[Connections to observers and gods restored.]

  I burst out of the room and slammed into the wall of the hallway, but instead of landing flat on the ground, I fell onto a furry back.

  “I got her! I caught Peijin!” A shrill voice cried out.

  I was covered in a strange black goop that matted into the fur of the dire wolf, but it turned around and tenderly licked my face clean.

  “Peijin!” Amelia crawled up the dire wolf and collapsed on top of me. “Did you see that? I can protect you now, too!”

  I remained silent for a moment, my head reeling at all of Karma’s words, before I finally reached up and wrapped my arms tightly around Amelia, pulling her into a hug. The sides of our faces pressed together, but her curly blonde hair was suffocating. I gently brushed it aside and continued to hug her.

  Karma was right. I had no right to care for or about Amelia after dooming her family and forcing her to kill her puppy. But at this moment, I couldn’t let go of her again.

  The last time. This would be the last time I’d indulge in the presence of others. If my bad karma rubbed off on them, I’d never forgive myself.

  “Are you alright?” I spoke softly, “You don’t need to worry about me.”

  She clung onto me like a koala and wrapped herself around my abdomen. I smiled and tightened my hold on her. For some reason, I felt like she’d vanish at any moment, and I’d be all alone again.

  The glint of a spear appeared just before my throat.

  “You should be more worried about yourself right now,” the voice barked angrily. “I’m so pissed off I could kill you.”

  I gave an exacerbated look, and the back of my hand pushed her spear away. “Good to see you again, Yue.”

  “You bitch, you—!”

  Yang shoved her away, causing her to stumble in my peripheral vision.

  I could see the sweat dripping down Yang’s face, and when I looked into his dimmed orange eyes, I felt an empathetic pang in my chest—he was panicking to find me.

  Ha, weird. I was never like this when ‘Scathing Reviewer’ was deactivated. This story was changing me just as much as I was changing it.

  “Sorry I’m late,” I said before grabbing his extended hand and pulling myself up. Amelia was still clinging onto my abdomen, and my other arm supported her weight.

  To my surprise, it looked like I had been fully healed. Bandages were no longer wrapped around my entire arm, and my once shredded arm moved fluidly. Now, the only sign left on my skin of any past arcs was the black tower tattoo.

  Yang continued to hold my hand after he pulled me up, sighed. “You really had me worried. Are you alright?”

  I thought I’d cry just from seeing his familiar face.

  Before I could respond, a man in white robes shoved Yang back and pulled me into a tight hug, making sure to avoid Amelia.

  “Agh, Peijin!” He exclaimed, pulling back so I could make out his face. Wei’s eyes were red and puffy like he was trying to hold back tears. “I feel so bad. I was supposed to protect you, and you just disappeared. I’ve failed again.”

  I was paralyzed by his dramatic response before I let my shoulders slump, a humored smile appearing on my face. “You’re like a puppy.” I laughed, putting my hand on his back after a moment’s hesitation. “I’m really alright, everyone.”

  Yue finally came over and tore Wei off me but left Amelia hanging. “Get off her! You’re acting like you just saw someone resurrect from their grave. Even Amelia is more mature than you.”

  Wei patted his swollen face and obediently nodded at Yue’s words. I watched curiously; those two had hated each other at the very beginning, but here they were working together.

  In fact, just watching everyone in my party interact with one another caused a fuzzy tingle and warmth in my chest. I watched them bicker with an odd sense of awe and wistfulness, and my most sincere smile appeared unbeknownst to me.

  I shook the thought out of my head.

  “Let’s go,” I said, grabbing Zhige once more and finally placing a calmed Amelia on the ground. “We can leave this house safely now, trust me. I won’t randomly turn into a kid anymore.”

  “Wait, Peijin,” Yang quickly chimed in, standing beside me. “What happened in that room? Couldn’t you hear us trying to get to you?”

  I stiffened for a moment but quickly relaxed. That must have been what all that banging and chanting of my name was—still, even knowing what it was now, it was still an unnerving memory.

  “I couldn’t hear you, but it’s alright. I got out, didn’t I?”

  “Don’t start distancing yourself again.”

  My nostrils flared in annoyance. “I’m not. Stop being annoying.”

  Yue shoved my head harshly. “Do you know how worried Wei was? He was so upset that you saw all our fears and saved us, but you were trapped alone.”

  I promptly punched her in the side before sparing a guilty glance and Wei and letting out a loud sigh.

  “Fine. But Amelia can’t hear.”

  “What?!” Amelia cried out in distress, looking up at me with pleading eyes.

  “I’ll tell you when you’re a little older, okay? I’ll take off your headphones for the parts that you can hear.”

  I signaled for Yue to put on the headphones, and Yue tightly held them against the squirming Amelia’s head. She finally relented, pursing her lips and glaring at me.

