The group stood frozen, unsure whether to bow, scream, or run. The queen's many eyes softened as her expression fell into guilt.
"I'm sorry… did I startle you, young ones?" she asked gently, her voice warm despite the eerie click of her spider legs. There was genuine sadness in her eyes—all eight of them.
Before anyone could respond, a deep, thunderous laugh echoed across the throne room.
"Oh dear, forgive my beautiful wife if she scared you!" King Ristandor boomed, laughing heartily. "I assure you; she isn't going to bite your torso off."
The queen shot him a glare, grunted in annoyance, and bonked him lightly on the arm with her human hand. The king only laughed harder.
"I am King Malbec Ristandor of Wilowink," he declared proudly, then gestured to the queen beside him.
She sighed softly, then smiled with elegance. "I am Queen Charlotte Arco Ristandor of the Arnea Clan. A pleasure to meet Princess Wihelmina's… friends."
The group blinked in confusion. Friends? They exchanged glances. Mina just waved at them sheepishly.
"And down there beside the princess is my son," the king added, looking toward Sierius, who stood patiently with his hands behind his back. "I believe you have met him already."
He spread his arms wide in a welcoming gesture.
"Now then—please introduce yourselves, friends!"
William gulped, stepped forward, and spoke first. "William Reyes Cruz. Reyes is my middle name—I just prefer using it."
"Brie Nathalie Adams," Brie said shakily, still very much intimidated by the queen's extra eyes. Leo stepped forward dramatically. "Leonardo Dale Kayne, of the House Kayne, of House New York. Ace player of the football team." He winked.
Brie snorted, caught off-guard. Alliah groaned loudly. "Ugh… Alliah Christy," she said flatly. The king stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Now those are some fancy names, but…" His expression sharpened. "From the way you dress I assume you are not from here. And I'm guessing you were the ones who caused that massive surge of magic." The group stiffened.
The queen stepped forward slightly, her spider legs clicking softly against the tile.
"We may need your help," she said, her voice soft yet heavy—full of meaning.
"Now, now," King Ristandor said gently, raising a hand. "I'm sure our friends are tired—and full of questions, just as we are. Why don't we continue this tomorrow at lunch, hmm?"
His voice was warm. Surprisingly warm. The group felt the sincerity behind his words, and it eased some of the fear they still held.
The queen smiled and nodded. "I agree, my love. Why don't you help yourselves in the dining room? There are dishes prepared for you." She gave them a soft but unintentionally seductive look. "We do apologize—we've already eaten. I hope it won't bother you."
Leo let out the loudest sigh ever recorded in Wilowink history.
"FINALLY, FOOD! I've been starving!" He stretched his arms toward the heavens dramatically. "Might as well eat before we figure out what's going on, huh gang?" Brie rubbed her temples, exhausted. "Leo… you could at least pretend we're in danger." Alliah crossed her arms. "Food's food. If I pass out, it won't be from hunger, it'll be from everything ELSE happening today." William chuckled weakly. "Yeah… let's just eat. Maybe my brain will reboot." They were escorted away by a line of guards.
Sierius and Mina remained behind in the throne room. William glanced back one last time. Mina was already smiling and waving both hands at him like an excited toddler. See you later! her expression said.
The doors weren't as massive as the throne room's, but still tall enough to make them feel tiny. Inside, the light flooded out, warm and bright.
A group of maids stood waiting— some clearly human, and some VERY clearly not.
One had horns and blue skin. Another had a tail. One bowed, and her tentacle-arm waved politely.
"Huh…" Alliah muttered, eyes widening. "So… monster maids are real. Okay. Sure. Why not. Fine."
The maids guided them to a long dining table—so long it looked like a runway.
Everything was white and gold; even the chairs had ornate carvings of leaves and stars.
William's eyes drifted up. The ceiling mural shimmered.
A black, shining egg sat in the center of the painting—surrounded by swirling figures, battles, and what looked like ancient beings kneeling before it.
He had a strange chill. What is that…?
A tentacle-arm maid gently pulled out William's chair. He awkwardly thanked her, unsure if he should shake the tentacle or not.
Leo sat down like he'd lived here all his life. Brie kept straightening her uniform out of nerves. Alliah sat stiff, arms glued to her sides like she might touch something cursed. They barely even got settled when—
BAM!
