The noise from the street filtered in faintly through the ajar window. The sun was just beginning to peek through, tinting the walls a pale orange. I opened my eyes with difficulty, feeling a strange weight in my body, as if I had fallen asleep in an uncomfortable position, but with a much deeper exhaustion.
I slowly sat up and looked around. The room was quite spacious, with white walls and a ceiling fan spinning slowly, stirring a cool breeze. On the nightstand sat a half-drunk glass of water and an open math book. The sensation was strange; I couldn't place where I was.
I stood up and looked at my hands. They had smooth skin, without marks or calluses. The face in the mirror on the wall felt foreign to me. It was me, but a softer version, without the dark circles from my future sleepless nights or the scar on my cheek from that accident. A fourteen-year-old old acquaintance looked back at me with my own grey eyes, terrified.
"What...?" I whispered.
I stepped out of the room with hesitant steps. The hallway was narrow and long. I went down the stairs and reached the kitchen, where I stood for a few moments, observing the surroundings with a growing sense of emptiness.
I opened the main door, crossed the patio, and went out through the gate. I was greeted by a street that triggered a pang of nostalgia; there was something in the atmosphere that felt dated, old. The cars were smaller and boxier, people's clothes looked like they were from another decade, and the advertisements on the walls showed dates and events that should belong to the past.
A boy with a backpack looked at me curiously. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Yes... I think so," I replied, not fully paying attention.
I walked aimlessly, trying to remember how I had ended up there. On a corner, a stand was selling elotes with chili and lime. The aroma offered a small comfort. I checked my pocket and, luckily, I had a velcro wallet with some money. I bought one and sat on a bench, trying to organize my thoughts.
As I bit into the elote, some memories of blurred faces and a fire assaulted my mind... and a sense of loss invaded me. I didn't know where I was, nor who I really was now. The only thing I was certain of was that this wasn't my body as such, and it terrified me to think if I had stolen the life of the previous owner. Although I couldn't remember details of my personal life, my other memories were fresh... 2025. I had a theory that seemed crazy, worthy of science fiction. I finished the elote and approached the man attending the stand on the park sidewalk again.
"Excuse me, what year is it?" I asked with a trembling voice, praying internally for him to tell me it was 2025.
The man looked at me with a strange expression while he wiped his hands on his apron and adjusted the sauce jars. "What kind of question is that, son? We're in 2008. Young people today are lost in those phones..." he huffed with irritation and continued cleaning.
I began to back away as a horrible feeling of dizziness and a cold sweat ran through my body. I tried to go back to the bench to calm down, but a violent discomfort in my throat stopped me. Before I could react, I threw up on the grass. It lasted just under a minute, but it felt like forever. When I finally stopped, I immediately looked for a shop to buy water. The way back was surreal. I was attentive to every detail, noticing the differences in clothing and the atmosphere of what seemed to be Mexico City—or the Federal District, as it was called in 2008. I stopped in front of the gate and was about to open it when the door burst open.
A woman with a furrowed brow looked at me intently. She had black hair and bright hazel eyes. Instinctively, I avoided her gaze and cowered, without understanding why.
"Look who it is. Angel, our son," she said in a harsh voice. "Not only did you ignore what I asked of you yesterday, but you also went out to loaf around all morning".
A man appeared behind her with a mocking smile. He also had black hair, but his eyes were grey. "Leave him be, Julieta," he said softly. "It's not bad for him to go out for a walk every now and then. But you should have at least done what your mother asked of you yesterday".
I didn't know who they were, but I felt safe every time I looked into their eyes. I apologized vaguely and went inside with them.
In the house, the noise of several people moving, talking, and arranging things caught my attention. In the living room, there were bags full of vegetables, fruit, and meat. The same was happening in the kitchen, where two women were putting away groceries: a middle-aged woman and an elderly one.
The man patted my shoulder. "Daniel, help your grandmother and your aunt with the things. We just got back from the market and I'm sure they want to rest".
Perfect, I thought. At least I have the same name. That's something.
I nodded and headed to the kitchen. While I helped put the bags away, I observed the woman who must be my grandmother. A knot formed in my throat as I remembered that mine had passed away when I was a child; it bothered me that her face in my memories was blurred.
She looked at me affectionately. "Are you feeling okay, Daniel? You seem distracted," she said, approaching and taking my hands. "Don't worry, grandma, I was just thinking about something. Let's finish quickly so we can rest".
We put the groceries away, and I stayed in the living room watching television while my grandmother and my dad prepared the meal. The Powerpuff Girls was on. It had been a long time since I had watched broadcast television; in my other life, I preferred YouTube or Netflix. The meal was peaceful. At first, I avoided talking and tried to eat quickly, but my grandmother insisted on including me in the conversation, and I didn't have the heart to ignore her.
After eating, I went up to my room. This time I had the opportunity to observe it carefully: my bed was against the wall next to the window, there was a wooden desk with an office chair and, surprisingly, a desktop computer on top. A full-length mirror and a medium-sized wardrobe completed the furniture. I sat at the desk. The computer looked quite old and retro, very different from the technological beasts I was used to. That night, I closed my eyes tightly, letting exhaustion drag me into a deep sleep.
The next morning I woke up with a smile. I had rested well and my body no longer felt heavy. I went into the bathroom, washed my face with cold water, and looked at my reflection. There was the fourteen-year-old teenager.
"I don't know what I was expecting..." I murmured with irritation.
As I was brushing my teeth, a retro-looking window appeared in front of me, floating in the air.
[Shared Consciousness Engine]
[Welcome, Daniel]
[This is your first connection with the system. A functioning guide will be provided to you]
[Starting synchronization...]
[+1 Welcome Pack]
The message remained static, as if waiting for my reaction. I swallowed hard. The toothbrush was still in my mouth and the toothpaste tasted like metal.
"Hello...?" I whispered, feeling like an idiot.
The window vibrated slightly and the text changed:
[The SCE is the network that connects all the [Redacted by ######] of [Redacted by ######] who have awakened in any [Redacted by ######], in any [Redacted by ######].]
Seconds later, the interface changed again, displaying a window called "Status" and several tabs: Skills, Inventory, Quests, and Shop.
[Name: Daniel Vega Pierce
Title: None
Age: 14 years
Earth: Gaia-1219
Global Level: 1
Merit Points (MP): 0
Strength: 6
Agility: 5
Resilience: 7
Intelligence: 14
Charisma: 8]
[To avoid identity conflicts and memory gaps, the memory transfer will now begin. We recommend you lie down to avoid inconveniences.]
"Inconveniences...?" It was the last thing I managed to say before feeling a sharp pain in the back of my neck. It was like a migraine amplified dozens of times. I barely managed to stagger to the bed and let myself fall.
[STARTING TRANSFER...][0%]... [20%]... [75%]... [100%]
The pain vanished as quickly as it had arrived. I stayed in bed for a few minutes while the void in my mind filled with memories of a life that wasn't mine... or was it? It was too confusing.