devil?"
Before I could process it, a burning sensation started deep in my bones. It felt like my blood had been replaced with fire. I cried out and tumbled off the bed, my knees hitting the soft carpet. I put both hands down to steady myself, my fingers clutching the thick fibers.
It hurt. A lot. It was like every cell in my body was being torn apart and put back together. I gritted my teeth, refusing to scream. The pain was intense, but I could bear it.
Then, a new feeling started—a terrible, crawling itch right between my shoulder blades. It got worse and worse, like my skin was too tight. I heard a loud RIIIP as the back of my pajama shirt tore open.
I gasped as two huge, white wings burst out from my back. They stretched out, filling the space on either side of me. They were covered in soft, perfect feathers that seemed to glow in the dim room. They were beautiful.
The pain and the itching vanished. I was left on my knees, panting, with a few drops of sweat rolling down my forehead. I looked over my shoulder at the wings, my mouth hanging open.
"Wings," I breathed. "I have wings."
The thought of flying, of soaring into the sky, sent a thrill through me. But in this room, they were huge and awkward. They bumped lightly against the walls.
I need to put these away, I thought, feeling a little overwhelmed.
As soon as I had the thought, the wings folded and shrank, pulling back into my skin. In seconds, they were gone. All that was left was my torn shirt and the memory of their weight.
The holographic screen was still there, but it had changed again. The words "Novice Gift Pack" were gone. Now, it read:
STATUS SCREEN
Name: Lucifer Morningstar
Physique:Super Soldier (Strength, Speed, Endurance)
Angel Wings:Strong enough to fly anywhere in the universe. Your body is strong enough to handle it.
Devil Face:Appears when the host is angry.
Full Devil Transformation:Happens when the host is in extreme anger. All stats become x100.
Heart Secrets: You can learn a person's deepest desire or secret through conversation.
Immortality:Endless lifespan. You cannot be killed, as there are no divine weapons of that universe present.
I read every line carefully. A Super Soldier's body? Like Captain America? I could feel it now—a hidden strength in my muscles, a feeling that I could run for miles.
The wings could fly anywhere in the universe. That was insane.
And the Devil Face? The Full Devil Transformation? I didn't like the sound of turning into a monster, but multiplying my power by one hundred? That was a scary, incredible thought. Could I fight the Hulk like that? Maybe.
And the heart Secrets?Now No one can lied to me.
The last one was the biggest. Immortality. I couldn't be killed. The relief that washed over me was so strong my shoulders slumped. I wouldn't be a helpless human in this dangerous world.
"Okay," I said to myself. "Okay. Now this is pretty good."
With another mental command, the status screen flickered and disappeared.
I got to my feet, my body feeling new and powerful. I walked to the full-length mirror on the wall. My face was still mine, but it was… better. My features were sharper, my jawline more defined. I looked more handsome, more charming.
I pulled off my torn shirt and let it fall to the floor. I stared at my reflection. My body was still slender, but it wasn't soft anymore. Defined muscles covered my arms and chest. And there, on my stomach, was a clear set of six-pack abs. I looked fit and strong.
A slow smile spread across my face.
I turned and walked to the large window. I pushed the curtains all the way aside and unlocked the glass door, sliding it open. A cool morning breeze rushed in, brushing against my skin. I could smell the city—concrete, a hint of exhaust, and the fresh promise of a new day.
The first rays of the sun peeked over the skyline, warm and golden on my face. I looked down at the city of New York, a place I knew from movies, now my terrifying new home. But the fear was smaller now. A new feeling was growing in its place: possibility.
I took a deep, clean breath of the morning air and smiled.
"Morning, Lucifer Morningstar," I said to my reflection in the glass.