Jacob Williams felt the weight of the world literally crash down on him. One moment, he was walking past a construction site, heading to a meeting he was already late for. The next moment, everything turned into chaos. He heard the sound of collapsing metal and breaking glass, followed by searing pain as a steel beam came crashing down on him.
The world went black.
Jacob's first thought after waking up was that the afterlife smelled surprisingly like freshly brewed coffee. He opened his eyes and blinked a few times, trying to focus. He was sitting in a cozy little coffee shop, the kind of place you might find on a postcard, with soft lighting and the aroma of roasting beans in the air. It was calming. Too calming.
"What the hell just happened, am I dead?" Jacob muttered to himself, rubbing his temple while looking around.
"More like in between," a voice chimed in.
Jacob looked up and froze. Sitting across from him at the small wooden table was none other than Ryan Reynolds. Or at least, someone who looked exactly like him, down to the signature smirk. He was casually sipping a cup of coffee as if this were the most normal thing in the world.
"Ryan Reynolds?" Jacob asked, bewildered.
The man chuckled. "Close enough. I go by many names, but today you can call me Ryan if it makes things easier."
"Okay... Ryan." Jacob hesitated. "Where exactly am I?"
"Welcome to Limbo, my friend. The place between life and death. Some call it purgatory, others call it a waiting room with bad coffee, but I assure you, our coffee is top-notch." Ryan took another sip of his drink, clearly enjoying the confusion on Jacob's face.
"So, am I dead or...?" Jacob trailed off, unsure of how to finish the question.
Ryan shrugged. "Technically, yes. You got squished pretty bad back there. But here's the thing, I'm in a good mood today. And when I'm in a good mood, I like to do nice things for people. Like giving second chances."
"Second chances?"
"Exactly." Ryan leaned back in his chair, looking quite comfortable. "I'm what you'd call a Random Omnipotent Being or ROB for short. I get bored easily, so I like to pluck people out of their sad little situations and offer them a new life. In another world, with a little extra... spice."
Jacob's head was spinning. "So you're telling me that you're some kind of god, and you're offering me a second life?"
"Bingo!" Ryan said, pointing at him like a game show host. "But there's a catch. You only get one wish. Choose wisely."
Jacob sat back, trying to process everything. It all sounded like some kind of weird dream, but everything felt too real. If this was a dream, it was incredibly detailed. A wish. A second life. In a different world. He couldn't help but think about all the stories he had read—those reincarnation tales, the isekai adventures where the protagonist gets a chance to live a better life, armed with powerful abilities.
"What kind of world would I end up in?" Jacob asked cautiously.
Ryan raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by the question. "You tell me. The choice is yours. Any world, any universe, any timeline. You're the one in the driver's seat here."
Jacob thought for a moment, letting the idea sink in. A new world. A new life. This was his chance to escape the monotonous grind of his previous existence, to do something extraordinary. And he knew exactly where he wanted to go.
"Alright," Jacob said, taking a deep breath. "I want to be reincarnated in the world of "The Magicians"
Ryan's eyes twinkled with amusement. "Good choice. Magic, danger, all the fun stuff. And what about your wish? What powers do you want? Keep in mind, once you make the wish, there's no going back."
Jacob leaned forward, his heart pounding with excitement. "I want the powers of Kai Parker fromThe Vampire Diaries but without the sociopathic tendencies. And I want to be a Heretic, a vampire-witch hybrid plus if it's possible I would like the vamp part to be an original so… an original heretic. All the power, none of the madness."
Ryan whistled, clearly impressed. "Now that's a power set. You sure you can handle it?"
Jacob nodded firmly. "Yeah, I think so but add in Elijah's control over his hunger. I want to be there at the start of the plot or a little bit after too. I want to be ready for whatever comes my way."
Ryan grinned, his smile mischievous. "I like your style, Jacob. You're ambitious. Alright, you've got your wish. But remember, power comes with responsibility and consequences. The world of The Magicians isn't a place for the faint of heart. You'll need to be careful, or you could end up worse off than before."
Jacob's excitement grew. "I understand. But I'm ready. Anything's better than what I had before."
Ryan raised his cup in a mock toast. "To second chances, then. And to making the most of them."
The world around Jacob began to blur as if it were being painted over with new colors and shapes. The coffee shop faded away, and Ryan's voice echoed in the distance, growing fainter by the second.
"Good luck, Jacob. Or should I say... Kai Parker."
————
Jacob no, Kai Parker woke up in a dim room. light filtered through the dusty blinds of his new apartment. The scent of old books, burnt-out candles, and something vaguely metallic hung in the air. He sat up slowly, feeling an intoxicating surge of energy thrumming through his body, the body of an original. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before. The weight of his new identity, his new powers, settled on him.
'Holy shit… I'm actually Kai Parker,' he thought in disbelief as he stood up to look In the mirror across his room, a smirk creeping onto his face. His fingers tingled with raw energy, a mix of vampiric side and magical power. It was almost overwhelming, but in the best possible way.
Standing up, he took in his surroundings. The apartment was small and cluttered, filled with books, magical trinkets, and scattered papers. 'Feels like a scene straight out of some witch's lair,' he mused. But this was his now. His sanctuary. His domain.
Trying to get a feel of what he could now do he looked at a candle then m held up his hand and thought, 'Phasmatos incendia'. The nearby candle flickered to life with ease. 'Pyrokinesis… child's play,' he thought, watching the fire dance on the wick. The flame flickered in his eyes, relishing the power that now coursed through him. He tried it again, this time without the spell, simply willing the flame into existence. It worked just as smoothly. He chuckled, "Well, well, well. Would you look at that."
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