The first thing that happened when they walked into the dining hall on Sunday night was that a good portion of the student body went silent. Britt walked beside her, but Dyani knew that she was the one who drew their attention. Britt had convinced her to walk in, even with the trunk rolling behind her. It would satisfy the Trunk Maker's effort that he put into it. It would also help people see that she was taking their world seriously. She had the latest fashions on, although Dyani knew the shoes were over the top. She couldn't help herself, though. The fact that they made heels that had comfort spells built into them was the best invention that she had heard of. Britt could not convince her otherwise not to buy a whole range of shoes.

  The second thing that happened was that the group that had adopted her surged up from their places. She walked over to them while Britt continued to the Faculty table.

  "Dyani, what happened? You've been gone for two days once we left."

  Dyani sat down next to them, pulling the trunk up behind her so that she could keep an eye on it.

  "Everything is fine. I got really sick so I had to stay behind until I could get used to the magic of Dysc."

  Eyebrows rose but Mari asked, "But what happened though?"

  "We think that the magic in the Dysc clashes with my magic's wild and chaotic nature. So, it had to take time to adjust to the Dysc when I used it. Thankfully, the trip back through was not as rough."

  There were nods from the group and Dyani internally sighed in relief. That was the hardest part to sell. It did make her sick originally but that didn't last long. Instead, they had spent the weekend under the guise of her magic needing to settle. At that time, they snuck out at night to contact her family and get resources. Thankfully, their jaunt to her family in the middle of the night on Friday had given her access to her family's money. Dyani knew her privilege of growing up in a family that came from money and continued to build themselves in the wealth department. She was ever more thankful that they were willing to support her new place in a different world from theirs, albeit reluctantly on her part.

  "Are you ready for classes tomorrow?"

  Dyani sighed. That was one thing that she was not prepared for. She wanted to get some of these over with. Going into these classes almost ten years older than them would be hard enough. It would be rough having to audit classes with rowdy teenagers. She would have preferred to attend the apprentice-level classes with her new friends.

  "I wish that I had more time doing the private tutoring to get further ahead than I am now. It will be hard dealing with high school all over again."

  "High school? How nomaj of you to compare the levels to that filth." The group turned around to find Kira standing there with her hands on her hips. Dyani mentally rolled her eyes at the child in front of her. She acted like it.

  She plastered a smile onto her face, "Look. I am sure that you are used to your little cloud of perfectness, but let me tell you something. Those very nomaj are the ones responsible for your fancy PMA. So I'd be very thankful to them right now for your privilege."

  Dyani turned around and selected her desired meal, grinning as the Chicken Parmigiana popped up. She dug into her food with relish, giving a slight noise of pleasure, "Oh, I have been looking forward to this for so long."

  There was a huff of frustration and heels clicking as Kira stalked away. It was a moment before the rest of the group burst into laughter.

  "You really know how to piss people off, don't you," Jorge asked.

  Dyani shrugged, "It's a talent."

  Noemi laughed and they all turned back to their dinner. The meal passed with no other disruptions and the conversation flowed with ease. Dyani sat there and stared off into the distance while the others chatted around her. Her mind wandered off, thinking of the coming days. She was unsure exactly how it would go for her and how her future classmates would handle her being in their classes.

  After the meal, Dyani rushed out of the hall and went to the dorms. The others followed casually, though the boys broke off to go to theirs. It was quiet, though Dyani believed it would give her space until they reached the dorm. She found this out when she got her trunk settled down next to her bed. Dyani knelt to get some of her things out for the next day. Two faces appeared over her shoulder to stare at the trunk.

  "Oh, I've not seen that before. Is this the trunk that Master Briggen's ordered for you?"

  Dyani paused and looked down at the top of the trunk she had closed to change it over to her closet space.

  "Yes, we got it the next morning."

  "That's incredibly fast! Mine took at least a week to get it done. The Trunk Master must have really liked you," Noemi chimed in.

  Mari elbowed her, "Don't be a dick. I'm sure that it was rushed due to the need."

