Alfred had a feeling the universe was out to get him.
Not in a big, superhero movie way, but in all the small, annoying stuff that piled up until it felt like he was drowning in it.
For starters, his boss, Mr. Hargreeves, always made him stay late three nights a week, and that "overtime bonus" was a total lie. The vending machine on the third floor was also a jerk, rejecting his coins specifically, like it had some personal vendetta.
At twenty, Alfred was pretty sure he'd missed the good life express train and ended up on the rusted-out trolley of despair. His apartment leaked every time it rained, his paychecks were always late and light, and his coworkers would "forget" his name every time they introduced themselves.
But if there was one thing Alfred never saw coming, it was dying like this.
It was just another Tuesday. He was lugging a stack of papers taller than he was when the office ficus, this giant, sad-looking plant that had been leaning for months, finally gave up.
The last thing Alfred saw was the huge ceramic pot dropping right toward him, like some terrible joke by fate.
This can't be happening, he thought, just before everything went dark.
Alfred woke up to a weird kind of warmth.
Not the cold, humming kind from office lights, but the soft, heavy feel of sun spilling through thin curtains.
The ceiling wasn't covered in water stains or peeling paint; it was all fancy carved wood and gold stuff.
He shot up, his hands shaking.
They weren't his hands. They were skinnier, paler, and way too young.
A mirror across the room showed him his new face.
Alfred, the forgotten office drone, was gone. In his place was a boy with sharp green eyes and messy hair that looked way too princely to be his.
"Prince Louis," a voice said from outside the door, all breathless and respectful.
"Your dad wants you in the throne room. It's important… the Dragon King sent a message."
Louis—or Alfred—froze.
The words hit him like a bad dream.
A dragon? A king?
And he was a prince?
This wasn't the second chance he'd ever imagined.
This was so much weirder.
And a lot more dangerous.