Notes on Blue Magic – Illusion

Compiled and commented by Albert Weaver

"There are no lies in Illusion. Only mirrors."

 - Veyla Ros, illusionist and fugitive, Wild Years

It begins with a flicker. A sound that shouldn't be there. A shadow on the wall where nothing stands. Illusion doesn't change the world - it changes the way you see it.

Illusions project false sensations directly into the minds of those nearby. The scent of smoke, the touch of rain, the voice of a loved one long gone. A good illusion isn't loud - it's familiar. It feels right. That's the danger.

***

[Audio Transcript – Civil Defense Briefing, Reykjavík – "The Disappearing Bridge"]

CAPTAIN: "We had eyes on the rebel group. Watched them sprint straight into the ravine. The bridge we saw? It wasn't there. We crossed it twice. Turns out - only the drone saw the truth."

ALBERT (off mic): "Because machines can't be fooled?"

CAPTAIN: "No. Because machines don't have minds."

***

Advanced casters can craft illusions that breathe, move, and react. A fake soldier that ducks when shot. A crowd that panics and scatters. A doppelgänger that holds your gaze and grins at just the wrong moment.

But no matter how real it feels, illusions never leave a mark. You can't cut one open. You can't prove it was ever there.

***

[Excerpt – Field Notes, Street Mage "Lenya"]

"I once held off a bounty crew for five hours with nothing but voices behind doors. Every time they kicked one open, it was just me laughing in another room."

***

The real risk with Illusion isn't combat - it's trust. Victims have reported hallucinations weeks later. Anxiety. Paranoia. Never sure what's real anymore. A whisper in your ear becomes a threat. A flicker of light becomes a trap. And in some cases, even knowing it's an illusion... doesn't make it stop.

Albert's scribbled margin note:

"You can fight a fire. You can run from a beast. But what do you do when the lie is beautiful - and you want it to be true?"