Ring, ring, ring. Eddie stretched his right arm to his bedside table, slammed his hand onto his cellphone, and silenced it. He then wrapped the blanket around himself more tightly. Just a few more minutes.

Ring, ring, ring. He reached for his phone once more, shut off the alarm, and then rolled to the other side of the bed. He adjusted his pillow so that it would fit nicely under his head. Just a few more minutes.

Minutes had passed without a sound. A small part of him was suspicious at the amount of time it was taking for the next alarm to ring. He wondered if he should get up. No, he thought, I always set my alarms right. Even if he wanted to wake up, he was too comfortable to leave the bed. The cold air enveloped him, his skin tingling from the cool sensations. His entire body, save his head and neck, was hidden beneath a thick and soft duvet. Layers of dark drapes kept the room comfortably dark.

Smack! His torso shot upright just after a metal object struck his forehead. Eddie massaged his forehead as he glimpsed his left—resting on the bed, right next to him, was the cellphone that he placed on his bedside table.

"Louis!" he yelled, his cold blue eyes searching for the book. It was hovering inches from his face.

"Finally you're awake," Louis said. "Hurry up. You're running late."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not," he insisted. He snatched his phone from the side of the bed and glimpsed the time. It was 7:30 a.m.

He woke up ten minutes late. Eddie sprang off the bed and sprinted towards his bathroom, undressing and tossing around his clothes as he did so. He swayed his left arm. The curtains drew back, letting light flood the room, and the door to the bathroom swung open. He raised his right arm and twisted his wrist. The shower handle rotated to the far left. He stepped inside the cubicle, closed the shower door, and rinsed himself with hot water.

"Louis!"

The book teleported just outside the shower door, unfazed by its owner's nudity. "Yup?"

"I need you to get me my clothes." He pumped liquid soap into his palms and began lathering himself. "Please get a neutral shirt, chinos, any set of briefs, and put them on my bed. Prepare my shoes and tiny socks next to the bed and my messenger bag as well."

"Ed, you have a ton of clothes that match your description."

"Uh, just get me... any Lacoste neutral shirt, any pants or socks will do. White sneakers, Nike, the one with a bit of blue. Silk scarf, turquoise, Hermès. The same messenger bag I used yesterday. Put in my wallet, the tickets, sanitizer, camera, batteries... you know what to put. Thanks."

Louis left the bathroom to do as it was told. Eddie mentally recited his schedule as he showered. He should finish showering by 7:40 a.m., dress up in five minutes, and then head downstairs for breakfast. By 9:00 a.m. they should have left the house and be on their way to Jardin des Tuileries. They should have lunch at 12:30 p.m. and then head to the Louvre an hour later. Before 2:30 p.m. he and his friends should be on their way to Nitea. After having their lesson, they'd head back to Earth by 3:30 p.m. and then he'd meet with Michelle...

Meet with Michelle. He asked her to meet him at 3:00 p.m., but the trio would still be in Nitea by then. He would not be able to make it.

After rinsing himself, he turned off the shower and set himself aflame. The water on his skin evaporated in an instant. Normally he would have gotten a towel, but he had no time to waste. He then sprinted towards his bedroom. Louis had prepared all his clothes.

Eddie began dressing. "Louis!" he called out.

The book reappeared. "Yup?"

"Get my phone please and hold it up for me."

Louis promptly obeyed. Eddie leaned towards his phone as he continued putting on his clothes. He went over the schedule once more. They were supposed to be at the Louvre until 5:30 p.m., so he would have two hours left after the lesson to talk with Michelle. He had to drop off Jon and Stella at the Louvre first before teleporting to Bois de Boulogne, and he could not just leave them there. The adults—Letizia in particular—would be livid if they found out that he had. He would have to allow a few minutes to find the adults, leave Jon and Stella with them, and then be on his way to Bois de Boulogne. He could meet Michelle at 3:45 p.m., but would she be available? Probably. He composed a text message: Sorry, I can't meet at 3. What about 3:45?

He sent it. Eddie checked the time; it was a quarter to eight. He still had about thirty minutes left to eat breakfast. He dropped his phone onto the bed and bent over as he tied his shoelaces. Once he had knotted them, he jumped off the bed and darted towards the door.

Ping.

He rushed back to his bed and picked up the phone. Michelle had already replied: Ok.

Eddie exhaled in relief. He dropped his phone once more and raced downstairs to the dining room.

