Zoe had no idea why she was stuck here. One second she was leaping through a time-portal, the next—bam—dumped flat on her butt in some lazy sketch of a dreamscape. The sky couldn't decide if it was day or night. Portals spun around her in neon colors brighter than some knockoff Instagram filter that should've never left beta.
"What the heck… is this place!?" she muttered, brows furrowing as she sprang up, hand flying to her sword out of pure reflex. Her head whipped left and right—rookie spy, fresh off a James Bond binge, convinced she could pull it off.
Silence. No one in sight.
And yet—her instincts screamed otherwise.
"…This has to be a dream, right?" Zoe grumbled, pinching her cheek hard enough to leave it red.
"Ow! That actually hurt!"
A voice cut in from behind.
"Wow. You're really not that bright, are you?"
Zoe jolted, the shock of three a.m. ice water slamming her nerves. She spun, sword raised, battle reflex and razor tongue locking in perfect formation, teammates from birth.
"Who's there!? Show yourself!"
From the shadows, a girl stepped forward—Zoe's mirror image. Same face. Same hair. Even the faint scar on her ankle sat in the exact same spot.
"No freaking way… You're—"
"Yep. I'm you. Just… a little older. Way smarter. And yes, I actually get up early enough to eat a proper breakfast."
Zoe blinked, rebooting her brain in real time.
"Yeah right. Stuff like this only happens in manga—or in shows where the lead actor won't renew their contract!"
The other girl smirked. "And how do you know you're not just a character in someone else's story?"
That shut Zoe up for a beat. The question hovered in the air, heavy enough to make her grip her sword tighter.
"Listen," Zoe snapped, pointing the blade straight at her double. "I don't care who you are. I'm prettier—and no way am I dumb enough to fall for your tricks!"
"Not surprised. If I were your age, I'd say the same thing. Full of confidence… maybe too much. As for the 'prettier' part? Sorry, sweetie, I'll have to disagree."
She tossed her identical pink hair with a mocking flourish.
Zoe nearly screamed. "Stop copying me, you fraud!"
And then she lunged—determined to pin this imposter and fling her back through the nearest portal. But every strike missed. The other Zoe dodged with the ease of someone who'd spent a lifetime spamming dodge-roll in video games. No matter how hard Zoe swung, she couldn't land a hit.
"Grow up already… Stop rushing in headfirst. When are you gonna learn to use your brain instead of your fists?"
That line stung. Zoe's temper flared hotter. "Fine! If you're really me from the future, then you're definitely scared of what I'm about to do."
She grabbed her own hair, grin wicked and feral, the exact grin of someone tearing open the universe's rulebook
The older Zoe sighed. "Figures. I braced myself for this conversation to give me a headache… guess I underestimated how bad it'd be."
And then—she vanished. Reappeared behind Zoe in a blink. Her breath brushed Zoe's ear.
"The you right now… will never defeat me."
The pommel of her sword slammed against Zoe's neck.
Thunk.
Zoe dropped. Stone-fast. No time to curse.
She opened her eyes—back in her own bedroom.
Or… close. Some things were off. Some older. Some way more high-tech. Some downright mysterious—especially the ancient tome sitting next to shōjo manga on the bookshelf.
"That was… a dream, right?"
"Wrong, dummy."
That voice again. Zoe whipped around—only to realize she was tied to the bed, the cheap prop in someone's prime-time soap, duct tape promising zero mercy on her arm hair.
"You—! This is over the line! What the hell are you doing in my room? And why the hell am I tied up? Untie me before you regret it!"
Future-Zoe sat straddling the chair backward, arms draped over the backrest—auditioning for 'Most Chaotic Girl Alive,' and owning the role.
"First off, this is my room. Second, I'm not the one who should be scared. And third—if I didn't tie you up, we wouldn't even be having this talk, would we?"
Her smile was the kind of cocky grin that, outside a fantasy world, would earn a flying shoe—or three.
"Okay… you're…" Zoe exhaled through her nose, at a total loss for insults, suddenly sympathizing—just a little—with Roxy. Not that she'd admit it out loud.
"Alright, let's get to it," Future-Zoe said. "I'm from Timeline 127—way ahead of this moment. And no, I'm not telling you how many years."
"Your business. Not like I care," Zoe shot back.
