"After last week, I haven't been feeling well," Aaron said, dropping his canvas backpack by his feet.

  Soft rustling of pages turned amongst the rhythmic clicking of keys. Occasional hushed conversations between librarians and patrons. These sounds blended into calm background noise for Aaron. He liked library’s for their large windows that allowed natural light to cascade in during the day. Shelves that brimmed with books, creating a comforting sense of abundance and possibility filled him with joy. It helped that he could read fantasy novels and be secluded doing so, but today was tabletop role playing day and he found himself far from being secluded.

  Aaron received an invitation last month to join his friend Max playing a role playing game after one of the other players dropped out. They had been best friends since high school. Once considered inseparable, they drifted apart in their twenties when college took them in different directions. In recent years, they had been working on rekindling their close bond. In a way it had been the best thing Aaron could have asked for. He had been cooped up in his apartment living on energy drinks and take-out, and was thrilled at the opportunity to get out and do something on his day off.

  He pulled out several books that included the players hand book for quick references and the many expansions that he had just bought the other day. Then he spread them out across the table alongside his snacks, dice, and a wooden dice tray. Some would say he went overboard, but to him, this is the correct way to play a tabletop game.

  "At first, I thought I might have had an allergic reaction to the drug, but from what I read it doesn’t stay in your system for very long. It's why it’s so popular as it doesn’t show up on any random drug test."

  Max brought out his bag of dice and plopped them down on the table next to his cheap dice tray while listening to Aaron. He poured the dice into the tray and the soft clinking of the dice was a comforting sound, familiar and reassuring.

  "What was the name of that drug again?" asked Max.

  "Pixie dust," Aaron whispered, making sure no one heard him.

  Max pushed his dice tray further in front of him so he had room to lay down a binder that held his character sheet, notes of the campaign and a drawing of his character. He had chosen to be a dwarf with fire red hair that wielded a great axe. A fitting character for a hot head like him.

  “Interesting. Ironic name for a pill.”

  "That's what I thought," Aaron replied. "Jimmy said it's supposed to open your mind or something. It did—I felt like I was on fire. There was this woman who burned alive, and I felt her emotions. Raw rage for those who wronged her."

  Max turned his attention back to sorting his dice by sides and his casual demeanor changed into more of a professional one. "Do you think you have some unresolved issues? Maybe unfulfillment at work, and your dreams are just your subconscious trying to process it?"

  The private study room fell silent while Aaron processed what had transpired. He knew Max had a degree in psychology but didn’t think he would bring it up so casually.

  "Are you psychoanalyzing me right now?" Aaron asked with a smirk.

  "Sorry," Max chuckled. "You bring up these dreams frequently and you also won't take my advice to see someone. I figured you wouldn’t mind me throwing you a bone."

  When Aaron turned to respond, the door to the study room bursted open and a tall man, juggling a backpack and several over-the-shoulder bags, walked in and set his things on the table the best he could. Rolls of maps, miniatures, and books were spread out on the table so the two could see.

  "Sorry I'm late," the man said, "I was preparing something special for tonight's session."

  They both looked at him with raised eyebrows.

  "What did you do, Gavin?" Max asked, taking notice of what Gavin had brought.

  "Max, my friend, so glad you asked," Gavin replied with a mischievous grin. He reached into his bag and pulled out a ziplock bag filled with white pills that glittered under the fluorescent light. "Pixie Dust."

  "What?" Aaron's jaw dropped. "Where did you get those?"

  "I know a guy," Gavin said as he took a pill and placed it under his tongue. "They say if you let it dissolve under your tongue, you get a better high."

  The other two players, who had been sitting quietly, hovered over Gavin for their turn at the magical pills. Soon Max joined them, taking a pill and placing it under his tongue. Then they turned to Aaron, waiting to see if he would join in also.

  Despite his inner voice telling him no, he took the offer. He wanted to fit in and no longer be an outsider. If he had denied the offer he would have been laughed at maybe even kicked out of the game for being a loser. He hoped it wouldn’t interfere with the other medication he had taken for his sickness.

  “How long before we feel the effects?” one of the other players asked.

  Gavin sat down at one of the ends of the table and gazed amongst his players. “I was told you should start feeling the effects faster than any drug on the market.”

  Max chuckled in disbelief.

  Gavin puffed out his chest all proud of himself. “I tried some earlier. It’s fast acting and you don't feel hungover after it wears off with no chance of addiction.”

  Another player chuckled. “That sounds too good to be true. Is it made of real pixies?”

  Gavin bellowed a hearty laugh, followed by a snort. He pushed up his glasses along the bridge of his nose and looked around the table. His players were here and ready for him to start his adventure he had planned all week. He inhaled and vividly described the scene.