***

Grimelda's apprentice entered the laboratory, opening and closing the door without making a sound. His soles swung close to the floor as he slinked towards his usual spot. Once he was already in position, Grimelda acknowledged his presence.

"Good afternoon, apprentice," she greeted him. She was too busy stirring a liquid in a flask to make eye contact with him. She then asked, "Any news?"

"I tried contacting all the apothecaries in Nitea," he began. "Not one of them has a first-class panacea readily available."

"Have you tried searching online?"

"I have. The same result."

Grimelda sighed. She stopped stirring, placed the flask under a burette, and began pouring a liquid. "I guess they're all busy brewing. How close are they to finishing their next batches?"

"The earliest batches should be finished by next week," he answered, "but their waiting lists are full. The second-earliest will take more than two weeks."

"Perhaps you can try searching in Juvathon, especially in Meisis and Aquatius. I heard they have excellent brewmasters there."

"I've tried that as well. All apothecaries are out of stock."

"Parafiso, Pristicine, Coronu?"

"All sold out."

"Just when we most need them," Grimelda muttered.

She stopped pouring the liquid. She held up the flask to her eye level and shook it slowly, monitoring the mixture as it changed color. She spent the next several minutes meticulously mixing and measuring things without uttering a single word. Her apprentice only observed from afar, neither moving nor making noise.

Knock, knock.

"The door's open," Grimelda said.

Giorgino opened the door and closed it behind him, holding a thin folder with both hands. He then bowed. "Master Grimelda."

"Were you able to find anything in the Grand Study Hall?" she asked him, her eyes still focused on her apparatus.

"I was able to gather one recipe," he replied. "It could be finished in three days."

There was an awkward pause. Grimelda raised an eyebrow, but her steely grey orbs paid him no attention. "Only three days?" she questioned him.

"Y-yes."

"Hmm. That is very fast. Not that I'm not happy, but it is suspicious." Grimelda scooped some powder with a spatula and poured it into a beaker. "Are you sure it's three days?"

"Yes, I've checked it. I also have the list of ingredients. However, they are difficult to source. Almost none of it is what we normally use."

"You and the Realm Seekers can source them for us. Make it part of your lesson plan."

Giorgino jerked his head back. "The trio? Master, they're neither adults nor mages. The tasks might be too difficult."

"Which is why you will be there to supervise them. Besides, what ingredients do the recipes call for anyway?"

"That's one problem, Master. They're not even specific."

He gulped after he answered her. It was hard to believe—most formulas were either very detailed, too specific, or concise. Never vague. Grimelda had never encountered a recipe whose ingredient list was "not even specific."

Grimelda placed the flask on top of an open flame with the aid of a tripod and mat. She turned her head towards Giorgino. "Not even specific?"

"I-I can show you if you want."

He opened the folder and produced a piece of parchment. He then handed it to her using his right hand. Grimelda read the ingredient list. Upon finishing, she raised another eyebrow.

"I see what you mean," she said returning the parchment to him, "but I still think those three can handle it. Especially that student of yours."

"He is quite gifted," he beamed, "but even then, he hasn't mastered any of his powers. He lacks defensive abilities as well."

Bubbles rose from the liquid as it began to boil. Grimelda lifted the flask with the aid of tongs, cast a spell on the mixture, and then placed the flask on the table's surface. She inserted a thermometer into the flask, which was held upright using magic, and monitored the liquid's temperature. The liquid's color changed from a clear blue into a dark violet as it cooled. Giorgino sidled towards the door. She held up her hand and he halted.

"Giorgino," she said, "if we're not able to acquire a panacea in time, Medela is always an option."

Giorgino shuddered. He repeated, "Med-d-dela?"

"Yes," Grimelda confirmed with a short nod.

Giorgino widened his eyes. Medela was an underground river whose waters were a natural and potent panacea. After people learned of its properties and ravaged the land above the river, the magical forces around it sealed the surrounding forest and punished those who dared to enter. Not a single soul who ventured there had returned.

He asked her, "Master, are you sure about that?"

"That is our last resort. Of course, we'll try to brew a panacea successfully, but you must remember that most attempts end up failing," she reminded him. "Even brewmasters like myself fail much more than half the time. We must always prepare for the worst. Understood?"

"Understood."

"Good. Also, since I barely have time on my hands to handle this mission, I need you to work with my apprentice to acquire the ingredients and brew the panacea."