  “I’m gonna speed through my ‘deepest fear’ or whatever”—I added air quotes as I spoke—“But…”

  Wait, should I tell them about Karma?

  If I did, then there was no doubt they would act rashly in their weird fixation to repay me for helping them—and at their level and knowledge, I’d only be dooming them. Just by being with me, I was slowly killing them.

  That being said, Karma was after me, and I was actively hunting her, too. This was something that affected them as much as it did me.

  Ah, Karma was right. My curse really was knowledge.

  How cruel.

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  “But, what?” Yang broke the silence and sent me back into reality.

  “But I don’t want to talk about it afterwards.”

  Yang stared at me a bit before nodding slowly. “Alright.”

  “My mom left when I was around ten, I think? I don’t know,” I began in a nonchalant tone.

  “My dad and I were dirt poor. Seriously. He became a coal miner just to make ends meet, but I’m sure all of you know what kind of job that is.

  I don’t hate my dad or anything. He did what he had to. I just wish he didn’t do it; you know?”

  I felt an odd burning sensation spreading through my arm. I rubbed it in hopes of dissipating the sensation to no avail.

  “But when I was about fourteen, he brought some friends over to drink. One of came into my room and—”

  Yue’s eyes widened in understanding, and she quickly clasped her hands over my mouth, silencing me. “You don’t need to continue.”

  Pulling her hands back, I continued softly. “He had this big grin on his face, and at some point, I started to see it everywhere. That’s why my biggest fear is a haunted house, since I never faced what happened. I ran away from home after and lived alone for the most part. I didn’t have any other family.”

  Yue gave me a solemn look, her brows furrowed. “Then, when you got locked in the room just now, did something happen?”

  “Nah.” I shook my head, refusing to meet her gaze. “That’s all. Let’s go?”

  When I finally lifted my gaze, I noticed all of them looking at me with a different expression now except for Amelia. But their face didn’t hold judgment or disgust, but rather it was a look of pity.

  The burning sensation on my arm grew, and when I looked down, I realized my tattoo was glowing a faint white now.

  “Don’t pity me,” I bluntly said, “I’m not a good person.”

  After all, I was the reason my dad was dead.

  Two warm arms adorned in long white sleeves wrapped around my small frame. I could feel my breath catch in my throat, and I turned to Wei in surprise before Yang, Yue, and Amelia joined in, embracing me.

  I blinked away tears and let my head briefly rest on their shoulders.

  “Thank you for trusting us, Peijin,” Yang whispered softly, and I was glad I couldn’t see his expression right now.

  Wei’s response was silent and warm, and Yue’s was a tight, almost painful squeeze. But all of it was comfort.

  “Thank you,” I choked out, finally wiggling my arms up and hooking the back of their necks, pulling them in tighter.

  [You have become The Tower.]

  The red notification appeared, and my tattoo erupted in a flurry of gold sparks—karma. I felt a surge of spiritual energy flood through my body, but I didn’t let go of any of them. They held on, too, until the flurry of sparks finally fell back.

  I looked down at the tattoo. I still had no clue what it symbolized, but I knew it would cause me trouble.

  I ushered the rest of the party out of the house first, practically dragging them down the hallway.

  “I have something to do. I’ll meet you all on the metro train.”

  Wei spared a nervous glance back, but I quickly flashed a reassuring smile. Once they all safely made it in, I turned around and looked down the hallway.

  I took two of the oranges I’d gathered and peeled them quickly before using Zhige to slice it. They were my favorite treat to share with Dad. I placed one peeled orange on the table before me, and I ate the other.

  “I guess this is as much of a meal I’ll ever be able to share with you, Dad.”

  I leaned against the wall for a moment, savoring the orange before I let out a heavy sigh. Things had gotten far more convoluted than I ever anticipated, but at least I was leaving with a clear head.

  I stood up straight and grabbed Zhige.

  “As for Karma, fuck you.”

  I lifted Zhige and slashed through the entire house, cleanly cutting it apart and caused the remaining décor and walls to crumble. The slices I had left for my dad remained perfectly untouched as I walked out of the tattered door and shut it behind me.

  The silver metro appeared just before me, and I could see all of my party members waiting for me inside. I stepped on, and the doors slid shut behind me with a satisfying click.

  “The fuck were you doing in there?” Yue asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “You’d laugh at me.”

  “Probably. You okay?”

  I nodded, and my notifications exploded.

  [Communication resumed.]

  [Observers Chat]

  Socrates: JIA LI OH MY GOD I CAN FINALLY COMMENT AGAIN WHAT HAPPENED????

  Landescape: I don’t care what all those “reviewers” say about Peijin, I’m rooting for her to live and succeed!

