Coralina stepped off the train, carrying her small suitcase, and politely bid farewell to the conductors.
"Thank you very much," she said with a smile before turning to her new companions.
Albert, on the other hand, grumbled something under his breath, saying goodbye to Charles, who seemed more interested in continuing his journey than prolonging the farewell.
"Welcome to Vienna!" someone exclaimed with a tone so cheerful it felt almost out of place.
Standing before them was a girl with her hands on her hips. "I'm Wilhelmina von Stein, the great and unique supreme mage of rock magic, protector of the academy, and, of course, your official guide for today."
Surprised by the girl's overflowing energy, Coralina clapped softly. "That was... quite an introduction."
"I know!" Wilhelmina replied with a big smile, performing an exaggerated bow. "Now, how can I help you, new students?"
Coralina raised her hand as if in class. "Could you take us to a wand shop? I need one."
"Of course! The wand shops in Vienna are famous for their quality and variety! They have everything from basic models to custom-made wands with magical gems. Though, of course, the more expensive ones can cost a small fortune."
"How small?" Albert asked.
"Small for you, but huge for any normal person," Wilhelmina replied with a playful laugh. "Don't worry. There are beginner options too."
She led them to one of Vienna's most popular shops. The entrance was adorned with glowing runes, and inside, shelves were packed with wands of different materials and styles.
"This is my first wand," Coralina said, almost as if talking to herself.
"First?" Albert asked suspiciously. "You're not lying to me, are you?"
"No, I'm not lying," Coralina replied, frowning. "I used my mom's wand... secretly, a few times."
She picked up a black ebony wand with a golden tip. "What do I do now?"
"Just say something basic," Wilhelmina suggested. "Like Lumos to turn on the light."
"Okay," Coralina said, holding the wand with both hands. "Lumos... work, work, work!"
Nothing happened.
"That's fine! Keep trying. Just relax."
Coralina tried several wands, each with a more elaborate design than the last, but none responded. Finally, she picked up a white wooden wand with a blue crystal core. She lifted it with determination, but once again, nothing happened.
Albert approached and took the wand from her hands. "Let me show you how it's done."
He conjured a shimmering water bubble that floated gently in front of them. "Watch and learn."
"I don't need a wand I can't use."
Albert sighed and pulled something out of his pocket: an old wand with worn markings on the wood. "Here," he said, handing it to her without much enthusiasm. "Take this. It's already defective, so I don't care."
Coralina caught the wand in her hands. She moved it slightly, and a tiny dark projectile shot into the sky, leaving a black trail.
"Wow!" Wilhelmina exclaimed. "It's the first time I've seen antimagic in its purest form. That's amazing!"
"That shouldn't have happened... Give me the wand back."
"No," Coralina said, hiding the wand behind her. "Gifts can't be returned." She stuck her tongue out at him.
In the camp dining hall, Coralina took the wand out of her pocket, proudly showing it to the other brigade leaders. "This is the same wand I was given that day," she said, spinning it between her fingers. "I used this very wand to interrupt magic for the first time."
###
"Initiation ritual?" Coralina asked.
"The new students have to get the keys to their dorms before nightfall. If they don't succeed, they'll have to sleep outside."
Albert pulled out his new wand. "That sounds easy."
Wilhelmina burst out laughing. "Do you think it'll be easy? Because..." She took a set of keys from her pocket and dangled them in the air. "I have them."
"And what are we supposed to do?"
"Simple. You have to take them from me. You have all day starting now."
Albert and Wilhelmina reacted with incredible speed, leaping from one building to another.
"Wait for me! Don't run so fast!" Coralina yelled, running after them.
The chase led them through Vienna's intricate streets, past markets, squares, and bridges. Coralina tried to keep up but soon fell behind. She watched as Albert and Wilhelmina disappeared into the distance.
Determined to catch her, Albert used magic to propel himself with small bursts of electric energy.
Finally, Wilhelmina turned into a dead-end alley.
"Got you," Albert said.
Wilhelmina summoned floating rock steps, using them to leap nimbly from one side of the alley to the other.
Albert growled and hurled an electric ball at her, but the spell's trajectory veered off course, missing her entirely and flying out of the alley.
On the main street, Coralina appeared, gasping for air, just in time to be hit by Albert's spell.
"It works, it works…!"
Before being flung into a potion stall, knocking over bottles and shelves in her path.
The air filled with the sweet and intoxicating aroma of spilled potions. The stall owner, a burly man with a scruffy beard, frantically picked up the broken bottles while muttering about the cost of his losses.
Wilhelmina, standing nearby with an amused smile, pointed at the shattered bottles. "Are those love potions?" she asked, her eyes glinting mischievously.
"Yes," the man grunted without looking up. "The best in all of Vienna, and now they're ruined. Such a waste."
Albert arrived right behind Wilhelmina and looked over the mess.
"Are you okay?"
Sitting amidst the debris, Coralina blinked. Her cheeks instantly flushed red when her eyes met Albert's, her reaction so obvious that even Wilhelmina, usually cheerful, narrowed her eyes with curiosity.
"Wait," Wilhelmina said, leaning slightly toward Coralina. "I think the potions have already taken effect."
"Is that true?"
The man glanced up, observing Coralina carefully. "Oh, yes. The thing about these potions is, you don't need to drink them. If you touch them, the effect can activate."
