Derek Blake stood at the edge of the pristine pool, his eyes scanning the water’s surface for any sign of trouble. The sun was high, casting a warm, golden glow over the luxurious hotel grounds. Palm trees swayed gently in the breeze, their leaves rustling softly, and the distant sound of waves crashing against the shore provided a soothing backdrop to the quiet afternoon. The familiar scent of chlorine mixed with the salty ocean air, and for a moment, he let himself get lost in the past.

“Hey! Look who it is!” The voice, loud and grating, cut through the tranquility like a knife. Derek’s shoulders tensed as he turned to see a group of men entering the pool area, their laughter carrying across the water. He recognized them all right. They were his old high school friends—well, maybe “friends” wasn’t the right word anymore. The group had been inseparable once, but time had changed them all, and not necessarily for the better.

“Derek Blake, the golden boy, the legend himself,” one of them jeered, a tall, muscular guy named Jason who had been the football team’s star quarterback. “Didn’t expect to see you here, man. Thought you’d be too busy with your fan club or something. It's too bad about your busted shoulders. Are you sure you went to a good hospital? Maybe our family doctor can take a look at you sometime? Come on, man. Anything for an Olympic gold medalist like you! Wait, did you win anything? Oh right, your accident was the night before the big day if I remember correctly.”

Derek wore a neutral expression on his face as they approached, their grins wide.

“How are you doing now, dude? Rehab? Or maybe you’re too busy making sure no one drowns,” another guy, Mark, chimed in, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Hey, why don’t you get us some drinks, man? Since you’re already in uniform and all.”

“Sure,” Derek replied, his voice indifferent. “What do you want?”

The group laughed, clearly amused by his willingness to play along. “Whatever’s the most expensive,” Jason said, smirking. “You know, something you probably can’t afford.”

Derek nodded, turning toward the bar without another word. As he walked away, he could hear their laughter following him. This was just noise, just meaningless taunts from people who didn’t matter. He did not have the mood to care about it.

But not everyone was willing to let it slide. “Hey! What’s your problem?” Another voice sounded. Derek paused, recognizing the voice immediately—Joana, his childhood friend. Or in other words, a crazy redhead who should not be messed with.

Joana marched up to the group, her expression furious. “You think it’s funny to treat people like that? To kick someone when they’re down?”

Jason and the others exchanged glances, their smirks faltering. “We’re just having a little fun,” Jason said, his tone defensive. “No harm in that.”

“Fun?” Joana’s eyes blazed. “Is it fun to humiliate someone who’s already going through hell? You don’t even know what he’s dealing with!”

Derek’s chest tightened as he watched Joana stand up for him. “Derek, why are you putting up with this? Can’t you complain or something?” She turned to him with the same familiar look in her eyes. Derek let out a bitter laugh and shrugged. What was the point of doing such things? He couldn’t care less about what they said or how they behaved. These days there were very few things he cared about. He turned to walk away without saying anything else.

Joana bit her lip in frustration. She shot another glare toward the group. They were enjoying everything that was going on. She looked at them, shaking her head in disgust, before turning back to Derek. She then quickened her footsteps to follow Derek, leaving behind the insults hurled at her as background noise. She did not want to make things worse for him.

She knew why Derek was doing this job. It wasn’t for himself; it was for his mother, who was suffering from cancer, her medical bills piling up faster than he could pay them. His once-glorious swimming career hadn’t been enough to cover the costs, and this job—demeaning as it was—was all he had left.

“Tell me again why you work here?” She sighed.

Derek laughed. “It pays me well and my shifts are very flexible.” He responded with the same answer he had given her many times before.

Joana tried to imitate his indifferent attitude but seeing the man who was once at the top of this world now fallen to this level made her heart hurt. “Hey, do you want to hang out tonight?” she asked, changing the subject. Derek didn’t respond. He set the drinks tray in his hand down on a table nearby. His gaze drifted upward, toward the sky, his expression suddenly tense. “Something’s wrong,” he said, his voice low and serious.

Joana followed his gaze, frowning. “What do you mean?” Before Derek could answer, the ground beneath them began to tremble lightly, and a distant rumble filled the air. The clear, bright sky was rapidly darkening, clouds swirling in a way that was anything but natural. The poolside loungers who had been soaking up the sun now looked around in confusion, their relaxed demeanor giving way to unease. The distant sound of thunder rumbled ominously, growing louder, closer.

The ground shook harder, and Derek could feel the vibrations deep in his bones. The sky, once a serene blue, had turned a sickly, swirling gray, and the wind began to howl, sending chairs and umbrellas tumbling across the deck.

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“We should go somewhere safe.” Derek pulled Joana and tried to get to the hotel basement where the safe room was located. But before they could even take a few steps, the sound of thunder roared through the air, followed by a blinding flash of light. The sky outside had taken on an eerie glow, streaks of blue and purple lightning crackling through the clouds in unnatural patterns.

Derek’s heart pounded in his chest as he felt a strange energy in the air—a tingling sensation that crawled across his skin, making him freeze in place. "What… Do you feel that?" His breath caught as a sudden wave of nausea hit him, the world spinning around him.