The opposite door swung open violently. A fleet of servers entered, carrying towers of food— roasted meats, glistening fruits, glowing soups, shimmering pastries, and dishes that literally sparkled. The group's jaws dropped at the exact same time. Not even Brie—who had the fanciest life among them—had ever seen catering like this. She blinked rapidly. "…Okay, I'll admit it. This is insane."
Leo whispering "Yo… are we sure we're not dreaming? 'Cause I swear that plate just winked at me." William "Don't say that while I'm holding cutlery." Brie inspecting a dish "This is… elegant. Royal. Like five-star-hotel-on-steroids elegant." Alliah pointed out "Focus on the maids please. Half of them look like NPCs from three different RPGs." "One had tentacle arms, Alliah. TENTACLE ARMS. She pulled a chair for me. I feared for my life but also kinda felt pampered." Leo pointed out.
"Do you think they're… dangerous?" Brie asked genuinely concerned "I mean… if they wanted us dead, they wouldn't have cooked a whole buffet." "Not helping." Alliah grunted while Leo already stuffing his plate— "Danger tastes amazing, wow!"
They laughed lightly—the first real laugh after a long day. For a moment, sitting at the table, surrounded by strange beauty and stranger creatures, they finally relaxed, just a little.
The group had just settled into the massive dining room. Plates stacked high with food, steam rising from roasted meats and glimmering pastries. Leo had already taken the first bite of… well, everything on his plate.
Alliah, Brie, and William quietly tried to pace themselves, still a little stunned from the day's chaos, while occasionally glancing at the half-human, half-monster maids moving gracefully around the table.
Suddenly—
"HELLOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"
The sound echoed through the dining room.
The group nearly jumped out of their chairs. The chandeliers trembled ever so slightly from Mina's booming greeting. Mina bounded over with her usual energy, her bright starry eyes shining as wide as the sun.
"I TOLD THEM I COULD SIT WITH YOU GUYS!!" she yelled as she plopped down beside Leo, practically sliding into his seat like she owned it.
Leo froze mid-bite. "Uhh… hi?"
Mina wasted no time. She grabbed a pastry with one hand, a piece of roasted meat with the other, and dug in like she hadn't eaten in a week.
Mina was already on her third helping by the time Brie leaned closer to William and whispered, barely holding back a laugh, "She eats like a… hurricane."
William smirked, eyes flicking toward the girl currently demolishing a mountain of food. "I think she eats like everything is a challenge."
Across the table, Alliah groaned, resting her head in her hand. "Please tell me she's not going to finish my side of the table too."
Leo stared down at his rapidly vanishing plate, wide-eyed and slightly horrified as Mina's fork darted in again. With his mouth still full, he muttered, "Wait… she's already halfway through my plate. She's cute… but this is… aggressive."
Mid-bite, crumbs scattering from her lips, Mina looked up at the group and burst into laughter.
"WHAT? You're not gonna share your food? I thought you were my new friends!"
Brie covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. "Well… I guess she makes up for her energy by… eating us out of house and home."
"At least she's happy," William said quietly. His gaze lingered on Mina as she laughed without a care in the world. "And… she's safe." For the first time since the forest, since the monster, since the fear, the tight knot in his chest finally began to loosen.
Mina finished a massive bite and leaned back with a satisfied sigh, wiping her hands casually on her lap. "Ahhh… nothing like dinner with new friends!"
Leo blinked. "New friends…? Uh… yeah, sure…"
The group exchanged glances. Brie rolled her eyes but smiled faintly. Alliah sighed, shaking her head with a tiny, reluctant grin. William just chuckled under his breath.
For the first time since arriving in Wilowink, they felt… normal.
Mina noticed instantly.
"You guys are way too quiet! Food is meant to be enjoyed LOUDLY!" she declared, spinning her fork between her fingers like a baton. "Come on! Tell me about Earth! What's dinner like there? Do you eat this much?!"
They all groaned at once.
Leo, of course, answered anyway. "Uh… nope. Earth dinner are way less exciting… and definitely less aggressive. We have pizza though."
