Beneath the Surface

Magic, Inc. was a world of its own—a sprawling labyrinth of departments filled with bright minds and powerful magic. The air seemed to hum with energy, revealing new wonders and occasional disasters at every turn. Here, even small moments, like bringing coffee to a friend, could feel just as magical as the most complex spell.

Alex, Lila, Marcus, Nina, and Zoe hadn’t been close during their time at the Emberlight Academy of Arcane Studies. Marcus and Lila had been a few years ahead, Nina and Zoe a few years younger. The timeline of their academy days was blurry now, lost in the years since.

Fate had brought them together again at Magic, Inc. They’d all joined the company the same year, gone through its intensive training program together, and formed an unlikely but tight-knit group. They all had different specialties—Lila with her groundbreaking potions, Marcus with his unshakable dedication to security, Zoe with her dazzling illusions, and Nina with her mastery of magitech.

As for Alex, he kept things running smoothly—or at least tried to. His job as a Magical Compliance Officer wasn’t glamorous, but it was essential. Without him, the company would likely descend into chaos, with rogue spells wreaking havoc.

Still, the same nagging thought continued to creep into Alex’s mind. Was this all there was? His friends were pushing boundaries and changing the magical landscape. Meanwhile, he handled paperwork and dealt with malfunctioning vending machines. Sometimes, it felt like Magic, Inc.’s towers pulsed with endless possibilities, all just out of his reach. His good mood from earlier began to fade as these thoughts crept in.

“Morning, Alex,” came a familiar voice. Mr. Thompson, his supervisor, approached with his usual stern expression. Tall and gaunt, Thompson’s pressed robes seemed as rigid as his adherence to protocol.

“Morning, Mr. Thompson,” Alex replied, attempting to sound upbeat.

“Got a special assignment for you today,” Thompson said, handing over a thick file. “Reports of unauthorized enchantments are piling up, especially in R&D. It’s causing a mess down there, and I want you to sort it out.”

“Right away, sir,” Alex said, suppressing a sigh. Special assignments rarely meant anything good in the Magical Compliance Department—just more work and more headaches.

As he headed toward the R&D labs, Alex flipped through the file:

• Enchanted office supplies: Staplers that keep stapling anything in sight, including fingers. Paperclips that magnetically bind important documents together, refusing to let go. Self-refilling coffee mugs.

• Unauthorized surveillance spells: Employees have reported seeing glimmers of light and hearing faint whispers near their workspaces, as if being watched.

• Self-enchanting devices: Potions equipment casting transmutation spells on its own, turning basic ingredients into unidentifiable substances.

These were just a few of the bizarre incidents that were becoming too frequent to ignore.

As he walked through the maze of cubicles, Alex spotted familiar faces: Jerry Sampson, hunched over parchment, muttering; Emily Carter, navigating the chaos cheerfully. He paused at Debbie Henderson’s desk—it was unusually neat. Her calendar was still open to three days ago, with a meeting circled in red ink. A faint scent of lavender ink lingered in the air. Alex made a mental note to ask Mr. Thompson about it later.

Just as Alex reached R&D, a small explosion echoed from the break room.

“Sorry!” Lila’s voice carried through the smoky haze. Purple smoke billowed from the microwave as she waved it away. “I thought it would heat up faster with a little boost!”

Alex peeked into the room, chuckling. Lila was a brilliant potion master, but her experiments had a habit of backfiring.

“Hey, Alex! Good luck with whatever Thompson’s got you doing today!” Lila called, her hair slightly singed at the ends.

“Actually, I’m here because of that,” Alex said, holding up the file. “Thompson sent me to investigate unauthorized enchantments.”

Lila’s eyes widened in mock innocence. “Unauthorized? That sounds serious. But I swear, I’ve got all the permits!”

“It’s not about permits,” Alex replied, flipping through the pages. “Apparently, some of the office supplies have been enchanted. Any idea who might be responsible?”

Lila’s cheeks flushed. “Oh, right. That might’ve been me. Just a little. I thought self-stapling staplers and self-refilling coffee mugs would boost morale.”

Alex tried to look stern, but his smile betrayed him. “Lila, you know you can’t enchant things without authorization. Even if it’s for morale.”

“I know, I know,” she said, looking genuinely sorry. “I just wanted to make things more...fun.”

“Speaking of fun,” Alex added, “there’s also a mop aggressively cleaning anything that moves.”

