"Okay class! Take your seats!" Dr. Ketter called out.

Ahylino slid into a desk in the back. They always sat in the back. It gave a lot for their many eyes to focus on.

"Now," Dr. Ketter started after everyone was seated. "Let's start our very first lesson by explaining 'Mana'," She wrote the word on the chalk board. "Think of mana as magic blood," Dr. Ketter explained. "It runs through our veins and gives us the power to cast spells. But just like real blood, mana can run out and need to be replenished. Of course it's easier to lose it than blood. Does anyone know how to recharge your mana?" Several kids raised their hands. The teacher noticed Ahylino wasn't one of them. "Ahylino." The teacher called.

"Resting and meditation." Ahylino said automatically.

"Correct." Dr. Ketter started writing something on the board. "There are also spells and potions that can help, but they aren't always easy to get. So, how do you recharge your mana again?"

"Resting and meditation." The whole class, including Ahylino, repeated.

"Very good." Dr. Ketter gave a warm smile to the class. On the board, Dr. Ketter had drawn a little diagram of a person in bed, with a bar above their head that said 'mana'. "Just like the rest of your body, being healthy and eating properly will make sure you have plenty of mana for the day. However, if you were to run out of mana, you can feel exhausted, like you went on a big run. So, make sure to take breaks and get plenty of rest." Her face seemed a bit more serious, "But, if you continue to use your mana anyways," her tone was serious as well, "you can end up hurting yourself. You could burn out, which can leave you with a nasty headache and fever. So, remember to be responsible with your magic. Okay?"

"Yes, Dr. Ketter." The class echoed. Ahylino was confused. The teacher wasn't wrong, but she also wasn't right. Using magic when you're out of mana uses your life. And if you use too much of that you either die or lose control of your magic and then probably die. It's simple. It's not that complicated. Ahylino didn't really understand why the teacher seemed to be trying not mention it. Magic was dangerous. Just like nature. It's just a fact of life.

"Now, how many of you know the different types of mana?" Ahylino raised their hand, and was surprised to find they were the only one with their hand up. "Yes, Ahylino?"

"Personal, Nature, and Void." They listed off.

"Correct." Dr. Ketter wrote the three words on the board. "Personal mana is internal and comes from your body. It's the mana everyone uses. Most spells you use are using your own, personal, mana, which is probably why you haven't heard of the others." Dr. Ketter drew a person under 'Personal Mana'.

"Nature and void come from outside you," she continued, "Nature, as it says, comes from nature. Trees, flowers, even grass, and much more. Magic has become part of our world, which means it is part of nature. Nature magic is very hard to use though. It takes a lot of skill to harness even a fraction of its power." Once again, Ahylino was confused. Nature magic is super easy to use. It's only hard if you try to force it. You have to ask nature to help you, not make it do what you say. If you force it, its going to fight back. Why was that hard to understand?

"Void is, well, complicated," The teacher looked a bit nervous now. Her voice took on a more cautious tone, as if she didn't like talking about the subject, "Honestly, we barely know anything about it. But what we do know is that it's unstable. Void magic can be very dangerous, so it's best to leave it alone. It's very rare that anyone can even touch void magic. Okay, any questions?" Class continued on.

The teacher tried answering questions and explaining more about magic and mana. They stopped and played games a lot too. However, Ahylino couldn't shake their confusion. Was this really all that most people knew?

When it came time for recess, Ahylino stayed behind for a bit. They reached into their hair and pulled out a mask. The mask was made of wood and had no defining features. They wouldn't get to decorate it until they were older. Still, they couldn't help but look at it and wonder what real magic they could have learned from their clan. Their mom had already taught them a lot by herself, so if everyone was still around Ahylino would be, like, super smart and powerful. Maybe then their mom would stop worrying so much. For now, they put the mask back in their hair and headed out to play.

"Are you sure you can afford this place?" Dee's coworker asked her as they sorted books in the public library.

"Of course. I have more than enough," Dee assured her.

"And you're not worried about Ahylino?" She asked.

"What do you mean?" Dee put some returned books back on one of the shelves.

"They have some pretty unique... features."

"So do a lot of people nowadays," Dee replied. "You done over there yet?"

"Yeah, hang on," The woman said. She rounded the corner.

The woman was a short, stout, pale skinned lady with thick glasses and a bob haircut. She had freckles that covered her body and wore a baggy green cardigan and black leggings.

She was pushing a cart full of books. "These ones are good," She said.

"Alright. Thanks Amy," Dee said. She grabbed a few books and began scanning them back into the system.

