Ashton walked down the dim hallway of his house, his eyes glued to the screen of his phone. The soft tapping of his fingers echoed in the quiet, the glow casting faint shadows on the walls. His messy brown hair flopped a bit as he turned into his room, lost in thought. He didn’t bother looking up. His focus was on a game, his feet leading him automatically to where he thought his bed would be.
But instead of feeling the familiar carpet beneath him, Ashton’s sneakers scuffed against something hard. The texture was rough, uneven. He paused for a second but kept his gaze down, assuming he’d just kicked the edge of his desk or something.
Unbeknownst to him, the air around him had changed. It was cooler, filled with the scent of damp stone and the faint murmur of distant chatter. A soft gasp rippled through the crowd of strangers standing nearby, eyes wide as they took in Ashton’s sudden appearance.
But Ashton didn’t notice. His gaze stayed locked on his phone screen, frustration building as he tried to beat his high score. He took a few more steps forward, his shoes clicking on the cobblestones, but it didn’t register in his mind.
Until the sound of hooves thundered nearby, Ashton looked up. Just as he lifted his head, a man on a chestnut horse raced past him, the wind whipping Ashton’s hoodie. The horse’s hooves narrowly missed him, and the rider threw a sharp glance back at Ashton, shaking his head in disbelief.
Ashton blinked, finally taking in his surroundings. His heart pounded as he stared at the cobblestone street beneath his feet, the unfamiliar buildings towering over him, and the crowd of people dressed in strange, old-fashioned clothes. His phone slipped from his hand, landing on the stones with a dull thud.
Ashton quickly snatched up his phone, his heart racing as his mind struggled to catch up to what was happening. The street buzzed with strange energy, and the ground felt oddly alive beneath his feet.
“Hey! Get out of the street!” a voice yelled from nearby.
Before Ashton could react, a large, fur-covered hand grabbed his arm, yanking him back with surprising force. He stumbled but managed to regain his balance, turning to see who—or what—had pulled him. His eyes widened in disbelief.
Standing before him was a towering figure, half-man, half-wolf, covered in thick gray fur over his muscular frame. He wore a uniform, the deep navy fabric stretched across his broad chest, adorned with strange symbols Ashton didn’t recognize. The wolf-man’s golden eyes glinted as he stared down at Ashton, a mixture of annoyance and amusement in his gaze.
“Watch wherrre you’re walking, human,” the wolf-man growled, rolling his r’s with a deep, rumbling voice. His sharp teeth gleamed as he spoke, though he didn’t seem hostile—just irritated.
Ashton gawked, his mouth dry, barely able to stammer out a word. He felt the grip on his arm loosen as the wolf-man stepped back, scanning the street for any more dangers.
“You’ll get yourself killed if you don’t pay attention,” the wolf-man warned, his ears twitching as he glanced down the street. “Next time, I might not be arrrround to save you.”
With that, the wolf-man turned and walked away, his tail swishing behind him. Ashton heard him muttering under his breath, “Clueless humans… Always in the way.”
The people nearby resumed their business, but Ashton remained frozen for a moment, his heart still pounding. He glanced down at his phone again, wondering if he was dreaming or if something had gone terribly wrong.
Ashton’s breath caught as he finally took a careful look around. The street was bustling with movement, but what had first seemed like an ordinary crowd now revealed itself as anything but.
Everywhere he looked, there were beings straight out of fantasy—creatures he had only read about or seen in video games. He felt a sense of awe and disbelief wash over him. The air smelled faintly of wood smoke and some kind of unfamiliar spice, and the sounds of clattering hooves, conversations in strange languages, and distant bell chimes filled the space around him.
Ashton’s gaze was drawn upward by a soft, leathery flapping sound. Hovering a few feet off the ground was what could only be described as a dragon-like creature, though it was the size of a human. Its sleek, scaled body was a mix of dark green and bronze, and its wings beat lazily as it floated, almost like it was patrolling. The creature’s eyes, sharp and intelligent, passed over Ashton with casual indifference, a puff of smoke curling from its nostrils as it flew further down the street.
This wasn’t a dream. Ashton was sure of it now.
His phone buzzed in his hand, but for once, he ignored it, his eyes glued to the unbelievable world unfolding before him. He couldn’t help but wonder how he had ended up here—and what exactly “here” was.
Ashton wandered down the cobblestone streets, his sneakers scuffing against the stones as he tried to process the bizarre world he’d found himself in. His mind raced with questions, but no answers came. Everywhere he looked, strange creatures and races carried on their day as if this were the most normal thing in the world.
As he turned a corner, he spotted a wooden sign hanging from an old building. It swayed gently in the breeze, creaking on its rusty hinges. The image of a foaming mug was painted on the sign, and underneath it, the words “The Silver Fang Tavern” were scrawled in a language he somehow understood, despite never having seen it before.
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A tavern. In every game he’d played, the most interesting—and often the most helpful—people hung out in bars. Maybe someone inside could explain what was going on, or at least point him in the right direction.
Taking a deep breath, Ashton pushed open the heavy wooden door. It creaked as it swung open, and the scent of ale and roasting meat hit him at once. The tavern was dim, with flickering lanterns hanging from the ceiling, casting a warm glow across the room. Tables were scattered throughout, and the bar was lined with strange figures hunched over their drinks, talking in hushed, murmuring tones.
Ashton scanned the room, his eyes widening as he saw more of the unusual creatures he had encountered outside. An elf with silver hair sat at a table, speaking quietly to a dwarf who looked like he was on his fifth tankard of ale. In the corner, a pair of reptilian figures whose scales shimmered in the light spoke in a language that sounded more like hissing than words.
