He stared at the back of the driver's seat, his mind a whirl of confusion and panic at the situation he'd found himself in. One moment Theo was walking home from his university graduation ceremony, the next he was pushing his friend away from a knife being plunged into his chest by a would-be mugger. And now?
Now he was sitting inside a taxi that was slowly driving through a winding road; the asphalt was shrouded by thick, towering trees that made it difficult to grasp any semblance of understanding regarding his destination.
'Weird,' Theo thought to himself. 'I swear I got stabbed moments ago, so what the hell am I doing here? More importantly, why can't I remember anything after the mugging?'
He'd thought about questioning the driver, but from what he could tell, the man seemed to be in a heated argument over the phone. Well, 'argument' wasn't the best word; more accurately, his eardrums were being destroyed by the woman on the other end.
Ignoring the foreign yelling he could barely hear, Theo turned to the window and sighed as he tried to recall what had happened. It was concerning that he had a blank spot in his memory, especially after something so terrifying had occurred.
'Maybe this is a dream and I'm in a coma?' He thought, though the guess was disregarded the next moment; everything felt too real. The texture of the seat underneath him, the wind coming through the window, the headache caused by the driver's yelling—it was all too visceral. 'Think, c'mon. Why the hell am I in a taxi going God knows where?'
It was at that frustrating thought that something deep within Theo's mind 'snapped', and that snap brought pain along with it. He clutched his head tightly as the sensation washed over him, ever thankful that the taxi driver was too caught up in his crumbling marriage to notice.
With the pain came an influx of memories—foreign, yet somehow familiar at the same time. He saw a childhood—hischildhood—but it wasn't the one he remembered. He had been an average child, but he had loving parents who worked the corporate ladder, making enough money to ensure he had no wants or needs.
He'd grown up upper-middle class, attended public school, made friends, and had hobbies. Really, it was almost like watching his original memories, but certain details didn't match up. Specifically, his parents hadn't divorced; in these memories, they were deeply in love with one another.
Sadly, while he was in high school they had passed away. It was nothing malicious; they'd had an unfortunate accident driving home from a work trip. Their deaths were swift and merciful.
From that point onwards, this 'Theo' had lived with his grandmother. Though, it was more accurate to say she had lived with him. She'd been a blessing to a teenager in high school, moving her whole life across the country to make sure he was looked after.
Fortunately, 'his' family had saved quite a bit of money and invested smartly. This meant that Theo was essentially financially independent at the tender age of sixteen. After high school, he had started university, but as fate could be cruel, his grandmother eventually passed as well.
After her funeral, Theo had been informed that she had left everything to him: a small bookshop and cafe in a sleepy town in Washington.
The memories began to subside, and with them, so did the pain. Theo sucked in a cold blast of air from the window as his mind began piecing together the truths he'd discovered.
'This isn't my life, I must have died,' he thought with dread. 'Well, it is my life, but some type of alternate version of myself. Or maybe it's a separate timeline? Everything seemed similar, but there were just enough small changes to make everything different.'
He was terrified of the situation; that was to be expected. But the Theo from his 'previous' life and the Theo from his 'current' life felt like they had merged into one singular person. It was almost as if something had shifted after the memories appeared.
He felt whole, and it was a welcoming sensation.
Now, as he peered outside the steady, speeding car's windows, Theo knew exactly where he was going.
'Forks, Washington. Population of less than four thousand people. It's pretty much a place where people either spend their whole lives or run away from as soon as they're old enough.'
With the knowledge from the memories, Theo knew 'he' had decided to take a year or two off from college to enjoy some freedom whilst he decided what to do with his life. He had no concern for money for now; unless he spent lavishly for the next ten years, he'd be able to afford not to work for decades without worry.
So, the taxi made its way towards the town as he attempted to settle his beating heart. He'd focus on the existential breakdown another day; it would be dangerous to break down in hysterics in a moving car.
It took another two hours of driving before the taxi arrived at the town. Theo couldn't help but stick his head outside of the passenger window as he looked at the place for the first time.
Surprisingly, it wasn't as desolate as he had imagined. Sure, it was nothing compared to a big city, but there was life teeming everywhere. Cars moved about, and people shopped along the strips of stores that surrounded Main Street. He even spied dozens of teenagers parked to the side of the road, all chatting and laughing.
'Not bad,' Theo thought. If he was going to be this version of Theo, he'd need to start now. 'Grandma found a nice place. I wonder if the store is in good condition? She did ditch the place for almost four years to look after me.'