  Dyani rolled her eyes at them, bickering back and forth. She opened the closet compartment and stepped onto the ladder, "Are you both coming or not?"

  The woman didn't stop to look at them; instead, she focused on deciding what she wanted to wear tomorrow and for the week. It would be easier for her to have the outfits and uniform tops set out than to do it every night. There was a commotion at the room door, and Dyani ignored it.

  "Woah! This is a huge space. What else do you have in this thing?"

  "A bunch of other things."

  "Yeah, I get that, but like... this is beyond what my trunk has. You scored big with this."

  "I didn't know you spoke such a commoner tongue, Noemi," Mari snarked at her. She got shoved in return. Mari turned to Dyani, "I have to agree with her, though. This is much larger than what I've seen before."

  With a dress in hand, Dyani turned, holding it against her body, "What do you think of this one?"

  "I like it. Classy for the first day, but unique enough to be yourself. You didn't answer the question."

  "I didn't think anything of it other than the fact that it really worked well for what I wanted. Plus, I get to hold all of my belongings in here."

  Dyani snagged a few other articles of clothing and shoes before ushering the group out of her closet. They made their way out and the two sat on their beds while Dyani set up the small dresser with her weekly things. Her bag was settled against her bed, where she could reach it should she need to get out her study materials. It took a few minutes of working but Dyani managed to get everything settled into place. The one thing that she scowled at was that the cardigan was a bit more tacky. There was a jacket option with the school's logo, but the cardigan fit the style better. She eyed it before looking at the others.

  "Is there any way to change the color of this thing? The color is ugly."

  Noemi burst into laughter, "Of course there is. The only limit is that you cannot use any colors that would be considered an eye sore."

  The blonde stood up and walked over to pick up the cardigan. The colors were a soft pink, with the golden crest standing out. She eyed the dress Dyani had chosen and waved her hand over the fabric. The pink bled away into a light tan color. The crest turned into a black version that was more muted.

  "There. This will fit much better with the cream of the dress."

  Dyani sighed in relief and picked up a set of pajamas, "I'm going to get ready for bed and then study for a bit. Thank you, Noemi."

  "Of course, just let me know if you need help again. I think you'll be learning to work with fabric this year."

  Dyani gave her a strained smile before walking off to the shared bathroom. The other two chattered with each other, their voices floating in through the bedroom. Dyani stood at one of the sinks and stared at her reflection. Her skin was flawless; even some of the small scars from over the years have disappeared with the re-establishing of the glamor. It made her skin crawl to see it that way. Her head thunked against the mirror and she sighed again.

  The first time having to go through a whole mess of dealing with hormonal teenagers was hard when she was one. This time will be a thousand times worse due to being older. She was not looking forward to doing this and a large part of her wished that she could continue the tutoring that Britt had offered. She got through the material at a faster pace. Now, she was stuck with going at a slower pace because they were at a different level of education.

  This year would be hell compared to the mastery program that she would have been going through. That was the other thing that she was thankful for. Her family would cover for her absence. Instead of having to attend the classes, a family friend covered for her trauma of being kidnapped and having to take her time reintegrating with being out in public. This allowed her to work on her final year as she pleased. She intended to take full advantage of developing and writing her thesis to present as soon as she could.

  "Welcome, class, to this year's Earth Magic. Unlike last year, where we focused strictly on the methods of caring for plants, this is more practical."

  Dyani sat in a greenhouse room with a bunch of teenagers where she was almost ten years their senior. Some of the girls were giggly together while the boys were goofing around. The woman rolled her eyes and was thankful that the few studious ones were closer to her than the others. If this was how the start of her classes would be, she was in for a hard year.

  "Earth Magic is more than just the Herbology and care of plants. It's working with the magic of the Earth and the life around you. For this year, we are looking at creating and establishing a connection with the Earth. The Goddess is also a part of Earth Mother, which gives us life. You all should know this. Your families most likely practice the rituals of the seasons."

  The teacher stood before a rolling board that brought up diagrams with a tap of her finger.

