By the time I reach the room, I’m done.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzP0sOa7vIJ
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdKeEmNPxv0
Physically. Emotionally. Cosmically.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOXN5dtg1IN
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdlKwjmsjuR
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ADFmIlSy1
The servants bow and slip out quietly, the door closing behind them with a click that sounds a little too final.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1tXpxj5KZE
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZJZ8QpwlEX
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyNGxXX9rY9
I take one step inside — and the world tilts.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiXGc7KVrrR
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8t776M1nJ
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3e1mMbFaHE
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.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9l6SOHcvqp
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY6HNnW0FI4
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWprmyhpMi8
“Okay…” I whisper to the floor. “Let’s review.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvlHNY0q3Ze
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5vHakx5Ur
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl7OwnYqcZf
I was in my house.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpxcyhCzffD
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zykf71LnC
I downloaded a weird game called The Game of Fate.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡisG7Og8HBH
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhHfd3256D
I opened the bathroom door… and now I’m apparently some kidnapped royal with commitment issues and a family drama complex.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSR7rTnUQAA
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD7xsGJEf6L
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqdIW4joEOc
Totally normal Tuesday.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfcp6FMGmOx
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm9hKj1S7Y2
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQmonKNO8vh
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.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuUTiPsidwK
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpb9WkbBJyi
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMLE9N3oojV
Then it hits me.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVebJCNjGSn
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvlz7WBk6h0
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGxhEt2l9Nw
The Game of Fate.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ249gFhTmMp
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoJHuKtehQm
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlnV8h0otF0
The developer’s name. It was weird — something like “@1823BCE.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnnQN43S9rB
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWB97e7zIzu
My brain replays it, letters turning over like puzzle pieces.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxD6wChThU
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAyDwCzGgWv
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr7rCUhikxA
1823 BCE.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7cYh5eOB5o
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ISeiLJfvr
…BCE.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvw58SEJFFj
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWabNKIUgG
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH760YujAQZ
My mouth goes dry.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVljh47Zyo
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWhbOuoXg3Q
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsMHh3tW0ch
I glance around the room again — the carved wooden furniture, the golden oil lamps, the faint smell of smoke and honey in the air.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡunvfEkiMgY
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkx2M1aKpev
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxeaPwC5gzK
No electricity. No screens. No sound of cars, or phones, or anything.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡclDw1ZWvnG
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCKkTXFpwp
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6eocynXyWE
“Wait, wait, wait,” I mumble, dragging myself upright. “BCE. As in… Before Common Era. As in… ancient.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxS95v17EJ7
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmsgZimtoG
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsDaEY8okit
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2gyOcy0Er8
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqBW7EMg9lC
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCAjyRIoLX2
“Oh my god,” I whisper. “I’m in the freaking timeline.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1sH1ZeTViL
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUa2xdrPWdV
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡerMMhrF5mI
For a long moment, I just sit there, stunned. Then, because my brain can’t handle the weight of that sentence, I snort.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt24ESP3QyI
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfiLcCHwkBq
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqdahnLIRbt
“Cool. So I time-traveled because I downloaded a cursed mobile game. Awesome. Love that for me.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtV3c2WrdWf
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJIchRwyFjC
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZI6fr2MfbZ
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuxNiwENtZ0
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlTc0EM8SVq
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPDwSZukVO
And somewhere far off, maybe deep inside my skull, I swear I can still hear that faint, static voice from the game’s page:183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVRQiAXQd3
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv5JIszgHeo
‘Please help.’183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡScKgocds5k
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhRZKHTP1Lw
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtntP0qTnFE
I sit up, point dramatically at the air, and say, “Nope. Not my problem.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ41Cn3PtBRn
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdMYynQmCXE
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG9vSCsDpJs
Then I drop flat onto the bed, yank the covers over my head, and close my eyes.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ3Wn8zBVeY
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT0ogXwZsxq
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw8NcWBJjkC
“If this is a dream, I’ll wake up. If it’s not, I’ll deal with it after eight hours of denial.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8AJr8eCrf9
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAs9bwEvrPz
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaM60tuNIwz
My voice muffles under the blanket. “Problem solved.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjAODO2TGtj
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvapjIUd4KH
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKI8MXp7gMC
The sheets are warm, heavy, real. My breathing slows, the world softens—183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHhxF0OLKsV
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhvmxIYeONY
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOriNQA0AoH
—and just before sleep takes me, I swear I hear a faint whisper at the edge of my mind.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBwk0YifnH1
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYb6DoGEWyP
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiG3CY1wN9f
“Ariana…”1234 copyright protection179ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ksIbOs19m 尼

216.73.216.133