Beatrice sat on the garden bench, scrolling lazily through her GrimoPhone, when a sudden realization struck her. She let out an exaggerated sigh. “Great. I’m out of snacks.”
Rookie, lying flat on his back on the grass with a stomach full of candies, perked up. “Out of snacks? That sounds... bad.”
“It is bad,” Beatrice replied, standing up and stretching. “I could just create more, but I’d rather not lose the oh-so-important skill of shopping and buying. Gotta stay relatable to the common folk, you know?”
“Totally relatable,” Rookie said, sitting up. “I mean, I’m a gingerbread man, so I get it. Let’s go!”
Beatrice raised an eyebrow. “You’re coming?”
“Of course! For the snacks!” Rookie exclaimed, stuffing another candy into his mouth.
Beatrice gave a small chuckle. “Alright, let’s go.”
20 Minutes of walking later
The walk to the city was uneventful, at least until they reached the outskirts of the devastation caused by Omega Man’s earlier rampage. Piles of rubble lined the streets, and workers from the Magna Corps—a militarized cleanup and restoration team—were everywhere, directing reparation efforts. Soldiers patrolled the area, and drones hovered overhead, scanning for unauthorized activity.
Beatrice stopped and frowned. “Bureaucracy.”
“What’s that?” Rookie asked, tilting his gumdrop head.
“A pain I’d rather avoid,” Beatrice muttered. She glanced at the patrols and shook her head. “Talking to soldiers? Getting permits? No, thanks.
”With a flick of her finger, a soft ripple of energy enveloped her and Rookie. The air around them shimmered briefly before settling into perfect invisibility. “There,” she said. “We’re off the radar—literally. No one can see or scan us now.”
Rookie looked at his hands—or rather, where his hands should have been. “Whoa, I’m invisible? Cool!”
“Stay close,” Beatrice said, walking confidently through the chaos. The invisibility spell worked perfectly, letting them bypass the guards, drones, and workers unnoticed. Rookie followed closely, marveling at the efficiency of her magic.
The candy store was one of the few buildings still intact amidst the rubble. Beatrice pushed the door open, stepping inside and dropping the invisibility spell. The faint chime of the doorbell announced their arrival, and the clerk—an older man with a beard made of licorice—gave a polite nod.
Beatrice strolled through the aisles, picking up bags of colorful candies, boxes of cookies, and jars of sweet spreads. Rookie trailed behind, eyeing everything with uncontained excitement.
“This place is heaven,” he said, almost drooling.
Beatrice smirked. “It’s decent.”
At the counter, she pulled out her hand and conjured several glowing Astro Coins, her magical currency. The clerk’s eyes widened slightly but said nothing as he accepted them. With a polite nod, Beatrice gathered her purchases and reactivated the invisibility spell before stepping out of the store.
Back outside, Beatrice and Rookie moved through the bustling reconstruction efforts unnoticed. Soldiers barked orders, and drones buzzed overhead, but the pair passed by without a hitch. Rookie, clutching a bag of gummies from the store, whispered, “You’re really good at this sneaky stuff.”
“Of course I am,” Beatrice said nonchalantly.
When they finally reached the safety of the castle, Beatrice dropped the invisibility spell and set the snacks on the kitchen table. She opened a bag of caramelized popcorn, tossing a few pieces into her mouth as she leaned back against the counter.
“Mission accomplished,” she said with a satisfied smile.
Rookie was already tearing into a box of chocolate truffles, his tiny hands a blur as he stuffed his face. “This is the best day ever,” he declared between bites.
Beatrice chuckled, opening a jar of honeyed almonds and popping one into her mouth. “Yeah, not bad. Snacks always taste better after a little adventure.”
As they sat there, celebrating their haul with candy and laughter, the outside world’s chaos seemed far away. For now, it was just them, their snacks, and a rare moment of peace in Beatrice’s quirky, magical life.
Comments (0)
See all