  Four heroes—a resourceful elf sorceress, a crafty goblin artificer, a formidable dwarf barbarian, and a devoted human cleric—had been tasked by the king's advisor with a special mission to uncover a plot to assassinate the king. Their search for clues had taken them across the kingdom, eventually leading them to the underground city of thieves, where they discovered evidence linking the master thief to the assassination plot.

  "With these clues, you decide to confront the thief," Gavin continued, "Following him to his chambers. Once you arrive there is no one in the room but you and the master. What would you like to do?"

  Aaron studied his character sheet, considering his options. As a sorcerer he had plenty of options. Detect magic, see invisibility, and possibly even locate object, to name a few. He didn’t want to tip him off, but he also didn’t want to end up in an ambush.

  "Can I... detect magic?"

  Gavin clasped his hands together, peering over them with intrigue. "You cast detect magic and see a faint trace. Esim Flintbeam, the master thief, used some kind of spell to escape before you entered."

  “What?” Aaron looked up from his character sheet. “He escap–” His vision suddenly narrowed and his brain fuzzy with the feeling of being weightless. He couldn’t concentrate and soon the lines between reality and fiction blurred. “Um, he escaped before we… could… um..”

  Above the table, a green flame emerged floating and flickering, illuminating the map scrolled across the table's surface. With every pulse, the flame expanded until it reached a point that a person could fit inside. It faded translucent, revealing a room he did not recognize.

  Energy erupted out from the portal and washed over him revealing more of the room's interior. Thin lines between reality and fantasy broke down, rewritten into something familiar yet different. Faint magic lines of runes broke down and rewrote his surroundings like code in an application.

  Aaron studied the room he found himself in. Walls that were lined with dark, weathered wood, adorned with shelves displaying a variety of trinkets. There were bookcases filled with books on diverse subjects in a language he couldn’t make out. A large, well-worn desk stood against the far back wall, its surface cluttered with rolled-up maps, old parchments, and an array of meticulously arranged lockpicking tools. A magnifying glass and a set of jeweler's scales suggested the evaluation of precious gems and artifacts. A small, flickering oil lamp provided just enough light to cast long, dancing shadows across the room. In one corner, he noticed a low sleeping cot draped with dark, simple linens and at the foot of the cot was a trunk secured with a complex lock.

  Mismatched rugs covered the floor that muffled Aarons footsteps. "What... the fuck?"

  "You good?" A gruff voice asked.

  Aaron jumped at the voice he didn’t recognize. He looked around the room hoping to see someone familiar. Nothing. The room was empty and the source of the voice with it. He felt a tug at his leg and he looked down to a four foot tall child. No. Not a child. A child wouldn’t have a bright orange beard with colorful beads weaved into it.

  Bewildered with information, Aaron stumbled over his words. "W-what... who are you?"

  "You feeling okay, bro? I'm Max."

  Max glanced up with a raised eyebrow, studying his friend. Aaron didn’t want to make a scene, but clearly he lost his mind. A dwarf which has only been in fictional stories now stood beside him, warhammer and all. More of Aaron’s surroundings changed around him bringing with it a goblin and a human.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  He stumbled forward like a drunk, unable to walk on his own two legs. He didn’t understand. How was this possible? What was happening to him? The lines between fantasy and reality shattered and Aaron found himself stuck and no longer in control of his own body's actions.

  The goblin let out a chuckle. "Wait... is he already high?"

  The human leaned in closer with a smirk. "Oh my god, he totally is."

  Max joined in with the fun. "You really are a lightweight, Aaron."

  Aaron's heart rate spiked, and his chest tightened. "No, this is different," he insisted, trying to convey the seriousness of the situation.

  A booming voice echoed around them. "Don't be too hard on him, guys. I think… I’m starting to feel it too."

  This was wrong.

  In a puff of smoke, the three others vanished, leaving Aaron alone in the room. Above him, he heard footsteps and a muffled conversation between two men. The voices went silent for a moment before the door swung open, revealing two humans clad in dark leather and wearing masks.

  "Oi, how’d you get down here?" one of the men demanded.

  Aaron froze, unsure of what to do. The men reached for their weapons that were strapped to their thighs in a leather sheath.

  "Hold on," one of the thieves said, placing a hand on his companion's chest to stop him from throwing his dagger. "Is this the elf Esim was talking to us about?"

  "The one who was sweet on him? Wait, where is Esim anyway?"

  "Oi, Elf.” The other thief turned to face Aaron. “Where did Esim bugger off to?"

