Rui stood on the edge of the platform, gesturing wildly with a half-eaten granola bar.
"The point is, Brian," Rui yelled at his phone, ignoring the fact that he was currently on speaker and several commuters were moving away from him.
"He's a yoga instructor. He wears toe-shoes! I have a marble countertop and a curated vinyl collection! If you're going to ruin my life, do it with someone who at least knows how to style their hair without using organic tree sap!"
He groaned, shoving the rest of the granola bar into his mouth aggressively.
He wasn't just heartbroken; he was offended. His ego was bruised, and in Rui's world, an ego bruise required a hospital visit.
"Tragic," a voice piped up from hip-height.
"Truly. A fashion crime of the highest order."
Rui looked down. Beside him stood a boy who looked no older than fourteen, wearing a suit that looked like it cost more than Rui's car. The kid had a silver pocket watch and a smirk that felt way too old for his face.
"Beat it, kid," Rui muttered, wiping a crumb from his chin. "Unless you're here to give me a settlement for my emotional damages."
"I'm your Fairy Godfather," the boy said, spinning his watch. "And honestly? Your life is a 2-out-of-10. Bad plot, boring setting, and your love interest has zero taste. Want to swap?"
Rui let out a sharp, mocking bark of a laugh. "Swap? Kid, if changing lives were that easy, everyone would've done it. I'd be a Duke in a castle, and you'd be… I don't know, doing your homework."
"Oh, it's very easy," the boy said, his eyes suddenly flashing a brilliant, terrifying gold.
The air around him began to shimmer like a heatwave. "But most people are too boring to take the leap."
Rui froze. The granola bar felt like lead in his stomach. "Whoa. What was that?
Some kind of high-tech projection?
Holograms?"
The boy stepped behind him, his small hand landing on the small of Rui's back.
Ok now it's about time…
The sound of the train began to roar in the tunnel—a low, vibrating hunger.
"How do you do it?" Rui asked, his voice shaking. "How do you 'change' a life?"
"Better jump to know the truth," the boy whispered.
Suddenly, the boy's hand didn't feel like a child's hand. It felt like a piston. He didn't just push Rui; he snapped his fingers, and the floor beneath Rui's feet turned into literal bubbles.
"Wait—!"
Rui flailed, his expensive loafers losing their grip on reality. He tumbled forward just as the white lights of the express train screamed into the station.
As the metal nose of the train made contact with his very expensive blazer, Rui heard the boy's voice drift through the chaos, light and airy.
"Oops. Looks like that hurts."
Rui didn't feel the impact. He felt a sensation like being sucked through a very thin straw.
When he hit the ground, it wasn't cold concrete. It was soft, glowing purple grass.
He groaned, clutching his head, and realized he was still holding his phone.
"My screen is cracked," Rui whispered, horrified. Then he looked up.
Above him, two moons hung in a violet sky. Huge, floating crystals hummed in the air like giant bees. He wasn't at the 42nd Street Station anymore.
He looked down at his clothes. His suit was now a deep, shimmering white, and some weird looking clothes but to be honest they were of good quality.
Wait a minute where am I and what happened to my clothes.
What is this place?
Did I die … slapped his cheeks ..no not dead but how.. what . That kid?
"Okay," Rui said, standing up and dusting off his knees with shaking hands. "The kid is dead. When I find him, I am suing him for every cent of what he has done to me."
Rui was still busy inspecting a smudge on his sleeve when the sound of frantic boots hitting stone echoed through the clearing.
A man in silver-accented armor came skidding to a halt, looking like he'd just run a marathon in a sauna.
"Young Prince! By the Seven Crystals, what are you doing out here?" the man gasped, doubled over and clutching his knees.
Rui froze. He slowly looked over his left shoulder. Nothing but a floating rock. He looked over his right. Just a very sparkly bush. He pointed a finger at his own chest.
"Me? You're talking to me?"
"Who else would I be talking to, Your Grace?" The man straightened up, his face a mask of pure panic.
"Okay, first off, 'Your Grace' is a bit much, though I appreciate the energy," Rui said, his natural arrogance kicking back in despite the situation. "But na, na, bro. I ain't the one you be looking for. I think you've got me confused with someone who actually wants to be in a forest that looks like a neon disco."
The man stared at him, blinking in confusion. "Prince Sahara... what in the heavens are you blabbering about?"
"Prince who?" Rui's eyes went wide.
"Listen, buddy, my name is Rui. I'm from the city. I have a gym membership and a very specific coffee order. I am not a 'Sahara.' That sounds like a desert or a mid-sized SUV."
The man stepped forward, looking genuinely worried. He reached out, trying to press a palm against Rui's forehead.
"Prince, please. Are you feeling faint?
Looks like you are still thinking about your fall in front of the Young Lady Astin. It was just a trip! The court will forget it in a week.
Or a month."
Rui slapped the hand away, his brow furrowing. "I fell? In front of a 'Lady Astin'?
Do I look like the type of man who just falls? I was pushed by a magical toddler,
thank you very much."
"Right, right... magical toddlers," the man muttered, clearly humoring a crazy person.
He grabbed Rui by the elbow, tugging him toward a path lined with glowing white trees. "Let's go, Prince Sahara. Your Highness is calling for you. The King does not like to be kept waiting, especially not after the... well, the 'incident' by the fountain."
Rui let himself be dragged, stumbling slightly in his expensive loafers. He looked at the man, then at his own glowing hands, and finally at the two moons overhead.
Okay, okay, Rui thought, a slow smirk beginning to pull at the corner of his mouth. I am understanding something here. I'm at a weird place, this guy thinks I'm royalty, and apparently, I have a reputation for being a clumsy mess.
He adjusted his red tie, throwing his shoulders back. "Another world, huh?
Fine. If I have to be a prince, I'm going to be the best-dressed one this 'Wonderland' has ever seen. But I'm telling you now—if there's no Wi-Fi in the castle, I'm headed back to the train tracks."