  "Today, I want you to get into groups to discuss how you or your family works with the Earth Magic. Dyani, may I borrow you for a moment?"

  Dyani sighed, knowing this would be about her current level of knowledge. The teacher was settled at a workbench with some papers. Her hair pulled into a messy bun and rimless glasses sat on her nose. There were a few streaks of dirt on her cheek where she had brushed loose strands away. She wore a lovely brown dress covered with a stained apron used for gardening.

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  "Come join me for this session, will you?"

  Dyani smiled and settled her things down. She glanced at the others in the room and saw that they were absorbed in their cliques. Some conversations that Dyani was sure were not a part of the assignment. Oh, how she remembered those days. She turned her focus back to the teacher.

  "Now, I understand that your circumstances are different and we'll have to tailor your learning. I know that there are going to be gaps in your learning. For this semester, I wanted to focus on learning to connect with the Earth. Are you familiar with meditation?"

  "Yes, it's quite popular in the nonmagical world."

  "Really?" The surprise in her voice was something that Dyani had come accustomed to. The amount of separation between these worlds was so drastic that they don't have any crossover, though they take things from the nonmagical. Dyani was not surprised that some of the authors and famous writers that used the magical world to get famous was something that had gone unnoticed.

  "Yes, it's something that has been used for hundreds, if not thousands, of years in certain practices and beliefs."

  "Well then," she exclaimed. "This should be easier for you to achieve."

  "I wouldn't say that, but at least I can try it."

  "Good. Let us discuss a bit more about how to connect. Follow me."

  They stood up and went over to a section that was opened up to the lands the school sat on. The class continued their discussion but there were a few looks directed their way.

  "Ignore them. You know how teenagers are."

  Dyani nodded and settled down into the grass with the teacher.

  "The earth is a core part of our lives and how we function. The Goddess is a part of our gift of magic, but the Earth Mother is the one that can give us life. With this, we can establish a connection with her. Take your time and meditate."

  Dyani found herself being left alone to her own devices. It would have been nice if she understood half of the teacher's explanation. She knew and understood what the woman was getting at, but learning about her connection with Mother Earth and the Goddess was entirely new. Britt had explained this only in passing, as it was not apparent that she would need the information regarding the magical people's religious beliefs. Now, she wished that he had gone over it a bit more.

  Closing her eyes, Dyani focused inwards. Her breathing evened out and she settled into the magic that flowed through the ground. She supposed it was like the belief in connection with the earth through the Chakras. From what she remembered, there were seven of them and they connect with the energy of your body. It was hard to recall because it had not interested her then. Only her younger brother’s occult rambling was why that amount of knowledge stuck. That thought stopped Dyani. She would need to research this. Magic and energy are seen as similar in the nonmagical world, but what about the magical? She also needed to understand the practices better than just rushing into something she barely knew.

  Dyani stood up and walked back over to the table with her things.

  “Do you have any texts about earth magic? I have the basic text you required for this class, but I may need a list of books from previous years.”

  The teacher hummed before clicking on the computer that sat next to her. The magic hummed to life within the technology and the runes lit up briefly before fading. It always fascinated her that technology and magic could be woven so closely together. What she would have given to not need a charger during exam time.

  "Do you have your PMA on you?"

  Dyani pulled the school's PMA from its pouch, preferring to leave her personal one in her bag. She held it out to the teacher and the woman tinkered with it briefly before returning to her computer. There were a few pings and the device was handed back to her.

  "These texts for the class have been used the past few years and a few previous levels. This should help you pick up the extra information you are missing. I've added in a few of my own personal texts that you should find interesting, although they are above the reading level for this year's class."

  Dyani smiled at her and clicked through the ten textbooks that had been dropped into the digital library. This one was more compact than her new one, which she'd have to transfer over to her computer and then to the new PMA later.

  "Thank you very much. I really appreciate the extra materials."

  "You're very welcome. Now, it’s redundant for you to do a one-page paper on your findings. So, what I'd like for you to do is to read through the texts that I have given you. You'll want to do the same for the other classes that have texts. Ask them for the extra materials. I know you have a lot on your plate. How about at the end of the week, you can give me a three-page summary of the texts that you have read?"

