Running wasn’t Andrew’s forte in life. Sports never appealed to him, and working out didn’t fit into his schedule. And yet, his body didn’t allow him to stop pushing through the crowd that filled the freaky town he had ended up in.

With burning lungs and feet, he shoved the people out of his way, no goal in mind other than away. Away from all the weird things his mind was making up, and away from the horrible sinking feeling in his gut. The town had endless rows of buildings and people, though, so making it out didn’t seem possible. Andrew wasn’t even sure he could make it back out the way he came.

Despite not taking in much of his surroundings, Andrew could hear people begin to shout at him, some trying to grab him. The denser the crowd got, the more the hands gripped at his jacket and tried to yank him back. Not even his most intense nightmares could compare to how disorienting their voices and touch were.

Andrew yanked his arm free from someone who had nearly stopped him, bolting forward harder than before. He only got a few steps away before his face collided with something big, soft, and warm. Being stopped so suddenly made Andrew groan, his insides jostling and twisting into an even bigger knot of anxiety. Every conversation died, and the music came to an abrupt end. For a moment, Andrew wondered if he had hit his head hard enough to pass out again.

Before he could open his eyes and see what or who he ran into, an arm wrapped around his back and pulled him closer, mashing his face against their chest.

“What seems to be the rush, my friend?” A deep, resonating voice rumbled from their chest right into Andrews. “Are you looking for someone? Perhaps, me?”

Andrew unburied his face from the man’s burgundy shall and looked up at him. Ruby red eyes stared back, lined with black makeup that trapped his eyes from looking away. Judging by the way everyone had stopped the festivities to stare at them, Andrew guessed that this man was someone important. Someone that he shouldn’t be pressed against, though it wasn’t as if he had much of a choice.

When he tried to step back, the man tightened his grip on him.

“Ah-ah, I need some answers before I let you go. Who are you?” The man offered a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Depending on your answer, I may be able to help you from whatever you’re running from.”

Andrew clenched his jaw. His nerves shouldn’t be getting the better of him. He posted articles all the time that put a target on his back without flinching or thinking twice about how people might be upset with him. And it wasn’t like he would ever see any of those people again, so why wasn’t he using the backbone he knew he had and just demanding that they answer his questions?

“I’m not here for you,” he said, pushing himself as far from the other man as he could. “I…” Being a little further back allowed him to see more of the man. There were horns on his head. Ones that looked to be coming out of his skull and not just slapped on like some costume. “I, uh, I want to know who you are, first.”

The crowd gasped and mumbled, acting as if he didn’t have a right to know who the person holding him captive was.

“Of course, how rude of me,” the man laughed and shook his head, letting up on his grip. “I am Prince Elias. I come to town at least once a year, and this year I managed to run into you. And I’m glad for it because you’ve caused quite a stir, and I do prefer it if I know everything that’s happening in my kingdom.” Elias leaned down, his nose softly bumping into Andrew’s. “I believe it’s your turn now. Who are you, and why are you running through this city as if something is chasing you? Do you need help?”

Andrew’s heart had already been pounding from running, but the sound of it had started to fill his ears and muffle some of the prince’s words. “A big nerd, great,” he grumbled, trying to compose himself. There was no way he had actually come face to face with a prince from someplace he had never heard of. All of it sounded so made up, and it was then that a lot of the tension in Andrew’s body released, a loud laugh escaping him.

Role players. They had to be. Nothing else made any sense. Andrew had to have been knocked out and while stumbling through the woods, he found some big, elaborate game made up by those people who poured their lives into playing make-believe.

“Here I thought I had died or something, but it’s just a bunch of people with too much time on their hands. Oh, man, you had me freaked out for a second there!” Andrew gave the “prince” a pat on the cheek, earning another gasp from the audience. “My name is Andrew and dude, I get that you guys take this stuff super seriously, but I could really use a phone to get home. I don’t know how far from LA we are, but I’m assuming it’s pretty far. Are we even still in California?”

Confused murmurs came from the people around them, and Elias’ face softened.

“I’m afraid I don’t know where those places are, or what a phone is, but I will do what I can to help you, Andrew.” He brought a hand up to Andrew’s forehead, using the back of it to brush his hair away from the area. “How about I take you back to my castle, and we can figure out how to get you home from there?”

Andrew looked away from the prince, forcing himself out of his arms. “I guess if you need to step away from the others to break character, then fine. But that’s pretty forward of you to just ask me back to your place like that. Could get me a coffee first.”

Elias pressed his lips into a thin line, concern still clear on his face. “Ah, if that’s a food or drink, I will do what I can to give you something close to it once we’re at the castle. But, first, I must excuse myself from my people.”

“Do whatever you need to, I guess.” The people there were taking their game so seriously, that Andrew had to admit it was impressive to be so dedicated to something. “Whatever gets me home quicker.”

The prince stepped away from him and raised his hands, a pair of red wings flaring out from his back as well. Andrew wasn’t sure how he had missed those, but it reaffirmed to him that he wouldn’t be getting many straight answers from those people. The dedication seemed to have gone a little too far, maybe to the point of delusion.

“People of Aldoun, it has been my greatest pleasure spending this time of year around you all.” Elias didn’t need to shout for everyone to hear him, his voice resonating over the crowd so easily that Andrew had to wonder if he had some sort of microphone that he just couldn’t see. “It saddens me to have to end things early, but as you know, I must not let someone who needs help go without. Please, continue the festivities and enjoy yourselves while I deal with this matter.”

Everyone erupted into a cheer, dispersing after a moment and moving on with the party as if Andrew hadn’t disrupted things.

“Right, now that that’s been settled, you and I can head off to my castle.” Elias ran a hand through his long, golden hair, stopping at the high ponytail in the back and securing it. “Allow me to prepare myself,” he said as his hands worked, “and we will make it there in no time. You don’t have any aversions to height, do you?”

Andrew raised a brow at him. “No, why? Are you going to try and tell me that your castle is so big that I might be afraid of being in it, or something? ‘Cause I’ve been to the city, and the main office I report to is on, like, the twenty-sixth floor, so I doubt you’re going to impress me much there.”

Elias came closer to Andrew, once more wrapping his arm around him. He laughed, shaking his head at him. “You’re an odd person, Andrew. I have a feeling that we will need to speak to the mages about this because I think you may be further from home than you know.”

Before Andrew could tell him that, duh, of course he was, the prince wrapped his other arm around him and squeezed. “You’re a touchy person, you know that, right? How about you quit holding me, and we get going? Is there some fancy carriage you decked out for this? I wouldn’t mind some time to sit down. These slippers haven’t been ideal to run in.”

Another chuckle came from the prince. “Just hold on tightly to me, and I promise to stick by your side until we can get you home.” Elias spread his wings again and flapped them a few times, each movement harder than the last, until they began to lift off the ground.

Andrew yelped, his fingers digging into Elias’ shall. “Wait! What?! H-how-!” His questions remained unanswered thanks to a rush of wind hitting him in the face.