6. Into the Magic World
"Aqua Scutum!"
As Emma cast the spell, a wall of water appeared from the tip of her wand, swaying but maintaining a solid shape. Today, Emma was practicing controlling a water shield. Just then, Louis arrived.
"You're getting pretty good at controlling your magic."
"I've been practicing for six months already!"
"Well then, let's go."
"Okay!"
Today was the day Emma was going to visit the Arcana Academy of Magic for the first time. The entrance exam was tomorrow. Louis was going to guide her there, but they were first heading to St. Pancras Station in London. It's one of the major terminals in London and also the starting and ending point for the international Eurostar train.
Emma's father, Thomas, gave them a ride to St. Pancras Station.
"Emma, I'm rooting for you. Have fun!"
"I'll try, thank you!"
With that, she headed into the station with Louis. Inside, the station was bustling with tourists and commuters. In the center, there was a large long-case clock—a tall mechanical clock on a stand.
(Was there always a clock like that there?)
"This way," Louis said, and they arrived right in front of the clock. When Louis touched it, the clock hands spun rapidly and stopped at 12 o'clock. The next moment, the door of the clock clicked open, revealing a hidden staircase leading down.
"Wow! I can't believe there was a hidden door like that!"
As Emma marveled, a passerby slipped right through the clock, walking by as though it wasn't there.
"Only those with magic can see it or touch it. Now, let's go."
Following Louis, Emma felt her heart race with excitement as they descended the stairs.
As they went down, Emma began to hear laughter, the sound of wind, and cries that sounded like animals. The moment she stepped off the last step, Emma stopped in her tracks, mesmerized by the scene that unfolded before her.
A massive underground space stretched out in front of her. The ceiling seemed to continue forever, and the sky above was filled with countless sparkling lights, like stars. Numerous trains were lined up, and the tracks extended toward the sky. A floating steam locomotive slowly pulled into the platform, and people disembarked, their robes fluttering as they chatted and laughed.
"This is Astral Terminal. It's connected to the major stations of the human world around the globe."
As Emma looked around, she saw many shops inside the station. At a small magic bookstore, several books floated around the owner. From the magic potion shop, colorful steam billowed out. In front of the store, people holding creatures she'd never seen before stood, making purchases.
"Wow... it's like magic!"
"It is magic. Let's go."
"Huh? Where are we going?"
Louis weaved through the crowd, heading toward the wall of the terminal. When they reached an old door in the corner of the wall, Louis said, "We're going in," took Emma's hand, and led her inside.
"This is how we get to the Arcana Academy of Magic."
"Huh?"
Inside the room, there were sofas, a low table, and small metal lamps casting soft light. At the far end, there was a large fireplace, but instead of flames, there was a faint swirling light inside. Along the walls were closets with robes and hats carefully hung.
"Don't we take a train?"
"I have the right to use this room. When I'm not here, you can use the train to the Arcana Academy of Magic."
"How do we travel from here?"
"We use Felispowder. First, we put on our robes."
With that, Louis handed Emma a robe from the closet and put on his own. Emma's robe was entirely black, while Louis' had a crest on the chest and a beautiful hood that cascaded from his shoulders to his back. The inside of the hood was embroidered with blue and silver silk, glistening with a refined shine in the light.
"Felispowder is a magical powder for teleportation, right?"
"That's right. We'll warp from the fireplace over there."
"Isn't that powder extremely rare?"
"Yeah."
Emma and Louis stood together by the fireplace, and Louis took a small bag of powder. He threw it up so that it would fall over both of their heads. As the powder swirled in the air, it shimmered and spiraled, enveloping them both.
Because of the Felispowder, Emma's vision was filled with a rainbow of colors. And in the next moment, she regained the sensation of her feet touching the ground—she was at the entrance to the Arcana Academy of Magic.
