Internal structure

"Try and read a few easy leaner books when you can. You understand spelling and grammar quicker." Letting him with a small paper folder of notes to help him. A mix of real English homework for him and things the shadow shroud needed. I checked if anyone else was outside the door for me, pouting with being unsure if anyone would.

"You are very good at hiding your magic." I closed the door confused with how the agent is already in the room. I had even did double takes of out the corridor and back in the room. I frowned with being caught. Its how I would have wanted it. First day of being paid attention to, they would have ignored me if I didn't play with wind spells now. The window to climb is short, which is why I am glad it was now and not later.

"So am I going to be..." I asked softly with closed door and taking a seat. I should be acting to expect a death sentence. I know it wasn't the case but being on the run for a dictatorship society would make doubts.

"You will be hired to the mage agent level. You have to be honest with us, now we know." I nod softly, almost not listening in the pretend disbelief, "Maybe I should ask the basics first. Noble families have different methods of hiding." I disagree with being a noble, "So whats the truth?" I look about that agent carefully.

"I protecting someone else as long as I am not asked to much. They will torture me if I speak. I would rather speak to those in charge. For a plead... because... I don't know how much I can tell. I would not want anyone killed because me." The agent nods with thinking about it, "I am not actually a adult, that much I can tell you. I am not of status that would often matter. I am protecting someone else with acting like I do. I am to trusted to not screw up."

"Your not 18?"

"I am not even 15." I corrected and that changes their expressions. I shivered in many drowned thoughts, having to accept what I said to them. I don't loss my illusions, better to not.

The agent make their call and explains what they found from me. They listened to the orders relied back. Eyes on me. They come off the call with taking a paper. They wrote out a list of instructions in the mage language, they pass it to me after they checked through and leave with the door left open.

I glance at the instructions of what I have to do in the weeks ahead. Adapting my current teaching post I just got today with some time hours changed to take up learning mage etiquette in free time. I don't have to hide my mage status as fiercely as before. I have to be careful still with being in the presences of the misunderstanding none.

My evening was replaced with a late meeting with investigation team. A department whom comb through current foreign authorities data for missing or potential mages. They took a look though my clean history file and were baffled by my access for fake information on authentic documents. I don't have to explain it, assume one around here was talking about there being insider help from internal forgein governments.

The bend in agreements between big countries had meant a stricter law following at the exchange of clean record keeping. Life turned around for me after I was helped by the strict systems.

"In spite of being a young age and well educated to teach others. You're not a noble child." The questions are from a normal John. A man with pride in working for a job that suited his skills and interests. He would be a commoner by mage laws. This company gave him something better. So, a serious man.

"I worked within the Palace, anyone whom does has to be there for a reason. Its why I choose hide so well." The man nods in writing this, "I am guessing the rest of the company isn't aware yet. There is big reasons for the sudden crisis on the motherland. You likely only hearing it now because word got out... when they tried to not let it. Folks like me, inner Palace workers miles away from home."

"Do you have the ability to tell us?" I disagree, "How come?"

"My illusion magic isn't from my casting. Someone else did it to me. It is also a curse. If I break command or the caster becomes harmed to near death... the illusion will be removed. A powerful spell that no one normal could cast. I wear it to protect them at the cost of keeping silent." The agent nods in understanding.

"Its because of the illusion that you do not look your age." I agree, "It would be something only a royal would do. They have the energy to cast a strong magic. I would guess that even a god follower would not be able to remove it."

"Indeed. It was attempted before... the result wasn't nice." I cross my arms and tucked in. The way I was sitting was not suitable for the chair. It is exactly as my age would do if stressed. It was comforting. Nods with writing everything needed.

"Inner Palace... So you know nobility education." They make a lot of notes based off the reason, "You would been in direct contact with hidden royals." paused, "Did you work upstairs in the restricted area?" I nod, "Yes... that would explain your ability to read and write. Forced education to be of services to them. Some contact with the internal Palace energy, so the magic well you have could be higher the average." Looks at me again, "Burdened by illusion magic that is also a curse." Stares at how I am, "11?" I shrug, "older then 10." I nod gently, "Family?"

"I have no one close. My mother died a long time ago. I don't know anyone else." They stare into me, "Well, my father wants nothing to do with me. He is not part of my life in a meaningful way. He is all I have to thank for the job and education I have." That is acceptable for why I lied that first time. It wouldn't be uncommon for some lower or youngest children to be disregard by family nobility by inheritance.

