The morning sunlight filters through the streets of Havenmere, glinting off enchanted shop windows and bustling brooms darting across the skies. Darwin strides purposefully toward Ashbain's General Magical Services, his arms laden with scrolls, books, and even a small enchanted crystal sphere that hums faintly with stored magical energy. The sphere is from a class project he did sophomore where, but for some reason he forgot what magic he stored inside of it. His traditional magician's robe swishes awkwardly around his legs—a stark contrast to the more modern, practical attire of passersby.

Darwin stops briefly outside the shop, adjusts his oversized satchel, and takes a deep breath. Today's the day he'll prove himself.

Inside, Merrick is already bustling around the cluttered office. Tally tinkers with one of his drones near the workbench, while Saffrey organizes a shelf of potions with labels scrawled in her messy handwriting.

Darwin steps in full of enthusiasm.

DARWIN: Morning everyone! I brought some examples of my work—spells I've been improving, my degree, even a few enchantments I made during school. And, uh— my crystal sphere...This is something I think could—

MERRICK: Leave it on the table. We have to go, we have been summoned for a job. Grab my satchel and book. Make haste apprentice. We've been called to the old Havenmere Archives. Seems a spellbook that was supposed to be de-cast got activated. Sentient furniture, enchanted chaos—the usual mess. Let's move.

TALLY: First mission kid, feeling excited?

{Saffrey smirks as she packs her different potions together, then glances at Darwin's outfit.}

SAFFREY: {teasing} Nice outfit. Did your mommy make that for you?

DARWIN: I thought it'd be... fitting. Traditional magic and all.

{Merrick stops at the door and gives Darwin a skeptical look.}

MERRICK: Where's your broom? You do have a broom don't you? Did you learn to navigate one in your fancy schooling?

DARWIN: Uh... sort of? I mean, I can ride one... theoretically. I never got my license in school. It wasn't a requirement to graduate, and—

{Merrick raises a hand to cut him off, now irritated.}

MERRICK: {grumbling} Of course. Figures. You'll ride with Tally.

TALLY: {grins} Oh, this is gonna be fun.

Tally points to the back of his hover-broom, a high-tech contraption brimming with blinking lights and enchantments. Darwin gulps, climbing on behind him as Saffrey chuckles and kicks off on her own broom. Merrick grumbles under his breath as he mounts his traditional wooden broom, the bristles swishing as he rises steadily into the air.

The group arrives at the Havenmere Archives, an imposing building of stone and stained glass. It exudes an air of quiet authority, with its grand entrance and tall, arched windows. Or at least, it would—if not for the chaos spilling out of the front door.

A galloping table barrels into the parking lot, its legs bending and creaking as it dodges a startled passerby. Several chairs hop around, a bench rears up, neighing like a horse before bolting down the street.

Darwin's jaw drops as he hops off Tally's broom, nearly tripping in his robes.

DARWIN: This... this is incredible!

{Merrick gives him an annoyed look, stepping past him with his staff in hand.}

MERRICK: Stay back and pay close attention. BEHOLD! Real magic is at work.

{Tally deploys a drone, which buzzes to life and zips toward the library entrance. Saffrey pulls out a shimmering blue potion, setting it to the side as she pulls more colorful vials}

SAFFREY: I'll use a potion to pinpoint the active spellbook causing this. Shouldn't take long.

TALLY: And I'll make sure our furniture friends don't stray too far off.

Merrick mutters something under his breath as he moves toward the doorway, his staff glowing faintly.

Darwin watches in awe as the team springs into action. For a moment, they look like a well-oiled machine. Saffrey's potion glows as she throws it into the air, the mist forming tendrils that snake through the library, seeking the source of the magic. Tally's drones whiz around the perimeter, weaving glowing nets that corral the galloping furniture back toward the entrance.

Darwin can't help but smile. Maybe this is the place for him after all.

But then, chaos erupts.

One of Tally's drones sputters, its lights flickering erratically before it explodes with a loud POP! The net it was holding snaps free, and a table bolts past Merrick, crashing through one of the stained-glass windows.

Saffrey's potion mist veers suddenly, its glow intensifying as it engulfs several dormant books on the shelves. Instead of pinpointing the active spellbook, it recharges the others, sending waves of new enchantments cascading through the library.