  Dyani felt the relief wash over her. That was more than doable. In fact, if the others were assigning such a small amount of paperwork, she may very well be able to get through her Master's degree and all of these classes. Provided that she could keep up her reading pace.

  There was a ringing that signified the end of the class. Dyani gathered her supplies and thanked the teacher for her time.

  She would have to take the teacher's advice into mind. Dyani already had Transmutation before Earth Magic, so she would have to backtrack to the teacher and ask for materials as well. Dyani pulled out her school PMA to stare at her schedule. There was a two-hour period of lunch. Her pace quickened. She could go and get the material now, catching the teacher before they left for the break. She dashed around the corners of the halls, clutching the bag close to her. A few people laughed as she skidded past but Dyani ignored them in favor of getting to the offices. There. The teacher in question was stepping out of his office.

  "Professor!"

  His head jerked up and he stifled a laugh at Dyani sliding to catch him. Her breaths came in short gasps while she attempted to calm down from the short jaunt. She made a mental note to get back into shape if that short amount wore her out.

  "Hello, Dyani. How can I help you?"

  "I—" she gasped a deep breath for a second before continuing, "I was wondering if you had a moment before going to lunch. I just came from Earth Magic and realized I should circle back to get some things from you."

  "Oh! Of course, come on in."

  Dyani followed the man into a nice office, where the shelves bowed with the weight of texts. The man was older, his hair balding and there was a peppering of silver throughout. He wore a cardigan over a nice white blouse and khaki-colored pants. He had style, but it was an older-fashioned one that some of the other Graduate Professors had when she was in their classes. It must be a generational scholar thing, she mused.

  "Professor Sertak, I would like to know if there were materials from the previous years or other texts that I could get from you to help with my studies. I know that I have a lot of gaps in the knowledge regarding basics."

  "Of course, may I have your PMA? I can transfer those to you now."

  Much like the Earth Magic teacher, he was clicking away on a computer. When she opened her PMA, he scanned through the materials that she had and nodded his head.

  "I see that you had some things from Bertani. I'll go ahead and give you some of the things that I found interesting and relevant as well."

  Dyani smiled, "Thank you so very much. I really appreciate the extra time you all have given to help."

  "It's nothing, dear," he waved absently while focused on the screen. "We understand that your situation is unusual—nothing like giving you a chance to know the materials needed. Briggens already informed the staff that you would need extra working hands to help fill in what he couldn't cover. After all, you did have less than three months to be at the level you are."

  Dyani nodded but still felt the frustration of being unable to get further.

  "You have survived the impossible and expect to learn twelve years in three months? We were amazed that you got to even the High Levels so quickly. The reading will help fill in the gaps that are there.

  He looked at her over the top of the monitor. "You have to give it time, Dyani. There are a lot of things that will come with just doing all that you can. You aren't expected to do this with ease. In fact, we know that you will have times of struggle."

  She sighed, "I know. It is frustrating being in the lower-level classes and dealing with immaturity. I've been through it once and it's already becoming an annoyance. It's day one!"

  Dyani threw her hands up into the air before rubbing the bridge of her nose.

  "I just want to get through this material and get up to speed. You don't happen to have any time machines? Devices that stop time?" Dyani looked hopeful at the prospect of those two things being possible, but the Professor's sharp look had her shutting that thought down.

  "We do not abuse the magic that the Goddess has granted us. Harnessing it for time travel or stopping time would be too much of an abuse of power. Now here," he handed her the PMA. I have uploaded the required texts. I am sure that you will need time to catch up to the level. With that being said, what was it that Professor Bertani set for you?"

  Dyani internally cheered at the question but answered him evenly, "I am to give a three-page paper on the material that I have covered in the books at the end of each week."

  The older man rubbed his chin and nodded, making a note on his own PMA.

  "I will agree with this. Give me a three-page essay at the end of each week, which you can send to my PMA address or hand in personally. If I am not in the office, you can slip it into the box on the door."

