By the time I reach the room, I’m done.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmlfANNaYu6
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf3XneziltN
Physically. Emotionally. Cosmically.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcLmH7nTA6m
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOvNaC5f8Bq
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The servants bow and slip out quietly, the door closing behind them with a click that sounds a little too final.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLc9Jdex6rz
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBhX25ZZGAx
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I take one step inside — and the world tilts.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGajQcVfsO
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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiCTN6O70DP
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgSyQR3Bop
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ17Mx8nVE4r
“Okay…” I whisper to the floor. “Let’s review.”184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWwMsD6LFfK
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0Z4O1aonL
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjs57Hbu3Y5
I was in my house.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4uHfx1Tb74
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtPwkBoPKii
I downloaded a weird game called The Game of Fate.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo8umLiJDoM
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ONxbEV4JW
I opened the bathroom door… and now I’m apparently some kidnapped royal with commitment issues and a family drama complex.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw9XYjvRkkr
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFF3LboAzqt
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUWdUfpKRdQ
Totally normal Tuesday.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb2tE6ycqO9
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOMrRD5STLm
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqf7gqD0DwX
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1vxRfAUYR6
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSNUlURwIP2
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQebzbWHLry
Then it hits me.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzPBhjktUja
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPBY7Lna5OZ
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL94FD4WpCU
The Game of Fate.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrfXIIMdD8X
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡprgq56qGmI
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyYvCgiDMQT
The developer’s name. It was weird — something like “@1823BCE.”184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVj0ZNkndk
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4DPpzUc94M
My brain replays it, letters turning over like puzzle pieces.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPi4UcYNpfw
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHbVpijCJwK
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Bq3hdkpvo
1823 BCE.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjfsUQXzlWT
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfikIg1Q8TF
…BCE.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPRis38c4Kk
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzPQggS3YYq
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjclJ77wHFX
My mouth goes dry.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDDqtYBjupZ
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpLE6awa9iM
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAompvoQe3U
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsbYODtHMyB
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd1zBsugf36
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTNTJIEsHW
No electricity. No screens. No sound of cars, or phones, or anything.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLqmPf3ww9q
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo0E8Nhitii
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdC8s8ofDzP
“Wait, wait, wait,” I mumble, dragging myself upright. “BCE. As in… Before Common Era. As in… ancient.”184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5mbC3fCNcr
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzi1wccJTRe
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2GM8mssVfT
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV9xBAu0Urj
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8EzkyIULdU
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVbKjV37Gig
“Oh my god,” I whisper. “I’m in the freaking timeline.”184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZrG0RUaVK
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ6MlRUxIH9
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9GX00GGbFz
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsfRngaqXr6
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9GRq5uEzwP
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe6q4eiD7kx
“Cool. So I time-traveled because I downloaded a cursed mobile game. Awesome. Love that for me.”184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhbjxwZxvzP
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE4avjncE6e
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSJDSUCft1k
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNfaHSGQUhN
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKeVUar5coF
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj5pMxO6ysl
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwrz1px93AO
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPJk9yqCMQy
‘Please help.’184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYUWMCmH0db
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMIDt8raqcp
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUPbDocLi4v
I sit up, point dramatically at the air, and say, “Nope. Not my problem.”184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJjEu2xXGWb
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGmsInyTwAJ
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVud5OOH99Q
Then I drop flat onto the bed, yank the covers over my head, and close my eyes.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRfPByhlbUD
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMZVBv4eJEc
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGIDfE0nmSR
“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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy7aY8BrmEN
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡra2ZhqOCOP
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEUXSwLXyPZ
My voice muffles under the blanket. “Problem solved.”184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV3YeTXFW7L
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡigmXvQVGCd
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUfBu61ianA
The sheets are warm, heavy, real. My breathing slows, the world softens—184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZz8NoT3Vo
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfiqS8vMM4Y
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH41ias82Ue
—and just before sleep takes me, I swear I hear a faint whisper at the edge of my mind.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmflnBNllQf
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfG8NNxLV2N
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwI2ny5VdW
“Ariana…”1234 copyright protection180ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmKiyyU1iN 尼

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