My eyes almost fell out of their sockets. I kept staring mutely at the green-faced Hora. The white sand flowed back onto his waiting palm, leaving not a single grain behind. The Oracle stood, and for a long stretching moment, no one spoke.

The silence grew louder with the pounding of my own heart. I felt like I wasn't only stuck in this strange dimension, but also in an ancient madhouse full of creepy people. I had to get out of here before I went mad, too.

At last, I recovered my ability to speak again.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said and staggered back to my...