  Aaron knew he was not an elf, at least the last time he checked he was still human. For this thief to address him as such must mean he had changed also. He didn’t feel any different. He looked down at his hands and he had indeed changed. These were not the same hands he had known for thirty five years, these were smaller, thinner and darker.

  The voice that escaped Aaron’s lips was not his own; it was a soft, feminine voice with a hint of elegance. "Esim said he had some things he needed to do and bamfed out of here. He said he’d be back before supper."

  The voice caught Aaron by surprise. He didn’t speak, he didn’t want to speak. His body moved on its own, circling around the thieves as they bickered amongst themselves.

  "Esim went out shopping? Is he daft?" one of the masked men exclaimed.

  "We are running low on spirits," the other added, a hint of irritation in his voice.

  "In broad daylight, after the assassination attempt on the king?"

  "Um, boys? I may have fooled around with your boss, and correct me if I’m wrong, but should you be having this conversation in front of me?" Aaron interjected with confidence.

  Behind Aaron, the wardrobe door slowly creaked open, and a dwarf tumbled out, followed closely by a goblin who was dexterous enough to roll out and catch himself with his gun drawn. The dwarf stumbled to stand himself back up, but once he did he snatched his war axe and charged the thieves.

  "So much for the plan," muttered a human who crawled out from under the bed.

  A loud crack echoed through the room from the goblin firing his weapon. "Sorry, Thordir farted and I couldn't take it anymore."

  Between swings of his axe, Thordir shouted, "I did not, you green shit stain!"

  Aaron was no longer in control of what his body was doing or saying. It all seemed like a dream. A beam of blue energy shot from Aaron’s hand, freezing one of the thieves at the top of the steps. "I told you not to put Gnat and Thordir together, Zanez," she said, exasperated.

  Zanez swung his staff at the frozen thief, shattering him into pieces. "It was just so cramped in that wardrobe, Eilphine. Do you have any idea what it's like to be stuffed into a closet with a dwarf?"

  "By the Gods, you are both drama queens," Eilphine retorted.

  Ice melted with a crackle and the air stunk of gunpowder and burnt hair. The fight was over as quick as it had begun. The party gathered in the center of the room to discuss their next course of action. After several minutes of back-and-forth banter, they decided to leave the hideout, slipping away unnoticed.

  With Esim gone without a trace, the party found themselves without any leads. They returned to the city to report to the kingdom's advisor. The same advisor, whom they had just met earlier that morning about a lead to Esim. Anxieties stirred amongst the party as they had lost their one and only lead and were forced back to the capital with their tails tucked between their legs.

  The advisors had gathered to discuss the next steps to take with the kingdom following the king's death. Of course the party of heroes were not invited, but decided to barge into the hearing nonetheless. Sitting at the head of a table surrounded by a priest, treasurer, head knight, and the kingdom's resident alchemist, was Bismarck. As the large doors to the chamber creaked open, the bickering inside came to an abrupt halt as the party entered.

  "Ah, it's... you," Bismarck said as they approached.

  "Bismarck, it's so good to see you," Zanez exclaimed, giving him an enthusiastic hug. "Listen, buddy, we ran into some trouble and lost Esim. We were hoping you could cast a locate spell on him?"

  "You lost our only lead?" Bismarck asked, incredulous.

  "Yes, but—" Zanez started to explain but was cut off by Bismarck.

  "The man who carried out the assassination of our beloved king?"

  "It wasn’t our—" Thordir began to interject.

  "And you expect me to just cast a spell and find him?"

  "It would be helpful," Eilphine stated calmly.

  "You are all mental," Bismarck retorted.

  Bismarck pushed himself away from the table and slowly rose from his chair and walked to an open area in the chamber. He weaved his hands in a fluid motion, muttering arcane words as a transparent blue cloud materialized in front of him. It was filled with white dots and lines connecting to form constellations. Slowly, a faint moving image of Esim appeared within the cloud. The picture then zoomed out, revealing the surrounding area where Esim was located, giving Bismarck a clearer idea of where the party should search next.

  "He's headed to the abandoned mithril mines," Bismarck informed the party.

  "If we leave now, we can catch him by nightfall," Gnat suggested.

  "Good!" Bismarck replied, clapping his hands together. "Then perhaps you’d like to leave the royal chambers so we can continue our private meeting."

  "Oh, right!" Eilphine said, turning to the table where the others were still seated. "My bad. I thought you'd want an update on the situation."

  "Well, I'm all caught up. Now, away with you," Bismarck replied, gesturing for them to leave.

  The party left the castle and hurried to the abandoned mines as fast as they could. They gathered at the entrance of the abandoned mines, their breaths visible in the cool evening air. The entrance loomed before them, dark and foreboding, with the scent of damp earth and old stone wafting out.

