Warmth.
That was the first thing I felt when consciousness returned. The warmth of sunlight spilling across my skin, the soft tickle of grass beneath me, the gentle caress of wind carrying the scent of earth and wildflowers. For a moment, I simply lay there, breathing, existing.
Then reality set in.
"...I'm naked."
My eyes shot open, and sure enough—yep. Naked as the day I was born. Or rather, the day I was reborn. The only thing shielding my modesty was a single black witch's robe, draped loosely across me like some kind of cosmic afterthought.
"Figures. Not even a starter pack? Come on, god-san. At least give me panties." I sat up, tugging the robe tighter around myself, my silver hair spilling over my shoulders in soft waves. It shimmered faintly in the sunlight, just like Elaina's. My new hair. My new body.
Slowly, I touched my face, then my chest, then glanced down at the legs peeking out from the robe. Perfect porcelain skin. Slender, elegant fingers. And beneath my palm… oh yeah, the gods definitely didn't nerf the chest department.
"Okay, wow. Ten out of ten. Cosplay Elaine? No. I am Elaine. Hot damn."
A laugh slipped from my lips. It was nervous, excited, maybe a little hysterical. Because beneath the humor, the truth loomed like a shadow: I wasn't in my bedroom anymore. I wasn't on Earth. This was Marvel. The Marvel multiverse.
I needed a plan.
"Step one," I muttered, pulling my knees to my chest, "get some actual clothes. This robe is cute and all, but I'm one strong breeze away from flashing the entire world."
"Step two—figure out where I am. Marvel's huge. Am I in New York with Tony Stark drinking overpriced coffee? Or am I in some weird mystical realm where Dormammu wants to eat my soul? Gotta know the battlefield before making moves."
"Step three—training. Sure, I asked for infinite mana and the brain of a magical genius, but that doesn't mean I'm instantly battle-ready. Even geniuses practice."
As I spoke, I willed mana to gather in my palm. The air rippled. Power surged through me, warm and endless, like a river of stars flowing in my veins. A tiny sphere of pure light formed above my hand, humming with raw magical energy.
"Oh. Ohhh." I grinned, eyes wide. "I could do this all day. Magic Breeder Reactor, baby!"
The orb fizzled out as I clapped my hands together, buzzing with adrenaline.
"Okay, okay, focus. Step four—knowledge. I need to access that mental library the god gave me. If it's really everything, then I should be able to learn magic systems from anime, Marvel, myths… heck, even Harry Potter if I wanted."
Closing my eyes, I reached inward. And there it was. A vast, infinite archive stretching beyond comprehension. Books upon books, scrolls, grimoires, tomes, entire universes of magical theory catalogued neatly like a cosmic filing system.
Just one glance nearly made me cry.
"I… I could spend lifetimes here. And it's all mine."
Tears prickled at the corners of my eyes, but I wiped them away, forcing myself to breathe. No distractions. Not yet.
"Step five," I whispered, "connections. Marvel's full of heavy hitters. Some I want to meet. Some I definitely don't. Wanda Maximoff? Yes please. Doctor Strange? He'll either mentor me or try to kick me out of his sanctum. Loki? Tempting. Morgan le Fay? …complicated, considering I'm apparently her descendant. Yikes."
The wind blew across the plain, rustling the grass, reminding me that I was still sitting there half-naked.
"Right," I sighed, standing and clutching my robe. "Priority zero: clothes. Even witches have standards."
The robe swirled dramatically as I adjusted it into something vaguely dress-like, then I planted my hands on my hips.
"This is it. Chapter one of my magical journey. Elaine the Wandering Witch, La Fay descendent, greatest sorceress the multiverse will ever see. Step aside, Merlin. Move over, Strange. I'm here to rewrite history."
Somewhere in the distance, the earth rumbled, faint but ominous.
I froze.
"…Okay, maybe after I get pants."