Her return to the living realm had other interesting happening. When the universe had a format change, so to was some important differences. The school is no longer demon territory but instead a joint venture by four spiritual base families. This became a church boarding school with a underbelly of sigil traffic. Even if they dislike each other, the four families knew better to hide this gateway from the rest of the world. Prevention of paranormal researchers from conducting experiments on the grounds. Keeping it a clean state school in the eyes of the government and state laws. It was considered a high pay to be allowed study here but will have lower background join in the shared dorm. As the same it was, it was world famous as student came from all over. When you left here, you were considered professional in your business field. Many previous generations had famous authors, TV presenters and film crew leave in high achievement here. Went on as the schools pride. Reputation was pricey as it the intuition. Two of the family were as expected, Seer and Fallown. The cult study is one the open classes and private class to the higher ones. The Seers have study trips to historical places, they intent to seek the negative lot from the students by bringing them through such failed trips. It's easy to spot a damned when they are the only ones smiling in a terrible situation. Bringing her attention to the other two families. Demon cursed bloodline called the Darkwoods. Then there is the mysterious high paying and secretive Gladers. She looked at this name, blinked and run eyes to be sure this wasn't a joke. But it is true. It just isn't the same Gladers of that space time. These are echos of them, this universes version of those original people. So she knew now. Demons and magic people. This universe has began awareness of the manipulations of time space fabric. To bend rules.
"The outcast is sitting like she owns the place. Trash!" Pushed her off the bench she been reading the school welcome packet, "Bloody useless flea. You don't have any power or even a voice. Go cry away from us." The items she had are spray across the floor too. Stamped on as they all laughed at her. She noticed the uniforms. She wearing one too. She has no tie. They do. Their five colours, six if you include the teachers. Colour for which house your with or if your deemed a under study. Thinking back, she will have never spoke words unless she had to. She considered selective speaking to borderline mute. She does this a lot to protect others from her sight. Stop herself telling their misfortunes from the creatures attached to them.
"Are you down gawking? Just go away." She has a reputation of being back luck. Her creatures take upon themselves to hunt them after hurting her. So they do still bully her but only to a certain point. They don't cross a threshold. She got off the floor herself, she didn't scramble about picking things up but instead let them sink in her shadow. The palms of her hand are lightly grazed but it wasn't bad. It does just sting. She holds her hands closed and lowered to not be targeted further. They labs remark that she was creepy and always off from the rest of them. A smart kid among them noticed her stuff wasn't where it was dropped but as he turned to as them, he lowered in not wanting to be cursed with nightmares. Meer pointing out of off things about the girl has earned them grief enough.
"Eliza, you can't let them treat you like that. You should push them back or just something. Have a backbone." At least there someone who feels concerned for her.
"There isn't a point of doing something that I have something else to do it for me." She spoke softly then normal and she noticed the tie. She recalls this is a member of the Gladers, "So which type of Glader are you? Are you a voodoo of shadow or a make fire sort?" She asked in making light of the situation and her casual way of knowing their secert, "Not it matters. There going to be some Glader that is both. Just as I am both a Seer and Fallown. Nobility among the society of damned isn't bragging. When you sit as high as me, you pity those sat beside you that can't be free. Depending on the perspective of if you are among the living or not." In all this whispering she made it to a school toilet and has began washing her hands. She straightened up her uniform a bit better although she is grubby for a reason. She guesses it was because she in the share dorm and no one lets her use the facilities. She would be secretly using her shadow for such tasks and that isn't perfect.
"We entered at the same grade. I seen your entry when you touched the crystal." She rolled eyes at this, the test for divine or curse, "I have never seen you with a mask." A damned know a damned by the glance of the clay mask.
"It's called multitasking. I send my shadow away for things. I have a lot to do in the realms beyond the living. I wasn't going to let my eyes burn watching the prayer ceremony." She dries her hands with towel then the electric drier. The towel was from her storage and was tossed back when she finished using it, "I appreciate that you been watching me back a while. But maybe you should be careful about what watches you. I seen the demons from the lower city have look at you. Someone has penned in your life for assassination. And for someone like me that watching pages for a living. Your name flickers a lot. Don't make me your complication. I have a nasty side behind the human shape." She looked at them square into the eyes, "If you did murder someone, you wouldn't have those innocent bright eyes. You felt life slip between your fingers but you aren't the cause of that. Maybe you can at least let go of that burden at least. The chain is unfitting for a royal."
The glader most definitely looked like a fish out of water. Going to speak some word and looses their breath.
"I knew you were someone clever all along." A Darkwood leaving the stall.
"Darkwood is no different to Glader. My heed is all the same to you, cursed one." Eliza shurgs, "You just don't think like the dead souls do. You think like the living do and assumed by appearance. Shame that your a blind bat. You should stay in the grey warmth of between darkness and light. Your safest there." She fixed up her hair with a brush that wasn't there before. Using no mirror but acting as it there is one to look at.
"And what makes you above me?" The darkwood hissed.
