By the time I reach the room, I’m done.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl2wWB1OkTb
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJ5ykG9ohn
Physically. Emotionally. Cosmically.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVSUoenf0f2
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuRhRmRUzPg
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8s5xZwElfK
The servants bow and slip out quietly, the door closing behind them with a click that sounds a little too final.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8CC7b2VWQB
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I take one step inside — and the world tilts.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxBAAsfUxOH
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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.”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡriz54im6e5
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX9M4yk3y8o
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5i4JwRL9fF
“Okay…” I whisper to the floor. “Let’s review.”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8kHHfbP3Vk
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvOz3HXg6o3
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxn7D2GOAjB
I was in my house.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZhIHRF5iBO
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPssWltAB62
I downloaded a weird game called The Game of Fate.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZp1hpAz45
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDBDvcOXVq
I opened the bathroom door… and now I’m apparently some kidnapped royal with commitment issues and a family drama complex.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb23UFQfCBP
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Totally normal Tuesday.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrHTLqhU0Gb
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrenaX5kJqB
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdzApcYm6l3
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.”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqk4Rb0WLPQ
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0GJIy7j8BZ
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Then it hits me.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoqh2JrW7Ny
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs7DT7kYUrU
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZ8jeyg93v
The Game of Fate.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbkODA21NEg
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQPEBtKRlEJ
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRQb1fh6ql
The developer’s name. It was weird — something like “@1823BCE.”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX8DzFP5Zy0
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE5ZVWiwsdA
My brain replays it, letters turning over like puzzle pieces.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0I6d0pdrQ
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB2oB6pIFsi
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkQJebA08Jx
1823 BCE.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7udbhY8zqX
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzcSGMIz7OK
…BCE.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHryCUxuLcs
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86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYbAJZ2jDBf
My mouth goes dry.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoaAhNP2EFA
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86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIf67xYiF79
I glance around the room again — the carved wooden furniture, the golden oil lamps, the faint smell of smoke and honey in the air.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7GTgO1nJul
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No electricity. No screens. No sound of cars, or phones, or anything.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6GWagOCZyv
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86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJJvuCPYMdi
“Wait, wait, wait,” I mumble, dragging myself upright. “BCE. As in… Before Common Era. As in… ancient.”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHsVM4SVutl
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoxYQrgntzx
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfdiQPDeBrE
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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2F41GbnWOw
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmT8R6ngEaF
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“Oh my god,” I whisper. “I’m in the freaking timeline.”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvqy0RW6GiP
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxjtjqtX1Jk
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeqPGjF24Ho
For a long moment, I just sit there, stunned. Then, because my brain can’t handle the weight of that sentence, I snort.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJXh6mce6uW
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbzUSMSq35w
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeoJa0d6bp7
“Cool. So I time-traveled because I downloaded a cursed mobile game. Awesome. Love that for me.”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZUVKrJZ4Eh
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86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2x0GFjjjzl
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.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ymqE3RIhK
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQtoXQWVod
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo6Pvr1e0l4
And somewhere far off, maybe deep inside my skull, I swear I can still hear that faint, static voice from the game’s page:86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNlPS1Uso16
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4wrQ6sNahA
‘Please help.’86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnjWuzzLu3b
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSaqrKX2NGt
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQVTTxMQpm
I sit up, point dramatically at the air, and say, “Nope. Not my problem.”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYVIDGSa6av
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXlfkdglnRj
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ61dtHm2xj
Then I drop flat onto the bed, yank the covers over my head, and close my eyes.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQMrUpSmmSt
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM1fwn0R462
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“If this is a dream, I’ll wake up. If it’s not, I’ll deal with it after eight hours of denial.”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡogb7n9kgqM
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡasyF2kgqwT
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1S8WkqACvc
My voice muffles under the blanket. “Problem solved.”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLyrJ8W8l1o
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdL93Ex4nZZ
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuGpETixlsF
The sheets are warm, heavy, real. My breathing slows, the world softens—86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJsZaBuWMtf
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡetjbHIBihz
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ83w6KXN70B
—and just before sleep takes me, I swear I hear a faint whisper at the edge of my mind.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiS712cg7cd
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl98FggLj41
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqF9R4wGJnh
“Ariana…”1234 copyright protection82ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43WBXh0P9f 尼

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