The wooden door to the secret chamber slammed shut behind them, muffling the distant roars of the Devourers.
Sanne clutched the Grimoire of Asteria tightly against her chest as she and Flan stumbled back up the spiral staircase. The heavy tome was warm in her hands, as though it had a heartbeat of its own.
"That… that was insane," she whispered, breathless. "What were those things?"
Flan, still trembling on her shoulder, puffed out his tiny chest.
"Devourers," he said grimly. "Creatures born from corrupted magic. They're drawn to powerful ingredients and ancient recipes — especially the Grimoire. If they get their hands on it, Crumora's magic could collapse."
Sanne shuddered and hugged the book closer.
Master Crust's booming voice echoed behind them as he followed.
"Take the grimoire and go. Keep it hidden. The portal connected to your bakery will remain open until you choose otherwise… but you must protect it."
Sanne hesitated at the shimmering oval of golden light in the Grand Bakery Hall.
"I don't even know if I can protect it."
Master Crust's stern expression softened slightly.
"You can. You're a Vos. And this is only the beginning."
Flan zipped in front of her face, grinning nervously.
"Alright, newbie. Back to the Netherlands we go."
With one last glance at Crumora's glowing ovens and towering candy spires, Sanne stepped through the portal.
Back to Reality
The familiar scent of fresh dough and cinnamon filled her lungs as Sanne stumbled back into her bakery's storeroom. The cool Dutch air hit her cheeks, grounding her instantly.
For a fleeting moment, she wondered if everything had been a dream. But then Flan popped out of the portal behind her, stretching his pastry-like wings with a sigh.
"Ahh, mortal air. So bland. I hate it here already."
Sanne let out a shaky laugh despite herself.
"Yeah, well, welcome to my world."
She placed the Grimoire gently on the counter, staring at its glowing cover. Outside, the quiet streets of her small town were still cloaked in the soft light of dawn.
Everything looked the same. But Sanne knew nothing was the same.
The First Leak
That night, as Sanne prepared a new batch of speculaas cookies, she noticed something strange. The cinnamon bark she had bought from the market earlier… was glowing faintly.
Frowning, she set it aside — but the glow spread, faint at first, then pulsing brighter with each passing second.
"Uh… Flan?" she called nervously.
Flan floated in, nibbling on a sugar cube.
"Hmm? Oh." He blinked at the cinnamon. "Well, that's… bad."
"Bad how?"
Before he could answer, the cinnamon burst into tiny sparks that zipped across the counter and disappeared into the flour bag. A second later, the flour shook violently and erupted in a soft puff, forming a… tiny walking doughball.
Sanne screamed.
"Why is the flour ALIVE?!"
The doughball squeaked, rolled off the counter, and began climbing the shelves like a hyperactive toddler.
Flan groaned, smacking his tiny forehead.
"Magic's leaking through the portal. Ingredients from Crumora are contaminating your world. Congratulations, baker — your pantry's possessed."
The Shadow Outside
Sanne barely managed to trap the doughball under a mixing bowl when the bakery bell jingled. She froze.
No one should be here — it was nearly midnight.
She tiptoed into the main shop, peeking through the display case.
A tall figure stood outside the glass door, cloaked in shadows. The streetlamps flickered unnaturally as the figure slowly lifted a hand and pressed it against the glass.
Flan zipped onto her shoulder, his tiny voice trembling.
"Oh crumbs… That's not human."
Sanne's heartbeat thundered in her ears.
"What do you mean, not human?"
Before Flan could answer, the figure's hand began to melt into the glass, twisting like molten sugar. Its shadow stretched unnaturally across the floor, creeping toward her feet.
And then, faintly, she heard it whisper:
"Give… us… the book."
Cliffhanger
Sanne backed away slowly, clutching the Grimoire in her arms. Flan darted around frantically, muttering spells under his breath that fizzled uselessly in the mortal air.
"Flan," she whispered, panic rising in her chest."Tell me you have a plan."
Flan gulped.
"Plan? I was hoping you had one."
The lights in the bakery flickered once… twice… and then everything went dark.