The rain struck the glass like bullets, thunder groaning across the midnight sky as if the heavens mourned something only they knew. In a cluttered apartment in Delhi, Aarav Malhotra sat hunched over his glowing laptop, the glow reflecting off his weary eyes.
Another night. Another deployment. Another lifeless day.
He had everything society said one should chase—an engineering degree, a stable job, a roof overhead—but something had always felt... hollow. Like a part of him belonged elsewhere.
His room was a shrine to fantasy. On one side, a shelf held every Harry Potter book, its edges worn from constant rereads. Opposite that, Marvel figurines stood in formation like defenders of an unseen battle. Between lines of code, he dreamt of wands and webs, spells and suits.
But life didn't reward dreamers. It just... ended them.
At 2:46 AM, Aarav shut the lid of his laptop, eyes stinging from fatigue. He hadn't eaten since morning. He rose, grabbed his helmet, and stepped out into the storm to fetch some noodles from the 24/7 stall down the street.
He never reached it.
The speeding truck didn't even have headlights on. Metal crunched. Flesh tore. Time slowed. Then—
Darkness.
At first, it was silent.
Then, came the voice.
"So, this is the soul that dreamed of magic yet perished without touching it."
Aarav opened his eyes—not his physical ones, but his soul's vision. He floated in a black void dotted with starlight, gravity forgotten.
He spun around and saw a figure. A tall silhouette, cloaked in layers of swirling cosmic energy, neither man nor woman.
"You are dead, Aarav Malhotra. But I am offering you a choice."
Aarav blinked, stunned. "Am I... dreaming?"
"No. You are between worlds. A threshold. A veil."
"You died unfulfilled. Your soul cried for destiny. And so... the tapestry heard you."
"You will be reborn—not randomly, but with purpose. Into a world your soul has longed for."
Aarav's heart skipped—if he even had one in this state. "Where?"
"A world of magic. Where wands are weapons, and prophecy drives fate."
His eyes widened. "You mean… Hogwarts?"
"The very same. But you shall arrive during its darkest time. A period ruled by a man who split his soul to conquer death."
"Voldemort," Aarav whispered.
"Correct. But unlike others, you will be equipped. I bestow upon you the Gold Finger—a system that shall guide you."
Suddenly, golden runes wrapped around Aarav's hands. A translucent blue screen hovered in front of him:
▶ Welcome, Player: Aarav Malhotra
▶ Skill System Initialized
▶ Status: Soul Transfer Pending
▶ Special Mode: Cross-Dimensional Access [LOCKED]
▶ Inventory: Empty
▶ Starting Magic Aptitude: Basic
"You will be able to learn, level, and evolve. But power demands purpose."
Aarav steadied his breath. "Why me?"
"Because unlike most... you remember how to dream."
The void began to shake. Aarav's body was being pulled into a tunnel of color and light.
"Train. Fight. Learn. Become the bridge between worlds. Save those who must live. And become…"
"The Supreme."
The last thing Aarav saw before vanishing into the world of witches and wands—
—was the starry figure raising a hand in farewell.
And then—
Light.
Screaming.
Pain.
And the smell of something familiar—Magic.