The moonlight made the glowing fountain in the garden shimmer like a dream, but to Rookie, it felt more like a nightmare. As he and Beatrice walked toward it, his gumdrop eyes darted nervously between her calm demeanor and the fountain's bubbling, magical waters.

"Uh, Beatrice," Rookie started, trailing behind her. "You sure we need to, uh... do this?"

Beatrice glanced back at him, her white eyes blank but somehow still managing to look unimpressed. "You said you wanted cake, right?"

"Well, yeah, but—"

"Then toss a coin in the fountain."

Rookie froze in his tracks, his frosting lips trembling. He remembered the last time he'd tossed a coin. The monstrous Coin Monster that chased the ork through the fields was still fresh in his mind. "Y-You sure that's a good idea? Last time... things got a little, uh, messy."

Beatrice raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "Are you telling me you threw a coin in my fountain?"

"Uh..." Rookie hesitated, then nodded sheepishly. "Yeah... but only because I was starving! And that ork, he—"

Beatrice held up a hand, cutting him off. "Save the excuses. Just throw a coin in. I'll handle it."

Her tone was casual, but there was an odd confidence behind it that made Rookie feel slightly better—or at least less terrified. He gulped, reaching into his licorice belt and pulling out a small copper coin he'd snagged earlier.

"Here goes nothing..." he muttered, tossing the coin into the fountain.

The water shimmered, rippling outward as the coin disappeared beneath the surface. Rookie braced himself, half expecting another monster to burst forth and start wreaking havoc.

Instead, the fountain bubbled happily, and a cascade of candies—glistening lollipops, sugar crystals, and chocolate bars—spilled out of the water and onto the ground.

Rookie's jaw dropped. "Whoa."

Beatrice smirked, leaning casually against the fountain. "See? Nothing to it."

The gingerbread man wasted no time diving into the pile of sweets, stuffing his face with chocolates and licorice ropes. Between bites, he looked up at Beatrice, crumbs spilling from his mouth. "Why does it work now and not last time?"

Beatrice sighed, brushing a stray strand of white hair from her face. "Because I was here this time."

Rookie blinked, tilting his head. "Huh?"

She pointed at the fountain. "This thing's enchanted. Only I have the power to make it work properly. Anyone else who tries to throw a coin in gets... well, creative consequences."

Rookie paused mid-chew, the memory of the Coin Monster flashing in his mind. "Ohhh. So that's why that coin turned into a monster..."

"Yep." Beatrice pulled a glowing device from her pocket—a sleek, magical rectangle with glowing runes across its surface: her GrimoPhone. She tapped the screen a few times, her attention already shifting away from Rookie. "Maybe don't mess with magical fountains you don't understand next time."

Rookie nodded, happily munching on his candies. "Noted."

Beatrice flopped onto a nearby bench, the light from her GrimoPhone illuminating her face as she scrolled through WizardMedia, her go-to app for magical gossip and entertainment. She chuckled at a video of a wizard accidentally turning his own hat into a sentient mushroom.

"Anyway, enjoy your candy," Beatrice said absently, still glued to her screen. "I'm gonna catch up on my shows."

Rookie gave her a thumbs-up, too busy enjoying his haul of sweets to respond.

As the fountain bubbled peacefully behind them, the garden returned to a rare moment of quiet. For Rookie, it was a lesson learned: when it came to magic, sometimes it was better to trust the experts... and always have Beatrice nearby when candy was on the line.