Wade Wilson was your typical software engineer. You know the type: 9-to-5 grind, sitting at a desk, writing code that sometimes worked and sometimes didn't, attending meetings that could've been emails, and counting down the hours until he could go home and do what really mattered—cuddling with his girlfriend. Nah, who are we kidding? Wade was way too single for that. What really mattered was binge-reading web novels until his eyes burned.
From the outside, Wade seemed like he had his life together. But once that clock hit 6 PM, the only thing he was invested in was his phone screen, where an endless sea of novels awaited. Epic tales of overpowered protagonists, magical worlds, and, of course, the occasional too-good-to-be-true female lead. And yeah, maybe he spent a little too much time imagining himself as the main character—swinging swords, casting spells, saving the day, and maybe saving the girl, too.
Each night followed the same pattern. Wade would collapse onto his bed after a long day of debugging code, open the latest fantasy novel, and get sucked into a world far more exciting than his own. The hours slipped away, 8 PM turning into midnight, then into 2 AM, as Wade devoured chapter after chapter, his brain screaming for sleep but his heart demanding just one more plot twist.
Last night was no different. He'd been reading Demon King's Reincarnation—or was it Hero's Journey Through the Abyss? The titles were all starting to blur together. Either way, it was one of those where the protagonist was ridiculously overpowered by the third chapter. Wade, as usual, read far longer than he should have, the glow of his phone the only thing lighting up his otherwise boring apartment.
Finally, somewhere between the hero's seventh power-up and the villain's 69th attempt to look menacing, Wade passed out, phone in hand. His last thoughts before drifting off were the usual fantasies—what if he could be the main character in one of these stories? What if he had the power to change the world, to defeat enemies with a flick of his wrist, and, of course, to charm the heroine with his undeniable charisma?
But reality, as it tends to, came crashing back at 8 AM in the form of the world's most annoying alarm.
Beep beep beep .....
Wade groaned and instinctively reached out for his phone. But something was wrong. His hand flailed around the bed in search of the familiar rectangular device, but it wasn't there. That was weird. He always slept with his phone right next to him, in case, you know, emergencies like checking notifications at 3 AM.
Eyes still closed, Wade stretched further, hoping to find the snooze button that would grant him a few more precious minutes of sleep. Instead, his hand smacked against something hard. That was definitely not his phone.
"Ugh, what the hell..." he muttered groggily, forcing one eye open.
What he saw didn't make sense. His bed—it was huge. It definitely wasn't the tiny apartment bed he'd fallen asleep in. The sheets felt... different, too. Not the ratty old comforter he'd had since college, but something softer. Silkier.
Wade sat up, blinking rapidly as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. He wasn't in his room. He wasn't even in his apartment.
In fact, this didn't look like anywhere he'd ever been before. The room was large, almost castle-like, with high ceilings and ornate furniture. Sunlight streamed in through a window that was definitely too fancy to belong in his rundown apartment.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me..."Wade rubbed his eyes, hoping that maybe, just maybe, this was one of those lucid dreams. You know, the ones where you're halfway between reality and a fantasy world, and you can fly or summon dragons if you just realize it's a dream.
e paused for a moment, half-expecting—no, hoping—that when he opened his eyes again, he'd be surrounded by beauties. Maybe an Albedo type, one of those novel heroines he'd fantasized about, gazing at him with that "I'll follow you to the ends of the earth, my lord" look. But nope. No Albedo. No beauties. Just silence and the crushing weight of disappointment.
"Well, that's a bummer," he muttered, rubbing his cheek to test if this really was a dream. Then he slapped himself. Hard.
"Ow! What the—?!" That stung. It wasn't a dream. He felt the pain shoot across his face. That's when the realization began to sink in—this wasn't his body.
Wade blinked, then looked down at his hands, arms, and the rest of his body. Everything felt different—stronger, leaner, almost as if someone had upgraded him overnight.
"No way..." he whispered, excitement bubbling up inside him. Could this be it? Had God—or whatever cosmic force there was—finally answered his call? Had he... been reincarnated?
His mind raced with a mixture of confusion and excitement. He had joked about this happening a thousand times while binge-reading novels, but now... could it be real?
Wade's heart raced as he swung his legs off the bed, nearly tripping over the luxurious rug beneath him. "Where's the damn mirror..." he muttered, his voice a mix of anticipation and confusion. He stumbled around the room, his hands searching for something reflective. The ornate furniture only added to the disorientation.
Finally, he spotted a dresser across the room. He rushed over, but before he could even glance in the mirror, something else caught his eye. There, lying on top of the polished wooden surface, was a sleek-looking smartwatch. Next to it, an envelope with elegant handwriting.
"What is this?" Wade frowned, picking up the letter. The envelope was sealed with a wax emblem he didn't recognize—yet something about it felt oddly familiar. He tore it open, revealing a crisp letter inside.
"Dear Wade Wilson,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Arklight Academy for the advancement of your magical studies. Your orientation begins tomorrow at dawn. Please come prepared for your evaluation and placement."
Sincerely,
Headmaster Charles Francis.
Wade blinked. His mind started connecting the dots, each realization hitting harder than the last. Arklight Academy.He knew that name. He knew it. He had read it in a novel—the novel he had been binge-reading just last week.
"No... freaking... way." The realization smacked him in the face like a cold splash of water. He had been reincarnated into the world of the novel. The very novel he had spent sleepless nights obsessing over.
A grin slowly spread across his face. "I've actually... been reincarnated."
Excitement and disbelief swirled inside him. Sure, the situation was crazy—he didn't even know whose body he was in, but there was no mistaking it now. He had landed smack in the middle of the plot from "The Eternal Rifts", one of the most intense and magical novels he'd ever read.
Wade glanced back at the smartwatch, now realizing it wasn't just any piece of tech—it was standard issue for Arklight Academy students. It wasn't just a symbol of his new life; it was a key to a new world.