"What do you mean you can see?" I blink at her and she meets my eyes. It’s startling. I’d gotten used to her staring listlessly into space and it was more than a little unnerving to have her meet my gaze.

“You can see me?”

She nods.

I gape. I half expected it not to work.

I glance around me and point. "What’s that over there?"

"A tree."

"Yes but what kind of tree?" I need to make sure that we're indeed staring at the same thing, just in case one of us is hallucinating again.

"Um..." she licks her lips in concentration. "It’s kind of crooked at the side, with a long branch that touches the ground and a vine wrapped around the stem."

I nod. We're definitely looking at the same thing. My heart races in excitement.

I have to admit, I was worried that everything I saw was only a deliberate illusion. With Tia seeing the same thing, that seems less likely now.

Or we could both be suffering the same illusion but I don't think that's how it works. At least, it hasn't worked like that so far.

“So how did your sight clear?” I ask Tia.

“I don’t know. I felt like...I don’t know...like something was being pulled out of me. Out of my stomach and then I concentrated like you said and suddenly I could see."

Was that me? Did I do that? I recall that I focused on trying to tug at something inside of her, but I have no idea if her sight is my doing, or simply her executing Wolf's instructions better.

But the way my vision cleared was different from how Wolf said it would be. There was no pulling internally. I couldn't pull at the void.

But then once I agreed to the Voice's terms, it felt nearly effortless to see.

Something strange must have happened to me.

Perhaps it has to do with whatever I agreed to with the Voice...

Accept my terms and I will help you.

It said I was playing a game of fate. What does that mean? I don't know how to feel about it. The forest may not have liked it either, thinking back to the way she screamed.

Why? Did this power give me a special advantage against the forest? Could I resist its influences? Was that why I could see clearly now?

Why didn't I have the option earlier, or at the very least in my other two lives?

"Okay." I blow out my breath. My head starts to hurt so I decide to shelf that thinking for later. Right now, I try to remember everything I know about the Dark Forest.

The Dark Forest is large and expansive, bordering North of our village. It stretches all the way up to the mountains, beyond which are the Elfen Mines, and the Griffin Land, home to the famed barbarian warriors.

It's impossible to know how deep inside we are, or how deep the others are too.

I would say that we need to find food and shelter first but I neither feel hungry or thirsty. My legs which were cramped just minutes ago, ease and I feel refreshed, like I could walk forever if need be.

Somehow, it feels like an eternity has passed and yet no time has passed at all.

"Let's start looking for the others." I decide. "We can leave markers on the trees as we walk so that we can retrace our steps if we need to."

Tia frowns. "You sure we should...touch the trees?"

"I don't think we have a choice."

She nods, and I flip my dagger in my hands until I touch the hilt.

Then, I scratch a shallow mark into the dark bark of the tree, half expecting it to bleed or screech at me.

But nothing happens. The scratch simply reveals a light gold color beneath, a color that sparkles like a gem.

"There," I say. I assume that we're not hallucinating, in which case the marks should prevent us from walking in circles. "When we find the others, we can compare notes and find a way out of here."

"Right." Tia nods.

And then we walk.

And walk, and walk.

Once again, time shifts and moves in unnatural ways and we carry conversation as a way to maybe judge how much time has passed.

We mark every few steps, analyzing the bark first to make sure it's not already marked. I ask Tia about her family and her history and she tells me that she used to be a pretty nifty pickpocket back in her Midland village. She doesn't seem ashamed of it either and sounds almost excited to reveal her secret.

"I've always had light hands and great dexterity," she says. "It only seemed natural that I would become a thief. Plus I'm pretty decent at subterfuge. Second to thievery, I'm an excellent actress but I didn't make it anywhere near the Performance Academy."

"Neither did I."

"Yeah, I heard," she says.

"You did?"

She nods. "People talk about you, you know. Other Elite hopefuls and randoms in town. I don't think you realize."

"Oh." That has the effect of making me feel self-conscious and curious all at once. "What do they say?"

Tia hesitates. "Most of it isn't good."

"Of course."

"But lately..." She chews on the words before she says, "I think you've managed to impress quite a few people."

Who? I want to ask, but I don't want to seem like I care.

"Anyway, back to my story," Tia says as though she's as eager to change the subject as I am. "I was pretty good as a thief. But it's not exactly a safe way to make money."

"You thought this would be safer?" I grin at her.

She smiles back. "Believe it or not, yes."

