Through the Shimmering Door

Zephyr stretched his sky-blue wings as the final bell chimed at Magic Dragon School. Around him, sparkly bubbles popped and floating books drifted back to their shelves.

"Another day of boring spells," Ember grumbled, her red tail flickering with impatience.

"I liked the bubble lesson," Ivy said softly, her green leaf-patterned wings rustling.

Nimbus's silver scales caught the magical light streaming through the windows. "Ready to go home?"

The four little dragons approached the shimmering portal that would take them back to their village. It hummed and sparkled, casting rainbow colors across the stone floor.

"Last one through is a sleepy salamander!" Zephyr called out.

They dove through together, wings tangled and laughing. But instead of their cozy village, they tumbled onto a cold, white floor surrounded by strange metal tables and glass containers.

The White Coat Warning

The four little dragons picked themselves up from the strange white floor. Glass bottles lined tall shelves, and metal machines hummed softly.

"Where are we?" Ivy whispered, her green wings trembling.

A woman in a white coat walked through the door, carrying a steaming mug. She had curly brown hair and kind brown eyes behind wire glasses.

"Oh my!" she gasped, nearly dropping her coffee. "You're not supposed to be in here!"

Ember's red tail flickered nervously. "We came through the portal by accident."

The woman set down her mug carefully. "I'm Dr. Chen, and this is my chemistry lab. Some of these chemicals can be very dangerous if you touch them."

Nimbus's silver scales caught the fluorescent light as he backed away from a shelf of colorful liquids.