  Before entering, they discussed their plan. Gnat, the only trained tracker in the group, suggested they proceed with caution. "Esim is clever," Gnat warned. "We don't know what traps or surprises might await us inside."

  The group divided into roles: Gnat would lead the way, his keen eyes scanning for any signs of recent activity or danger. Eilphine, the group's mage, prepared a light spell to illuminate their path, while Thordir, the stout warrior, kept his hand on the hilt of his axe, ready to defend against any potential threats. Zanez, the party's cleric, gripped his staff and kept a lookout in the back.

  As they moved deeper into the mines, the air grew colder and the silence more oppressive, broken only by the occasional drip of water echoing through the tunnels. They found signs of recent disturbances—footprints in the dust, a discarded torch, and even scattered equipment that suggested someone had been here not long ago.

  The party remained on high alert, their senses sharpened. Eilphine whispered an incantation, casting a gentle, glowing light ahead of them, revealing intricate carvings on the walls that hinted at the mine's former glory and the tales of those who once labored there.

  Suddenly, Gnat gestured for the group to stop. "There," he pointed to a set of footprints leading into a narrower passage to the right. "These are fresh. Esim might have gone this way."

  With renewed determination, the party followed the trail, deeper into the labyrinthine depths of the mine. They knew they had to be prepared for anything—whether it was facing Esim himself, or overcoming the challenges the mines might pose. As they advanced, the sense of anticipation grew, each step bringing them closer to their elusive quarry.

  Quiet whimpering echoed down a side passage, catching Eilphine’s sharp ears. She stopped and directed her light to move down a side tunnel. Gnat continued down the main tunnel, unaware she had halted. Thordir whistled to get Gnat to stop.

  "Why did you stop? Did you hear something?" Zanez asked.

  Eilphine ignored him, determined to find the source of the whimpering, and walked down the carved-out tunnel. As she moved deeper through the long, winding passage, her ball of light gradually became unnecessary, replaced by a faint glow emanating from the room ahead. She soon discovered that the light came from a pixie, locked in a cage.

  Eilphine approached it cautiously, her eyes adjusting to the gentle glow emitted by the distressed pixie. The small creature's iridescent wings fluttered weakly as it whimpered, its delicate form casting intricate shadows on the rough stone walls.

  The sight stirred something within Eilphine, a mix of compassion and hesitancy. The cage was suspended from a chain that looked like it hadn't been disturbed in years, with rust suggesting it might not withstand much movement without breaking.

  "Eilphine, what's going on?" Zanez called softly from behind, having followed her into the passage after noticing her absence.

  She gestured for him to be quiet and pointed toward the cage. "Look," she whispered. "A pixie."

  "Aaron, are you okay?" Zanez asked suddenly, his tone shifting.

  Eilphine turned to Zanez with a puzzled look. "What did you say?"

  "I said, do you want me to call nine-one-one?" Zanez repeated, his voice tinged with concern.

  Eilphine glanced back at the pixie, whose tiny hands were wrapped around the bars of the cage, looking in her direction. Its soft orange glow made it difficult to distinguish any facial features, but she sensed a blend of sadness and curiosity emanating from the creature.

  "Free me!" the pixie said, its voice a gentle whisper that seemed to resonate with promise and mystery.

  Confused, Eilphine stepped back from the cage and bumped into Zanez, whose face no longer matched what she knew yet still held a hint of familiarity. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed to the floor. The pixie fluttered its wings, scattering a glittering substance in the warm orange glow.

  "Gavin, call nine-one-one!" someone shouted, pulling Aaron back to the reality.

  "I'm fine, I just need to free the pixie," Aaron muttered, his voice filled with a strange determination.

  "Jesus, Gavin. It was supposed to be a joke. What did you give him?" another voice demanded.

  "If I free the pixie, I can finally be free and live my carefree life," he insisted.

  "Free me, Aaron. You are my only hope." the pixie promised, its voice a soft, enticing whisper.

  “Aaron, stay with me, buddy. I’m sorry. I didn’t think this would happen.” Max said.

  Eiphine crawled forward to the cage. She examined the cage closely, her skilled eyes searching for any signs of enchantment or trickery. Seeing none, she reached into her pouch for a set of tools she always carried, tools that had served her well in picking locks when need be.

  The lock clicked open after a few tense moments, and Eilphine gently lowered the cage door. The pixie hesitated at first, suspicion and fear in its tiny eyes, but then it fluttered out cautiously, hovering just in front of Eilphine.

  “Thank you!” The pixie fluttered its wings happily. “I can sense you are also trapped in a cage as I once was. I see your true soul and I shall set you free.”