A Preview, A Test

Out of the blue, he appeared holding a wand, and the snowflakes gave it away. And then, out of nowhere, he asked the whirlpool to kindly spin in a circular motion.

"Ready to dive in?" he asked.

I was taken aback by the sudden arrival.

"So, being part of my family comes with an extra perk - maybe even a really great one, like you," he figured out. "I saw you punch one of those TSA officials."

"You mentioned that before, Uncle Bruce," I replied.

Uncle Bruce let out a little chuckle. "I know, and starting now, instead of Uncle Bruce, you can call me Mr. Drails once we're in this school, deal?"

"Better believe it."

"So, like I was saying," he blurted out, eager to continue. "I don't get why you suddenly turn into the Hulk when you're freaking out or mad — but hey, it seems to do the trick," he figured out.

I waved my hand, but then my mind decided to ask me a question that seemed to contradict Mr. Drails' theory.

"Why don't Mom or Dad have it, unless they do and I just don't know about it?" I thought about it and suggested.

"Inconveniences that would be too much for you, kid," he figured out.

"Hey, make sure you hop into the dark limo first once we pass through this gateway."

He casually walked through the gateway and vanished before it closed. My body was just too shocked to even consider moving. Well, I managed to gather myself and move on. There were no doors, so I walked through and was amazed by what I saw.

The structure displayed its complexity by summoning rings to encircle it and rest on the asphalt, appearing much more refined and elegant in its rich dark and gold attire.

Up there were some guys who didn't seem like they were spies or magical folk. Really, they looked like maintenance workers. I'm pretty sure they weren't, but why bother saying anything? I just popped in out of nowhere. We hopped into the limo, which was shining dark, giving it a cool vibe that I couldn't help but adore.

Right from the start, there was no driver, and it seemed odd that anyone would show up in this place at all, but I waited. All of a sudden, a doorway appeared outside the car, revealing a person in a black suit and a white hat firmly perched on their head. This person seemed like they were in the navy.

Even though they were clean-shaven, it looked like they had just shaved. Once they hopped in, they hit the road.

"So, is it like a regular thing for you guys to use portals like that, or was it a one-time deal? I thought you mentioned it was something unique to you?" I inquired with him.

"Yeah, I totally helped him out with that." "You wanna get the lowdown on how this thing works," he said. "Understanding wizard history and how it works is crucial when you're a secret agent."

"So, is that everything we're going to find out?"

"Well, of course - you won't be stuck here forever, just after school you'll have to come, and spend the rest of your time there before heading back to class," he said.

"So, no time off for some video game action?" I asked.

"You can do that, however just with a companion within the YMPA. Here you and there you are totally different people, and you want to ensure one doesn't influence the other," Mr. Drails said.

The driver started cruising the limo past the building before making a right turn. So, there was this drawing that looked like a hotel in the corner, right? I didn't really bother checking out the scribbles all over the entrance. I was totally lost, even though it was in English.

We were cruising along in the limo when it suddenly came to a stop, so we quickly got out. "Alright, time to step inside," he said, swinging open the two doors.

Well, the place was definitely not what I was expecting at all. Perhaps there was a whole group or community of people. Extras in regular clothes strolled through the area, their wands handy behind their backs. There were different spots, each with its unique set of impressive stairs.

Over there was a spot that looked like a lounge, and on the other side, what seemed to be the restroom - but I was more interested in finding my uncle's office.

"What's up there?" I asked. He glanced at the two steps and then looked down at me. "Oh, those are the spots where you'll find your classes." These two sets of stairs offer a variety of different classes. The one behind us focuses more on history, while the one before us deals with battles.

"Well, that's interesting," I muttered under my breath, trying to act like I was really into what he was saying. To be honest, I just felt like wandering around the whole school to check out all its cool stuff.

"Alright, what's the next step?" I inquired, sensing a surge of excitement within me. Mr. Drails let out a little laugh like he was up to something, I guess that's just how experts are.

"Hop back in the car, there's more to check out," he said.

More?

There's more?

So, let me get this straight. I've only seen the first floor, and now you're saying there's more to it?

We quickly walked over to the car, feeling pumped and ready to go.

We made it back to the vehicle, and the driver was still there, thankfully, but then Mr. Drails pulled out his phone.

He suddenly looked worried.

He spotted me and then turned back. He said, "Hey, I need to quickly check out something real fast, there's a situation at the White House."

Right now, stress was written all over the place. Were the TSA already attacking ? How could it be that when I go along with him, they're right now already arranging their full scale assault! I just arrived!

I hopped in the car, even though he didn't explicitly say so, but that's what we were doing anyway. But then the driver stepped out, and I was completely confused.

All of a sudden, gas came bursting out from the sides, and before I knew it, all I could see was smoke.

Did the car catch on fire?

Was the smoke harmful?

Am I going to die?

I quickly reached out to find the handle and give it a tug. But when I tried, the handle fell apart — scratching an answer off my mental list.

Then, at that point, I attempted to kick the doorway as hard as possible, my feet vibrating with each push. At the moment I realized it wasn't projectiles, however it's basically impossible that this glass can't somehow break from a strong kick.

Another solution, checked off.

What else was there to do? What else was there to do? But then, a sudden idea popped into my head amidst all the chaos. My fists, my mystery power!

I tried to really focus on my clenched hands, maybe that's how they do it in those fantasy movies.

But nothing seemed to be happening, perhaps I was just closing my eyes - preparing for the worst and letting my throat fill with agony. But then, all of a sudden, the gas vanished and the doors swung open, and I tumbled out.

When that happened, my vision got all blurry and I couldn't focus, to be honest. But then, I noticed Mr. Drails' body and the driver as well, holding what looked like a clipboard.

"Hey, good news, you managed to scrape by with a F+," Mr. Drails announced with a hint of relief. It might need a little bit of tweaking. Could have been better if you had tried to open the windows."

I sprawled out on the floor feeling utterly defeated. Why didn't that ever cross my mind before? In the end, I learned that this was going to be a lot harder than I thought.