Gas lampposts lit London streets. The clock tower marked 11:55 at night. Meanwhile, smoke emanating from the airships and the factories' chimneys eclipsed the stars. With the increased popularity of diesel-powered airships and the decline of steam-powered ones, the skies of London seem darker and depressing than usual.

Habondia waited in a square near the Thames. Solitary, she looked at the hands of the beautiful clock of an obelisk in front of her.

She wore a blue dress and an overcoat she adjusted, the cold wind made her shiver. She took a hairpin from her hair chignon and started moving it as if it were a wand.

Once it was midnight, she pointed the hairpin at the clock. The six-foot-high obelisk began to move, rotating on its axis. It sank, revealing a hole and a subterranean staircase. The steps were of ancient stone, illuminated by small flashing lights the size of marbles.

“Nothing has changed,” she whispered. “The same rules and the same tricks... even the same password.”

She went downstairs. She reached a small corridor with a wooden door at its end.

“As expected... the password here is different,” she sighed. “Inuisibilitas,” she cast and her body became invisible.

Ten minutes later, a group of seven boys and three girls, along with two men in their sixties, appeared. The first was a gray-haired old man with a short beard dressed in a kilt. He carried black bagpipes. The oldest man had a bald head and long beard, smoking using a pipe. He wore a gray robe and brown trousers. He whispered muffled phrases that Habondia could not hear and the door opened. Habondia followed them.

Once at the other side of the door, she arrived at a wide and long red-carpeted corridor. Greek columns adorned the hall as many banners floated in the air.

“My dear students... this way we begin this new session,” a male voice said in the distance.

She walked toward the voice and came to a large vaulted hall. Hundreds of glass lamps lit floating above dining tables full of teenagers.

The students, their faces filled with both excitement and hunger, sat at the dining tables, their laughter and chatter filling the vaulted hall. After the man giving the speech finished, the students started to devour their meals. A melodic choir began to sing, their voices weaving a tapestry of harmonies that resonated through the room.

Habondia couldn't help but be drawn to the sound, as her eyes scanned the room for the man that gave the speech. And then, she saw him. A gray-bearded old man with short hair, wearing a scarlet robe, his presence commanding attention. His piercing gray eyes locked onto her, following her every movement as if he could see straight through her invisible form.

Suddenly, the old man's voice broke through the choir's final notes, silencing the room. "Do not hide!" he declared, his voice carrying his authority. The bustling hall fell into a hushed stillness, all eyes turning to the entrance of the dining hall.

She couldn't help but laugh, a sound that seemed desperate and unsettling to those around her. The old man, who moments ago had been threatening, let out a weary sigh. Feeling the weight of their collective gazes upon her, Habondia dispelled her invisibility spell, causing gasps and whispers to ripple through the crowd. The old man, now revealed, looked at her with surprise.

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"Habondia?" he said, his eyes widening. "What brings you back?"

She curtsied respectfully, acknowledging his authority. "Professor Emrys, you are now the headmaster of the school. How times have changed since my days here. When I was a student, there were three hundred of us. How many do you have now?"

The professor wearing a kilt interrupted with a scowl. "What are you doing here, Habondia?"

Habondia held her head high, her gaze meeting theirs with determination. "Professor Myrddin Emrys, I believe you should remember that I was expelled in my final year of education," she stated. The murmurs from the students grew louder, their whispers filled with curiosity and confusion. "Dear students, allow me to introduce myself. I am Habondia Xana, the Witch of Fairies."

A gasp of terror escaped the lips of some students, their fear stemming from the rumors they had heard about her. The room grew tense, the students unsure of what her presence meant for them.

"The greatest prodigy our school has ever seen," a blond woman remarked, adjusting her glasses. "But also the greatest disappointment."

Habondia felt the weight of the old woman’s displeasure, her judgment, pressing down on her. But she remained resolute. "I have come to redeem myself. I wish to complete my studies," she declared, her voice steady and unwavering. Taking a seat at an empty chair, she found herself between two teenage girls who opened their eyes wide in disbelief.

"Please, everyone, calm down!" a young professor with blonde hair, wearing a blue waistcoat and slacks, interrupted, his voice laced with urgency. He was seated nearby, his presence offering a sense of comfort and support to the students close to him.

"All students, leave this area!" the professor in the kilt shouted, his voice cutting through the tension. The students, guided by their professors, began to file out of the dining hall, leaving only the director, the man in the kilt, and the old blond woman together with Habondia.

“What made you change your mind?” Myrddin Emrys asked, his piercing blue eyes locked onto Habondia's face.

Habondia took a moment to gather her thoughts before responding. She knew that Professor Emrys was a wise Arlo, respected among the Thaumaturgical community, and his opinion held weight. "I have decided to redo my life," she finally said. "I’m researching things that will benefit humanity. That is why... I need to continue my studies."

Myrddin's bushy eyebrows came together in confusion. "Human Studies? You only attended one class," he said, his Scottish accent thickening with every word.

Habondia nodded, her eyes shining with excitement. "I've found a way to free the maiden who guards the Mask of Samel."

Myrddin's eyes widened in disbelief. "The maiden of the mask?" he repeated.

“What does she mean?” The man wearing the kilt asked Professor Emrys.

"It's just a legend, no one knows for sure where it's hidden or if it's even real."

Habondia couldn't help but smile at his doubt. "I've been researching," she began, her voice growing softer, "and I've come up with the formula to create a protection without sacrifice. The relic will remain guarded without the need for someone to be locked in with it."

“What are you even talking about?” The professor wearing a kilt asked.

The old woman, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, interrupted. "Why are you researching such a thing?" she asked, furrowing her brows. "You didn’t care much about others when you studied here.”

Habondia's smile faded as she looked into the old woman's eyes. "That's in the past," she said. "Times change people... and many things have happened to me since then."

Professor Emrys, impressed by Habondia's determination, spoke up. "You will be tested," he said, his voice firm but gentle. "But you will not attend classes with the other students. I will personally teach you Human Studies as the headmaster of the School of Thaumaturgy of Britannia." He glanced toward the other professors, his expression showing his disregard for their disapproval.

Habondia felt a surge of gratitude towards Professor Emrys. She knew that this was her chance to prove herself and to make a difference in the world. With the weight of her past and the hope for a better future resting on her shoulders, she nodded.