Three Years Later
I remember that night. I was just a kid in the stands, watching the person I looked up to the most bleed out in front of me. My inspiration. My hero. And then... three weeks later, they made it official—he died. Blood loss, they said. But no one knew how or why. All I knew was that the world had lost someone irreplaceable. And yet, even with him gone, I never gave up on my dream. I promised myself…I'd become just like him. An Ace.
Kyoto, Year 2310
The city buzzed around me as I stepped up to the dumpling stand.
"May I get the Wonton Dumplings plate, please?" I asked with a smile.
"Coming right up," the chef replied warmly.
I stood there, dressed in my red jacket with the yellow stripes down the sleeves, black joggers hugging my legs, and my hair neatly pulled into a braided bun. I was trying to keep calm, but excitement pulsed through me.
"Here you go!" the chef said, handing me a hot to-go box.
"Hm? That was fast."
"Thanks to our newest model, the NanoFryer. Just drop the ingredients in, say what you want, and boom—seconds later, it's ready to go."
"Amazing. Definitely not something we have back in America. So, how do I pay here?"
"Cash or Digitap."
"What the hell is cash? I got Digitap though."
I tapped mine to the small pad she slid toward me. Transfer complete lit up the screen.
"Thank you for coming!" she said with a beaming smile.
I wandered through the vast city, eating dumplings straight from the box. "Didn't expect Kyoto to be this big," I muttered to myself between bites. "This is nothing like New Orleans."
That's when I saw the giant screen stretched across the side of a building. Bold, blaring words flashed across it.
"To all who dream of becoming the next Ace, make your way to Lemdust Island: paradise of resorts, battleground of ambition. Home to Lemington High—where the chosen four and future Ace are forged through elite training in the sacred genres of gaming."
Ty Bailey's smug face appeared on the screen next, and the dumplings almost fell from my hands.
"That's a joke. He didn't even win. Juniper should've been up there. Well was there he died. B-But it was a draw! So what, they lied?!"
"Ella!!!"
I turned and saw a familiar face bounding toward me.
"Not now Tanner I'm pissed"
He grinned. "What up?! It's about time you came."
"About time? Imagine a plane ride from New Orleans to Kyoto, that took hours…days."
"I don't care, now come on, the train already came."
"What?! Why are you just telling me this information?!"
"Because you were pissed off at the screen–wait is that the ace up there–" Tanner says before I grab his arm and race to the train station.
Lemdust Island – Lisa
I woke to the hum of automation. Curtains drawn open by unseen hands, light spilling across her bed.
"Wake up, Lisa," said a crisp, feminine voice.
I groaned. "Erena, what time is it?"
"Four p.m."
"Damn, that's late. Hey, make me a veggie omelet?"
"Of course. Ready in under ten minutes."
I went into my restroom, looking at my green eyes through a bathroom mirror. A reminder of everything that I hate about myself. I then filled my hands with water from the sink that automatically turned on and started splashing it on my face.
When I finally got out of the bathroom, I stepped into the main room of the suite. The layout was open and slick and WAY too clean for how I was feeling. On my right, the living room was small but high-tech: a floating couch hovered a few inches off the ground, its thin light-blue cushions looking way less comfortable than they actually were. A 60-inch TV was embedded so deep into the wall it looked like part of the architecture.
To my left was the kitchen…a tiny corner setup but…efficient. The door to the hallway was just beside it, blending into the wall like everything else in this sterile hotel unit.
I dragged myself to a stool at the kitchen counter and slumped onto it, staring down at the counter like it owed me an apology. I let out a breath and looked up at the ceiling.
"You said ten minutes."
"It's already done," Erena cut me off, her voice echoing smoothly through the room. A panel in the counter slid open, and a steaming veggie omelet rose up and settled between my elbows.
"You took too long taking a shit…I had to keep it warm."
I blinked. "Wow. Who the hell thought it was a good idea to give a smart room a damn attitude?"
I sliced into the omelet and popped a bite into my mouth.
"Hey Erena, turn on the TV?"
"Of course."
The screen lit up instantly.
"Oh, check this out, Lisa," she said, like she was excited about something.
"What now?"
The screen was full of flashy shots of Lemington High. I rolled my eyes.