"There isn't a ladder to go up among the shadows. If you going to fall, you have to fly. Make right any wrongs and someday the light will stop burning. You don't need a mask forever." She put away the bursh and tied her hair neatly, "If you have to climb, you do so on the corpses of those lesser then yourself. Maybe burn a hand to touch divine. This is the few turths shared between noblest damned. Twisted as it was always. Smile in sorrow, hurt yourself as you eat away the pain of others. Make no mistake when you loose this life as a human. Because when you die, most things are to late by then. So you best start making sure you have no other regrets to carry to the grave." She lifted her hand and formed her mask.
"May the light and darkness pave you passage in turbulence." Her mask spoke and she puts it on. She makes another touch down check, the knife on her hip. Exits the toilet alone, the two folks she left in there bickering. The bell rings and everyone was rushed to classes. She decided to skip this one. She walked the corridor as she is. Exploring what doesn't change, stopping to the pin boards. Peering about the displays. She can account for the new life changes. The stable facts don't. Brought here because both biological parents couldn't provide or were fit enough for her care. Her older brother is in the same year as he was late to the party. That Thanksgiving was nothing special and the court case followed that was the day she turned mute. That Christmas was her most loneliest and empty one. The school provided basics like the meal but she didn't get a card or new gift that year. She didn't for her following event days. Not even her birthdays. She can recall turning 16. It wasn't the sweet 16. She was bullied that day as she at other days. She spent it crying alone in the dirt behind the church. The spirits watched her pain and it was from then onwards she experienced changes of her spirit side. The mask came to form last month, glaring at a toilet bowl for having difficult girl times. She has refused seeing the nurse. She knows it will cost and no one going to pay for her. She been earning as a shadow merchant sense. Leading to today, she felt awake from a slumber. Her soul synchronizing across her forms and latched hold with time and space. She walked the hallways feeling more herself then she had ever in her life. That things just clicked. The nonsense made sense, snapped clarity. She felt her inner strength and weight of her own mental worth. There isn't a point of denying what she is and that she was always to be.
"You there!" Teacher spotted her and she doesn't carry herself timid and scared. No she twirls at the spot and posed her left hand at her lips. A naughty child not in class, "It the name of God, I pray that this poor soul." Versing her now she tilts as this attempt to stop her so called possession. It wouldn't matter what they use divine blessing casting, she doesn't burn like the shadow of the damned.
"I have always had a mask. I just don't wear it publicly. People like you get tired from words." She speaks softly and it wasn't clear voicing her worry. But that she spoke at all and that she was fine. They stopped playing blessing cast, "You right, I shouldn't be skipping class. But I just needed a mental breather. I wanted to walk my feelings out then scream at the world. There isn't a God who will survive my ranting." She posed lightly, "I am breaking a school rule but I do so with wanting to have some sanity. Is that to much to ask?"
The teacher thinks this over, she been the core trouble. Not that she actively tries to, it's people around her that do. She been a victim of all these bullies, so having a need to take a break was understandable. She never left since she arrived here. No even for trips, no one signs for her to go. Everyone needs a breather. It's nice she does so without hurting others.
"You don't disturb anyone, then you can continue. If the fire bell goes, your expected to be accountable." They take out a paper and write out something, "You can use this toilet pass as excuse from the normal teachers." Admitted that they aren't normal in some way, "I don't understand why you mask folks do what you do. But I would hope you keeping yourself safe." A human perspective that is aware of students that have masks, "I would like you to be joining your regular classes after the next bell."
"I don't plan on being some uneducated person with no skills." She takes the note with her left hand, "Thank you for this kindness." The teacher nods and gets on with whatever they were going off to do. Back to having a mental check in and walking all these feeling through its emotional torrent. She feels unfinished even as next class bell rings. But she wasn't going to make the teacher feel betrayed. She wear her mask to the side, seated at some face in the crowd. She brought nothing with her, doesn't even know what class this was. She knows she was on this class registry and that she booked mark here for a reason.
"Text book page 2992. You are expected..." Whomever this teacher is, this was another abnormal one. Although, even humans of not ability can see her mask. She posed dull in glances of what text book this was. She doesn't even own one. So what was she doing instead.
"Eliza you were sent to the special education department." Ah, that made sense. She is a mute and dyslexic, "But since your here already. Here is the homework you missed." This teacher has it out for her. That a stack of university grade knowledge, "I don't expect you to finish it."
She didn't even stand up to fetch it, she claps hands and it was gone. Although she should be in a pose of clapping, she was slumped at the desk. She had a laptop suddenly and pen at her teeth.