Lila laughed. “That’s definitely Zoe. She enchanted her desk once to auto-organize itself. Nearly filed me into a drawer when I stopped by for lunch.”

Alex chuckled, then grew more serious. “There’s also unauthorized surveillance spells popping up. Employees are feeling spied on. And in the labs… someone’s tampering with potion-making equipment. We’re seeing dangerous transmutations.”

Lila’s smile faded at this. “That’s more serious. I’ve noticed weird behavior in the lab equipment recently, but I thought it was just malfunctioning gear.”

“Maybe,” Alex said, frowning. “Or maybe someone’s testing unauthorized magic and hoping no one notices.”

“Well, I’ll make sure my enchanted staplers stay out of your way,” Lila said, her playfulness returning.

“Thanks. But if you notice anything strange, let me know. I’ve got a feeling this is bigger than just enchanted office supplies.”

Lila’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. “Will do!”

Leaving the R&D labs, Alex felt the weight of the file under his arm. As he walked back through the narrow halls of Magic, Inc., the usual hum of magic in the air felt more intense—like the entire building was alive with whispers, unseen forces pulling at the edges of his consciousness. Something was off, and it wasn’t just a few enchanted staplers.

He passed by employees rushing to and from meetings, some engrossed in conversations about spell theory, others balancing stacks of scrolls. The energy of the building was always frenetic, but today it seemed heightened, like the building itself was holding its breath.

As Alex neared the Magical Compliance Department, a familiar, looming presence came into view. Marcus was striding through the cubicles, his sharp gaze scanning the room as if searching for something—or someone. Alex slowed his pace as Marcus approached, noting the tightness in his jaw.

“Busy day?” Marcus’s deep voice broke through the low murmur of the office.

“Isn’t it always?” Alex replied with a wry smile.

Marcus grunted in agreement and kept walking, his sharp gaze sweeping the room. Alex watched him go, admiring his dedication. Marcus was the top enforcer in the Security Division, known for his ruthless efficiency, though Alex knew there was more to him than his stern exterior.

Suddenly, a loud crash echoed through the department. Alex’s heart leaped as he rushed toward the sound, fearing another mishap from Lila. Instead, he found Marcus standing in the center of the room, holding the shattered remains of an ornate mirror.

“Marcus, what happened?” Alex asked, skidding to a halt.

“Damn mirror,” Marcus muttered. “It’s supposed to reveal hidden enchantments, but it overloaded.”

Alex knelt beside the shards, which still shimmered faintly with residual magic. “What were you trying to reveal?”

Marcus’s eyes darkened. “We’ve been getting reports of unauthorized surveillance spells—lots of them. Thompson told me you’re working on a file with enchantment issues.”

“Yeah,” Alex said, piecing it together. “We’ve been seeing weird enchantments all over—objects acting out, surveillance spells...”

Marcus nodded grimly. “Whoever’s behind this is good. They’re keeping it low-level, using weak enchantments to stay off our radar. But it’s escalating.”

Alex’s brow furrowed. “Think there’s a connection between the enchantments and the surveillance?”

“Could be,” Marcus replied, his tone serious. “If someone’s using unauthorized surveillance, they’re probably hiding something. And they don’t want us to find out.”

As Marcus turned to leave, Alex returned to his desk, unease settling in his gut. Unauthorized enchantments, surveillance spells—it was more than just office pranks. Something was happening at Magic, Inc., and it felt bigger than he’d realized.

Back at his cubicle, the usual stream of complaints about malfunctioning spells and hexed coffee machines barely registered. Alex leaned back in his creaky chair, replaying the day’s events in his mind. Marcus was rarely rattled, but something about the surveillance spells had him on edge.

His gaze drifted across the office, landing on Debbie Henderson's desk again. It still sat oddly pristine, too neat for someone like Debbie, who always had an avalanche of papers, enchanted quills, and half-filled potion bottles scattered across her workspace. The calendar, stuck on a meeting from three days ago, felt like a silent flag, an unfinished sentence that nagged at him. Where was she?

As Alex skimmed through the reports again, he noticed a pattern: many of the unauthorized enchantments had occurred in departments dealing with sensitive information or experimental magic.

His pulse quickened as the pieces began to fall into place. Someone was using the chaos of malfunctioning spells to mask their real intentions. This wasn’t just about rogue enchantments. It was a cover-up.

His eyes flicked back to Debbie’s empty desk, and a knot tightened in his chest. Could she be involved? Or worse—had she found out something she wasn’t supposed to?

But what were they trying to hide?