She continues telling me about her clever heists and once when she stole from the town tax collector to get her mother a new stove, which her mother refused and took back immediately.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"She never agreed with how I got us money, even though I was very good at it, so good that it could have solved many of our problems." She shakes her head and releases a sigh. She side-eyes me before she continues, "I've never admitted this to anyone but I like stealing," she says. "It's like a game you're playing against someone else. Being able to outsmart them, put pieces together how I want and set things in motion, like I'm putting on my own play. It makes me feel...powerful." She glances at me. "I'm a bad person for feeling that way, aren't I?"

The answer is probably yes, but somehow I understand.

What she just described is similar to how I felt when I danced. I was putting together moves and choreography for others to enjoy and derive meaning from. I loved that feeling. It was the only time I felt important like I was something to be admired and not just the useless daughter of an abusive mother.

"Maybe that's why I chose this path, to join the Elite Soldiers," Tia continues. "Maybe I thought if I used my skills the right way, then I would feel like less of a bad person. Maybe then my mother would be proud of me." She accompanies the statement with a sad tilt of her lips.

"I know all about disappointing mothers," I tell her commiseratively.

"I know, about that too" she says. "I was there at the first trial when she came. I...I saw what she did to you outside. I'm sorry. I should have done something but I didn't know you then."

"It's fine," I say, annoyed with myself for bringing it up. I turn forward, keeping my eyes on our path. "With my mother, it's complicated." It's hard to blame her too much for her actions. She fled a war, and had to live in a nation where she was constantly disrespected and belittled. A foreign woman in a foreign land with an illegitimate daughter and nobody but herself to rely on.

God only knew the things she had to do to settle here.

So I don't hold much resentment toward her despite everything.

But lately, I find that I don't feel much of anything towards her. I don't think about her at all. Too many other people and matters are constantly pressing in occupying my thoughts.

I suppose that's one of the hazard of moving back in time thrice. You meet so many people that some relationships simply fall to the wayside. Although, in this timeline, it has only been a few weeks since I've seen my mother, truthfully, I left her behind years ago. I'd partially mourned her death when Accacia was destroyed but beside that, I did not love or hate her much of her at all.

And now...

Survival has become my priority and I save my energy and hatred for others.

Like the Empress.

And The King.

And Genya

Especially Genya.

I need to survive this if only to make her pay for what she did to Wolf.

And Wolf needs to survive too.

"Wait," Tia says and I pause as she approaches a tree, peering at the bark. "There's a mark here but I don't think it's ours."

I approach and see the careless cross etched of the bark. "No, it's definitely not our mark."

"Someone else must have had the same idea we did."

"We should follow it. See who's at the other side."

"I was thinking the same thing."

We continue down the trail of crosses, noting that the trees marked are arm's length away, almost like whoever made them was feeling their way around because they couldn’t necessarily see the path in front of them.

The marks continue until we get a clearing and glance down.

Yellow hair fans out over the face and body of a crumpled woman.

I tentatively reach down and draw back the hair on her face. My mouth drops open.

"Savannah!"

I kneel beside her, shaking her to try to revive her. But her eyes remain closed and she simply mutters to herself. Her cheeks looked slightly sunken in and color on her face sallow, as though she's been here for years not weeks.

God, how long have we been in here? Do we look older too?

I freeze turning back to Tia.

Tia doesn't look much older.

And I certainly don't feel older, and Tia didn't comment on it which means I don't look much older. Savannah on the other end, looks like she's been here at least a year, judging from the length of her hair alone.

What on earth is happening?

Does time move differently for each of us who had been separated?

It sounds like a crazy thought, but it's the only explanation I have.

"Savannah." I shake her again and her eyes finally weakly blink open.

"Who are you?" she whispers.

"It’s Tia and Adria. What happened to you Savannah?"

"Tia and Adria? You're dead."

"No we aren't. Savannah, tell me the last thing you remember."

"I..." she frowns. "I'm not sure. I think I got knocked out."

"By the monster?"

"No. By Brute." She groans as she attempts to sit up. "He was the first one I found. We were supposed to find the rest but I guess I said something he didn’t like and he knocked me out."

"He could see?"

She nods. "I think so." Savannah definitely can't see us. Her eyeballs move in the darkness as though trying to track my voice.

"Ok, Sav, we're going to try something. In theory, it should help you see. Alright?"

She nods and I place my hand over my belly.

I repeat the same instructions I gave Tia, closing my eyes and breathing along with her.