Mina gasped dramatically, pointing the fork straight at him. "LESS EXCITING? BLASPHEMY! Earth food is obviously inferior!" she proclaimed, tossing a piece of bread into her mouth with exaggerated flair.
Brie laughed softly. "I think we're gonna get used to this… eventually."
Alliah muttered, "Or we'll just get fat and chaotic. Either way…"
William leaned back in his chair, quietly observing Mina as she continued to chatter and eat with unstoppable energy. Somehow, the terror of the forest felt distant now—like a bad dream already fading.
From beside him, Leo muttered under his breath, "She's… definitely something else."
"WHAT WAS THAT, LEO?" Mina snapped instantly.
Leo froze. "N-nothing! Absolutely nothing!"
Mina grinned, clearly unconvinced, and went right back to devouring the feast as if nothing had happened.
The rest of the group could only shake their heads—but deep down, they were smiling.
It was the first real moment of peace they'd had in Wilowink.
The group had just finished their enormous meal. Their stomachs groaned in protest, except for William, who seemed impossibly unaffected.
"So… are you the only one who's capable of… you know," William asked out of nowhere, looking at Mina.
"Uhhh?? Sorry, I can't really think of anything right now… can you finish your question?" Mina replied, patting her stomach, clearly still full.
"You know… magic? Are you the only one?" William clarified.
"Uhh, duh… no! You Earthians have no observation skills, huh?" Mina teased, grinning at them.
Alliah narrowed her eyes, clearly annoyed.
"Well, sorry for being less observant! We were sucked through a wall and teleported into this rabbit hole without our consent. I'm just being practical and realistic!" she snapped, folding her arms.
"Whoa, whoa, relax! I know we've all had a bad day. Let's just… change the subject, yeah?" Leo chimed in, holding up his hands defensively.
Alliah rolled her eyes and slumped back into her chair. "Whatever. I'm too full anyway."
Mina's playful smile faded slightly at Alliah's tone, but she brushed it off and turned back to William.
"No. Everyone in Magica can conjure magic," she said. "I bet even you guys could start now!"
"HUH!?" Alliah leapt out of her chair, flabbergasted.
"Umm… you mean the thing you did with your cute little wand earlier in the forest?" Brie asked, genuinely curious.
"Uhh… you mean magically snapping a cup out of thin air?" Mina tilted her head. "Yeah… but that requires training. It's a special magic—you need to chant something first, unlike normal spells."
The group stared, utterly confused. Mina explained everything as if they had lived in Magica their entire lives, which only made them more bewildered.
"What! Can you explain?" William asked again, leaning forward, but the table blocked his view.
Mina simply smiled at them, a mischievous glint in her eyes. Then, with a quiet burp, she stood up. Leo's eyes widened, and he smiled sheepishly—she was impossibly cute.
"Ehem," she said, raising her index finger. Circles of faint red light appeared, barely visible to human eyes, floating and spinning around her finger.
The tiny lights began to gather, forming a miniature spiral above her fingertip. Then, woosh! —a small flame appeared at the tip, like a tiny magical lighter.
The gang's jaws dropped.
Brie's mouth fell open. "How… what… HOW?" Alliah stared at the fading glow in front of them, her voice tight with disbelief. "This is… impossible. There's no way humans can do this."
Leo let out a low, impressed laugh, shaking his head. "She's basically a walking, talking firework. Cute… but absolutely terrifying."
William hadn't moved at all. His eyes were wide, fixed on where the flame had been just moments earlier. "So… this is magic?" he whispered. "Real, actual magic…?"
Mina only giggled at their stunned expressions. "Yup! And that's just a beginner's trick. Wait 'til you see the real stuff."
With a playful twirl of her finger, the remaining flame vanished. The red glowing circles dissolved into the air like smoke, leaving nothing behind. As if she hadn't just shattered their understanding of reality, Mina plopped back into her chair and casually picked up a pastry.
Leo was still staring. "I… I can't even…" He shook his head in disbelief. "HOW is she this adorable and deadly at the same time?" Brie leaned closer to the group and whispered, "I think she's insane."
Alliah groaned softly. "Yeah… but she's also brilliant. This is… a lot to process."
William barely heard them. His gaze remained locked on Mina, his thoughts racing. If that was only a small trick… he couldn't even begin to imagine what she was truly capable of.
