The end came unexpectedly.
Raj Bansal hadn't been prepared. He had been walking back to his university hostel, lost in thoughts about the MTech project presentation he'd just submitted. A familiar weight of exhaustion hung on his shoulders, but it wasn't anything out of the ordinary—just another busy day in Delhi. His phone buzzed once, a reminder to check in with his mom.
And then, without warning—silence.
The kind of silence that fills the air after a crash, before your body even realizes something is wrong. A screech of tires, a jolt, a world fading to black.
Now? White.
Not the pure, soft white of heaven, but the unsettling white of nowhere. A vast void stretched endlessly, encompassing everything and nothing at once. Raj stood there, feet planted, as if the ground itself was unsure of his presence. He blinked once. Twice.
"Where... am I?" Raj asked, his voice sounding strange even to himself.
"You're in the space between worlds, my friend," a voice replied casually.
Raj whipped around, startled by the unexpected response. A man stood before him, dressed in formal office wear. His expression was easy, almost amused, as though he were used to this kind of encounter. There was a faint gleam in his eyes, as if he knew things Raj couldn't begin to comprehend.
"Who are you?" Raj asked, trying to steady himself. This couldn't be real. His mind raced through every possibility, every story he'd read, every "what-if" scenario. Was this a dream? Some kind of coma-induced illusion?
The man smiled, nodding toward a desk that appeared out of nowhere. A file rested on it, its edges glowing faintly. "I'm Narada. Administrative Liaison for the CYOA Program. Welcome to the final phase of your journey."
Raj blinked. "CYOA?" He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Choose Your Own Adventure? That was a concept he'd seen in countless stories, fanfics, and online forums. But this was supposed to be real life.
"Yes, exactly," Narada said, a hint of amusement in his tone. "You died, Raj. But rather than fade away, you've been selected for a... second chance. You'll get to choose your path, choose a world, and make a difference. This is your opportunity to change things, to alter the course of destiny. But it won't be easy. There's a lot at stake."
Raj's heart pounded in his chest. "Wait, so I get to choose where I go?"
Narada raised an eyebrow, the glow from the file intensifying. "Not exactly. You'll be given options. A few worlds, each with their own rules, dangers, and opportunities. But—" Narada's smile turned a little colder, more serious. "Here's the catch. You need to make a fundamental change in the world you pick. Defeat a major threat Or survive in that world. You'll be challenged in ways you can't imagine. But don't worry, you're not completely alone. Help will be given."
Raj's stomach dropped. The weight of the words pressed on him. He was standing in limbo—dead, but somehow still here. And now he had to make a choice that could affect more than just his life.
Narada opened the file and gestured for Raj to look. The document flickered, showing worlds spinning rapidly, like a roulette wheel—worlds unfamiliar and familiar, each more dangerous and unpredictable than the last. They appeared and disappeared in a blur.
Raj's eyes narrowed. This felt too real. How could this be happening?
"You'll be asked to complete a mission, should you choose to accept." Narada continued. "You won't know which world exactly until you make your selection, but I can tell you this: Each world is a challenge in its own right. The stakes are high, but so are the rewards. You'll gain abilities, learn the rules of the new world, and with enough effort, you can return to your life. But there's no guarantee of success."
Raj's mind raced. The possibilities flashed before his eyes—he could end up anywhere. He had read stories, followed discussions on forums where people imagined the possibility of jumping into other worlds, of having their own second chances. But this? This was real. And it felt nothing like the fiction he was used to.
"I..." Raj stammered. "I never thought this kind of thing could actually happen."
Narada nodded. "Most don't. That's the beauty of it. But now you have a choice to make. A world will be chosen for you, and you'll need to adapt quickly if you want to succeed. But here's the important part, Raj: Once you've chosen, you cannot go back until you've completed the mission. You'll have to fight your way through, survive, and make a change. That's the deal. Only then will you have the chance to return to your family."
Raj's throat tightened. His family... his mother, his younger brother Rahul, back home in Jaipur. They were the reason he had to succeed. No matter how difficult this mission would be, no matter how impossible it sounded, he couldn't back out now. He needed to get back to them. He needed to make sure they were okay.
"I... I accept," Raj said finally, his voice steady with resolve.