He felt a pang of warmth at that thought. In his previous life, his grandmother had passed when he was still a child, but with the memories he now held, he was aware just how kind a woman she was and how much she'd helped this version of Theo mature and grow.
'Maybe it's not a bad idea that I'm here. It's not like I've got anything else I can do—no degree in mechanical engineering anymore, no divorced and distant parents. It's just me against the world.'
"Hey, Mister!" the taxi driver called out. "Is this the place?"
Theo looked outside again and could see the store from his memories appearing before him. "Yeah, this is the place. Just stop around the side, thanks."
As the taxi came to a halt, Theo quickly hopped out and began unloading his bags. Another thing that was different from his previous life: though this Theo was healthy, he lacked the additional layers of muscle he'd gained from martial arts training. Hence, the bags felt like they weighed a ton.
'Gotta work on that. Shouldn't be too hard.'
He paid the taxi driver his money, which was surprisingly expensive, but then again, the drive had lasted almost six hours. He had no car at hand, and unfortunately, the car and motorcycle he did own were already in Forks; his grandmother had kept his grandfather's old 'toys' as memories.
Thanking the driver once again, Theo moved to the front of the store as he looked up at the building. It was beautiful, he thought in wonder.
The store was slightly detached from the main strip of shops in Forks; situated just a couple of streets further down, the location lent a unique atmosphere to the building. Built from quality wood, the two-story structure was quite large. Spying the sign that hung above, Theo couldn't help but allow a gentle smile to spread across his face.
The Common Ground: Bookstore / Cafe
He chuckled slightly, the foreign memories not completely merged with his mind, recalling a distinct phrase his grandmother used to say: 'Give a stranger a good book and a cup of tea, and you'll be able to find common ground with them—maybe even a friend at the end of the day.'
He already had the keys and the deed to the store, so he simply grabbed his two suitcases and unlocked the front door. With a light cough, Theo flicked the nearest switch and scanned the room.
Wooden floors and walls, soft lighting that illuminated the whole store—it was reminiscent of a library on a rainy day. There were multiple rows of empty shelves, the books packed into storage in the basement from what he remembered being told. To the side was a long oaken bench that doubled as a cash register, while a coffee machine sat on the edge of it.
'Smart,' Theo thought. He noticed the seating area in the back, and the tables stacked to the side of the front entrance, right behind the giant window. 'She turned the front into a small cafe, the bulk of the store is a giant bookshop, and the back section is for people to read. No wonder she needed such a large place.'
Navigating past the inner workings of the store, Theo struggled slightly as he hauled his luggage up the stairs hidden in the corner. He appreciated the fact that he had a home all to himself; sure, it was above a store, but once again, it was his.
The top floor was, in his honest opinion, quite beautiful. Upon opening the door at the top of the steps, Theo was greeted by a large living room. A small couch sat on the right side, while a coffee table and TV were spread across the left.
The whole place was designed similarly to a studio apartment, utilizing an open floor plan. A kitchen sat behind the living room couch—small, but with enough appliances and space to make a full-course meal.
Moving through the living room, Theo stopped at another set of stairs that were smaller, leading to a loft-style bedroom. He wondered how his grandmother moved up and down that every day, but chalked it up to something that kept her as fit as she was in her older age.
"Well," Theo said as he dumped his luggage to the side of the apartment before taking a seat on the couch. "What the fuck do I do now?"
He'd held it together while inside the taxi and entering the store, but as soon as he'd been left alone, he felt the panic building.
He was thankful for whatever new chance he'd been granted—obviously, those stories about reincarnation, rebirth, or transmigration were factual to a degree—but he never thought being stabbed by a mugger to save a friend would lead him here.
Here was something he was fine with to a certain degree, but his previous plans and aspirations in life had essentially been yanked out from under his feet. Job goals, trips planned with friends, his parents' faces—all gone like dust in the wind.
"Maybe I was given this new chance for a reason?" he said aloud, a habit he'd had in his youth when his mind was too busy with thoughts. "Maybe a year or two, just like other 'me' had planned, will help. Online classes are a thing. I could hire someone to manage downstairs? Sure, the bookstore won't be selling novels like hotcakes in such a small town, but the cafe? It could make money easily."
He spent the next two hours in his new 'home' coming up with random plans, ranging from selling the place and moving somewhere else, to expanding and creating more franchises in other towns. Each one was more absurd and ludicrous than the last.