"Oh, let me guess. Another ad for the upcoming Gaming Tournament? Not interested." I say
"I figured you'd say that. But… why not? You're impressively good."
"Exactly. Which is why I'm not going to waste my time trying to dethrone Ty Bailey and take on the entire Gaming League. Besides, you know I don't do well with rules and…Well waiting."
"Yeah, good point," Erena muttered. "Still... I just think you've got something special. Would be a waste not to use it."
I snorted. "What, now you're dreaming about my future? Why would a robot care what I do with my life?"
"Because I'm a robot designed to look after you. To guide you onto a better path."
"There it is," I said, waving my fork in the air like a gavel. "That's the pre-packaged life coach crap they stuffed into your code—"
WHAM.
The counter suddenly lurched forward and smacked me right in the stomach.
"OW! Are you kidding me?" I bent over, holding my stomach. "That actually hurt! And the veggie omelet literally came back up and I swallowed it back down!"
"You think they didn't program that too?" Erena replied, all smug.
I glared up at the ceiling. "Shut. Up."
Ella
Tanner and I burst into the train station, panting, just in time to see the train to Lemdust Island pulling up in the distance.
"There it is!" Tanner shouted, already sprinting ahead of me. "Come on!"
"Hey!" I yelled, pushing harder to keep up. "Don't you dare fricking outrun me!"
"And you think that matters right now!?"
The train's doors started closing. Panic hit us both at the same time.
"Waaaaait!!" we screamed.
We lunged. My arm wedged between the doors right as Tanner's did. For a second I thought we'd lose a limb but then, with a slow hiss, the doors peeled back open. We stumbled inside and collapsed against the nearest wall, breathless.
"I can't believe it," I panted. "We actually made it. We're going to Lemdust Island!!!"
Tanner grinned, still catching his breath. "Yeah. Where I'll become the world's best hotel chef."
"And I'll become the Ace," I added, turning to face him.
He raised an eyebrow. "And maybe…just maybe…Juuuust maybe…we'll both find the perfect someone while we're at it."
I smirked. "Well you got all Summer to try and ask Christian out. I might find someone too…But only after I become the Ace."
"And after I become a chef."
"We'll see" I smile.
Suddenly, a voice echoed through the train, calm and serious: "Hello, passengers. Please take a seat and fasten your belts. This is no ordinary train. We'll be moving at extremely high speed as we cross the Pacific to Lemdust Island. For your safety, buckle up. You've been warned."
Tanner looked up. "Well, you heard the conductor."
He stood and reached out a hand. I took it, still buzzing with adrenaline, and we slid into two nearby seats. The belts looked like something off a roller coaster.
The train began to move. Slowly at first, easing out of the station. Then boom. It hit the water tracks and launched forward like we were being shot out of a cannon. My head slammed back against the seatrest.
"Okay, this is—" I shouted, the wind knocked out of me.
"—very fast!" Tanner yelled. "Wanna hold my hand? Are you crying?"
I blinked, feeling tears at the corners of my eyes.
"Yeah, just... processing the speed, that's all," I said, voice shaking. "And yes. I'd love to hold your hand."
I gripped his hand tightly, and we rocketed toward whatever came next.
Lisa
I tugged on my gray jacket over a plain black shirt, standing in the middle of the living room.
"Hey Erena," I called out, "I'm heading out for a bit, alright?"
"Oh? Going to school this time?" came the voice from above, smug and sweet like always.
I froze halfway through slipping my arm into the sleeve. "No. Just going out."
There was a pause. "I see," Erena replied, her voice suddenly distant, maybe even a little... disappointed? "Alright then. Stay safe."
But I could hear it in her tone. She doesn't mean that.
I shoved the jacket on and walked out of the apartment, letting the door slide shut behind me. The hallway felt especially narrow today, the silence closing in on me like a tightrope walk.
A few minutes later, I was walking toward the hotel's entrance when I heard someone call my name.
"Lisa."
I turned my head and spotted him behind the front desk. Scott. Striped blue-and-white guest services uniform, low fade, easygoing grin. Probably the most patient person in this whole damn place.
I walked over, dragging my feet like I had a storm cloud trailing behind me.