Mina laughed again, crumbs sprinkling down as she spoke. "Relax, humans! You'll get used to magic here… eventually."
The group exchanged uneasy glances—caught between awe, confusion, and a flicker of fear. Yet despite everything, despite how impossible it all was, they couldn't help but feel captivated by her wild, infectious energy.
"What about a magic spell that can return us home!?" Brie finally blurted out, the question she had been holding back since the forest.
Mina blinked, trying to process the question, her face momentarily serious. But before she could answer, another voice echoed clearly through the dining room:
"Teletion."
All eyes turned toward the source. It was Sierius. The group collectively gasped—four of them, at least—except Mina, who seemed unbothered, almost as if she expected him. There was something… different about him. His face revealed four extra eyes. Not eight like his mother, but enough to make anyone stare.
"Teletion is a magic spell that can teleport a person somewhere. It's a low-level magic, somewhere around level 1 to 2," he explained calmly, brushing his silver hair back with a practiced motion.
"Tele… what now?" Leo asked, utterly confused.
"Magic level 1 to 2? What!?" Alliah chimed in, frustration mixing with disbelief. Even her genius-level logic felt useless here—Earth rules didn't apply.
Sierius sighed, the faintest smile tugging at his lips. "It's been a while since I've seen someone so confused about magic."
He glanced at Mina, who just smiled, listening with her usual carefree expression.
"Like Princess Wihelmin—" he began, but Mina immediately interrupted.
"Nuh-uh! Stop calling me princess, jerk!" she said, grinning mischievously.
Sierius chuckled and continued undeterred. "Well, as Mina has told you, magic can be used by everyone here in Magica. It's measured in levels. A commoner can usually only use low-level magic—level 1 to 3, perhaps. But that doesn't mean they can't level up. Leveling up depends on how much magic… likes you. Yes, I know. Magic chooses its people."
He pulled out a chair and sat down at the far end of the table, keeping some distance from the group.
"Thus, most commoners remain at level 1 or 2. Only a few know level 3 spells. But with training… anyone could advance. Some take longer than others; it really depends on how compatible you are with magic itself."
The group exchanged glances. William tilted his head, trying to process it.
"So… wait. Are you saying magic is… alive?" he asked quietly, almost to himself.
Leo's jaw dropped. "Alive? You mean… it chooses who gets to be OP?"
Brie's eyes widened. "Level 1 to 2… and we just saw Mina blow up a monster like it was nothing?"
Alliah groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Forget logic. There's no reasoning with this world anymore."
Mina simply giggled, her starry eyes sparkling, clearly enjoying their reactions.
Sierius leaned back, folding his arms with an air of casual authority. "Welcome to Magica, Earthlings. It's… going to take a while to get used to." "So… what does that have to do with the teleport spell thingy?" Alliah asked, tilting her head.
"Well, like I said," Sierius replied, adjusting his collar, "magic can be trained. If your magic is strong enough, weak spells can evolve—like what you saw in the forest."
"You mean when Mina sliced that monster into pieces and ultimately burned it!? That was sick, yo!" Leo exclaimed, slamming the table and laughing with pure excitement.
Sierius froze, his serious expression deepening. "Sick? But that monster almost killed you!?"
"Oooff, no, that's not what I meant," Leo quickly clarified, waving his hands. "It's just an expression we humans use all the time. It means… it was awesome!" William and Brie chuckled quietly, while Alliah smirked knowingly. "I see…" Sierius said, a little taken aback, but refocusing. "Well, going back to the topic—the flame Mina used to burn the monster is the same thing you saw earlier."
The group looked at each other, still slightly confused.
"You mean… the small flame thingy on Mina's finger, just before we went in?" William asked, trying to clarify.
"Yes," Sierius nodded. "That's how powerful magic can grow if you train hard. Now, Teletion works in a similar way. A level 1 or 2 Teletion can only take you so far inside Magica—it won't even get you to the restroom of this castle if you try at that level."
The group finally processed what he was saying. Their jaws weren't dropped this time—they were practically scraping the floor in awe.
The group finally processed what he was saying. Their jaws weren't dropped this time—they were practically scraping the floor in awe.