I wasn’t supposed to be out this late. But after hours of working through a mess of broken code on my computer, I needed some air. The neighborhood was quiet—streetlights glowing faintly, the occasional car passing by, but otherwise still. I wasn’t paying much attention to where I was walking, eyes glued to my phone, scrolling through forums about glitches.

I was still stuck on that same weird no-clip bug—characters falling through the floor into a glitchy void. I smirked at the latest reply. “Lol, just get good,” someone had written. Yeah, helpful.

I sighed, locking my phone and slipping it into my pocket. My steps slowed, a bit of mist hanging in the cool air. The streetlamp overhead flickered, and I glanced up at it. Old wiring? I kept walking.

That’s when the ground under my feet shifted.

I wasn’t tripping or losing my balance—it was more like the world collapsed in upon itself. The sidewalk beneath me rippled, and then, without warning, I was falling.

The air rushed past me, and my stomach lurched as the world spiraled into a blur. It felt like I’d slipped into some kind of invisible trapdoor. Wind whipped against my face as I tumbled through what felt like endless darkness.

Then, it stopped.

I hit the ground with a thud, groaning as the impact rattled my bones. The first thing I noticed was the sky. The sun was a slightly different shade than what I was used to.

This... wasn’t Earth.

“What the...?” I muttered.

I stood up, brushing the dirt off my jeans, and took in my surroundings. Trees—tall, ancient-looking ones—rose up around me. The air was cool, the ground soft beneath my feet. Wherever I was, it wasn’t anywhere near my neighborhood.

Before I could start freaking out properly, something moved in the trees ahead of me.

I froze.

The bushes rustled, and then a figure stepped out—a man dressed in armor that gleamed under the strange sunlight. He looked like a knight from a movie, complete with a sword strapped to his side and a crimson cloak flowing behind him.

The man spotted me immediately, his eyes narrowing. He stopped a few feet away, his hand drifting toward his sword.

“You there!” His voice was sharp, commanding. “What are you doing here?”

I raised my hands, trying not to make any sudden movements. “I don’t know, man. I think I... fell through the ground?”

He frowned, eyes flicking over me like he was sizing me up. “A fallen,” he muttered, almost to himself. He took a step toward me, his grip tightening on the hilt of his sword. “You shouldn’t be here.”

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“I—what? I didn’t do anything! I just... showed up!” I stammered, backing up a step.

His sword was out in a flash, gleaming as he swung it toward me. I barely had time to jump back, stumbling over my feet.

“Whoa! Hey!” I shouted, my heart racing. “What the hell?!”

He wasn’t listening. He advanced, swinging again. I threw up my arms instinctively, and—*crack*—a shimmering barrier of light appeared between us, catching the blade.

The man hesitated, eyes narrowing as the barrier fizzled and sparked.

“Magic,” he said through gritted teeth. “Of course he has magic, what am I thinking?”

“I didn’t mean to do that!” I yelled, but he didn’t seem to care. His sword flashed again, and I felt the energy pulse around me as the barrier reappeared.

He was strong—every strike made the barrier flicker, the force of the blows rattling my bones. I wasn’t going to last long.

“Stop! I don’t want to fight you!” I called out, but the man’s face was set, determined.

“Yeah, right,” he snapped, moving faster now, his strikes more precise.

“Look, man, if I wanted to hurt you, wouldn’t I be, like, attacking you instead of just... blocking?” I ducked as he swung again. “I don’t even know how I’m doing this magic stuff!”

He paused, sword still raised. His eyes scanned me again, less suspicious, more... confused.

“Stop playing games,” he said, though there was a flicker of doubt in his voice now.

“I swear I’m not!” I shouted. “I’m as freaked out as you are!”

We stared at each other for a tense moment, my breathing heavy. Slowly, he lowered his sword, but he didn’t sheathe it.

“I guess you’re really not like the others,” he muttered.

I stood there, catching my breath, hands still raised in surrender. “Thank you! That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you!”

The man stayed silent for a moment, then took a step back. His expression shifted, still cautious but no longer hostile.

“I apologize,” he said stiffly, though his grip on the sword was still tight. “I’ve had to deal with many fallen who are... dangerous.”

I swallowed hard, lowering my arms. “It’s okay. Just, maybe next time don’t try to decapitate someone before asking questions?”

He didn’t respond to that, just sheathed his sword and regarded me with a frown. “I am Prince Aric of Elarion,” he said finally. “My duty is to protect this kingdom from threats, both internal and... external.”

“Uh, cool. I’m... well, I guess I’m nobody special.”

Aric studied me for a moment, his brow furrowing. “It’s strange. The others like you—those who fall through the rifts—well, they rarely show restraint. I’m taking a serious risk by not cutting you down here and now.”

I blinked. “Glad you didn’t, then. But seriously, I don’t even know what this place is, let alone why I’m here.”

Aric’s frown deepened, but he eventually nodded. “We need to get you to the capital. My father will want to hear about this.”

I hesitated. “You’re not going to try to stab me again, are you?”

He gave me a hard look, but there was something softer in his eyes now, something closer to acceptance. “Well, not unless you give me a reason to.”

With that, he turned and began walking. After a moment, I followed.

As we made our way through the trees, the weird sunlight casting long shadows on the forest floor, I couldn’t shake the feeling that my life had just gotten a whole lot more complicated.