Maria made sure she'll wake up early the next day. She wanted to rethink things all over again.

Her eyes fluttered open as she sense the morning rays into her skin. She got up, grab her coat and left a note.

She had no destination on her mind, but for some reason she brought the book with her. Now that she had a reason to open again, she had no choice but to do it.

She never wanted that book in the first place. It only brought her disappointment. But now it has the answers she needed for her journey ahead. The smartest thing to do now for the team is to reread it again.

Maria paused. Not sure if she really did just did that. She smirked to herself.  "A team huh... " she thought. Since when she thought of them as a team,  she questioned herself.

The blonde girl stopped in a nearby park. Sat down and started reading.

The realm of Magica consists of different kingdoms of magic. An example of that is Mileae, the city of souls.

But that was not the answer Maria was looking for.

The capital of Magica, Fantasia, holds the school which trains Magicalitie to their full potential.

"Huh... It doesn't say here the name of the school... " Maria muttered.

The school lectures the students all they need to know about magic. They also train in the nearby woods which is famous for its danger.
Inside the school the students are divided in a certain matter and thus trained differently.

"Try looking at the built of the school. " Mara suddenly interrupted.

Maria hardly noticed her. She was so concentrated on the tales of the book she once hated. She kept on and on. Never stopping to flip the pages.

Then she stopped on a certain page.

"There are many hidden rooms inside the school, each corner holding one" Maria beamed as she read on. "This is what we're looking for! " she traced the words with her finger. "But there is one room more hidden than the others by not being hidden at all. A person won't be able to find it unless the room calls to them. " Maria's finger slowly dropped.  "..but what if the room doesn't call to us? "

Her gears started moving. "More hidden than the others... By not being hidden at all... " her eyes squinted as she thought of countless meaning behind that sentence. "...maybe it's already in the line of sight... Not hidden. But more hidden than the others.... How can it be hidden if it's already in the line of sight... "

No matter how long she thought about it. The sentence doesn't make sense to her.

Suddenly her eyes caught a glimpse of a falling brown leaf. Slowly falling down to the ground, it took its time. Then it got pretty unlucky that it landed on a mud.

"I'd be bumped if I got into a mud. " she whispered.

Hearing this Mara got curious. " why did you suddenly think of that? "

"Oh I just saw a leaf falling into a mud instead of the grass."

"Which mud puddle? "

Maria pointed to the one with the leaf in it. "That one, can't you see it? "

Mara narrowed her eyes for effect. "No... "

"Aw c'mon it's so obvious. "

Mara continued to stare. And after seconds - "oh!!  I see it. Why so interested to a leaf though?"

"I told you, I just saw it. Unlike you " she chuckled

Mara pouted a little. "Hey it's not my fault that I didn't see them immediately. They're the same color."

Suddenly a thought hit Maria hard. "It must be camouflaged!!! That's why it's hidden better than the others!  "

Mara looked more confused that ever.  "Huh? "

Maria rolled her eyes but still remained smiling. "Just c'mon! "

Lucilla raised her eyebrow in confusion "A camouflaged door? "

Maria pressed on "it doesn't have to be a door. An entrance. "

"Like a latch. You're right. " Daniella grabbed her own spell book. "Magical has a lot of them. And the most kind specifically is-" she pointed her finger at the drawing "-this one. "

"Tree stumps? " Angelica questioned.

"Exactly. " Daniella eyed Maria, full of praise and admiration. "I like your style girl, nice. "

"What do you mean? "

"Maybe you just got lucky. We'll see. "

Maria just got even more confused. "Huh? "

"So how do we go to Magica? "

"That's easy. " Lucia suddenly appeared. "Put your books on the floor, open them on a specific page. Then raise your necklaces-"

"Chest leveled. " Ella interrupted.

Lucia rolled her eyes "chest leveled. " she sighed.  "And it must be on the top of the book. "

"Like this. " Gela appeared and made a demonstration.

After a while the girls got their things and Maria just shifted uncomfortably. There was a friendly pat on her shoulder

"Don't worry Maria. The school has complete set of things there. " Mara said trying to sound cheerful for her friend. After what happened at their household she needed to be as supportive as possible.

"Thanks ." Maria sighed. "I just wished this year will just go fast. "

"It will. "
Both of then smiled at each other.

"All at position? " Daniella shouted

The girls looked at each other. All seemed to be in position.

But nothing seems to happen.

"Uh. Are we doing it right? " Angelica began to ask. She was starting to feel impatient. Holding up a necklace can be painful once it's long enough.

"Yeah. " it was Gela who answered . "Just remember, once something happened don't lose position. "

At that moment all souls dissappeared.

"Hey!  Why did they disappear?!  We're not sure if we're doing this righ-"

Lucilla's sentence was cut off once the books started glowing all at once. And a powerful force of wind appeared. Different tiny specks of lights came from different books, and it slowly drifted upward to their necklaces.

Pink for Maria, green for Daniella, Yellow for Lucilla, and Blue for Angelica.

Once the light reached their necklaces,  it started to glow even brighter than the books. The girls were forced to look away.

After a while, their surroundings turned black. They were in Angelica's house earlier now it's gone.