With a tired sigh, Theo finished unpacking his clothes and personal items. He'd found the bathroom, and the warm water helped reset his mind slightly, allowing him to disregard all his stupid plans and just go with the flow. He needed time to figure out what to do.
Stepping out of the single bedroom, he found a door that led to a small balcony where potted, albeit dead, plants lay. A small chair and table sat in the corner, allowing him to overlook a part of the town and the forest in one sitting.
Taking a seat, Theo watched as a police cruiser slowly pulled into a diner down the road. The diner itself was quite popular judging by the number of cars parked around it, and he couldn't help but wonder if that was due to the sheer lack of dining options or if the food was actually delicious.
He watched as a somewhat short, but healthy-looking man stepped out of the driver's seat of the cruiser. He wore a standard small-town police uniform, but Theo couldn't see much else in the dimming light. He could only note the man had a 'killer' mustache.
Then his eyes moved to the passenger side, watching as a slender and petite teen girl stepped out. She looked awkward in her movements, but he could still appreciate how pretty she was from a distance.
'Dad and daughter quality time?' Theo thought with a chuckle. 'They both look awkward as shit. Maybe she just found out he's her dad, or vice versa, he didn't know he was a father.' He couldn't hear what they said as they moved into the diner, but Theo was sure neither of them was enjoying the conversation.
Leaning back in the chair, Theo enjoyed the crisp breeze that touched his skin. He noted that the town was in some perpetual rainy state, which was odd for the time of year, but he welcomed it. Rain always reminded him of the days he'd spent in bed as a child, reading comics, watching anime, or playing games.
With a sigh, he began to stand up, only for his body to completely freeze in shock.
A transparent panel appeared in front of his eyes, as if coming from nowhere. It reminded him of those YouTube videos of people teasing 'VR technology' from the future.
"What the f—" Theo started, before the panel shifted and words slowly appeared.
[Congratulations on your new life! As you have 'encountered' a person of interest in this world, the System has finally awakened.]
'Motherfucker what?!' Theo screamed in his head. This had to be some cruel hallucination, or maybe everything really was some coma-riddled dream.
[This is no 'coma'. You have been granted a second chance in life. Along with this second chance, you have obtained the 'Daily Gacha' System to help you in your new life, whatever you may do with it!]
With a gulp, Theo sat back down on the chair and rubbed his eyes, the exhaustion finally catching up with him.
'I, uh, I'm assuming you can hear my thoughts?' Theo asked mentally.
[Confirmed. But please be aware that the System has no consciousness. Once you have completed your first pull, it will simply be interactive via thought. The System will have two functions. One: you may draw a Gacha daily, wherein you may obtain anything from money, to clothing, food, even powers, abilities, bloodlines, and skills.]
'H-holy shit. I remember reading those power-trip fantasies back as a kid. Sometimes the person would become a property tycoon from the pulls, or they'd become some pervert with women's underwear—it could be anything.'
[Correct. The second function allows you to store the Gacha rewards in an inventory space. The space can ONLY hold your rewards, nothing else.]
Theo nodded, still reeling and assuming he'd fallen over the edge of the balcony and was hallucinating this whole situation.
[Would you like to draw your first Gacha? Be aware that your first-ever pull will be a guaranteed highest rarity. Everything following will be back to normal chances. You may also pool your daily draws into weekly or monthly draws for higher chances.]
Theo gulped, and tentatively confirmed mentally.
[Drawing...]
[Reward: Red Grade (Mythic)]
[Congratulations for drawing the Ancient Human Reconstruction Card (Apex Variant)]
Theo's eyes widened as the panel shifted to a red hue before displaying the contents of his first pull. His face went from confusion, to wonder, to awe, and then complete and utter shock.
*********
Hello everyone and welcome to my story! I'm going to be honest here, I've seen so many fanfictions be dropped lately that I was getting frustrated. Hence, I decided to create my own. Yes, it's a typical power-trip, OP MC, but I'm writing for fun and with the hopes other people enjoy my work.
I'm still trying to decided on the partner the MC will have in Twilight, let me know your thoughts. (I have a plan if Bella is chosen, don't see her being the love interest much these days. Though I can work with Alice and Rosalie too.)
1. Bella Swan
2. Alice Cullen
3. Rosalie Hale
Let me know your thoughts about the first chapter, and tell me your vote on (Twilight) Female Lead options!