The Sunhide University of Wizardry

Chapter 9 - A Mysterious Heritage

"If they can make fairies fly, surely they can whip up a calorie-free cake, right? A girl can dream!" Amy grinned, inhaling the rich aroma of the food.

The dining hall was alive with the scents and sounds of a magical mealtime. Lumifaes, delicate and swift, fluttered around the hall, carrying plates of delicious food for lunch.

"Who cares about calories after that class with Hendrickson? We deserve all this food," Jessica said, her eyes following the fairies as they weaved through the hall.

"I'm waiting for the day they introduce levitating lasagna," Amy mused, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Just imagine it floating right into your mouth – no forks, no effort! How convenient would that be?"

Jessica, however, seemed distracted. Her gaze was fixed on the two Lumifaeswho were approaching their section of the large communal table with plates of aromatic sandwiches. A mix of curiosity and anticipation colored her expression. They carefully set down the plates in front of Amy and Jessica. But instead of leaving immediately, they hovered near Jessica, their tiny noses twitching as they sniffed curiously around her. Jessica, taken aback, thought, 'They're sniffing me?'

Without warning, the Lumifaes began sneezing intensely, their tiny sneezes sounding almost musical amidst their evident distress. "Unicorn! There's a unicorn in this room!" one of them exclaimed between sneezes, pointing towards Jessica.

Madam Rosemary, overseeing the hall, looked up in surprise. The entire room fell silent, with everyone's attention now on the distressed fairies and Jessica. The startled fairies, still sneezing, quickly darted away from the table, disappearing through a window. Madam Rosemary approached with a look of deep concern. "I personally scanned the entire hall this morning," she said, her voice filled with perplexity. "There's absolutely nothing related to unicorns here. It's very strange." Turning to Jessica and Amy, she inquired, "Do either of you have anything related to unicorns with you? Horn powder, shining hair, anything of that sort?"

Amy, with a hint of humor in her voice, chimed in, "Unicorn stuff? The only horn I've ever touched is a bike horn!"

Madam Rosemary chuckled, her laughter breaking the tension in the room. "Seems like Lumifaes are off on a sprint to the forest by now! No convincing them to return at this point. Well, we're stuck with these sandwiches for now. Let's share and make the best of it, shall we?"

Jessica's brow furrowed in confusion, her mind a whirlwind of questions. 'Why would the Lumifaes react like that to me? I've even changed my clothes since this morning, so what could be lingering that's so... unicorn-like?' The gears in her mind turned rapidly, piecing together the odd occurrence. 'There's definitely something I'm missing here,' she thought, a determined spark igniting within her. 'I've got to figure this out'

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As Jessica followed Madam Rosemary into the inventory room, she felt as if she had entered a realm of wonder. The room was a veritable gallery of enchantments, with shelves brimming with magical artifacts, each more intriguing than the last.

Madam Rosemary commenced her tour with enthusiasm, gesturing towards an array of hair combs and brushes resting on a velvet-lined shelf. The handles, embedded with sparkling crystals, seemed to beckon with their hidden magic. "These are no ordinary hair tools," Madam Rosemary explained, her voice tinged with excitement. "They can dry and style your hair with a mere stroke." Jessica watched, mesmerized, as a comb levitated, its bristles emitting a soft, enchanted glow. It glided through a mannequin's hair, drying and styling it in moments, as if by an invisible stylist's hand.