By the time I reach the room, I’m done.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpm7Glyv2ad
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCQV4hBcDK
Physically. Emotionally. Cosmically.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXALIi11BBw
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT0OkbHWvSL
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5BZ1rnAOdB
The servants bow and slip out quietly, the door closing behind them with a click that sounds a little too final.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWsZ53YIoNg
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9MJIAJlE37
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeLO6H4zoLK
I take one step inside — and the world tilts.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIX2QKtIIBD
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCceTeL2nhn
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdDc9s16GJy
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpNmRTH50yg
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdXYcFiTogg
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCWYrAYtWHt
“Okay…” I whisper to the floor. “Let’s review.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtJtJOIUrZF
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmMkC92PEg9
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtMG4iVlJTw
I was in my house.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeWrdRf4BCp
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Ey17THOAQ
I downloaded a weird game called The Game of Fate.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaRfE6dVNSu
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnwCxGhKbuB
I opened the bathroom door… and now I’m apparently some kidnapped royal with commitment issues and a family drama complex.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0vWDFSoCZ6
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrNH2z9408p
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOskT6kQVfm
Totally normal Tuesday.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUrYehiLWcV
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsviII8VjTj
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsfOyzayYXR
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQ47FT48hm
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3aZqOPbSAx
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDbcylFn0h
Then it hits me.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeG8T2vsDqr
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWjfxQJZH8k
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFpx8bm0wO
The Game of Fate.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK2yUGO5dRy
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE2FsscHDS0
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ63xUuCkaSY
The developer’s name. It was weird — something like “@1823BCE.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmV5Xv2cZNF
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAm11uyDnwO
My brain replays it, letters turning over like puzzle pieces.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYWoeGcGj42
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSX3cTqJH9C
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDPPIpCppjP
1823 BCE.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Hz0RFPHgr
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ78YtZbdnAi
…BCE.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNt1UkleEKG
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuRCzqsASS1
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPPuJXYDnr6
My mouth goes dry.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IAS47udDx
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZd5jv1ttLt
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7yWUn3UBFJ
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPL7xD45bkY
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoEJdYXodOe
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN9pBlmy0cq
No electricity. No screens. No sound of cars, or phones, or anything.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3onphK95aO
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgTlImrN1Lg
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBzcQnORzmJ
“Wait, wait, wait,” I mumble, dragging myself upright. “BCE. As in… Before Common Era. As in… ancient.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ69TjnFjnVE
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFVc381xsYT
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXw3WoCOXMJ
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFOikbCsSgF
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyTfl2Gtt9o
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD9mlQV97Pz
“Oh my god,” I whisper. “I’m in the freaking timeline.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5wYEco02gh
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv10JBevSBQ
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQgGQUKJncT
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdHLk30dpLj
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbTH8VEMe2f
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPyBQFLnOu
“Cool. So I time-traveled because I downloaded a cursed mobile game. Awesome. Love that for me.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3MrlQYTfyG
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOU4owd6dH3
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIESJUqwxke
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLHviATdUMa
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnKjnllZdhS
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDBY4PO32Rs
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKdLLrT770R
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDA4biqyz8
‘Please help.’183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4sNxBcIcfX
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzCZWwveH7u
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4xP0a75Ram
I sit up, point dramatically at the air, and say, “Nope. Not my problem.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEykPUk4X3q
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt3mnqF3uxQ
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdgw0su0vQy
Then I drop flat onto the bed, yank the covers over my head, and close my eyes.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdnhroczMSb
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbchGIk7nAf
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp0DBm7oq1h
“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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr570917nJx
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxrI6AvVtDV
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd0uQNh87zO
My voice muffles under the blanket. “Problem solved.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmUrT0tR1OV
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKsjZ2WOTly
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3keKUmBwAs
The sheets are warm, heavy, real. My breathing slows, the world softens—183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw74WSurOut
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLO747fTFBx
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMF0O4E6gm3
—and just before sleep takes me, I swear I hear a faint whisper at the edge of my mind.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz9Bwg7QSUD
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzF0AWiTUub
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7RUrQNxHfV
“Ariana…”1234 copyright protection179ＰＥＮＡＮＡaSMSVR7zrc 尼

216.73.216.133