The Midnight Magic ✨

Something very strange happened at the shop today.

And when I say strange...

I mean very strange.

I arrived early this morning.

The shop was quiet.

The door was locked.

Everything looked perfectly normal.

Until I switched on the lights.

Sparkle.

Something blue flashed behind the shelves.

I stopped.

Then—

POOF!

A tiny cloud of purple smoke appeared near the counter.

I immediately put down my bag.

This was clearly a case.

Investigation begins.

My first clue was on the floor.

Tiny blue stars.

They formed a trail across the shop...

past the panda plushies...

around the accessories...

and straight towards the display shelf.

I followed them carefully.

Then I heard something.

Clink.

I turned around.

Nothing.

Bubble... bubble...

That definitely wasn't nothing.

The sound was coming from the other side of the shop.

I hurried over.

There, on the floor, was my second clue.

A tiny purple drop.

Then another.

Then another.

I followed them around the corner...

and stopped.

Two pandas were sitting very quietly.

One was surrounded by tiny blue sparkles.

The other was holding a bubbling purple potion.

I looked at the blue sparkles.

I looked at the purple potion.

I looked at them.

They looked at me.

Nobody said a word.

“Have you two been practising magic in the shop?”

Silence.

The purple potion bubbled.

Pop.

A purple bubble floated into the air...

and burst directly on my hat.

I closed my notebook.

Case solved.

Apparently, the Magic Pandas had decided that the shop was the perfect place for a little early-morning magic practice.

I gave them one very serious rule:

“No magic before opening time.”

They nodded.

Very innocent.

Very convincing.

Then, as I walked away...

POOF!

I turned around.

Nothing.

Just two perfectly innocent pandas.

And somehow...

my magnifying glass was now floating in the air.