Another spark shoots through my hand, sharper than what I felt with Tia and then Savannah announces, "Oh my God. I can see."

"That's gre–" I open my eyes and the words get stuck in my throat along with Tia's gasp which lets me know that I'm not seeing things.

Savannah no longer looks old and sallow. She's back to her normal young-looking self, and her face is filled with vitality.

"I feel great too," she says and hops to her feet and I rise dumbly not knowing what to say. I feel Tia's stare in the side of my face as Savannah bounces on the balls of her feet.

I don't look at her. I'm not sure how to explain what just happened.

Did I heal her?

But no. The bruise on her eyes, where I'm guessing Brute knocked her out is still there. So is a scratch on her arm. But apart from that, she looks roughly the same as when we came into the Forest.

Am I doing this?

I don't know.

It's a little frightening that I don't know if and how I'm doing this, but I'm glad I'm able to help my teammates. I can figure the rest out later.

Once Savannah is done testing the durability of her body, she turns to me wide-eyed. "I feel good as new. How did you do that?"

I shrug. "I think it's Wolf's technique."

"No. I think you're special." Tia says. "But then again, I think I've always known that team leader."

I blush especially when Savannah adds, "I agree. This might seem like an extremely inappropriate thing to say but if I had to be stuck in this godforsaken place with anyone, I’m glad it’s you."

I'm pleased but somehow I can't forget what the Voice said.

You're deciding for all the player of the Game of Fate.

What did I decide? What is the Game of Fate? And what are these new powers I have?

More questions and still no answers.

Most importantly though, I need to find Jace and Wolf.

The next two people we bump into happen completely by accident

Savannah is telling us how she marked her path from when the beast appeared and we’re following it so at least we know the way out of here.

Tia is of the mind that we should go in the opposite direction, toward the Elfen mines so that we can escape from the village or any potential punishment.

"That's an idea. But we can’t leave without Jace and Wolf," I say.

If they’re still alive. None of us voice that last part.

"The monster that attacked us," I ask next. "Was that real?"

"I think so," Savannah responds. "The damned thing nearly took a chunk out of my arm, if I hadn't moved fast enough."

"Then what happened? How are we alive?

Sav frowns. "I’m not sure. One second it was snorting in my face and the next second something threw me out of the way."

"Wolf?"

"No, it seemed bigger. And hairier."

That supported my theory. There were two beasts there.

Likely more.

I wonder if the one who helped Savannah was the same beast that took Jace and me out of the forest.

"So why would a beast save us?" Tia asks.

No one knows quite the answer to that. All we know is that the forest isn’t what it seems.

We continued tracking Savannah's marks and adding more marks to map out the forest. That's when we hear it. At first, it sounds like distant chattering of maybe birds or insect creatures. And then it gets noisier and noisier as we get closer.

"Let go of my hand!"

"Oh what, so you can wander off and try to get yourself killed again? Not a chance. Whether you like it or not we’re in this together. Now stop being an asshat and let me save your life."

Excitement flutters through me at the familiarity of the second voice.

I immediately start towards it and hear them pause.

"Wait did you hear that?" The second voice is suddenly fearful

"Hear what?" The first voice is just as sardonic as ever. "The lack of applause to your rousing speech? What did you think I was going to fall at your feet and thank you for being so magnanimous. Let me go!"

"Jace!" I shout as I spot him between two dipping branches.

He spins wildly, brandishing one of his two short swords.

He looks fearful as we approach.

"Jace. It's me."

"Adria?"

"Yes. And Tia and Savannah are with me too."

"Oh thank God! The team is alright!" Jace pumps his fist in the air and tries to let out a whoop, but he doesn't seem to know which direction to let it out in.

So I run to him instead.

Making sure to avoid his sharp weapon, I jump into his arms and give him a tight hug. His arms wrap tightly around me.

"I've never been so happy to hear you in my life, Adria."

"Me too Jace. Me too."

Paisley is behind him frowning.

"Is Wolf with you?" Jace asks.

"No," I say. "But you’re going to do something for me, so you can see me. You’re going to take a deep breath, hold it and focus on your core. You're going to feel something, a slight warmth. Then hold it and tug on it."

"What is that? You casting magic on me?"

"No, it's to help you see better."'

"You can see?"

"Of course she can," Paisley snorts. "Caster probably gave it to her."

"Gave what?" I ask, hearing Savannah and Tia pause behind me.

"The Yellic shard. That's what's helping you see isn't it?" He grins wicked. "I can only imagine what you had to do to get it from him."