"That's all I will need. It term of as what we ask of you as a mage. You could be asked to look after important individuals during visits within this headquarters. If something important about your inner Palace duty happens, we may need you. For now, you are a low key mage agent. Your work as a mentor is really needed at the moment, so your position is unchanged. You will be allow out of business hour stay - to be given a place within the tower flats if needed."

"Yes... the rent at my current place is really hard with the two jobs. I had to learn to drive to work here." The agent nods slowly, "I have been hiding my magic for so long that I don't dare risk them. The illusion drains me more then enough."

"I have someone in my team sort it." He makes the last notes, "You're free to go." I stand, shake hands and leave the office cubicle. A lot of magic letters flutter out as origami birds, landing to other desks and a lot of rush suddenly by those whom read it.

I take the elevator down levels of the open shopping centre. Late hours meant normal or not mage natives aren't around. Mostly nobility of other headquarters, craft makers working the late night shop hours and the rare seen god followers around. Those whom don't sleep at night or have late hour duties.

"James! I didn't realize you would still be here." A old college friend of mine, I think they were my dorm mate. In looking at them, I noted the family his made for himself. A lovely wife whom suits him. I smile with being drawn into the conversation of catch up.

"I am glad your well, Jack. It seems that life has really looked after you." I couldn't help and stare to where a scar is... one I have saved his life. A college drunk argument, came back to the flat with. Got him in hospital for. Just someone whom had a damned watching over them. I see since last seeing him, that damned must have found peace or left him be.

"Want to join us?" I smile with nodding. His wife knows about the story of the scar, she thankful to me. They are a young couple with a 1 year old. This child wanting me to hold them, I don't mind. Scuffing the hair into his father's style.

The meal shared tonight with them was heart warming. I felt like I was their elders child, play fling the pea war with the their eldest of 9. The one year old giving plenty of distraction for us to kick off. I had did the cleaning up before to many peas around was noticed.

It getting way to late had meant they let me sleep on the sofa. Meaning I didn't have to go back to my loud lonely flat. I didn't have to have that reheated pasta. I did not need to over hear the cheesey love song singer playing catch with their partner. I could still sigh aggravation at knowing its exactly what those two would be doing now. I don't have to risk paying for petrol. The nearly empty gas tank of my car.

I had a early day after night. How much they will work me when the truth of the matter is spilled, given my history as a Palace worker. I will have to worry about later. I will have to see how my dream self is doing... if there was any need of me influence.

My mind closed away my living sense and opened through taking a long exhausting sigh. The dreams around me were twisted things in shapes of bar patrons. There was nightmarish twist to it all.

The drinks are blood or fluids of secreted from organ harvest of mythical creatures. Most public were creepy pasta characters but nothing to famous.

The ceiling decoration was actually the owner of this space, a spider made of bones and has many holes across where eyes belonged. The tears would drip into fluffy tarantula like webbing, holding itself together or camouflage to pick from the many prey underneath.

It a mostly cheery night for them. No fights breaking out and mostly slow sip drinks have been ordered. I purr lightly at the moment of taking in it all. Enjoying it, even just a little bit.

"I would like a order of your soul."

I notice that my hands have been mopping the scratched up counter.

The mock demon snickers with playing smooth. The bar was calm a moment ago and now it was fell silent. I take glance with what the secerts menu passcode are today, then just ignoring the fool. The demon snickers with tapping the counter. He was in some long stare with those around them, acting all impressed that he 'successfully' imprinted some contact over me. I wasn't.

"Well? Aren't you going to tell what you wish for... since your pity little soul is mine." It flicked a splitter from a tooth. I step to the side to a different customer, glaring to them for a drinks order. Meanwhile, thar mock demon in a long list of possible wishes, nosing the public too and didn't care a bit about me. The new customer gasp how easy it was for me to escape this mock. Unsure if his ordered drink will be sorted. It plucks the courage and then wished it didn't.

"Crystal demons tear." A hard to afford drink, as was the trade that was put to the counter. I study the metal arrow for a while without touching. The being whom is trading shivers with my look back at them.

"Would you like that fresh? Bottled was thrown in a fight." They shrug. I moved back around to the mock demon. I study how the fool had even notice I left and came back. The folks around whom realized I was unfazed twitched about in the seats. The mock fools claw sticks into one the grooves of the busted counter.

