As readers, we’ve all dreamed of living inside the stories we love, or bringing a character to life. But what if that dream suddenly came true—and you don’t even know what story you’ve been thrown into?

Sabrina, Jeanna, and Alice are friends who love reading books—not educational ones, but fictional! Sabrina is obsessed with historical romance fantasy, especially those about northern dukes. Jeanna devours explicit adult romance, while Alice enjoys action-packed fantasy dungeons where blood splatters everywhere. Despite their different tastes, one thing they all have in common is their love for well-written and good-looking main characters!

“What the—where are we?”

Dudun

We blink our eyes open, the sun’s blinding light fading, and find ourselves standing in a completely different world. A carriage rolls by, stirring up dust as it moves down a busy street. People in old, tattered clothes sell goods from small stalls, and a large fountain stands at the center, its water splashing onto our faces. The fountain is carved with intricate designs—three nude men fighting a three-headed dragon.

I blink against the sun’s blinding light. Dust swirls around my feet as a carriage rattles by, the noise jarring me into awareness. Sabrina’s voice cuts through the confusion—"This is... historical sites!!!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling with excitement as she spun to take in the crowded marketplace.

Jeanna groaned, still frozen in place. "Are you serious? We just got thrown into... whatever this is, and you’re already fangirling?"

Alice was silent for a moment, her hand gripping her trekking pole like a lifeline. "No... this isn’t right. Something’s off." She scanned the square, eyes narrowing at the strange, unsettling details—the odd statues, the eerie familiarity of the scene. "We need to be careful."

Jeanna raised an eyebrow. "Careful? We’re in Fantasyland, Alice. The worst that could happen is Sabrina getting her heart broken by some imaginary duke."

Sabrina shot her a look. "I know what this is! We’re destined for something... something big." She bounced down the street, eyes gleaming.

Alice followed, shaking her head. "Or, we’re just in a nightmare with flying pigs."

It had been a year since we last got together, thanks to our busy schedules. On a whim, we decided to meet up and go for a hike up a popular tourist mountain, where you can see a sea of clouds at the summit. As we hiked, catching up on each other’s lives, a strong gust of wind and a blinding light made us stop. Now, we’re standing in front of a giant fountain, and I’m staring at the statues of the three men with oddly detailed, yet small anatomies.

“Wow, their ‘thing’ are really tiny…” Jeanna mutters, eyeing the statues critically. I shoot her a disgusted look, while Sabrina is already bouncing down the busy street, completely forgetting about us. I’m feeling a bit dizzy, convinced more than ever that I’m the only normal one among the three of us.

“You stupid brat! You’re nothing but a nuisance—give that to me now!”

I turn to see a large, brutish man stomping on a small child, who’s curled up on the ground. Without thinking, I grip my trekking pole and swing it hard at the man’s thigh.

Whaack!

“Ack!” The man yelps in pain.

“What the—! You little—”

Whaack! Whaack!

I don’t know how many times I hit him, but I don’t stop until he runs off, clutching his leg.

“Hey, kid, you okay?” I ask, kneeling next to the trembling child. He doesn’t speak, just silently wipes the tears from his cheeks as I help him sit up.

“What happened?” Sabrina finally reappears, glancing at the scene. I shrug, still looking around.

“Where are we?” I ask.

“I’m not sure, but I think we’ve been transported to another world!” Sabrina says, her eyes gleaming. “I recognize their clothes and the setting. This is just like the historical fantasy books I’ve read! You know, where the main character gets sent to a new world, either becoming a saint with magical powers or meeting a duke and falling in love! Oh my gosh—could we be the main characters in one of those stories?!”

While Sabrina rambles on, I help the kid stand and wipe his dirty face with wet wipes from my backpack.

“Hmm… now that I think about it, those guys did have big frames and looked... pretty good,” Jeanna comments, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

“Right?! Oh my gosh, I’m definitely going to meet a duke here!” Sabrina squeals, practically jumping with excitement.

I stare at my two friends in disbelief. How can they be so calm about this? I can’t entirely disagree with them since we have no idea where we are, but still...

“Maybe we stepped through a portal or something?” I suggest, thinking back to the action-packed stories I usually read. In those, characters often find themselves entering dungeons or portals filled with monsters—but this place feels strangely calm.

“T-Thank you, sister,” the kid stammered, his voice small but steady. His eyes were still red from crying, but he seemed calmer now.

