By the time I reach the room, I’m done.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVaCIvSwp3L
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM2npxJZWBK
Physically. Emotionally. Cosmically.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjgPdoSpKaA
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWEVhIHXbVs
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK66ODas7oQ
The servants bow and slip out quietly, the door closing behind them with a click that sounds a little too final.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDETVpw583W
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I take one step inside — and the world tilts.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡupzJFcio5t
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDUCR4Y28Ub
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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ45i9rwGKx6
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzomNUoNLDA
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6MfXYjrGgT
“Okay…” I whisper to the floor. “Let’s review.”184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2QNw6lcixy
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi8Suvz6GjT
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzuu2zh3JsR
I was in my house.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4mJLLtE8Kk
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjkrM24AZsE
I downloaded a weird game called The Game of Fate.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGWdVCF3gfr
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPq02b4NxP
I opened the bathroom door… and now I’m apparently some kidnapped royal with commitment issues and a family drama complex.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrwSOXt5bQ2
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCj97dcRfqj
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZC8HqyCu9t
Totally normal Tuesday.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4XQZ0XSt3m
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQXEMlgVDy
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyTK7f33vXb
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKt4rGNKbY
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2YxEUFUG5W
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOUwS1f4v9Z
Then it hits me.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCC6eWlhMu
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7hKzZIncrW
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqCce0JXsbr
The Game of Fate.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQr35WdRQnx
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡps9PptRBw0
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZwZ830P8I7
The developer’s name. It was weird — something like “@1823BCE.”184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRADyvYuKcd
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFEugsqd7DP
My brain replays it, letters turning over like puzzle pieces.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡslpaFdmg8R
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmD2pnJmXsr
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkVJPJhKqLf
1823 BCE.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy009BKhGd1
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJAhedUxXs8
…BCE.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDLv7HI0DOP
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡigsmiChbgj
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcOptcozGUP
My mouth goes dry.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RPqoC5uQk
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgcbOeyyicb
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ3g3ANgVru
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqb7TkA3GyA
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ZLemCwfc8
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡccd3BuBDD8
No electricity. No screens. No sound of cars, or phones, or anything.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5xHcBSpihz
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsvrcKoZZtZ
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ03j2bgyu5B
“Wait, wait, wait,” I mumble, dragging myself upright. “BCE. As in… Before Common Era. As in… ancient.”184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPIxUlvqsgV
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8eoeGWJsZY
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKORH3J7JYT
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUvAcpIulkq
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4lytHBFYk
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxEpvhfI5Ll
“Oh my god,” I whisper. “I’m in the freaking timeline.”184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH6m6AC7pCX
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtpyw3E7nr8
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlusZ1vNRv2
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmfOiicafbt
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAa9GZRvZy
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSMxWJz3AgH
“Cool. So I time-traveled because I downloaded a cursed mobile game. Awesome. Love that for me.”184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdZZhcsmEI2
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjHff9DfHYI
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuil7eZPwpd
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyB2WHIx9Iw
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE1BDw56Utx
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVblcR6gPn
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoAxn7JytC5
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLE2KjtzHMd
‘Please help.’184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qfJwI2yUj
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYzXJL92Eyw
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX12GOlLiMY
I sit up, point dramatically at the air, and say, “Nope. Not my problem.”184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCE2680H2Q
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGAZrn5dNnt
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEHpi6m8hKY
Then I drop flat onto the bed, yank the covers over my head, and close my eyes.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaK2R2VYmOP
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLeBiDTX5o1
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4nPmNzlWgK
“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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8VkmMn4In
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHsqF4nQmCU
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhHsbHsEe0m
My voice muffles under the blanket. “Problem solved.”184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRqQzo7sR67
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsUMjw2KdkY
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKG3GI6u0x
The sheets are warm, heavy, real. My breathing slows, the world softens—184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyN82YmJEmq
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1TNJU8wrKJ
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp9ctJZLB6g
—and just before sleep takes me, I swear I hear a faint whisper at the edge of my mind.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmShn6lZXTQ
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zkSO7noGe
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT4vV6V5lCz
“Ariana…”1234 copyright protection180ＰＥＮＡＮＡg9406O0eHT 尼

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