And then, just as quickly as it had begun, the shaking stopped. The storm outside had quieted, but the sky remained lit with strange colors, the clouds swirling in a mesmerizing, almost hypnotic dance. Joana looked around, wide-eyed. "Derek… you seeing this?"

But Derek wasn’t listening. He was staring at his hands, which were glowing faintly with the same eerie light as the sky outside. He felt a strange warmth spreading through him, a rush of energy that made his heart race. "What the hell…" he muttered, trying to make sense of what was happening.

The next second, the world around him began to blur. Everything seemed to dissolve into a sea of colors and light. He felt weightless like he was being pulled into something… or somewhere.

And then, with a final flash of blinding light, everything went dark.

Derek opened his eyes to find himself floating. But this wasn’t the hotel pool or even Victoria. He was in the middle of an endless waterbody, the sky above him still swirling with unnatural lights. The water was calm, but it felt weird. Panic gripped him as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. "Jo?!" he called out, his voice echoing in the stillness. But there was no response. He was alone.

Floating in the middle of nowhere, his mind was spinning as he tried to comprehend what had just happened. One moment, he was in a hotel in Victoria, and the next, he was here—wherever "here" was. The sky above was still swirling with strange, unnatural colors, and the water beneath him felt more alive than any ocean he had ever known.

Just as panic began to claw at him, a soft chime echoed in his mind, clear and distinct, like a bell ringing in a quiet room. Derek froze, his heart pounding in his chest, and then he heard it—a voice, calm and neutral, but undeniably present.

[System Notification: Earth has been successfully integrated into the Multiverse. Welcome, Derek Blake, to the new world.]

Derek blinked, his breath catching in his throat. He read the words again, trying to make sense of them. "System? Multiverse?" The terms felt alien as if he had stumbled into a bizarre dream or one of the science fiction novels he used to read as a kid. None of this could be real. It was too absurd, too surreal to be happening. But the words hung in the air, undeniable and insistent. Before he could even begin to question what was happening, the voice continued, calm and authoritative.

[As a newly integrated being, you have been granted the opportunity to select a class. This class will determine your abilities and role in the Multiverse. Please choose wisely.]

A screen appeared in front of Derek, translucent and glowing with a soft blue light. It displayed several options, each with a brief description:

Warrior – A master of physical combat, excelling in strength and endurance.

Rogue – A shadowy figure, skilled in stealth and agility.

Mage – A wielder of arcane forces, capable of casting powerful spells.

Healer – A protector, dedicated to mending wounds and curing ailments.

Derek’s eyes darted over the options, his mind spinning. This was impossible. It was like something out of a video game, but he wasn’t in a game—he was in the real world. Or at least, he had been. But what was real now? The hotel, the earthquake, the storm, the world splitting apart… none of it made any sense. How could this be happening?

He closed his eyes, shaking his head as if trying to clear away the confusion. Maybe he was hallucinating. But when he opened his eyes again, the screen was still there, the words unchanged.

"Choose a class?" Derek murmured to himself, disbelief lacing his voice. "This can't be real." Yet, as much as he wanted to deny it, everything felt too vivid, too tangible to be a mere dream or hallucination. The cool breeze against his skin, the water gently caressing his being—this was real, wasn’t it?

The panic began to rise in his chest, the uncertainty of everything crashing over him like a wave. He wanted to reject it, to wake up and find himself back in the hotel, even if it meant facing the same old emptiness he’d been living with for months now. But deep down, a part of him—a small, desperate part—whispered that maybe, just maybe, this was all indeed real. He wanted another chance. A chance to escape, to find something new. A chance to not feel helpless anymore.

He focused on the "Mage" option, drawn to it despite his confusion. A mage, someone who casts magic, then would it be possible for him to use water magic? He had always been connected to water and even now, in this strange place, water was all he had.

Derek hesitated, his fingers twitching as if unsure whether to reach out and select the option. "System," he began, his voice uncertain, "is it possible… could I become a Water Mage? Water bullets? Water attack? I want to control the water." He blurted out and started listing out the things he had seen in anime and manga. The words felt strange in his mouth, almost like he was playing along with some elaborate joke. But as he spoke them, the screen responded.

[Affirmative. The Mage class can be customized to focus on specific elemental forces as you become more proficient with the class. However, your affinity will determine whether you will be able to choose the path of a Water Mage.]

Derek’s heart skipped a beat. Affinity? Someone like him should have an affinity with water, right? Ever since he was born, he had spent more time in water than on land. That had to mean something? His mind buzzed with questions, doubts clouding his thoughts. But the possibility, the sliver of hope that maybe this was real, was too strong to ignore.

Water had always been his element, the one thing that felt natural to him, even in this bizarre situation. But now, this wasn’t just about swimming or competition. This was something far bigger—something that could reshape his entire existence.

His hand hovered over the "Mage" option, and he hesitated. This choice, whatever it meant, seemed irreversible. If this was real—and everything he felt told him it was—then his decision here could define his future in ways he couldn’t fully comprehend.

He took a deep breath and, with a determined flick of his wrist, selected the Mage class.

[Confirmed. You have chosen the path of the Mage. Initial abilities will now be granted. Please stand by for awakening.]