Giorgino appeared to be on the verge of dropping his jaw. She could understand his reaction. Brew a panacea? He was not a brewmaster yet, let alone one certified to brew such demanding potions! He was still a brew mage in his third year of magical studies. He had never touched a recipe half as complex as a panacea.

"M-me?" he asked.

"Yes, you," she answered him. "I've decided to make you one of the many Gatekeepers who shall focus on acquiring the ingredients. You must report to me after every acquisition. Once we have gathered them all, then we shall brew them together."

"But I am not a master yet."

"I know that. But, for a novice, you aren't too bad. And I need all the help I can get anyway."

Giorgino's face turned red upon hearing her compliment him. "Um, thank you, very much. I shall do my best."

"Good. And one more thing: if you need any help, don't hesitate to ask your classmates or the other masters. This mission isn't classified."

"Sure, I shall keep that in mind."

"Good. You are dismissed."

Giorgino bowed before he exited the laboratory. As soon as he left, the apprentice cleared his throat.

"Master?"

"Yes, apprentice?"

"Are you really sure that the four of them are capable?" he questioned her.

"I'm sure of it," Grimelda said, though her voice did not display the most confidence. She exhaled a sigh. She then put down her apparatus. "Can you take over, please?"

He nodded his head and shuffled towards the work table. Grimelda stepped aside, removed her goggles and gloves, and then took a seat at her other desk. She was in no state of mind to continue working. A brewmaster's mind should always be crystal clear, like a slate of clean and transparent glass. Hers was fogged by thoughts and worries.

She had every reason to be so. Third-class panaceas, potions that could heal any physical ailment, were already difficult to deal with. Only senior brewmasters were allowed to handle such formulas, and even then, the average success rate was usually sixty-to-seventy percent instead of the usual ninety-to-hundred. Second-class panaceas were more demanding, requiring double the amount of reagents and taking up to twice the time to brew. For every batch of second-class panaceas they brewed, only half of them would turn out to be successful.

That was still nothing compared to a first-class panacea, which was what they needed to restore Michelle to human form. First-class panaceas could cure anything and everything, from physical and mental health to magical ailments and strong curses. However, its recipes were extremely demanding—it could take a whole day just to prepare the ingredients. The level of skill needed to pull off a first-class panacea was so high, brewing one required a separate certification altogether. The average success rate for a certified brewmaster, no matter how good, was a handful of bottles per batch. That was assuming that every batch had at least one successful portion.

And they had less than two weeks to brew one portion for Michelle.

Grimelda leaned in her chair and relaxed as her apprentice labored in her laboratory. She closed her eyes. If she had to take a nap to clear her mind, so be it.

***

"The Mona Lisa is this way," Eddie said, gesturing. "Just follow me."

Eddie strode towards the exhibit as Jon and Stella followed closely behind him. The adults were nowhere near to be found, for Eddie had arranged for them to have a guided tour. After the incident at Bibliothèque Mazarine, Eddie could not afford to let Letizia grow suspicious of their whereabouts and activities. He needed Letizia and Stella to be separate as much as possible. That was why he secured three last-minute tickets for a guided tour around the Louvre; while Letizia would be busy following a tour guide and snapping pictures, the trio would be free to roam around.

Eddie checked on Jon and Stella. Though they had been walking around the museum for nearly an hour, they did not look too fatigued. He was not so surprised. He had just treated them to extravagant lunch at an upper-class restaurant, for he knew that they would need as much energy as they could get.

"By the way, do you guys know how big the Mona Lisa is?" he asked them.

"As big as that?" Jon guessed, pointing at a large portrait that hung on one of the walls.

Eddie chuckled. "It's smaller than you think. We're almost there."

He continued walking in a straight direction. The three waded through the crowd as they neared the exhibit. Swarms of tourists flooded the galleries and brought their noise with them. Eddie motioned Jon and Stella to walk closer to him; he could not afford to lose them. The sound of camera shutters, murmurs, and soles contacting the floor grew steadily as they stepped closer to their destination. At last, the volume reached its peak.

Mona Lisa sat behind a pane of glass, peering from within her decorative frame. An entire wall was sectioned off just for her, though the space she actually occupied was not even a tenth of the wall's width. A wooden beam made sure that she was always kept a safe distance from her admirers. Her visitors huddled in front of her as they jostled their cameras, fighting to capture her with both their natural and artificial lenses. Eddie glanced at Jon and Stella. From the looks on their faces, the two expected her to be much bigger in person.

"Yeah, some people thought it was much bigger," he said to both of them. "Come on. I'll take your pictures."