"Mmmm... no of course not." She stood up and throw a file. The entire paper marked up and written through. Orginized in a hard plastic case. It clattered behind the teacher who didn't bother dodging it, "Screw you and the assumption that I can't be smart! Take the university paper you are due to hand in Tomorrow. But don't bother trying to steal my work. I already had it handed in and checked over by your professor." The laptop closed and tucked under arm and less then pleasant gesture as she leaves, "Never judge a book by the cover, hypocrite." She may have exploded in anger but someone had to take her rage at some point. The class are to stunned that she speaks at all. The teacher is left just as much in red rage, about to chase after her out the class room. Only to be met with more professional teachers stood outside in witness of this. Some supply teacher takes over the children study. Eliza is escorted to the special need department. The teacher is given time and a stern speaking about being professional and proactive being a safe gaurd educator. Eliza is seated in a smaller support class room. Her seat has her backpack, so she was meant to be here.
"Chicken is finally back." It's no surprise that she be made fun of even here. But she stands over her chair, she felt how old and worn out her bag is. It been repaired plenty a time. She owns nothing nice. Even as she thought about it, her shoes are terrible.
"Nah man, I am not a some bird to be served on a plate." She picked up her bag, "Just as you aren't munching on grass and having little lambs." She tucked the chair in, "No what makes me differ to you. Is that you fear your old man and back talk because you think your above everyone else. You act as you learnt. No respect because no one has ever taught you to respect yourself as you respect others. That's you. You play a clown. You think being the big boy will man you above the rest." She takes her mask of and let it turn to dust over the desk, "They don't help that you can't focus. And when you do, you can't let it be. You feel motivated and then can't finish things. Can't sit still. Paralyzed from doing anything as you are asked to do." She sighed at such a long rant, "You just learn that you are what you are. You can use your changing focus to your advantage. You may live in chaos but you thrive on it. But you aren't a clown. You are not a sheep. I am not a chicken." She nods at this point to herself since no one was going to talk over her or stop her. She looked over to the lead teacher here, "I am just some cursed kid with dyslexia. I selectively choose when to speak. I don't have the greatest of mental health. But today, I decided that I can be all the stupid I need. And clearly homeless. Poor enough to not afford a new uniform or shoes. I am now... what 17? I just make minimal wage at a fast food store. I am done having no one. Done with being bullied. I was always this strong and today I am strong enough to make my own chooses." She looked the teacher in the eyes, "I wasn't afraid of others. I was mentally checked out from how boring it all is." She was going to leave the room but there is staff here to block her leave. She sighed at them, "Whatever." She turnes around to a cabinet tall enough for her. She uses the opening to hide her magic trick and use the shadow. She walked in and closed the door behind. No doubt someone ran after her to open it again. But she exited from a toilet stall. She heads to the shared dorm to see her bedroom. As expected, basics that the school provides. But none the nice stuff. She doesn't even have a towel or shampoo. She does now and she wanted a proper wash right now. It help her feel better collected. She began to feel better under the spray of hot water. Home made soap in her storage and plenty of kit to clean up. It goes a long way scrubbing away the weeks of dust. Even her hair changed without being hindered by the grime.
"Powder the fool already!" She looked at the curtain as spirit guest were uninvited. No surprise to see Curiosity, the real him. Broken arms again. Being about the turned to powder over something political.
"If demons are good eating, you should go ahead. But we like this poor God follower. He need a little help putting those arms back." She tells a a god eater and they obey her whims. The sound of terror and melting flesh. Panic to crawl away from being god eater food. A nightmare creature stood Curiosity up and does reset his arms back. He stands afraid as it pulled back hidden once more. She puts a clean bath Rob on and rings water out her long hair. The god eaters scream in fear and scamper at unfinished meals.
"There is only one human that commands the eaters so." Omens in humaniod form stands over the corpses, "Remind me why you trust her." He speaking to a death god. They are recording the names and was on his way ignoring omens.
"We have aligned concepts. Those of the dead are of the afterlife, should stay in the afterlife. The living should be in the land of living. This divide is a protection." She speaks his tongue fluently, "Although I doubt his lower rankers understand my concept correctly. They don't even know who and what I am. A good thing too." She steps right over to Curiosity. She poked at him in strange pressure points, he gained more use in them as she does. She brushed his shoulders, at finish adjusting his soul threads to his clay body. It's not perfect without stripping his clothes off. This was highly inappropriate of a place. She retracted her hands away, blushed even. He has a cold aura that made her tug her towel wrap better closed. She made a hair towel appear and tied up with no effort. She pats his shoulder and moved evading omens. She needed to head to the changing room now.
She was left to her own to change into some decent covering. She gladly had emergency clothing for such occasions and casted a spell craft to instantly mend the lengths of her adult wear dress to her current sizing. The fact she can cast this magic told her another thing. That the laws of spell craft has transferred to this universe. Bending elements to human will. Bending wavelength of energy to contorl the power. There is those who take power from the environment I to themselves. Those who spend their own life force. Those whom bend what is already there, the most efficient magic use and hardest to master. Mastering all three ways is equally impressive. Only flickering her mind to her Magic teacher in another universe. It was such a strong memory that it lasped any sense of danger or awareness. She had mindlessly turned as she finished putting her belt with death dagger back on. Dazed in a god blessing. The last vague image she calls to is the god of omens holding his right hand over her face.