Before I could respond, Sabrina shoved me aside. “Oh my gosh, you’re so cute! What’s your name? I’m sister Sabrina, and this is Jeanna and Alice. Gasp! Could this be one of those stories where I save the duke’s son and he falls in love with me?!”

Whaack!

“Ouch!” Sabrina yelped, rubbing her head after I smacked her. “What was that for?”

“Calm down, you romantic freak,” I muttered, glaring at her.

“What?!” Sabrina shot me a frustrated look, but she was quickly distracted, her eyes already wandering back to the bustling surroundings, still dressed in her hiking gear like this was just another casual outing.

I turned to the kid again. “Hey, do you know where we are?”

The kid squirmed under Sabrina’s beaming grin, clearly uncomfortable. I exchanged a look with Jeanna, who was more interested in the passersby than in the child. Her gaze lingered on a group of muscular men unloading goods from a cart, their rough clothes barely containing their broad shoulders.

“Jeanna, focus,” I muttered, nudging her arm.

“Oh, I’m focused,” she purred. “Just... not on what you’re focused on.”

I rolled my eyes as Sabrina continued her interrogation of the boy. “What’s your name? Are you a duke’s son? Wait, no—don’t tell me! You must be an orphan, destined to become the greatest hero of the land, or—”

The kid’s eyes widened with each wild guess, and before he could bolt, I stepped in, squatting down to his level.

“Hey,” I said softly. “You don’t have to answer her questions. We just want to know where we are.”

The boy glanced at me, his lip quivering, then pointed down the road. “The market… and the palace is that way,” he said, his voice shaky but clear.

“Palace?” Sabrina’s voice rose several octaves. “This is it! This is exactly like one of those stories. Do you think we’ll get invited there? Maybe meet a prince, or a duke, or—"

“Maybe we should figure out where we are before planning your royal wedding,” I interrupted, standing and dusting off my knees. The last thing we needed was Sabrina getting starry-eyed over every guy in a tunic.

Meanwhile, Jeanna had wandered off to a nearby stall, where a merchant displayed an assortment of rough-looking weapons. She picked up a dagger, twirling it in her hand. "Alice, check this out. Think we’ll need this to defend ourselves? In case we get attacked by a dragon or something?"

Alice smirked and lifted her trekking pole. "I’m good with this, thanks. Besides, I’ve already put it to use."

Jeanna smirks, but before she can retort, Sabrina tugs on my arm. "Come on, let’s explore!" she whines, already dragging me toward the main road. "We need to gather information, and I bet the palace is the perfect place to start!"

I glance back at the kid, who watches us with wide eyes, unsure whether to follow.

"You coming, kid?" I ask.

He nods slowly. "I don’t have anywhere else to go."

Sabrina’s eyes sparkle. “See? He’s totally going to be important to the story! Maybe he’s the lost heir to the throne or something. What if he’s the key to getting us home?"

I sigh, rubbing my temples. "Let’s focus on not getting killed first."

--

As the four of us—Sabrina, Jeanna, Alice, and the kid—made our way down the bustling street, it became painfully clear that this world was not like anything we had ever imagined. Lunaris, as the kid had timidly called it, was a patchwork of every fantasy novel Sabrina, Jeanna, and I had ever read—except stitched together in the most ridiculous way possible.

On one side of the road, a shopkeeper was selling potions from oversized vials labeled “Guaranteed to make you fly…or just float awkwardly.” On the other side, a knight in shining armor stood at one stall, arguing with a mage whose pointed hat swayed dangerously in the wind. And then there were the animals—giant chickens the size of horses clucking at passersby, while winged pigs flew lazily overhead. The air smelled of roasted meat and strange herbs, mingling with the sound of merchants hawking colorful potions and... Was that lavender?

Sabrina’s eyes were wide with glee as she ogled every knight, lord, and vaguely duke-like figure who crossed our path. “This place is amazing!” she cried, spinning in circles again. “There are actual knights! And look at those horses—wait, is that a dragon?!”

“Nope,” Jeanna said, squinting up at the sky. “Just a giant flying lizard. No fire or anything. But damn, look at that thing’s abs.”

“Why are you like this?” I muttered, still gripping my trekking pole like it was the only thing tethering me to reality.

“I’m just appreciating the view.” Jeanna winked, then started making eyes at a shirtless blacksmith hammering away at some sort of sword-shaped object that looked more like a garden tool than a weapon.