Eddie retrieved his camera from his bag and searched for a spot. He scanned the area closest to the painting. There was a young couple in the middle, and from the looks of it, they were halfway done with their picture-taking. They should be done in a few seconds.

"Follow me," he said.

The three of them sidled past the people around them, stopping a short distance from the couple whose spot he was eyeing. He then told them, "See that couple? Take their spot as soon as they leave."

They waited for an opening. Soon after, one of the lovers lowered his camera while the other took a step away from the painting.

"Now." Eddie gave the two a gentle push.

Jon and Stella seized the opportunity before anyone could. It was close; it turned out that someone else was also eyeing that particular position.

Eddie held up his camera, its settings already adjusted. Portrait orientation, subjects centered, the entirety of Mona Lisa in the background, and his friends' whole upper bodies in the foreground. Perfect. He placed one finger on the trigger.

"Smile!"

Ch-click. Ch-click. He rotated his camera. Ch-click. Ch-click. "A different pose, please," he said. Ch-click. Ch-click.

"Stella, stay where you are," he said. I'll take your solo photos. Jon, leave."

Jon returned to Eddie's side. Eddie readjusted his camera position as she prepared her poses.

"Ready? Smile!"

Ch-click. Ch-click. He snapped some more photographs.

"Jon, your turn," Eddie said.

Jon replaced Stella's spot. Eddie captured a couple more pictures. He then opened his bag and stowed his camera. "That's it."

"Don't you want with the three of us?" Jon asked.

Eddie glanced out the corner of his eyes. There were some tourists who were frowning at him. Perhaps he was taking too long. "Nah," Eddie said, "people are waiting. I already have a lot of pictures here anyway."

The trio bid Mona Lisa goodbye and continued their trip around the Louvre. Eddie checked his wristwatch. It was almost 2:30 p.m.; their lesson was supposed to start soon.

"Time to go," he said. "Let's look for someplace discreet."

Eddie kept his hand on his messenger bag as he searched for the perfect place to teleport. Definitely not the main galleries; they were always flooded with visitors. He turned his head around as he scoped the area for a quiet corner. There were none nearby. He closed one eye and made a slight swinging motion with his hand.

Fwoom. He sketched a mental map of the museum. The Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities collection was less busy than the other exhibits. It was also not too far off from where they were. Perfect. He reopened his eye. "Come on," he urged them.

The two followed him, hastening their footsteps to match his quick pace. Marble statues and sculptures stood and sat around the department as a few visitors strolled past them. Eddie scoped the room. There was a relatively quiet corner at the far end of the exhibit. As the trio slinked towards that direction, Eddie opened his bag and retrieved Louis from it. He then held the book with both hands and pressed it against his chest.

"Louis," he whispered, his lips hardly moving, "as usual."

They reached the corner. When all the other tourists were looking the other way, Louis whisked them away to the portal.

***

The trio passed through the door and entered the practice room. "Good evening, Elder."

"Good evening," Giorgino greeted them, "just place your stuff against the wall."

Eddie closed the door behind him before placing his bag against the wall. Before he could walk towards his mentor, Giorgino snapped his fingers and summoned a racetrack out of thin air. It unrolled on the floor like a carpet and formed a complete loop around the room.

"For the warm-up, just run ten laps around the track," Giorgino said. "That's it."

The trio set foot on the track and ran across it. Eddie glanced at his mentor from time to time as he jogged. Giorgino had a pensive look painted on his face, fidgeting as he paced around the room. His right hand clutched a piece of paper. I wonder what that is.

Once the trio had finished running laps, they returned to the center of the room. Giorgino let out a sigh.

"So before we begin, I have to tell you something," Giorgino started. "There's a human girl out there who is cursed and I'm one of the people who's helping in finding a cure. I managed to find a recipe for a cure that can be brewed quickly, but the ingredients listed are hard to find. I need your help, so for now, our lessons will be 'hands-on.'

"Unfortunately for us, the list of ingredients is very vague. I've tried looking for clues and invisible ink, but I've got nothing. Stella, I know you have a passive reading ability, can you please take a look?"

"Sure," she said.

He handed her the sheet of paper. Though the paper itself looked old, parts of it colored brownish-amber instead of a uniform cream, the ink on it was still dark and clear. Stella scrutinized the list.

"The first ingredient is a vial of healer's tears," Giorgino said. "That's the only description I found."

Stella's eyes moved upward. "A vial of healer's tears?"

"Yes. Just that."