  [You have received a new review!]

  RZRHP REVIEW: ★★★★★

  I didn’t think I’d like Liu Peijin at all. She’s been pretty insufferable, but this room dragged her through hell and back, and the first thing she does is care for her party members.

  [You have received a new review!]

  EIJIEKI369 REVIEW: ★★★☆☆

  Good, but pretty unrealistic writing. Real people wouldn’t have cared this much.

  [Observers Chat]

  Socrates: Jia Li I’m sorry I was so mean to you please forgive me TvT You were really annoying before but still I’m sorry. I was so worried when the system shut down, and I couldn’t see you.

  Socrates: Also, I figured out what your tattoo is. It’s The Tower from a tarot card deck. The tarot symbolizes destruction, painful loss, and tragedy, but the reverse meaning is resisting change and delaying the inevitable. It’s pretty awful all the way around, actually.

  “You’re great at making me feel worse,” I grumbled. My party turned to me in confusion, but I mouthed that it was an observer.

  [Observers Chat]

  Socrates: It’s a sign for meeting a crisis head on and rebirth. I’m guessing you either got it because of this challenge or because something greater is coming, Jia Li.

  “How many cards are in a Major Arcana tarot deck?” I asked Socrates.

  [Observers Chat]

  Socrates: 22

  “Huh. Interesting,” I said, recalling the name of Feiyu’s party. Wasn’t it also twenty-two?

  The silver metro appeared just before me, and I could see all of my party members waiting for me inside. I stepped on, and the doors slid shut behind me with a satisfying click.

  “The fuck were you doing in there?” Yue asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “You’d laugh at me.”

  “Probably. You okay?”

  I nodded, looking at the options of skills laid out before me.

  [Card Dealer

  Divine Right

  Grandmaster]

  I titled my head curiously at Card Dealer. I was unfamiliar with this skill, and I opened the description and read it.

  [The key life moments, events, and emotions of those you interact with in the apocalypse will be categorized into 56 different minor arcana tarot cards. Depending on how well you know the person or character, you will be able to take a card and alter it through various methods such as altering a card’s contents, deleting a card’s contents, or swapping people’s cards. This will then alter their current perception of an event, a memory, or an emotion. You will not have access to cards for situations or events you do not know of. When using this skill, there is a chance of backlash, where one of your own cards is affected. You will not know which card it is or what happened to it. This skill relies on significant spiritual energy. Once you alter a card, you cannot undo this effect.]

  “What’s Card Dealer?” Yue asked, peeking over my shoulder.

  “It… allows me to edit memories of people.” I contemplated falling back into my old habit of lying, missing the security it brought. But I knew I owed my party more than that.

  Yue spared me a mortified look. “You should totally not pick that one.”

  “It could be really useful though, especially in psychological rooms like the one we just went through. Besides, I trust that Peijin wouldn’t use it unethically,” Wei said.

  This skill was perfect for me, since I was the author of Surviving My First Run. I’d have access to a lot of peoples “cards,” since they would be characters that I created. Not only that, but if I was worried about Wei’s resurfacing memories causing him to betray us, then this was the perfect fix. I could technically reconstruct his entire memory.

  “There’s no way to use that skill ethically,” Yang said. “It’s not like ‘Magician’s Hand’ where only your surroundings change. You’re changing a core part of the person.”

  “Peijin has a strong moral code. Besides, in the apocalypse, good people sometimes need to do bad things. If anyone should have it as a skill, it should be Peijin,” Wei said.

  I felt bad to have Wei defending me like this, unaware of the fact that the first time I might use this skill could very much be on him.

  “What about the other skills?” Yue asked.

  “Grandmaster would allow me to control certain people as chess pieces after a murder ritual, and ‘Divine Right’ gives me greater influence over disciples as a ruler.”

  “How’d you get those as your options…” Yue murmured enviously.

  Yang looked at me and gave a nervous laugh. “I’d hate to get on your bad side, ha ha.”

  I gave them both a slap on the back and a bright grin, feeling better in their presence. “Looks like we’re all stuck with each other then. You’re lucky you ended up with me and not a psycho.”

  I looked at the skills, contemplating my options once more before I eventually selected Card Dealer. Given its potential for backlash and limitations, I wanted to use it only when it was needed.

  I looked up to see Wei’s still anxious eyes. Despite my suddenly more cheerful tone, he couldn’t mask his worry.

  “Peijin…” he began, “Do you know what my room might hold?”

  A laugh escaped my lips. There was no time for breaks in this world—I was thrust back into my element as I felt the metro speed up and grabbed onto the bars.

  “Everyone, listen up,” I ordered, my other hand holding onto Zhige. “Do exactly as I say, because if you don’t, Wei will die at my hand.”