And then, Ashton’s gaze landed on the wolf-man who had saved him earlier.
The guard sat at the bar, his furred arms crossed as he spoke to the bartender—a burly orc with green skin and tusks jutting from his lower jaw. The wolf-man was visibly upset, his growling voice carrying over the other conversations.
“And then—” he said, rolling his r’s with every word, “the boy, this human, just wanders into the street like he’s never seen a horse before. Nearly gets himself trampled!” He huffed, taking a large swig from his mug. “Clueless, I tell you! Absolutely clueless!”
The bartender grunted in response, cleaning a glass as if he’d heard complaints like this a thousand times.
Ashton felt his face flush. He wasn’t sure why, but hearing the wolf-man complain about him made him feel a little embarrassed. He hadn’t meant to almost get run over, after all. But before he could decide whether to stay or sneak back out, the wolf-man’s golden eyes flicked toward the door—and met Ashton’s.
For a moment, the guard looked like he was going to start growling again, but then he just shook his head and sighed.
“Hmph… speak of the devil.”
Ashton swallowed his nerves and stepped further into the tavern, his sneakers squeaking against the wooden floor. He approached the bar carefully, feeling the wolf-man’s sharp gaze still fixed on him. The closer he got, the more massive the creature seemed, his fur bristling, as if still irritated by the earlier encounter.
Ashton cleared his throat. “Uh, excuse me,” he began, his voice coming out more unsure than he’d hoped. “Where exactly am I?”
The wolf-man raised an eyebrow—or at least Ashton thought it was an eyebrow, though it was hard to tell beneath all the fur. He set his mug down on the bar and turned to fully face Ashton, his golden eyes narrowing with suspicion.
“You don’t know where you are?” the wolf-man rumbled, his voice deep and rough. He leaned back a bit, looking confused. “What kind of question is that, human?”
Ashton shrugged, feeling more awkward under the wolf-man’s intense gaze. “I’m serious. One minute I’m walking into my room, and the next, I’m… here,” he explained, gesturing to the bustling tavern around him. “I don’t even know what here is.”
The wolf-man blinked, his ears twitching as if he was trying to figure out if Ashton was joking or just stupid. After a beat, he leaned forward, his elbows resting on the bar as he studied Ashton more closely.
“You don’t know what world you’re in? What city? You’re telling me you just—” the wolf-man paused, glancing at Ashton’s phone still clutched tightly in his hand, “—wandered in without a clue?”
“Pretty much,” Ashton admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “I was… distracted.” He glanced down at his phone, realizing how ridiculous that sounded.
The wolf-man growled under his breath and exchanged a glance with the orc bartender, who merely grunted and shrugged, as if to say, “Your problem.”
“This is the city of Eldrin,” the wolf-man said, explaining slowly. “It’s one of the largest cities in the realm of Faeloria. And you’re telling me you’ve never heard of it?”
Ashton shook his head, his heart racing a little faster now. “I’ve never heard of Faeloria or Eldrin. I’m from…” he hesitated, realizing how strange this would sound. “I’m from Earth.”
The wolf-man straightened, his eyes narrowing even more. “Earth?” he repeated, the word sounding foreign as it rolled off his tongue. “I’ve never heard of such a place.”
Ashton opened his mouth to respond, but the wolf-man held up a hand, silencing him for a moment. “Wait,” he growled, his eyes scanning Ashton up and down again. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“Yeah,” Ashton said, nodding. “I’m as confused as you are. One second, I’m at home, and now I’m here, in… Faeloria.”
The wolf-man scratched his chin, his sharp claws grazing the fur there. “By the gods…” he muttered to himself. “No wonder you almost got yourself killed back there. You have no idea what you’re doing.”
Ashton gave a sheepish smile. “Nope. Not a clue.”
The wolf-man shook his head, letting out a long sigh. “Clueless humans,” he muttered again, though this time it seemed more out of pity than annoyance. After a pause, he looked at Ashton again. “Well, if you don’t know anything about Faeloria, then I suggest you be more careful. This world is dangerous. And there are far worse things than horses that might run you over.”
Ashton swallowed hard, feeling the weight of the situation hit him. “Yeah… I’m starting to get that.”
Feeling a bit dazed from the conversation, Ashton finally glanced down at his phone, hoping maybe—just maybe—there’d be something on it to make sense of this. A small banner notification blinked at the top of the screen.
Low Battery: 10% remaining.
Great. Just what he needed. He pressed the home button, only to realize there was no service. The usual signal bars in the corner were gone, replaced with the dreaded words: No Service.
A sinking feeling hit him as reality set in. He was well and truly stuck here. No GPS, no way to call anyone, no help from his phone at all.
Ashton sighed, pocketing the phone. For a brief moment, he had hoped it might offer some kind of connection to the world he knew. But now, even that small link was fading with every percentage point of battery life ticking away.
He looked up at the wolf-man, who was watching him with curiosity. “Let me guess,” the wolf-man growled, still skeptical, “whatever that little glowing box is, it’s not going to help you here?”
Ashton shook his head. “Nope. Definitely not.”
The wolf-man grunted, something like a chuckle rumbling from his throat. “Then you better learn quickly, human. You’re in Faeloria now, and that… thing,” he gestured to Ashton’s phone, “isn’t going to save you.”
Ashton nodded, his mind racing. It was starting to dawn on him—there was no way back. Not yet, at least. He would have to figure out how to survive in this strange new world.