"What's happening?! "Lucilla's shout only made it worse. Her fear spread to her friends

But Daniella didn't flinch. "Don't lose your position! " the girls all looked towards her. "This is just an illusion. We are being transported to Magica right now. "

All of them calmed down a bit after hearing those words.

"Daniella's right. Stick to the plan, hold your position. "

The strong wind and darkness never disappeared for a while and then the ground started shaking.

"Eeii!!" Angelica screamed. She almost dropped her hand.

Out of reflex Maria stretched her hand, forced the necklace to stay on Angelica's hands.

"Calm down Angelica. " Maria murmured gently. "We're almost there. "

"Sorry. I almost broke our spell. "

Daniella raised her eyebrow. "How do you this is an spell enchantment? "

"Huh? Isn't this an enchantment? "

"This could be the powers of the man we saw. His powers could be teleportation. And if it is a spell enchantment who casted it? "

"Our friends. You know Gela, Ella, Mara and Lucia. "

Daniella got more irritated. "You don't know that. How can you be so sure? "

Maria got uncomfortable swing two of her friends fight. She looked at Angelica to hear her answer. But she was as confused as her.

"I... I don't know. I just felt like it. "

"Magic and spells doesn't work that way. It's way mo-"

Suddenly sounds of cracking can be heard. The girls looked up and there they saw that the space they are in is slowly breaking, like glass. The crack continues to spread and the girls couldn't do anything but stare.
Daniella got more excited by the sight.  "Don't move. We're almost there. "

Then one by one, the darkness slowly shattered revealing another world. Brightness began to peak between the shattered pieces.

Maria saw the excitement in her new friends. She can't explain how guilty she is right now. Her goal remains the same no matter how magic she'll see.

"Just survive this one year and everything goes back to normal. "

-------
Angelica smiled in delight as she saw a new world appear after the terrifying darkness she just went through.

Suddenly a deadly feeling passed her. She looked at her friends, but no one seemed to notice it.

If she's correct, which she also hope not. Her friends are almost out of magical energy. She stared at the shattering darkness.  She squinted her eyes, feeling the spell.

Her eyes widened. "The spell! It's not yet done!  We won't be able to cast it till the end!!! "

"Angelica? " Maria knocked through her thoughts. "What's wrong? "

Angelica had no concern of hiding her fear. "This is bad. You guys are-" she stopped herself. They didn't notice it till now... It'll be best not to mention it. " instead she looked at Daniella. "Daniella can you cast a spell that strengthens us? "

That made Daniella more confused. "Huh?  Why?  Plus I can't cast a spell unless I read it in the book. "

Angelica didn't lose determination. " You seemed to know one. Just cast it. "

The darkness seemed to lessen.

"But we're in the middle of-"

"Just trust me on this. " Angelica was pretty sure what she felt. Even though there's no proof,  her gut feeling was too strong to ignore it.

Daniella stared her at disbelief. "But you don't even-"

"Daniella. " Maria cut her sentence.

Daniella looked towards her. Then Maria nodded as they locked eyes.

"I trust you Angelica! " Lucilla said gleefully.

Daniella sighed in frustration. "If something happens, this is gonna go on your heads. " she began to raise her other hand. "Strengathisio!!! "

Her chant made them feel more comfortable and more stronger.

Angelica scanned her friends once more. She breathe a sigh of relief. The deadly feeling was gone.

After seconds, the final piece shattered and spell was the done.

All of them were panting out of exhaustion. And their feet gave out and they landed on the floor.

Angelica took a peek on her surroundings. They seemed to be standing on a red carpet. There is a huge space between them and the windows.

She heard Daniella fall, but the other were to tired to even move.

"I knew it they were almost..... "

A figure came running towards them.  She felt warmth on her hand. The figure seemed to be holding her hand. But with her vision blurred, she can't be sure.

Then finally they all passed out.
---

Maria opened her eyes, and she was confused what was she doing lying on a bed. She sat up. She seemed to be in an infirmary or clinic of some sort. But the designs on the walls made her think twice.

"That was impressive Ms. Nether. "A girl's voice answered her.

Maria's eyes followed the source. There's a sophisticated lady by her side. She was pouring tea to her cup. Her graceful hands brought the warm drink towards her mouth. She wore long dark blue robes. With designs she's never seem before. "What your friends did was rare for us Magicalities. I can say I can expect more from you and your lovely friends. "

Maria didn't understand a thing she said in her questions"W-who are you...?  Where am I.. " then a thought hit her. "Where are they?! "

The lady snapped her fingers, and then the curtains from other side of her bed opened. Revealing her 3 friends.

"They are fine Ms. Nether. They are sleeping soundly. " the girl looked at her with her dark blue eyes. "You can say I am an important person around here. And as for your second question. "

She left her cup of tea in the table beside Maria. Where she just noticed her book was there lying open. The lady walked away towards the door. "You're in my school, in the kingdom of Fantasia. "  then she turned around one more time for Maria to see her smiling face. That seemed to say that the lady was proud of what they have accomplished
"You've achieved your goal brave ones. Welcome to Magica. "

~to be continued~