"What's with the face?" he asked. "Erena nagging you about school again?"
I let out a sigh and leaned on the counter. "Yeah. That, and she literally extended the kitchen counter just to hit me in the stomach. Like, full-on whack. It hurts like hell."
He snorted. "Well, maybe that's what you get."
"I probably deserved it," I muttered. "Whatever. I'm heading out. If you need me, I'll be at that arcade again or something."
Scott's smile faltered just a little. "Alright. Just don't get into any trouble."
I turned away with a smirk. As I stepped outside, sunlight immediately stabbed into my left eye, making me wince and glance up.
The sun always gave me this... strange feeling. Not good or bad. Just something.
Like it was tugging at a memory I couldn't quite reach.
I wish I had that feeling back then...
On the Train to Lemdust- Ella
The train finally eased up, slowing to something closer to normal speed. I could breathe again. My body wasn't pressed into the seat like it was about to fold in half, and my heart finally stopped racing like we were getting launched into orbit.
I pressed my forehead to the glass. "Tanner, looooook," I said, pointing like a kid. "Over there, it's a whale!"
Water shot out of its blowhole, and for a second, I just stared, grinning like an idiot. I turned back to Tanner, who was still glued to his phone.
"Tanner! Tanner! Tanner! Tanner—"
"Okay, okay, Ella." He finally looked up, barely. "Cool. A whale," he said, so dry it might as well have been sandpaper.
I frowned. "What's with you?"
He didn't look up. "Just texting Christian. Letting her know we're almost at the island."
Before I could respond, a soft, soothing voice filled the train cabin.
"Hello. I am Erena, the intelligent voice-acting system whose goal is only to support and do whatever is possible to achieve your complete satisfaction."
I blinked up at the ceiling. "Erena?"
"Yeah," Tanner said, still looking at his phone. "You've never heard of it? Makes sense given it's barely a thing in the US. Remember Siri or Alexa? Erena's like a next-gen version of them. Except... smarter. Sexier voice. But each one has a personality shaped by their owner's habits. Some help with self-improvement, some just hand out trivia, others act like emotional life coaches. It depends on how you set it up. Museums use them. Trains like this use them. It's a thing."
Suddenly, a screen dropped down from the ceiling, hovering in front of us like it had been waiting for its cue.
"As we head toward Lemdust Island," Erena's voice continued, "it's best we inform you of its global importance…"
I slumped in my seat as the info-dump began. A slideshow flashed on the screen: charts, photos, gameplay reels.
"In the year 2300, the Gaming League was founded and quickly expanded worldwide. The League is divided into four groups:
The Diamond Group — fighting gameThe Heart Group — board gameThe Spade Group — chess.The Club Group — RPG.
"These genres represent the four most culturally impactful formats in gaming history. Titles like Super Smash Bros, Monopoly, Lichess, Dragon Quest, and Pokemon remain iconic even now."
I groaned under my breath. "Wow. When is this over?"
"Wooow Ella it just started"
Tanner wasn't even paying attention. He was scrolling through hotel food menus like it was the only thing that mattered in life.
"Techcon," Erena continued, "the company responsible for this train, also developed the consciousness-transfer system used in official League tournaments. Participants enter fully immersive digital worlds to compete for the ultimate title: the Ace."
I tuned it out after that. I already knew all this. Everyone did.
"The stadium was moved from Kyoto to Lemdust Island, the first city built entirely around competitive gaming and education. Big deal. I was already signed up for the school. I didn't need a brochure from a floating AI voice."
I sighed and glanced at Tanner again. Yep still looking up food.
"Guess he's doing that again," I muttered to myself.
"No I'm not," he surprisingly heard me.
I turned back to the window. The whale was gone, but the ocean still shimmered like we were headed toward something magic.
And maybe we were.
Lisa
I walked through the city, towering buildings on all sides like glass giants staring down at me. To my left, the road buzzed with traffic. Cars all in hover mode, humming and screeching through the air just above the street.
"What is the deal with everyone turning their damn cars on hover mode?" I muttered. "Loud as hell for the rest of us just trying to walk."
And right on cue, an even louder roar echoed throughout the city.
Of course. The train.
