The undeniable truth about being part of the council of wizards was this: the job had little benefits. It was entirely unpaid, on account that wizards could simply summon money whenever they were running low. This was fine for every member of the council except for Toby.

He had joined the council after mistaking the online job ad as a joke. After all, he hadn’t understood that wizards existed. It wasn’t until he had signed a ‘life contract’ and started his internship that he realised the truth. He couldn’t quit either, the wizards would destroy him if they realised his human nature.

That left Toby with very little money for car maintenance. Whilst he loved his car dearly, the old 4WD was in dire need of repairs. It hadn’t been touched by an auto electrician in half a decade. He convinced himself the vehicle would survive simply through him topping up the coolant every two weeks.

The truth was, it needed much much more than some DIY car servicing. Ringwood in its entirety would agree, after the entire neighbourhood waking up to the sound of its spurting engine too many times. Maybe it was karmic justice that he finally broke down on the side of the road, having just left the confines of his suburb.

The check engine light on the dashboard flashed violently back at him. He groaned. It was finally time to find a mechanic close to Ringwood. He had neglected his car maintenance for too long. What would he tell the council? The wizards wouldn’t be happy with him arriving late to the office. He couldn’t explain that his car had broken down. They would ask him why he didn’t teleport there, and he couldn’t think of any valid excuse. 

With a deep sigh, he pulled out his phone and began searching for the nearest car workshop. He could lie to the wizards in the meantime. After all, he had been lying to them for the past two years. What was one more lie?