By the time I reach the room, I’m done.195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAdpBzl8gxB
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54oYTlwqeM
Physically. Emotionally. Cosmically.195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM6bPHL42uj
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqYh9DIvqq1
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IE7DyPS6s
The servants bow and slip out quietly, the door closing behind them with a click that sounds a little too final.195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡye4ZpTbkLS
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd3bOj6jUX5
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCiQnDl4ecl
I take one step inside — and the world tilts.195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFMwIEpyTgc
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAcyBdEtEtn
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDBu3K8A1wM
My knees hit the floor first, then my hands. The silky fabric of the dress pools around me like spilled moonlight. My heart’s doing drum solos in my chest, and I’m pretty sure I forgot how to breathe somewhere between “Your Highness” and “Princess Ariana.”195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXcHAGxewL
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJY7LwGBvMy
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1gmeos94vm
“Okay…” I whisper to the floor. “Let’s review.”195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRVZg4Th229
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR6wzpP9JXV
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvlVBaTlbn
I was in my house.195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMf3mgMGami
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8qzuyIf9LZ
I downloaded a weird game called The Game of Fate.195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT8TkVNjleN
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEMppaWBvp6
I opened the bathroom door… and now I’m apparently some kidnapped royal with commitment issues and a family drama complex.195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWJi8NaCd3a
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5xrnIM4Owa
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmtpUlI9lAi
Totally normal Tuesday.195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLKEGgopxqr
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ83tpNPbApO
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxATu2W1EPm
I press my palms against the cold marble and let out a shaky laugh. “Maybe this is, like, an ARG. Super realistic VR thing. Yeah. Sure. Except I didn’t sign up. And the Wi-Fi sucks.”195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3MfjqdpH5G
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Pf8z6XWJ6
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF6q7rQp2We
Then it hits me.195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEDWxCWQ2fr
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh8QRMTP6zX
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf4oHFvw0zd
The Game of Fate.195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVSdv0QTw9V
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeBePZNaR9i
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfUEqfk5h4W
The developer’s name. It was weird — something like “@1823BCE.”195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEWNI7sMzlw
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt69w5g7VDx
My brain replays it, letters turning over like puzzle pieces.195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIReIpEgCk1
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXQMzbB08PA
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIO1DgCz3lK
1823 BCE.195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqkEhVdO8Vg
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnY9xDrHqdC
…BCE.195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAN9M2UcqY
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ63WoAOqveM
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoHDNdpOOrb
My mouth goes dry.195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJt3PEov3wS
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ79kydXIvpV
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQxU78eguVO
I glance around the room again — the carved wooden furniture, the golden oil lamps, the faint smell of smoke and honey in the air.195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ImieYvWst
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF9RvF1Jrb5
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCO8U5VpfJI
No electricity. No screens. No sound of cars, or phones, or anything.195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJYGJXoCqB
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJxUtjjniP
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwEN1Vo8qtf
“Wait, wait, wait,” I mumble, dragging myself upright. “BCE. As in… Before Common Era. As in… ancient.”195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDySeReVTmz
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4dlIuf1lya
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUYKN39yn0u
I stare out the window. The city beyond the palace stretches out under a dusky orange sky, all stone and torches and distant market sounds.195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTKuAKKeOTr
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcKjJvcmptC
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtGw4e2N3WH
“Oh my god,” I whisper. “I’m in the freaking timeline.”195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVOs2Y3MGCC
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBswBlYze1m
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaEaW4oMa4n
For a long moment, I just sit there, stunned. Then, because my brain can’t handle the weight of that sentence, I snort.195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ZJDpaH4dg
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZInqskAk0y
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIKAmlGlbVE
“Cool. So I time-traveled because I downloaded a cursed mobile game. Awesome. Love that for me.”195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1OecOU6hn4
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRXzEZVkLt6
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN59gIXISaH
I drop back onto the bed, arms spread wide, staring at the ceiling painted with stars that probably don’t even exist yet in my real world.195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJDEFitnZ5E
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCM2Lld7vfT
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ6Dz1VHdc4
And somewhere far off, maybe deep inside my skull, I swear I can still hear that faint, static voice from the game’s page:195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ35Srmz0JWW
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcOGdnMLStz
‘Please help.’195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF6BREOc9pr
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ781nayZojV
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLu9FsQDlI2
I sit up, point dramatically at the air, and say, “Nope. Not my problem.”195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYLplzUSCVn
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCSqLEtC00y
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp0rmsyt58R
Then I drop flat onto the bed, yank the covers over my head, and close my eyes.195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnHrooaUcw
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoUyLHAD3kj
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5XnIiW47Uh
“If this is a dream, I’ll wake up. If it’s not, I’ll deal with it after eight hours of denial.”195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7HejwvLd5
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntKzybQBLf
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZxfE9j0gz
My voice muffles under the blanket. “Problem solved.”195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzNmmdevmW
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHmqYI22CBu
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMPslX4RrUX
The sheets are warm, heavy, real. My breathing slows, the world softens—195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsXbY4ahQtX
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFyXJ8eG3EB
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKfpoE4yqhj
—and just before sleep takes me, I swear I hear a faint whisper at the edge of my mind.195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkL2uxmFmm
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ40BTtRNGfn
195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFjMKAfqZWD
“Ariana…”1234 copyright protection191ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7OzAXRpUrN 尼

216.73.217.114