My eyes feel like sandpaper when I open them, and the familiar, pungent sll of Jebediah Wulfric's grave fills my nose.
Before my eyes can even focus on my surroundings, I heave whatever's left of breakfast onto the soil beneath , groaning as my ribs spasm with the violence of it.
I'm so focused on the vomiting it takes a minute to realize I seem to be trapped in a square of nasty-slling earth again, and it looks vaguely familiar.
"Grace? Grace, if you don't answer , I'm coming down there and we'll both be stuck," Andrew shouts.
My mind buzzes a little as I stare at a familiar coin buried in loose soil, and my fingers shake as I reach out to free it, watching in numb disbelief as it frees from the dirt so easily.
Then, as if not sure I'm seeing what I think I'm seeing, I turn slowly to take in every inch of where I am.
And no matter how intensely I stare, the fact remains:
I'm in Jebediah Wulfric's grave. Again.
How?
"Grace, I'm coming down."
"No, don't!"
Fuck, I can taste the vomit in my mouth still, mixing with the sll of this place. Shuddering, I rush to the rope hanging from where Andrew had thrown it down so long ago, letting down into the grave.
My head's spinning in confusion, aching with what I'm experiencing and what I just went through.
I grab at the rope, hissing as my raw palm touches the rough texture of it. A quick glance explains why: it's bright red and looks almost scalded. My neck throbs, too, and when I touch it with my other hand, my fingers co away with blood. When I swallow, my throat hurts as if it's been crushed, proving what I'd just been through was real.
Ellie was choking . I escaped and tried to save Andrew. My hand must have burned from my power, maybe? But... how am I back?
What happened? Was it my magic that did it, or sothing else?
I look up at Andrew, who's frowning down at with concern.
"What happened?" I ask him, and his brows go up.
"You tripped and fell on your face." His voice shifts suddenly, sharpening. "Why are you bleeding? You didn't fall hard enough to hurt yourself."
I'm not really sure how to respond, and Andrew's face disappears. Monts later he's jumped down into the grave beside and jerks my face up as he inspects my neck, his fingers surprisingly gentle despite the force of his grip.
"What the hell, Grace. How the fuck did you get so many scratches just from a trip and fall? I know humans are weak, but this is too much even for you."
I want to ask if he rembers the ambush, but for so reason my mouth doesn't move to form the words. Any attempt to reference what happened results in not just silence, but my body not responding to my wishes.
"I don't know what happened," I cut him off, pulling away from his touch. My brain feels like it's splitting in two. The phantom pain from Ellie's nails digging into my throat remains, and my eyes are still raw from the blinding whiteness I'd experienced. "I—I want to go back. I don't feel well."
I'm not crazy. It all happened. The evidence is right here, all over my body. I'm actually a little concerned I'm going to end up with bruises around my neck, because I have no idea how I'm going to explain those away.
But sohow I'm back to an earlier ti, and Andrew seems oblivious to what's happened, which ans it hasn't happened. And yet I'm standing here with crystal clear mories of it all.
Obviously, this is related to the App in so way. I just don't really understand how.
It's only then I realize my phone's been vibrating nonstop. I check it, a little relieved to see I have signal. It ans Ellie's nowhere near; she'd blocked our cell signals when she was ready to attack. Of course, the other option is that she's nearby but not ready to do anything about it yet.
I shiver a little.
The App's sent a few notifications, but my eyes have already settled on my ssage history, my hands shaking as I see Caeriel's ssages. They're still there, once again proving what I went through was real.
But the entire App is red and important notifications are flashing, so I click on them.
They're all saying things like unauthorized use of prohibited magic, warnings about plausibility, and then finally, an announcent.
[ALERT: Region 20-L
Breach of plausibility detected. Unauthorized divine activity linked to Coin of Ascension. Ergency rollback executed. All guardians in 20-L are ordered to locate and contain artifact imdiately.]
"You okay?" Andrew asks, gently resting his hand against my arm. "You look like you're about to collapse all of a sudden."
"Uh—yeah. Sorry. I'm fine." Ergency rollback… The thought of sothing being able to literally rewind ti and start over is, frankly, beyond terrifying. It's also sothing I'm getting used to feeling. "I guess the sll's getting to ."
He sniffs the air in confusion. "What sll?"
My entire body freezes. There's nothing I can sll that a wolf shifter can't. "It kind of slls like death down here."
He draws in a deep breath, then gives an odd look. "If you say so. Did you hurt your head?"
"No, I—"
Wait. It would be better to say I did.
"—maybe. I feel a little dizzy. Let's go ho. No, wait—I want food. Let's go eat."
"You just threw up."
"It's fine, I'm not sick. I'll be fine once we get out of here. I think it was just nerves."
Andrew's entire face looks unconvinced, but I force an innocent smile out. Finally, he shakes his head with a sigh. "Fine. You go up first."
I distinctly rember how I tried and failed to climb up with the help of the rope earlier. So of my reluctance must show on my face because he just sighs again, louder this ti.
"Never mind. Just get on my back and I'll bring you up. Make sure your mate doesn't kill for it, though."
"No problem. I promise."
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