Ethan Cross's last memory was anything but extraordinary. He had been trudging home from a long shift at the bookstore, headphones on, lost in a podcast dissecting the latest Marvel movie. The world around him had faded into a blur of streetlights and cold drizzle—until the screech of tires, a flash of metal, and then... nothing.
When he opened his eyes again, the world was sharp and unforgiving. His head pounded, and his vision swam with red-tinged shadows. He blinked, and the world focused, revealing an unfamiliar ceiling and the sterile smell of antiseptic. He was in a dorm room, sparsely decorated, with posters of rock bands and textbooks strewn across a small desk.
"What the hell...?" Ethan muttered, his voice sounding strange to his own ears.
He sat up too fast, his senses reeling, and caught his reflection in a cracked mirror hanging on the wall. The face staring back at him wasn't his own. His usual brown hair was darker, almost black, and his skin was paler, his eyes sharper—a deep crimson that glowed faintly in the dim light.
Panic surged through him, but before he could scream, a cold sensation bloomed in his mind. A screen, digital and impossible, appeared before his eyes, translucent and filled with text.
[Welcome, Host. The Crimson Code has been activated.]
Ethan's pulse thundered in his ears. He'd read enough novels and played enough games to recognize the interface—this was a system, like in those isekai stories he devoured online.
"No way... This can't be real."
The screen flickered, displaying new information:
[Quest Initiated: Orientation] [Objective: Familiarize yourself with your new identity.] [Reward: Access to Character Template - Emmett Cullen (Twilight)] [Failure: Mental Degradation.]
The urgency of the message snapped him out of his shock. He stumbled to the desk, rifling through papers until he found a student ID. The name on the card read: Ethan Cross, a freshman at Empire State University.
"Empire State...?" His mind raced. That was the fictional university from the Marvel Universe, where characters like Peter Parker went to school.
Dread pooled in his stomach. "Oh, crap."
As the system integrated the Emmett Cullen template, Ethan felt an immediate shift. His pale skin warmed slightly, the crimson hue of his eyes dimmed to a more human-like amber, and his strength became more manageable. More importantly, a notification appeared:
[Daylight Resistance Unlocked] [You can now move freely in sunlight without harm.]
Ethan couldn't help but chuckle darkly. "First day as a vampire, and I'm already sparkling. Of course, I get the one Twilight character without a real superpower."
Ethan forced himself into the rhythm of campus life, blending in as best as he could. His first day was a blur of introductions and lectures, his mind struggling to keep up with the surreal knowledge that he was in the Marvel Universe. He recognized faces from the comics—students in the halls, professors whose names sent shivers down his spine.
Despite his attempts at normalcy, a gnawing hunger clawed at his insides. Human food had lost all appeal, its scent dull and unappetizing. His senses sharpened instead at the rhythmic pulse of blood in the veins of those around him. He gritted his teeth, focusing on anything but the hunger.
It wasn't long before he saw them. During a break between classes, Ethan found himself in the university library. He had been pretending to read a textbook when he heard a familiar voice.
"Gwen, did you get the notes from Dr. Connors' class?"
Ethan's breath hitched. He looked up, and there they were—Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy. They looked impossibly young, their voices light with the kind of normalcy he ached for.
Peter, with his tousled brown hair and wire-rimmed glasses, was rummaging through his backpack. Gwen, blonde and effortlessly cool, handed him a notebook, her smile warm.
Ethan shrank into his seat, fighting the urge to stare. These weren't just comic book characters—they were real. Living, breathing people. And he was in their world.
His system chimed.
[New Quest: Establish a Foothold] [Objective: Avoid drawing attention to yourself. Learn about the current timeline and potential threats.] [Reward: Skill: Night Vision.] [Failure: Increased Vulnerability to Sunlight.]
Ethan swallowed hard. This was real. And if he wanted to survive, he'd need to play his cards carefully. After all, this wasn't just a world of heroes—it was a world full of monsters, and he was starting to realize he might be one of them.