Narada's smile widened, and the glowing file vanished, leaving only the flickering worlds before Raj's eyes.
"Good. Your journey begins now."
The roulette wheel spun faster, a blur of colors and images flashing in his vision. Raj took a deep breath, bracing himself for what was to come. He had no idea where he would land, what kind of world he would face. But one thing was certain: He had to succeed. He had no choice but to rise to the challenge.
The worlds continued to spin, each more dangerous and unpredictable than the last. The tension in the air thickened as Raj waited for his world to be chosen.
The moment came. He could feel the sensation of falling—the shift of time and space as the universe responded to his choice. His heart raced.
Narada's eyes gleam as he gestures, and the stars rearrange themselves above you.
"The world chosen for your journey is DC Earth-16—better known to you as Young Justice."
He pauses for a moment. "Though I must clarify—it is not the exact world you remember. This is an alternate universe. Similar in many ways, but changed in subtle, dangerous, and sometimes drastic ones. The kind of place where small shifts ripple outward… and nothing unfolds quite the same."
He nods once, as if confirming something unseen.
"You have 6 points to shape your beginning. Powers, perks, the method of your arrival—choose wisely. The path ahead is yours to walk, but I suggest you prepare for a far harsher tale than the one you knew."
"Now… how will you enter this world?"
[Self-Insert (+2): You are just dropped in an abandoned but safe alleyway in Metropolis as you are and in your own body, you only have the clothes on your back, a wallet that has hundred dollars, your ID (which won't work there) and an object personal value. You are dropped 2 weeks before the main 'Plot' starts (provided you haven't shot it to kingdom come by then) and nobody has information about you until you reveal yourself (or some clairvoyant sees you).]
[Transmigration (-2): Your consciousness replaces that of your chosen person (in your case, it HAS to be a member of the Young Justice Team present or Future). You get their powers, memories, skills, trauma and everything. Of course, by doing so you are basically killing them. You arrive the moment plot starts (in your case, when Robin and Team are rescuing Super boy).]
[Reincarnation (Free): You are reborn as a baby as your chosen person. You have lived out your life as a baby and... That's it. Note that taking this will nullify the effects of [Time of Arrival] you've gotten as you will now begin your adventure when you are reborn.]
Self-Insert... Transmigration... Reincarnation... He repeated the terms in his head, trying to make sense of them.
Self-Insert? Raj frowned. 'I'd be me, but stuck, with nothing but a hundred bucks and a wallet full of useless IDs. Two weeks before everything started, with just the clothes on my back. Could he survive like that?'
But then, there was Transmigration. The thought of taking over someone else's body was… disturbing. It wasn't just the idea of becoming someone else, it was the fact that someone else would cease to exist in the process. Robin or another member of the Young Justice team, their consciousness wiped out in exchange for Raj's own. And their powers, their trauma, their memories, all slamming into his mind… 'Would I even survive that?'
Then came Reincarnation. This one... was a gamble. Born as a baby again? I'd have to live their life from the beginning? Raj couldn't help but shudder at the thought of being trapped in the mind of a helpless infant. No powers, no control. 'Would I even remember who I was?', and worst of all, he wouldn't even get the same chance to impact the plot as someone who could actively make choices.
Raj clenched his fists, frustration building. I just want to go home. But how? How do I even choose?
He could already feel the weight of the decision pressing down on him, each option promising something… but at what cost? Would any of them truly bring him closer to escaping this place and the twisted fate ahead?
As Raj's mind swirled with the weight of each choice, he let out a deep breath, trying to center himself. Narada waited for him to decide, but Raj already knew.
'Self-Insert', he thought, his hand running through his hair as he looked at the strange world around him. He wasn't sure how he'd survive, or even if he would, but at least he'd be himself. At least he could make his own choices, for better or worse.
"I choose Self-Insert," Raj said finally, his voice steady despite the chaos in his mind.
"Now, it's time to choose your powers," Narada said, his voice low and almost reverent. "Each of these has its own weight, its own potential. Choose wisely, for they will shape your journey in ways you may not fully understand just yet."
"You've made a wise choice," Narada said. "By choosing this, you keep your identity and autonomy. This is your journey, Raj, and it will be yours to shape."
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Please Read Author's Thoughts after each chapter for more Context