The day Marcus left Earth, he did not notice that the novel that he had been reading had also disappeared without a trace.
...
Darkness swallowed him whole before light exploded behind his eyelids. A piercing headache shot through his skull as his consciousness returned.
[System initialising]
The robotic voice pierced Marcus's consciousness like ice water.
"What the hell?" He tried to sit up, but his body responded too quickly—light and powerful where there should have been weight and strain.
His eyes caught a blur of movement from his right. Suddenly, he was pinned to the bed, his wrists trapped above his head.
"What exactly do you think you're doing?" A dangerously seductive voice sliced through his confusion.
Marcus blinked twice, his brain struggling to process the woman straddling him. Heart-stopping gorgeous didn't begin to cover it.
Hazelnut hair cascaded around a face that belonged only in the imagination, piercing green eyes locked onto his with predatory intensity.
Her smirk made his throat dry instantly.
"What the..." he managed, swallowing hard.
'Who is she? Where am I?' His thoughts raced as he tested her grip. Strong. Too strong.
"Can you let me go?" he asked, eyes darting between his captive wrists and her face.
"Nope." Her smirk widened, revealing perfect teeth.
"Okay?" Confusion colored his voice.
She leaned closer. "Don't you think you owe me something?"
"Owe you? What?"
"Hmph! An apology, obviously!"
Marcus rapidly assessed his options.
'I'm not sure what is happening, but appeasing her seems safest.'
"I'm sorry."
"For...?" Her eyebrow arched expectantly.
"For..." He faltered, mind blank.
"Marcus! Jasmine! Come down, food's ready!" A woman's voice called from downstairs.
"Coming, Mom!" The beauty, Jasmine, shouted back before returning her glare to Marcus. She slid off him with grace, then dragged her thumb across her throat in universal threat.
"Count yourself lucky that Mum called for me. Otherwise..." She left the implication hanging as she sauntered out.
Marcus sat up, heartbeat thundering. "What the actual hell is happening?"
He scrambled to the nearest mirror and froze.
"What is going on..."
The face staring back couldn't be his.
Chiselled jawline. Midnight-black hair with perfect styling. Eyes so dark they seemed to absorb light.
Not a trace of fat anywhere. Instead, lean muscle rippled beneath tan skin, complete with the kind of eight-pack that belonged in drawings.
"That's... me?" His fingers traced features that belonged to another man entirely.
"Why aren't you answering? I've been calling for a minute now."
Marcus jumped at the voice, whirling to find another woman leaning against his bathroom doorframe.
Where Jasmine radiated youthful intensity, this woman exuded mature elegance, laugh lines that only enhanced her beauty, and eyes that held wisdom and something else he couldn't quite place.
"Sorry," he managed, his pulse racing.
She crossed her arms, giving him a once-over that felt like being scanned. "Hurry up. Food's getting cold."
"Alright." He nodded, following her swaying hips down the stairs.
His mind raced.
Two gorgeous women.
A body that belonged to top athletes. And some kind of system voice in his head. Whatever had happened after that heart attack, Marcus was increasingly certain of one thing—he was no longer the same person.
'I transmigrated...'
As he descended the stairs, a delicious aroma hit his nostrils.
His stomach growled in response.
The woman turned to him and glared.
"You should've come down sooner."
Marcus smiled wryly, scratching the back of his head. One thing was certain—he wasn't in his parents' basement anymore.
And he had absolutely no intention of going back.
As he settled into his chair, Jasmine's glare practically burned through him. She took a deliberate sip from her glass. "Idiot..." she muttered just loud enough for him to hear.
Ignoring her, Marcus accepted the plate Elara handed him with a grateful nod.
"Here you go. Start eating."
"Thank you."
The aroma hit him full force. Rice, perfectly seared meat, cashews, and spices that made his mouth water instantly.
A phone rang, cutting through the awkward silence. Elara picked up, and immediately a voice blasted through the speakers loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Elara! I'm so excited! Tomorrow is the talent awakening ceremony!"
Marcus's ears perked up as he pretended to focus on his food.
'So her name is Elara,' he mentally noted. 'And what's this talent awakening?'
The voice continued, each word making his stomach tighten.
"My daughter will definitely enter The Empress Academy, just like her mother. Unlike that useless boy you're keeping. Why is he still in your house? You literally found him in the streets, send him back there!"
Elara jumped up, frantically covering the speaker while shooting Marcus a glance.
She hurried toward the garden door.
"Kayla! You idiot! Marcus heard you."
"So what? Let him hear me! He's good for nothing, just like any man in this world. Useless!"
"Damn it, Kayla! How many times must I tell you? I took him in as a child before I had Jasmine. I thought I'd never have children. I can't just throw him out!"
"Fine! What if he doesn't awaken a talent, or worse, stays talentless? Are you going to keep babysitting him for the rest of his life?"
"Of course not!" Elara snapped back.
"I'll leave tomorrow's plans for tomorrow. For now, he stays here."
A heavy sigh came through the speaker. "Alright. My mood is ruined. I'll see you tomorrow at the talent ceremony."
Marcus quickly finished his plate, mind racing. The second Elara stepped outside, he stood up.
"I'm done. Heading to bed, I'm tired. Thanks for the food."
Jasmine barely acknowledged him with a shrug.
...
Back in his room, Marcus paced, his heart hammering against his ribs.
'I really did transmigrate. Not into any world...but into the world of "Empress Empire."'
He kept his voice silent, paranoid about being overheard.
'They'd probably kill me if they knew I wasn't the real Marcus.'
He remembered the novel perfectly. A world where women ruled with iron fists, where men were valued only for their talents—if they had any. Where the "Empress Academy" trained the future leaders of this matriarchal society.
And tomorrow was the talent awakening ceremony.
The text flashed in his vision, confirming his wildest theory.
[Harem Choice System Awakening. The first choice will be available after the talent awakening ceremony.]