"There's something else written below it."

Giorgino did a double take. "There is?"

"It says"—Stella squinted—"A person nor avian, the healer is not. In the cavities of the seas, it sleeps. Wings and not fins, it bears."

Giorgino immediately unrolled his phone from his wrist, unfolded it into a flat form, and unlocked it. His thumbs were hanging above the screen. "Wait, can you repeat that please?"

"A person nor avian, the healer is not. In the cavities of the seas, it sleeps. Wings and not fins, it bears."

Giorgino quickly recorded the message on his phone. After a while, he made a few swiping motions as he crossed items off a digital list.

"Good thing you can read that," Giorgino said. "You've managed to narrow down the list. Now we know we have to collect tears from... a water dragon."

Eddie felt his hairs stand on end. A water dragon? It did not sound like a friendly creature. He pictured a large serpent slithering in the ocean, its wings acting as broad fins, swimming towards him before swallowing him alive. At least I'm not going alone.

Stella handed the parchment back to Giorgino, who then kept it in a folder and placed it on the floor. He continued to fiddle with his phone. After a few seconds, a hologram of a water dragon emerged. It was not far off from what Eddie had imagined; its body resembled a snake more than it did a conventional dragon. Its pairs of wings were long and sleek and it had thin limbs that bore sharp claws. Projected next to the hologram was a two-dimensional map. A red dot marked the dragon's natural habitat, while the tan-and-green figures represented islands.

"So before we go on our trip, I'll give a little briefing first. Water dragons are a sub-species of dragons, obviously, and they tend to live in seas or oceans. Luckily for us, some of them exist in Nitea, so we don't have to cross to another realm to find one. This"—Giorgino pointed at the map—"is a map of one of Nitea's oceans. Water dragons tend to live in caves that are far below sea level, so Stella, your lumokinesis will come in handy in this situation.

"This"—Giorgino gave each of them an empty bottle using telekinesis—"is the bottle you'll need to collect the tears. We only need a tiny vial, but to be safe, we'll fill all three bottles. Dragons generally don't cry easily, so you'll need to find a way to restrain it while collecting the tears. Eddie, are you confident that your telekinesis can hold it back?"

"I'm confident," Eddie replied.

"Excellent. Last but not least, we're going to spend a lot of time underwater. Jon, Stella, can you form scuba force fields yet?"

"What are scuba force fields?" Stella asked.

"Like sphere shields, but around your head so that you can breathe underwater," Giorgino elaborated. "They actively filter oxygen into the shield and let out the carbon dioxide. Normal sphere shields don't do that, so they suffocate you."

"I can do that," she replied.

"Same here."

"That's good. If not, I'll have to get some aqualung serums. Anyway, thankfully we're dealing with a water dragon. Some say that they're friendlier than other dragons, so we might have an easier time going after it."

"Does that mean it's approachable?" Eddie asked.

"It's—um—I don't know for sure, but I think we better stay on the safe side." Giorgino closed his phone. "Leave your belongings here; you don't want to get your stuff wet."

Eddie glanced down at his body. Though his watch was rugged and waterproof, he doubted whether it could survive the depths of the ocean. He unfastened it from his wrist, strode towards the wall, and placed it on a small table nearby. He then emptied his pockets. There was nothing inside them aside from a handkerchief and lip balm.

"Eddie?" Giorgino asked.

"Yes?"

"We need to use Louis because the ocean's far from here," Giorgino said. "Tell it to take us to the Latana Ocean. That's where the dragons live."

Eddie nodded his head and fetched Louis from his bag. Before he commanded it, he asked them, "Are we good to go?"

"Yes," said Stella.

"I am," Jon said.

Eddie nodded his head. He lowered his gaze to look at his book. He ordered it, "Louis, take us to the Latana Ocean."

Nothing happened. The four of them exchanged confused glances.

"There's anti-teleportation magic here, remember?" Louis reminded them. "If you want to use me, you have to go to the flying deck first."

"Ah, of course!" Giorgino said. "I can't believe I forgot. Let's go there now."

The door opened by itself. The four of them marched towards the launchpad on the hundredth floor. Once there, Eddie repeated his command. "Louis, take us to the Latana Ocean."

Flash. Light engulfed the four as magic swept them off their feet and ushered them to their destination.

✧ ✧ ✧

Fun Fact: Medela is a Latin word that means "healing."

Thanks for checking out this chapter! If you liked it, please don't forget to vote or leave a comment ☺️