Meanwhile, the kid was still clinging to my side, glancing nervously at every new, bizarre thing that passed us by. “I-it’s not always like this,” he stammered. “The market gets really strange when the festivals start.”

“Festivals?” Sabrina’s face lit up. “What kind of festivals? A royal ball, maybe? Or an epic tournament where dashing knights fight for the honor of a lady’s hand?”

“No,” the kid said, shaking his head. “More like... uh, weird stuff. Like the Piglet Parade where everyone dresses as pigs and tries to fly.”

Jeanna snorted. “Please tell me we’re going to see that.”

I sighed, rubbing my temples. “Of course, that’s what you’d be excited about.”

We continued down the cobblestone street, the city growing more bizarre with every step. There was an entire section of the market dedicated to selling things that defied logic—glowing flowers that giggled when touched, a booth where people were trading “magical beans” for, get this, enchanted turnips, and a guy peddling enchanted underpants that supposedly gave you super speed?!

“Alright, this world is officially ridiculous,” I said, shaking my head. “I’m starting to think we’ve been transported into the worst parts of every book Sabrina’s ever read.”

“Oh, come on, Alice,” Sabrina grinned, bumping my shoulder. “You’ve gotta admit, it’s kind of fun! We’re in a new world! Isn’t that exciting?”

“No,” I said flatly. “It’s not.”

“Don’t be such a killjoy. I’m going to meet my duke here, I just know it!” Sabrina practically skipped down the street, scanning every man that passed like she was at a buffet. “One of these fine gentlemen is bound to be my one true love.”

Jeanna laughed. “I give it ten minutes before you propose to the next guy with a sword.”

The kid, still quiet, tugged on my sleeve. “You should be careful,” he whispered. “The palace isn’t as nice as it looks. They say the royal family’s cursed.”

“Of course, they are,” I groaned. “Why wouldn’t they be?”

As if on cue, a distant trumpet blared, and the crowd parted, making way for a procession of royal guards. They marched with precision, their shining armor clanking rhythmically as they led a grand carriage down the road. The carriage was made of glittering glass, pulled by two massive, purple-furred creatures that were definitely not horses.

Sabrina’s eyes lit up like it was Christmas morning. “Is this it? Are we about to meet royalty? Oh, I hope he’s handsome!”

“Or cursed,” Jeanna added with a smirk. “Cursed is always fun.”

As the carriage rolled closer, I felt a pit form in my stomach. Something about this place wasn’t right. Sure, it was all fun and games until we got ourselves involved in some crazy political intrigue or magical disaster. And with Sabrina’s luck, we’d probably be neck-deep in both by sundown.

“Just... try not to attract too much attention, alright?” I muttered to her.

But it was too late. Sabrina had already elbowed her way to the front of the crowd, waving eagerly as the carriage passed by. “Your Grace!” she called out, her voice dripping with the excitement of a fangirl meeting her idol. “I’m sure we’re destined to meet!”

I wanted to sink into the ground and disappear.

The procession came to a halt, and the guards eyed us warily. The door of the carriage slowly opened, and out stepped a man who looked like he belonged on the cover of one of Sabrina’s romance novels. Tall, with sharp features, intense eyes, and wearing some sort of princely outfit that screamed “I’m important.”

For a moment, the entire market seemed to hold its breath.

The man’s gaze swept the crowd before landing on Sabrina, then shifting to Alice and Jeanna. His voice, deep and commanding, sliced through the air. "Who are you?"

Sabrina straightened up, batting her eyelashes in her usual fashion. “I’m Sabrina. These are my friends, Alice and Jeanna. And this adorable little guy... well, we haven’t learned his name yet, but he’s precious, isn’t he?” She ruffled the kid’s hair, making him squirm uncomfortably.

The prince raised an eyebrow. “And what brings you to my kingdom?”

Jeanna leaned in, whispering to me, “Here we go. She’s about to launch into some ridiculous story, isn’t she?”

Sure enough, Sabrina was already in full performance mode. “We’ve been transported here from another world!” she declared dramatically. “I’m sure it’s because we’re meant to help you with your kingdom’s problems—perhaps break a curse? Or maybe… perhaps we’re destined to fall in love?”

I smacked my forehead. Why was I friends with these people?

“Well, this is going to be interesting.” Jeanna shot me a look.

“More like a disaster,” I muttered, gripping my trekking pole as we trailed behind the prince’s entourage.

I had a bad feeling that this was only the beginning of the madness.