Chapter 4: A New Beginning
The basketball game ended with the senior team winning by a narrow margin. The court erupted in cheers, and the players exchanged high-fives, basking in their victory. Ethan, however, didn't linger to join the celebration or chat with anyone. He slipped out quietly, blending into the crowd of students leaving the gym.
As he walked back to his classroom to grab his bag, his mind wandered. This life feels... strange. Familiar yet foreign. The echoes of his past life clung to him, but the reality of his reincarnation into this world was undeniable.
When Ethan reached his classroom, he stopped mid-step, his gaze locking onto the blonde-haired girl he'd noticed earlier at the gym. Gwen Stacy. She was entering the room, carrying her books casually while chatting with a couple of her friends. His heart skipped a beat—not out of infatuation, but surprise. She's in my class?
Gwen scanned the room briefly and made her way to the desk beside his. She gave him a polite nod as she sat down, but didn't initiate any conversation. Ethan, unsure of how to start a conversation himself, remained silent, pretending to review his notes.
For the rest of the lecture, they barely interacted. Gwen seemed focused on the discussion, occasionally jotting down notes. Ethan, on the other hand, found it hard to concentrate. The presence of someone like Gwen—a future key figure in the Spider-Man universe—served as a stark reminder of where he was: the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
When the class ended, Gwen packed up quickly and left with her friends. Ethan stayed behind for a moment, letting the room clear out before heading back to his house.
Ethan closed the door behind him, setting his bag down and collapsing onto the couch. The weight of everything hit him again. This was his life now—no going back. His parents in this world, Peter Parker, Gwen Stacy, Tony Stark revealing himself as Iron Man... all of it was real.
He let out a deep sigh, his gaze drifting to the ceiling. What do I do with this life?
Then, like a flash of lightning, an idea struck him. His thoughts raced back to the countless stories, novels, and movies he'd consumed in his previous life. Some of them were legendary cultural phenomena—things that didn't exist in this world. If they don't exist here, I could create them.
Ethan's mother, Isabelle Ward, was a crime novelist and artist. She was well-known for her gritty, suspenseful books and graphic artwork that often accompanied them. Growing up in his past life, Ethan had always admired creatives, but he had never seriously pursued writing himself. Now, however, he saw an opportunity to carve out a path in this new world.
Sitting up, Ethan grabbed his laptop and opened a writing platform he'd heard about from his classmates—a hub for amateur novels and serialized stories. He created an account, naming himself E.W.
His fingers hovered over the keyboard. Then, he began typing:
"Chapter 1: The Boy Who Lived."
The words flowed out of him as if they were second nature. Ethan reconstructed the opening chapters of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone from memory, making minor tweaks to fit modern sensibilities. He worked tirelessly through the night, crafting the first five chapters with vivid descriptions and engaging dialogue.
When he finally stopped to reread his work, a wave of satisfaction washed over him. The story he had loved so much in his previous life was now taking shape in this one.
Ethan uploaded the chapters under the title Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. He hesitated for a moment before hitting publish, but eventually clicked the button. A part of him was nervous—how would people react? Would anyone even read it? But another part of him was excited.
Closing his laptop, Ethan leaned back in his chair, staring out the window at the New York skyline. The Ward family's small but cozy mansion sat in a quiet neighborhood, a stark contrast to the bustling city below.
"This is it," Ethan murmured to himself. "A fresh start."
He went to bed that night with a sense of purpose, his mind racing with possibilities. If Harry Potter gained traction, what other stories could he introduce to this world? The Lord of the Rings? Star Wars?
For the first time since arriving in this world, Ethan felt truly alive.