"You one them pretending mutes. Come on." It struggled to dig the claw out. I narrow on them... peering through the illusion. Of no care, a ice picker from the counter on my side is picked up. I play around with checking weight. Throwing it, skinning the cheek of the fella and stick into the heart of a demon in the background crowds. A quick jump over the counter, my weight helps tug the claw out in the process. I collect my demon catch, a shot glass filled of the other customer order, slide of hands to slip the drink for the arrow. Strung the rest of the corpse to storage. Around to facing the mock, yet now I boldly smiled.

"What did you want pest? I wasn't listening. Your soul is to petty for any worth of trade here. My soul was never on the table for trading, idiot." The mock wipes the blood, snarling at me.

"Yo Jammy, stop eating my customers!" The boss whom watches this dream territory screams at me from the ceiling. I restocked shelving with ignoring the complaints. The mock demon seems pale... I tipped a normal glass of water over them to be sure they were fine. They shiver with moving away.

"Not the worst thing I heard curse poeple do." A dream follower, one those whom at a gods aid walks dreams for information. This fella uses me for a contact very often, "Can I do normal information exchange?" I shrug as this was my response everytime, "What if I asked about someone in the waking world?" I tilt with interest, "I was told that a real paper letter can be handed to you." shuffling themselves with taking the note out. I give it a direct read.

'If you woke up, where would you be?'

I take a pen out, wrote my reply and folded the paper into a bird. Putting g back in their hand. My grin creeps a little further back on one side. As this is a dream, it would be eerie for a human to do.

'Hidden among the mage agents. I have seen you several times. We walk the same grey corridors. You and the god you follow like the snowflake encased in resin.' He couldn't read it with dreaming or being here. So he had to accept to not let go of the note.

"The problem being a broken has to be what we seem to others. The illusions, the acting we do to avoid suspicious notice by others and the skins we wear to hide our wounds." The other side of my face frowns, a take taken slowly in a breath and quickly exhaled, "Sometimes I forget that I have to breath." I wipe off my expression and have it blank once more, "I don't think you have anymore business with me until you wake. Do you need a little jolt?"

"Ugh... I think I am ready to wake up." I clean the counter of some spills... the bar crowd muttering as noise around is typical for the popular watering hole. The little dream walker looking around the crowds with me.

"Jammy!" I move around to the counter area I am pulled to, "What exactly is the best way to cook this?" A head on the counter, dead but still contained the soul. The asker is a manager, a pet to the ceiling spider. A attractive personality and why folks come around often. The singer that draws more types of prey for the tarantula to choose from.

"Mmmm... it needs the soul removed." is my honest answer, "Not sure about the seasoning. Besides the eye balls are the most juicy. Eyeballs are best raw."

"See, I like this guy. He is why I haven't bothered a death god to check here often." It snickers pleased, "The head need given to someone that corrects the time order of things." I look at it with thinking about it... I check my arm of the notes the title wanted me to be aware of. I debated it a while... looking at them eyes with being serious.

"Can I have it?" I ask. The hunter whom put it there look up in disgust. They moved it away from me, "Mmm... Sorry summons lady. They took it away. Would you like a trade?" I tilt with talking to the woman made of grappled hands, she huffs with disappointment of the head moved away. Scruffs my hair in a awful manner. She unfolds that shape, snatching the hunter and the prize.

"About 2 hours..." I muttered, looking to a wrist watch. Shuffled around back to my orginal spot at where I was when I started dreaming. The dream walker walking back around to say something, "The resin snowflake is beautiful. A one any only. No snowflake forms the same geometrical pattern." The dream follower looks into me, "You need to had clove to the pouch ward that you use as protection. The smell is disliked by things. They would leave you alone and let you sleep more peaceful in future." Such a shocked yet calm expression, "Sorry for biting you. It will wake you the quickest... and I don't think you want to be attacked. I heard they are testing agents this morning."

I pulled the arm they are holding the note, biting it as I said I would. The sense was for us both, as the blood in my mouth shocked me.

"Why are you sleeping on this sofa for?" the mutters were soft to not wake the two children whom live here.

I softly got up no speaking with the blood in my mouth. I force myself up and get ready. I used my time in the bathroom to wash my current clothes, shower and have not showing scars visible. Illusion plays trick of my age but don't hide what I hoped would be hidden. In being finished that of my friend and his wife had been ready with their tasks. I am left with the kids and keys.

2 hours later would be when the kids woke up. I was preparing what could be breakfast for us all from whatever scrapped together from the kitchen. Weighting exactly amounts ahead of time so that no extra waste happened. I see they have plenty of food stock. I had a lot of potential chooses for use make.

In being thankful for the overnight stay, I thought I can return the favour with the son. It be nice to teach the nine year old a basic three ingredient pancake recipe.

