Ace's eyes snapped open. A blinding, intense headache still throbbed behind his temples.
"What in the world was that?" he grunted, pressing his palms against his skull. "Is this brain cancer? That level of pain isn't normal. I need to see a doctor immediately."
He unconsciously scanned his surroundings. He was clearly in a bedroom—a typical one, with a bookshelf and a study table beside the bed—yet several objects were utterly alien to him. There was a large, square piece of glass with a blinking red light mounted on the wall and a self-propelled mechanism gliding across the floor, seemingly cleaning. The room felt strangely familiar, yet completely foreign.
"W-what is this?" he exclaimed, fixating on the holographic clock projected beside the bed. Intrigued, he reached out, and his hand passed right through the shimmering display.
Suddenly, an acute spike of pain pierced his mind again.
"GARARARARAAAAAH!"
He began to convulse as a rapid-fire series of memories, simultaneously unknown yet familiar, erupted inside his head. After what felt like an eternity, the pain slowly subsided. The two distinct sets of memories had seamlessly synchronized and fused into a single consciousness.
"I am Ace De Guia, yet I am also Ace Riveral! What kind of fantasy is this?" he mumbled, trying to process the impossible truth. "I am myself, but I'm not? It feels like two people were merged into one body, yet we are a single entity. AHHHH! This makes no sense!" He violently ran his fingers through his hair in confusion.
You couldn't have at least let me enjoy the championship first! Damn it! he cursed silently at whatever entity was responsible for this catastrophic event.
Once he managed to calm himself, he began sorting through the combined memories to connect the dots between his past and present selves:
Identity Shift: As Ace Riveral, he was an Esports Pro Player. As Ace De Guia, he was a bookish, withdrawn intellectual, a stark contradiction.
Time Disparity: He was from the year 2020, but the current year was 2220—a two-hundred-year difference.
Current Reality: The exact date was May 15, 2220. He resided in Alpha Metropolis, an unusually named city.
Family: He was part of the four-member De Guia family and had a younger brother, Luke, who was two years his junior.
Education: Despite being only 16 years old, he had already received his college graduation certificate.
"Wow! So I'm truly a genius, no matter the place or time," he shamelessly declared, a grin spreading across his face.
He leaped out of bed and, still carrying traces of the old Ace Riveral, took pleasure in examining all the futuristic gadgets in the room. His other self was completely mesmerized by the advanced technology.
"My looks aren't bad either," he mused, holding his chin and admiring his new appearance in the mirror.
Having satisfied his initial curiosity, he left the room and headed downstairs in search of food. He could hear the television running in the living room, suggesting his younger brother was watching something.
After grabbing a loaf of bread from the smart refrigerator, he walked toward the sound.
"Hey, Luke! What are you watch—" His eyes bulged in absolute shock. The slice of bread dropped instantly from his hand.
On the massive screen was a live broadcast of something deeply familiar: a MOBA game. His greatest joy, broadcast in high-definition glory. His eyes sparkled, and he sprinted over to his brother's side.
"H-Hey, Luke! What do you call this game?" Like a child finding a new toy, Ace eagerly pestered his brother.
"W-What?!" Luke jumped up from the sofa, startled by his usually aloof brother's sudden, intense interest. Normally, his genius brother was holed up in his room doing research or paperwork. For him to care about a game was so surprising, it felt like a sign of the apocalypse.
"The name of the game! What's the name of the game?" Ace persisted, shaking his brother slightly for an answer.
"I-It's Legends of Aluna," Luke mumbled in a stunned, low voice.