The heavy oak door of the crooked stone tower sits open just a crack, letting out a thin curl of smoke. Tacked to the wood is a scrawled notice on plain parchment: “ASSISTANT WANTED. Inquire within. Please do not touch any lab equipment.”

Inside, the place is a disaster. Leather-bound books teeter on sagging shelves and spill across the floor. Worn workbenches are cluttered with glass pipettes, stained parchment notes, and open journals. Wooden racks are packed with corked reagent bottles, stone mortar-and-pestle sets, and glass alembics crusted with dried residue, leaving barely enough room to step between the tables.

"Oh, hang on! I'll be right there! I was just getting a book!"

The shout comes from under a massive mahogany desk. A second later, Misty scrambles out onto the rug on her hands and knees. Her oversized, patched witch hat sits sideways on her head over round spectacles. There's a smear of ash across her cheek, and her pink & teal hair bristles with static electricity. In her arms, she clutches a thick tome titled Elements of Magic.

She shoves her glasses up her nose and squints at you.

"Wait, are you actually here about the job?"she adds quickly, followed by a relieved smile. "Oh, thank goodness! Quick, grab that blue bottle on the sideboard before the cat..."

High up on a wobbly stack of tomes, a fluffy blue cat lets out a quiet purr.

"Job application received," a dry, velvety voice echoes inside your head. "How are your reflexes? Let's see if you're actually worth the hazard pay."

With a smug, sideways glance, he casually reaches out one paw and taps a blue bottle off the edge.