Making fun shapes out of pancake had the lad smiling and feeling better about class today. He asked me things he struggled about his other class mates. I do well with the advice what I could. I give many sided thoughts for him to think about. Letting him learn to judge for himself.

I well aware of having to look after the one year old, a little handful as it was. In being buddies with the eldest. It made looking after the youngest that much easier. He was picking up dropped toys for me and together we changed the nappy. Even have the nappy bag sorted.

I walked him to class which was downstairs. Have the little monkey in my arms.

The room of snot nosed children with bias for outsiders or commoners due to what the parents taught them. I am seeing why the lad struggled with such stiff lips here. I scruff his hair, letting him through. I adjusted grip with the the little hair pulling demon. A free hand waving off. The teacher hawks me out instantly and was in a weird half talk with some students. He was about to use me as some sort of example.

"Wait, Mister Crafter." I sigh with stopping back to the teacher here, "Is these two Shelly's kids?"

"My college roommate's kid, back when he was studying science. I just caught up and met his wife yesterday. This two kids are fantastic children." I see there a expression wiped off. A smug smirk torn into blankness. I crock a brow about this changed expression, "Oh... you reminded me." I step with looking to the class room, "Yo little man! You're lunch is in your backpack. Don't go nuts or you're father will strangle me."

"Does it mean you let me share lunch with Manny?" Shouted back.

"No." I snicker, "I expect to see you at 12. 4th floor. Grey door on the left." The class gasps in shock, my reputation among the noble kids or something about my office is mysterious, "If anyone askes, you tell them that Jammie Crafter will deal with it later."

"You rock!" I shrug with that and sigh with looking to the teacher.

"Get with the lingo and you might just find class easier." I check why little worm is squirming about and put the shoe back on thier foot. I smile with the little bug. Leaving the class to be a ruckus behind.

"James Crafter?" I tilted with a gentle glance behind me as folks seem in a panic this morning.

"Yeah?" The large sigh of relief and them making a call. I tell the kid off for pulling more hair out, and passing a Teddy from the children's bag. They lay leaned into me with holding the Teddy. Chilling with looking at folks around.

"Nah, I trust him with my life. I would no doubt trust him with my children." Jack walking up around the back of the asker before. Chuckled with how he finds it werid with how everyone was acting around me.

"Dad!" The little munchkin slips and runs into his father, "cake."

There a look at me like I was a nut for giving sugar to what is already a hyperactive child. He isn't mad, just assumed I was suffering in child care.

"We had pancake this morning." I explained, "Your eldest is going to see me at lunch. I simply pity the kid with his group class his in."

Jack laughs lightly with how well behaved it had been. Taking up the child and having the nappy bag slide to his shoulder. Impressed with me not using a push chair.

"Cake!" Screamed loudly in a whiny pitch. That left a after ring in his father ear and I lightly cringed too. I fished out a tub of chopped stick veg. Offering it to the little caterpillar.

"How about a green stick?" Chopped cucumber stick passed and enjoyed quietly. I yon a little with not use to waking early. We would soon part ways again with everything all sorted.

The panic of finding me was due to some major news that I should have expected. It was a smooth transition to having a team move everything from my flat to my new place. They were all freaked out because I never left MAC center and was assumed kidnapped or something.

The investigation team were happy to find from my friend that I was at their place last night. Word of mouth and rumors of me sleeping on a sofa passed quickly.

It being mage agent response test this morning, having me on a sofa would be something note worthy to consider. They already had to worry about the kids waking up to early.

"You're office is also now your home." They gave me the keys, "A typical open flat would be to much space for one person. Since your on your own for now, it was easier to make your office bigger then to shrink accommodation."

The agent whom is dealing with me hangs out often. I must be their assigned person. A lot of agents are paired or grouped together. This also gives the impression of family groups walking within a mall like this, not small random amounts which is normal for a typical school or office block. It was all about the overall ecstatic and extra hidden security for when someone breaks the no magic around normal people rule.

It be about after 4 months of settling and social ladder changes. If or when would I become a agent like this one skulking about often. Dust settling so that I am trusted to do the job and break no rules. Its going to be a long road ahead, to be trained like a ninja or soldier. That's if I want a significant placement.

I do what I can. Is my best answer.

At least Jack's son has friends. We all enjoyed a meal around my table. I had some of my lonely students have lunch here too. Making a welcoming group whom didn't have to be alone or bullied by stiff social classing. A few hidden agents were treated to a hot drink. Given I forced them to and that I can see them all the time anyways.