Ryder stood frozen, his mind racing to catch up with the impossible reality around him. His heart pounded in his chest, and his breath came in shallow gasps. "The Marvel Universe?" He whispered the words like they would somehow break the illusion, but everything screamed that this was real. He looked back down at his phone, scrolling through headlines:
"Avengers Save New York from Hydra Attack"
"Doctor Strange Investigates New Dimensional Rift"
It all sounded like something out of a comic book, but here it was—news, live updates, video footage. The Marvel Universe wasn't just a story anymore. It was real, and he was right in the middle of it.
He stumbled backward, nearly tripping over his desk chair as he tried to process what had just happened. "How the hell did this happen?" Ryder ran a hand through his messy hair, his fingers trembling. He had made a sarcastic wish on that orb, a stupid throwaway comment out of frustration. But somehow, the universe had listened.
The orb's glowing, the intense pain, the flashes of other worlds—it wasn't just a dream or some hallucination. His wish had been granted, in the most literal and impossible way.
"Okay, okay… think, Ryder." He paced the small dorm room, his mind scrambling for answers. He had read enough comic books and watched enough movies to know that making a wish to a mysterious, ancient artifact was bound to come with consequences. Was he stuck here? Was this some kind of trial? Could he get back?
He glanced at the shattered remains of the orb, now just a pile of dust on his desk. It didn't look like there was any way to reverse what had happened. His gut twisted, but that same strange calm still lingered, keeping him from completely spiraling into panic.
A knock at the door snapped him out of his thoughts. His body jolted with a surge of adrenaline. Who could that be? Was someone here to tell him what had happened—or worse, to make sure he didn't exist in this world?
He hesitated for a second before moving toward the door, half-expecting some government agent or superhero to be standing on the other side. But when he opened it, he saw a guy about his age, wearing a faded NYU hoodie, a baseball cap pulled low over his eyes.
"Yo, Ryder," the guy said casually, like this was a normal morning. "You ready to head out? We're supposed to meet the others at Stark Tower in an hour. You got your pass, right?"
Ryder blinked, completely thrown off by the normalcy of the guy's tone. "Uh... what?"
The guy raised an eyebrow, looking at Ryder like he'd lost his mind. "Dude, the internship? With Stark Industries? You didn't forget, did you?"
"Internship... with Stark?" Ryder echoed, his voice barely above a whisper. It wasn't just the world that had changed. His life, his history in this place, had changed too.
The guy sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Man, you gotta stop pulling all-nighters. C'mon, grab your stuff, we gotta go. Traffic's gonna be insane after that drone attack."
Ryder barely registered the words as he turned back into his room, grabbing his bag on autopilot. His mind raced with this new revelation. "Internship with Stark Industries?" That wasn't part of his life before. Had the orb somehow rewritten his story to fit into this world? And if so, how much had changed?
He slung his bag over his shoulder, nodding mutely as he followed the guy out into the hallway. His mind was in overdrive, but he forced himself to stay calm. If this was his reality now, he had to figure out the rules, fast.
They made their way down the dorm stairs and out onto the bustling street, the city alive with energy. Ryder's eyes darted around, taking in the differences. Hovering cars, enhanced security drones, and news bulletins flashing updates about superhero sightings. It was surreal, but he kept walking, doing his best to act like this was all normal.
As they approached the subway, the guy, who still hadn't introduced himself, turned to Ryder. "You think Stark's gonna be there today? I mean, after everything that went down?"
Ryder shrugged, his mind still trying to catch up. "Maybe. You never know with him."
The guy chuckled. "Yeah, true. Either way, we're getting a front-row seat. How crazy is it that we get to work there, huh?"
"Yeah... crazy," Ryder muttered, his stomach flipping. He was about to walk into Stark Tower. Into the heart of the Marvel Universe.
Whatever had happened with that wish, it had changed his life forever. Now, he just had to figure out what the hell he was supposed to do next.
As they boarded the subway, Ryder glanced out the window at the skyline. A part of him still couldn't believe this was real, but the other part, the one that had always craved adventure and meaning, felt a thrill run through him.
As Ryder sat on the subway, the rhythmic clatter of the tracks beneath him, the reality of his situation slowly began to settle in. Stark Tower. He was about to walk into Stark Tower. That alone would have been impossible just yesterday, when his biggest worry was finishing an overdue assignment. But now? The possibilities stretched out before him like a blank canvas, waiting to be filled with whatever adventure awaited. This wasn't just some internship; it was a front-row seat to a world that most people only ever dreamed about.
He glanced at his reflection in the subway window, half-expecting to see someone else staring back. "Why me?" he wondered. Out of all the people in the world, why had the orb chosen to grant his wish? Was it fate? Luck? Or something darker? The possibilities churned in his mind, and he couldn't help but feel the weight of the unknown pressing down on him.
His heart raced with anticipation, but there was also a creeping sense of dread. This world is dangerous, he reminded himself. This isn't just the Marvel Universe from the movies; this is real.
The subway screeched to a stop. Ryder stood, his legs steady despite the turmoil inside him. He took a deep breath, gripping the strap of his bag tighter. Ready or not, here we go.
His wish had been granted.
Now, it was time to see just what this new world had in store for him.