It zoomed into our station not far from me like thunder wrapped in metal, rattling everything from the windows to my eardrums. "Had to come now, huh? The one time I decided to go outside." I pulled my jacket tighter and kept walking.
"This is so annoying... Now I'm thirsty too."
Ella
We finally stepped out of the train station, and wow…those buildings. Massive towers stretching into the sky like they were trying to stab the clouds. Tanner grinned and dropped my bag on the ground with a little dramatic flair.
"Welp, we made it," Tanner said, taking a deep breath of that salty, high-tech island air.
I stood next to him, wide-eyed, soaking it all in like a kid at her first theme park. "Yeah," I breathed, "we're finally here."
Tanner nodded. "Right. So, best bet is we head to the resort with Christian until we've got enough cash to—" I turned mid-sentence and stopped.
I was gone.
He squinted and spotted me sprinting straight into the city.
"Hey! The hell are you—!"
I glanced back with my wild smile. "I'm heading to Lemington High! I wanna start tomorrow morning!!"
He threw my hands in the air. "Uh—wait! I didn't even tell you where the hotel is...!"
But I was already gone.
He sighed and picked my bag back up. "Figures."
Lisa
I stepped into a quieter part of the city, the kind of place that immediately felt… softer. No buildings towering over me. No cars buzzing past my ears. Just the sound of water splashing from the giant fountain to my right, where the stream curled up into a perfect circle in the air like it was showing off.
The ground beneath my feet changed—wooden flooring now instead of cold concrete. Even that felt better. I glanced over at the grassy field, filled with people lounging around, chatting, laughing, just… existing.
But my eyes locked onto one thing.
A little kid was sprinting across the field, clumsily passing flowers to their mom and dad, wearing the biggest, most honest smile I'd seen in forever.
Something about it hit too hard. I could feel that all-too-familiar weight settle in my chest again.
"Yeah…" I muttered to myself. "I really need that drink right about now."
I spotted a vending machine a few steps ahead, its shelves stocked with every colorful bottle imaginable.
"Finally."
Ella
I ran across a wide area with wooden flooring under my feet, heels clicking a little too loudly with each step. "Okay, where is this school?" I muttered. "Maybe I should've looked at that hologram map—you know, the one that was literallyright next to me before I took off like an idiot."
I groaned and rubbed my forehead as I kept walking. "Great job, Ella. This is exactly why Tanner keeps calling you stupid."
Then I heard it—kids laughing, shouting, and the steady sound of water spraying. Like a fountain.
I froze for a second. "Wait… where's that noise coming from?"
I turned my head and spotted a grassy area up ahead, past the fountain's arc of water glinting in the sunlight.
"There!"
I took off running again. "Maybe someone over there actually knows where this freaking school is."
Lisa
I stood in front of the vending machine, hands in my pockets. "Get me a Pepsi," I said, already imagining the cold hitting the back of my throat.
"Of course, coming right up," the vending machine replied in that overly polite voice they're all programmed with.
I watched as the machine made the drink float down into the dispenser slot, hovering like it was trying to be impressive or something. Just as it was about to land, I heard footsteps—fast ones—someone was running.
"Huh? Where is that—"
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a blur of motion. A girl sprinting from the side, like she was being chased or late for something important.
I turned fully, eyebrows raised. "The hell is she running for?"
Ella skidded to a halt as she turned into the new area, still breathing heavily from the run. She caught sight of a tall woman standing near a vending machine, staring straight ahead, her attention fixed on the machine as it dispensed a Pepsi.
Lisa just stared at her
Ella paused, panting, her gaze narrowing slightly as the two locked eyes. A strange tension hung in the air between them—something unspoken, something neither of them could fully grasp in that moment.
Neither moved, as if the world around them had slowed down. For a brief second, time felt as though it had paused, and the city noise around them seemed muffled, fading into the background.
"Uh..." Ella said, her voice breaking the silence, though it felt like she'd said something much deeper than just that.
The woman didn't speak at first, her eyes lingering on Ella. There was a strange feeling between them, a connection that felt like the beginning of something big, something neither of them could yet understand.
But at that moment, Ella didn't realize how significant this encounter was. Neither of them did. But soon enough, it would change everything.