Albert blinked, incredulous. "And how do we know who the unlucky target of her affection is?"
"Simple… Her reaction will say it all."
"This will be interesting. How about we make a bet? Who do you think it'll be?"
"And what if it's no one? We've only been here for a few hours."
"Oh, dear Albert. Always so pessimistic. What if it's you?"
The first thing Coralina saw when she opened her eyes were the expectant faces of Wilhelmina, Albert, and the stall owner. She blushed immediately, avoiding direct eye contact with Albert.
The stall owner clapped Albert on the back. "Congratulations, kid! She's your problem now."
"What?" Albert stepped back instinctively.
"The rules are clear," the man explained. "Love potions aren't a game. If she feels something for you, you're responsible for her until the effect wears off. Didn't they teach you that at the academy?"
"See you later!" Wilhemina yelled as she disappeared from the scene.
"This can't be happening…"
"Let's follow her," Coralina said, getting back on her feet. "Unless you want to sleep under the bridge tonight."
Albert paid for the damaged potions, leaving his money pouch completely empty.
Chasing after Wilhelmina, Coralina grabbed Albert's hand, which he quickly pulled away.
"Don't do that!" Albert said, uncomfortable. "It gives me the creeps."
"You're so cute when you're angry…"
"This is ridiculous."
Still, he read the label on one of the bottles he had purchased.
"'May you be so happy that you don't know if you're living or dreaming.'"
Was it possible that Coralina was just pretending? Or was there something more behind her behavior?
Albert walked along the left side of the street, while Coralina, always a few meters behind, stayed on the opposite sidewalk, occasionally jumping over puddles or stopping to admire shop windows.
"It's the potion, kid. You should be flattered. Not every girl reacts like that," the stall owner called out from afar.
At some point, Albert turned around, but Coralina was nowhere to be seen. He quickly crossed the street.
"Where did she run off to now?"
He heard Wilhelmina's playful voice behind him.
"She went off with some strangers," she said, sitting nonchalantly on the edge of a nearby rooftop.
"What are you talking about?"
Wilhelmina pointed toward a dark alley. "What I said. They took her that way. Those men claimed they could help her with a little 'problem.'"
His stomach churned. Without a second thought, he ran in the direction Wilhelmina had indicated.
Coralina stood next to a strange man, who was leading her into an increasingly deserted area. He spoke in a low voice.
"I assure you, I can help. I know exactly how to make that boy return your feelings."
"Tell me what I need to do."
"Stop right there!"
Albert appeared, running with his wand in hand. He grabbed Coralina's hand and pulled her toward him.
Wilhelmina let out a dramatic sigh from the rooftop before gracefully jumping to the ground. "What would you two do without me?"
Several academy professors arrived at the scene, alerted by the commotion.
"Take this degenerate away!" one of the teachers ordered.
Albert and Coralina ended up in Vienna's main square, swaying gently in the golden light of sunset. Still under the effects of the love potion, Coralina bought a caramel lollipop.
"I bought this for you," she said in a sweet voice. "Aren't you going to take it?"
Albert, letting out a deep sigh, reluctantly took the lollipop. "Thanks."
The potion vendor's words lingered in his mind. "This is what he meant by 'taking care of her,'" Albert thought, watching Coralina swing gently on the swings with a look of utter bliss on her face.
Meanwhile, Wilhelmina balanced playfully atop a public fountain, holding the keys high in the air.
"Come on, rookies! Are you giving up already?"
"Not a chance!" Albert shouted, standing up. "I'm going to take those keys from you!"
Albert launched himself toward the fountain, using small magical diagrams on the ground to accelerate beyond human limits. His first attack was direct, but Wilhelmina easily stopped him, grabbing him by the head and tossing him into the water.
"Better luck next time, rookie!" Wilhelmina teased as Albert hit the water with a loud splash.
Coralina rushed toward him, catching him in her arms before he could sink further.
"Don't worry," she said, holding him tightly. "I'll always protect you."
Soaked and red with embarrassment, Albert could barely look at her. My first kiss, and it's with this stranger…
"This is too good!" Wilhelmina laughed. "Wait until the potion wears off. She's going to bury you with punches!"
Albert climbed out of the water, dripping wet and humiliated. "If you can't remove the effect, at least try to control it."
"And how am I supposed to do that?"
Albert sighed. "Wizards start young, learning the basics. Why do you want to be a mage if you don't even understand the fundamentals?"
"Because magic is nothing more than a mere reflection of what flows through the heart. That's what my mom used to say."
"Fine. I'll teach you the basics."
Placing his hands on Coralina's waist to steady her, Albert guided her to hold her wand correctly.
"Repeat after me."
Coralina mimicked him, and the result was immediate. Three dark chains emerged from her wand, cutting through the air with force. Wilhelmina, still atop the fountain, dodged them.
"Not bad!" Albert exclaimed. "Now, focus on the target. Say, 'Nullify all magic from the fountain.'"
Closing her eyes, Coralina repeated the words. The chains wrapped around the base of the fountain, neutralizing all magic in the area. Wilhelmina lost her balance and fell into the water.
Albert stepped closer. "I win! Hand over those keys."
Always one step ahead, Wilhelmina rose atop a stone pillar she had conjured with magic. "You didn't specify a time limit, rookies. So… see you later!"
"This is going to be a long day…"