'Yes.' She hesitates, then adds, 'I think you're here in the Mists, too.'

"...I'm pretty sure I'm not."

    "Friend, we must go," says one of the people in the party. "Mesmer—care to accompany us? We can continue conversing on our way."

'Sure,' she agrees. Obligingly, she starts walking, moving her illusions with her. 'Have you gotten tired from anything you've done? Do you need to eat or drink?'

"Yes. I haven't eaten since I left the last outpost and this trek is not very restful."

'Okay. Do you know how someone trapped in the Mists could get out, then?'

"...my best bet would be going to the Battle Isles and using a portal there. There might be others, but that's the only one I know."

'I don't know how to get there from here. It's all grey mist. Except here.'

"We might be able to find someone who could pierce the veil here, then? If you're in the Mists but can talk to us and see us then maybe the veil is thinner."

Yeah, she somehow does not think that's what's going on.

'Could this be done before you get the baby turtles to the outpost? That's when the loop resets.'

    "We can't delay the turtles," the man who objected the first time says.

"But we could send someone ahead without them," necromancer guy says.

    "We need everyone—"

"We don't, really. We have redundancy." He looks at Vetareh's illusion. "Do you think that would be sufficient?"

'Yes. And I'll help with the turtles.'

This is absolutely not going to work, but hey, it's something to do besides walking in endless mist some more.

"Myra, you go," necromancer says to someone sporting daggers and with a bandana covering her mouth.

    "Gee, thanks, boss, way to say I'm expendable."

"You're fast and you can hide very well, your shadow stepping is very good—"

    "Fine, fine, I was just joking. I'll be back soon." And she disappears in a puff of black smoke.

'Thank you,' she adds.

Well. Time to protect some turtles, then. Luckily, she's done this before, so she knows what to watch out for and can warn them ahead of time before something happens.

Except...

...the mist starts thickening again. Their voices slowly become echoes as they start fading from the world—

What?

... Did she break the loop?

Are they back at the start?

They are.

Great.

She skips the small talk and goes right to illusions.

'I'm a mesmer trapped in the Mists. I don't know how to get out and I don't think I can get help. Do you know how I could find my way to an exit?'

"Everyone stand ready," necromancer guy says immediately, then reads the illusion. "Uh... I'm afraid I don't? I would suggest going to the Battle Isles, it's the only portal to the Mists I know of. How did you get trapped?"

Around and around she goes...

'Accident and bad luck. I don't know how to get to the Battle Isles from here. I was in Orr and did a lot of walking, I don't know where I am in relation to everything else.'

"...Orr? Orr was sunk over two years ago."

"What?" she hisses, out loud.

'What?! How?' she writes.

"Vizier Khilbron cast a dark magic to try to destroy the charr that were invading and overwhelming Orr, but it destroyed the whole peninsula. The Vizier became an undead lich because of the magic, but—he's dead for good, now."

'That doesn't make any sense. The charr couldn't have gotten to Orr. Ascalon's in the way.'

"...Ascalon's been in ruins for over three years, now. I'm from there. I saw it be destroyed by the charr with my own eyes."

    "Friend, we must not delay, we need to deliver these turtles to the hatchery," says same guy from last time. He looks at the illusion. "You could accompany us."

'What year is it to you?'

And how long has she been wandering the Mists?