"But what I'm about to say? You'll care."
"Then spit it out already. Drama queen."
"Skyler… is going to die."
The air in the room froze. Not just because of the words.
Zoe had known, deep down, something was coming the second she'd seen herself standing there.
Still—it boiled her blood, steam ready to whistle straight out her ears.
"You're not just annoying—you've got a filthy mouth too, huh!?"
Future-Zoe perched on her chair. Smile untouched. The kind of troublemaker holy water couldn't scratch.
"You know I'm telling the truth. And I'm here because I screwed up once. I'm not letting you repeat my mistake."
Zoe's teeth clenched. "If you're so great, why don't you handle it? Why time-travel just to tie me up? What's this, your sadist era?"
"This is your timeline. Not mine. If I interfere directly, it shatters worse. Splinters until the multiverse has more branches than a bubble tea chain. But hey, explaining it won't make you get it…"
Zoe pouted, irritated at herself for even listening. "Then what? You expect me to sit cross-legged and meditate my way out of an apocalypse?"
"You can't stop it—but you can steer it. Got it? I can't say much. But there's one thing only you can do. And you must do it." Future-Zoe's tone hardened. "I'm sending you somewhere. Trust your instincts. The rest is up to fate."
Zoe sighed so hard it nearly took the ceiling with it.
Ugh. Am I really this annoying? Even as a stray brainwave from the future, she's punch-worthy as hell.
"Fine, Madame Know-It-All. I'll save Skyler. And I'm not making the same mistake you did."
"…I hope you can," the other whispered—softer than expected, a flicker of sorrow glinting in her eye.
Zoe froze. "You sound like I'm not even making it out alive."
Future-Zoe smirked. "Judging by your current IQ level… you're not."
"You little—!"
"You've got a lot to learn. Barking every time like a puppy with its tail stepped on. Such a kid."
"Stop acting like you're better than me!"
"Oh really? Tell that to yourself first. At least I can time-jump without a portal. And if you wanna know how—keep dreaming. Not telling you even if you bribe me."
"Ughhh, you—!" Zoe hissed through clenched teeth, thrashing against the duct tape, yet remained pinned down. "…So what do you actually want from me? I can't do this, you won't tell me that, and now you've got me wrapped up like a spring roll just to—"
After bickering with all the subtlety of kids in a controller war, Future-Zoe sighed—an overdramatic reboot of the universe itself—and lifted a hand; the noise died on cue.
"Enough. If we keep arguing, Skyler'll be history before we even figure things out."
The air in the room shifted, heavy.
"Listen. This place is the 'Temporal Void.' Think of it like when Skyler hacked into himself. Every timeline overlaps here—for a short while. And I'm the only one who can open it."
Zoe arched a brow. "…Which means I can too."
"Yeah, but not now. Because you're still… hmm, what's the word—weak."
Zoe's glare promised to eat her alive.
Future-Zoe just smiled. "And that's not the point. The longer we stay, the more time multiplies outside. Right now? Months have already passed in your timeline."
"What—!? And you're just telling me this NOW!?"
"When have you ever stopped to listen? Honestly, I exhaust myself."
Zoe muttered under her breath. Great. I'm really gonna turn into this whiny someday? Please, no…
"Fine. If I'm supposed to go on some mission—who's covering my VTuber gig?"
Future-Zoe puffed her chest. Press-conference posture. Zero press. "Me, obviously."
Zoe's stare snapped open, raw with disbelief. "You're kidding. Or is this another shady plan?"
"I'm not Roxy. I don't play twenty-dimensional chess. If I did plan something, trust me—I'd be way smoother than this."
For the first time today, Zoe actually nodded at herself.
"…So? Ever been a VTuber in Timeline 127?"
"Nope~ But if you can, I can."
"Fine. Just don't tank my channel."
Future-Zoe finally cut her loose, then offered a hand. "Ready?"
"Of course. Just tell me where I'm going."
"You'll see soon enough. Trust your instincts."
Their hands clasped—golden flared. The universe hit NEW GAME. White swallowed everything.
When Zoe opened her eyes again—
A blast of hot wind hit her face, thick with sweat, dust, and animal hide.
"…Wait. Is this… freaking Rome?!" She snapped at the void, shouting,
"You troll! A little warning would've been nice!"