One of the newly reactivated books flips open, releasing a gust of icy wind. Within seconds, a snowstorm begins to form above the library, snowflakes swirling through the aisles as frost coats the bookshelves.

Merrick growls, gripping his staff tightly.

MERRICK: {irritated} This is why I tell you to TEST those potions before you use them in the field!

{Saffrey glares at him, pulling out another vial}

SAFFREY: The potion works fine—well it did yesterday!

{Darwin, still standing near the entrance, watches the chaos unfold. His initial awe begins to waver as he realizes just how disorganized things are beneath the surface.}

DARWIN: Okay... maybe they're not quite as put-together as they seemed.

The scene escalates as Merrick attempts to cast a containment spell, his voice rising over the chaos as he chants an ancient incantation. But the length of the spell gives the sentient furniture ample time to scatter further, and the snowstorm above intensifies with each passing moment.

Tally sends out another drone, grinning despite the chaos.

TALLY: Don't worry, I've got this under control!

{The drone veers off course almost immediately, narrowly missing Darwin's head as it crashes into a bookshelf.}

DARWIN: Do you, though?!

Saffrey rolls her eyes, tossing another potion into the mix as Merrick's incantation reaches it peak.

Darwin dodges a flying chair as he realizes just how much chaos this team manages to create—and how much he still has to learn if he's going to keep up with them.

As more books spring to life, the library becomes an ever-growing storm of chaos. Chairs gallop across the aisles, tables neigh like wild horses, and reanimated books flap their covers, darting through the air like birds. Darwin stands near the entrance, his heart racing as he watches the chaos unfold.

Merrick, stationed at the center of the room, grips his staff tightly as he continues to chant the intricate incantation of a powerful containment spell. His voice rises and falls with the ancient rhythm, but the spell takes time—far too much time in the current situation.

Darwin's admiration for traditional magic wavers slightly. While he respects Merrick's spellcasting, he can't ignore what he learned in school—modern adaptations could drastically shorten the incantation time without sacrificing its essence.

On the other side of the room, Saffrey holds the shimmering blue potion and takes aim. The vial glints in the library's dim light.

SAFFREY: {focused} This should freeze the books and furniture for a few minutes. That'll buy us time.

{Tally, meanwhile, activates one of his newer gadgets—a small, dog-like robot with whirring legs and a glowing magical core. The "dog" sprints across the floor, shooting a cable out to lasso around the legs of the table }

TALLY: I'll handle the furniture. Meet Sparky!

{Saffrey doesn't even look at him as she prepares to throw her potion.}

SAFFREY: Just make sure that thing stays out of my way!

But as she throws the potion, Sparky darts directly into her path, running in between her legs causing her to lose control of the vial. It flies through the air before shattering near Merrick. A burst of frosty mist engulfs him, and in seconds, the master wizard is frozen mid-incantation, a look of intense concentration now locked in icy stillness.

SAFFREY: Oh, great! Look at what you did! Your little robot made me freeze Merrick!

{Tally looks more amused than concerned, crossing his arms as Sparky scuttles back to his side.}

TALLY: Hey, I'm just impressed your potion actually worked. When he thaws he gonna be pissed.

SAFFREY: We got like 10 minutes. We need to fix this now!

TALLY: (shrugging) Ten minutes? Plenty of time for more chaos to erupt.

{Darwin finally steps forward, unable to stand back any longer}

DARWIN: {shouts} I CAN HELP!

{He charges in, but his long, flowing robe catches on a fallen chair leg. He trips and lands face-first on the floor with a loud thud.}

SAFFREY: Hey, kid! If you're gonna help, take off that stupid robe first.

{Darwin scrambles to his feet, yanking the oversized robe over his head and tossing it aside. Beneath it, he's wearing simple, practical clothes. His face flushes, but there's a determined look in his eyes.}

DARWIN: I think I know how to finish Merrick's spell.

TALLY: Well go for it kid!

Darwin begins reciting a spell incantation, but unlike Merrick's drawn-out chant, Darwin's version is sharp, concise, and modernized. He combines fluid hand movements with spoken words, focusing his energy into the core of the room where the chaos is strongest.

The reanimated books flap erratically, drawn toward the glowing point of Darwin's spell. The galloping chairs and tables slow, their movements growing sluggish as the enchantment takes hold.

Saffrey raises an eyebrow, watching the room settle slightly.

SAFFREY: Not bad, kid.