  "Thank you very much. I will keep working hard in class and taking notes, but I may have the materials to reference things being discussed."

  "That is fair. Now, it is lunch. Why don't we head down?"

  Dyani slid into her normal seat at the table with the others. The whole bunch were already typing away at their computers or handwriting notes from books. They barely noticed her arrival, which was good enough for her. She tapped her order and set aside her bag. The food came up while she unloaded her supplies. She would use the time in the same manner as her group. Studying would be paramount for her to get her bearings. Her PMA pinged, but this tone was different from the school one. Dyani cursed mentally. She would need to change the sound on that. Her eyes slid up to the staff table, where Britt conversed with the Headmistress.

  Britt: Attached are the materials your mother has gathered regarding your Mastery. You will have your hands full, Dyani. I worry.

  Dyani smiled slightly at the last part, knowing that he was correct. She would be pushing it very hard these next few months.

  Dyani: Thanks. I'll be fine.

  Dyani cracked open the files that were sent, seeing the notes from the other grad students to the department. All were wishing and hoping for her to get well soon. There were outlines of what was required of her and how to tune into the classes that she would need. Thankfully, this was a year that she did not have to attend classes, instead, these were her study and report semesters. They had tentatively scheduled for her to give her thesis and defend it in early April of the next year. There were also syllabi for the classes that would help her develop the rest of her thesis.

  Dyani slipped out her computer and began to pick through the assignments and materials. They were transferring over to her archive there when she felt a set of eyes. Her school PMA pinged before she could look around for the culprit.

  Headmistress: Miss Dyani. I wish to know where you have gotten such a brand new device to work on when the scholarship does not cover it. We have school ones that could have been used.

  Dyani: There was no other option. Master Briggens told me to let you ask him if you had questions. He said it was a loan for future investment.

  While not entirely true, it was enough to get the Headmistress off her back. She slid the new PMA away from sight and into her bag. The computer pinged completion before her school PMA pinged as well.

  Headmistress: I see. Master Briggens has informed me of the situation. Consider yourself lucky, Dyani.

  Dyani growled under her breath in frustration. The controlling and underhanded manipulation was beginning to grate on her nerves. More than anything, she wished for the woman and whoever she worked with to back off her. This was more of a nightmare than enjoyable. The scholar in her was more upset at being so tightly supervised and controlled that she could not celebrate understanding a brand-new learning area.

  The writing program clicked up and Dyani got to work, ignoring the message for now. Before all of this happened to her, Dyani had been going for a psychology degree in the suppressed mind. It specifically was geared towards those who had been born into it and those thrust into it later in life.

  The differences and understanding of the nature of impression in children versus adults. That was the main idea behind her Master's degree. At least until she became the victim of a ritual. Now, there was no way in which she could display magic or reveal it. Instead, she was determined to do studies based on the mindset of individuals who went through torture.

  The Tortured Mind: An Experiential and Analytical Understanding of the Survivor's Mindset

  Dyani's smile curled at the edges of her mouth before it became a full-blown grin. The others at the table stared at her in shock and wariness as Dyani gave a low chuckle. Around her, the magic rattled the table. There was a lowering of the volume of voices around her and Dyani snapped out of it when a hand landed on her shoulder. Looking up, she stared in bright green eyes. Magic calmed down and Dyani sucked in a sharp breath.

  "Are you okay?"

  Dyani nodded, keeping quiet. Britt leaned over to look at the screen and took a sharp breath at the title of her thesis.

  "Dyani—," but he was interrupted.

  "I am fine, sir. I got carried away with my emotions. I will work on calming myself so that it doesn't happen again."

  Britt's face had an unreadable expression before he nodded, "Very well. I expect to see you in the tutoring tomorrow."

  Dyani nodded and bowed her head as the man walked away. Much had to be done and losing control had just brought reality back into her view. She couldn't afford to get caught or not being dragged behind. She would have to buckle down and get her studies moving as fast as she could. There were some sleepless nights ahead.