By the time I reach the room, I’m done.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlDztPleyhI
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQfZWWTm1k
Physically. Emotionally. Cosmically.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlCGfKYz5Yn
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoMZ74WoRje
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ysU5rv0cZ
The servants bow and slip out quietly, the door closing behind them with a click that sounds a little too final.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKfHfnH5p1j
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I take one step inside — and the world tilts.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Qd9RISShp
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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.”184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGMCNURbF8k
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxyxEVq4F7D
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1cZGZA9pSW
“Okay…” I whisper to the floor. “Let’s review.”184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL192NgPSWl
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhsCQMToIXt
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnBS28ZWtTZ
I was in my house.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXhJPZFUhnj
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLFZFKNGkfH
I downloaded a weird game called The Game of Fate.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUqVy8kiz47
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4cFV8d11q2
I opened the bathroom door… and now I’m apparently some kidnapped royal with commitment issues and a family drama complex.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLzMgxAOEa
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEzlhs72msc
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7sVCegcLzF
Totally normal Tuesday.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQIxGwvq0cT
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ237irn4U6n
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWEEpU8acPI
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.”184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGXoG5Uqb76
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgu0vvDMP1
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWaFLLHX5M8
Then it hits me.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2XVKCR8wwy
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxuZXVy9wH4
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyu92e43UdG
The Game of Fate.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnqqWY8qLHs
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwRxYet4l7g
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ8zQCSCNLa
The developer’s name. It was weird — something like “@1823BCE.”184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Skw8umyN8
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRHyIzWw25V
My brain replays it, letters turning over like puzzle pieces.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl22vy4QiRk
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjOdBasPB0I
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaxGbdXoGOx
1823 BCE.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbPEu5gD02A
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKggsLIyXNq
…BCE.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhT2LvwNYWZ
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpTChXrJbvv
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbrrGnVGuI9
My mouth goes dry.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy8RsEs9okB
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkjbiffsY4r
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEMU5WsHBur
I glance around the room again — the carved wooden furniture, the golden oil lamps, the faint smell of smoke and honey in the air.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7BecOajCV7
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtqBhwuv7D
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No electricity. No screens. No sound of cars, or phones, or anything.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeOkDVtpNvm
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfporwlxl2C
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTwywNyqE7
“Wait, wait, wait,” I mumble, dragging myself upright. “BCE. As in… Before Common Era. As in… ancient.”184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkg5k6054OW
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp0PWRmCsob
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS98maCjOki
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.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47OACOTNpl
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQj7bE6XDh
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEKiYbNtN7Y
“Oh my god,” I whisper. “I’m in the freaking timeline.”184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs9RpcLKfGH
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIyKCVoTIjw
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFsYYkTOcG2
For a long moment, I just sit there, stunned. Then, because my brain can’t handle the weight of that sentence, I snort.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyzxS2wqfPH
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnASxcUssuU
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEYK54gzDic
“Cool. So I time-traveled because I downloaded a cursed mobile game. Awesome. Love that for me.”184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy0SzRrZeBq
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAKttKdQ5rN
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8bdB5zHmMk
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.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM8D1z2CZQ9
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtKtpmCffN5
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7sxpjVpfw
And somewhere far off, maybe deep inside my skull, I swear I can still hear that faint, static voice from the game’s page:184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXiNogW5Laj
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxvgnrzh1MV
‘Please help.’184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ62gMr3zrXf
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9kYIIMzeBM
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo22UzUkJKk
I sit up, point dramatically at the air, and say, “Nope. Not my problem.”184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhy9rtu4wYF
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJwKfENioP
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXHui3XUP3y
Then I drop flat onto the bed, yank the covers over my head, and close my eyes.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpFKyNQJ4nV
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvIZ9eHwkkW
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkvy8sLkHlG
“If this is a dream, I’ll wake up. If it’s not, I’ll deal with it after eight hours of denial.”184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnsObMOtPSE
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2q0v0GDEg3
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEhlTeruZ9H
My voice muffles under the blanket. “Problem solved.”184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQIFZzKtA5y
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDEdukYHD4W
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIbbnJIrjVp
The sheets are warm, heavy, real. My breathing slows, the world softens—184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡANkh9v8rdx
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ32Tq92Ksxv
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJeAXtO4mI
—and just before sleep takes me, I swear I hear a faint whisper at the edge of my mind.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡahGADyKjMh
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ifmmIh8ZD
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywaLF9vCCj
“Ariana…”1234 copyright protection180ＰＥＮＡＮＡsrhq3yTSS9 尼

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