I open my eyes.
I stare at the ceiling for several seconds, wondering why the hell I'm here. Wishing all of this were just a dream.
But it isn't.
It's real.
I was killed… and then reincarnated in the United States, in the 2000s.
No fast internet. No smartphones. CRT televisions, landline phones, VHS tapes at Blockbuster to rent movies for the weekend.
I sigh.
Now I have to go to middle school. Classes, exams, all that crap. Just thinking about it stresses me out.
I miss artificial intelligences, convenience, instant information. But there's nothing I can do about it. This is how things are.
And on top of that…
I have to dress up as a killer clown.
Great.
Well, buying all that won't be a problem. With magic, getting money will be a matter of luck. I just have to go out and do it.
Suddenly, the landline phone rings.
I get out of bed and answer.
"Hello?"
"Jajajajaja… how are you, Ryan?" says that voice I already hate, playful and twisted. "Just getting out of bed at this hour? You're pretty lazy. I thought you'd at least be awake when the sun came up."
I clench my jaw.
"But that doesn't matter," it continues. "It's your first day in this world, so I suggest you test your powers first. When night falls… it'll be time to act."
"Jajajajaja… ready to paint the city red, Ryan?"
The call cuts off.
I slam the receiver down.
That damn lunatic clown.
I clench my fists, trembling with rage.
"Someday I'll torture you the way you tortured me," I mutter.
I take a deep breath.
The powers that clown gave me…
The first three are simple, easy to understand.
Super physical. Magic. Storage space.
Simple.
But the other three… what about them?
Why doesn't he just say it already?
It doesn't matter. It's not worth getting angry right now.
What matters is buying what I need, testing the first powers, and when night falls, facing whatever comes.
I leave the room and walk through the neighborhood.
Houses with neatly cut lawns, double garages, kids riding BMX bikes. Cars parked everywhere: Volkswagen Jettas, Toyota Corollas, Nissan Sentras, old Fords, and the occasional large Chevrolet Suburban sitting in a driveway.
I don't know anything about cars, and I don't care about their history. I prefer a Lamborghini or a modern Ferrari, not these relics.
Then I remember.
The iPhone comes out in 2007.
Hahaha.
There's still a year left. Perfect. Buying Apple stocks will be a priority. I'll make good use of the life insurance money from this body's parents.
A smile spreads across my face.
I'm in a good mood.
At a local costume and party supplies store, I buy a clown suit, a white mask with a permanently painted red smile… and knives.
I store everything in the storage space.
Ah… this is the legendary power so many protagonists in those apocalyptic novels I read had.
Now that I have it, I feel like the apocalypse might be just around the corner.
Hahaha.
I go to a nearby park to test my super physical ability.
I start running. Pull-ups. Jumps. Push-ups.
Incredible. My body responds as if it had never known fatigue.
I glance to the left. A group is playing basketball. Some of the faces look familiar.
I search through the memories.
Members of the middle school basketball club.
I immediately lose interest.
I never suffered bullying in my previous life.
Will I suffer it now because of the death of this body's parents?
Maybe.
But it doesn't matter. They're just teenagers with hormones running wild.
I return to the room.
The storage space is easy to use. Intuitive.
Magic, on the other hand…
It's fascinating. And a little unsettling.
With just a thought, a fireball appears in front of my hand. Then water. Air. Earth. Darkness. Light.
All the elements.
The ball of darkness feels… alive, as if it wants to consume something. A pleasant shiver runs through me.
I laugh.
"God… I really am the protagonist of this world."
Now all that's left is to wait for night.
The other three powers are killing me with curiosity.
Night falls.
The phone rings.
"Hello?"
"Ryan," the voice says, deeper now, as if smiling behind sharp teeth, "it's time for a legend to be born."
My skin crawls.
"I told you you'd discover the other three powers on your own, but I'll be generous this time."
"Future vision. Teleportation. Sacrifice."
"The first two are self-explanatory."
"But sacrifice… that one you'll have to discover yourself."
I swallow.
"Go to an abandoned warehouse. A gang gathers there to traffic drugs."
"Let's see how your first baptism of blood turns out."
"Jajajajaja."
The call cuts off.
I look at the clown mask inside the storage space.
My hand trembles… from rage, or anticipation?
I smile without meaning to.
The night is just beginning… and so am I.