"What about the other kids here? Are they nice to Ahylino?" Amy asked.

"So far. Luckily, Ahylino's a sweetheart. They're kind, curious, and creative."

"Yeah, yeah, I've heard it all before," Amy teased. "I'm just saying that Ahylino might have trouble fitting in," she warned.

Dee's face dropped a bit, "Yeah, I know. Kids can be mean, but they can also be accepting. I just gotta hope for the best. Besides, with all the magic, everyone is a bit diverse," She stood up straight and headed back behind the counter with Amy, who brought the book cart with her.

"True," Amy started, "but people are still a little wary of people from the Underworld. Once the parents hear about it, they'll probably give the school a hard time."

"They should have an easier time than I did at that age," Dee said, more hopeful than anything.

"Yeah, can't imagine growing up as trans, gay, black and Asian, and a woman was easy," Amy sympathized. "Well, I understand the last one, but you know what I mean."

Dee's heart ached as she recalled her own experiences growing up. The struggles she had faced due to her multiple marginalized identities were still fresh in her mind. She had endured racism, homophobia, transphobia, and sexism, often feeling like an outsider in society. Even though magic had shifted everyone's priorities, she still found herself part of the group everyone hated and feared just for existing.

"It wasn't," Dee replied when she gathered her thoughts. "Parents weren't exactly helpful with the first two at all. They at least taught me what to look out for in terms of racist shit heads. But Ahylino has so much love and support, and that's all I want for them. It's all I wanted for myself," Dee explained.

Amy smiled, "Well, it's a good thing they have you."

"All I can do is my best," Dee collapsed into a chair, manning the main desk. "Let's just hope that's enough."

"You're fine," Amy reassures her. "Being a parent is supposed to be hard."

"It would be a lot easier without the magic," Dee said with an exhausted sigh. "Don't get me wrong, I love magic. But at least I'd be raising Ahylino on just my own experiences. There aren't a lot of parenting books that include magic. At least not any good ones. I've checked. So I'm doing all of this more blind than most," Dee looked down at her four hands. "(I wish they were still with me)," Dee muttered, not in English, but Japanese. "(It takes a village to raise a child, after all)."

Amy frowned. She clearly didn't understand what Dee said, but was at least able to pick up on the mood. "Well, I'm going on my break," She said as she put on a jacket, pretending not to notice when Dee shook herself out of her depression. "You want anything from the cafe?"

"Salted caramel crunch with lavender powder, please," Dee answered in Englis. She grabbed some money out of her hair and handed it to Amy.

Amy raised an eyebrow to the action, "Do you even have a purse anymore?" Amy asked as she took the money.

"Nope. Magic hair, baby," Dee laughed. "Thanks again!"

"Anytime," Amy winked and headed out the door.

As Dee continued her duties in the library, Amy's words echoed in her mind. She couldn't help but worry about how they were adjusting to their new school. Dee knew that Ahylino would eventually face discrimination, she just hoped it would be later in life. Of course, hope only got her so far. She understood the concerns about how much Ahylino stood out. With everyone still so unsure about the Underworld, having someone so obviously from there could spell trouble. Dee knew the school would be welcoming and accepting of Ahylino's differences, but that didn't mean they were in the clear.

Dee couldn't guarantee Ahylino would have an easy life, but she could make sure they had plenty of love and support. She did her best to teach them about their cultural heritage, including the new culture of the Underworld, and encouraged them to embrace their true self. Dee wanted Ahylino to grow into someone who was at least confident in who they were, no matter what others said.

When everything started to slow down, Dee reached into her hair and pulled out a wooden mask. It was a purple wood with a large crystal at the crown of what would be the forehead. The wood twisted around three sets of smooth amber, positioned to look like descending pairs of eyes. The amber matched Dee's eyes perfectly. She turned the mask around. Inside, there were several names carved: Aki, Hikaru, Yuri, Lee, Isamu, Nobu, and Osamu. Dee ran her fingers over each name gently. The mask served as a reminder of what exactly she lost. As well as what Ahylino could have had. Nature is ever changing, she reminded herself. Never stagnant. Death is not the end, no matter how final it feels. Their sacrifice has already become something wonderful.

"(All of you would be so proud of Ahylino)," Dee said to the mask in Japanese.

She reminded herself she was at work, and fought back tears as she put the mask back in her hair, where no one could see it. Dee's eyes filled with tears again almost immediately. She lost so much, and had even more to worry about. It was overwhelming at times. But, she knew that she had to stay strong for Ahylino. With a deep breath, Dee pushed her emotions aside, having to once again remind herself she was at work. Not the best place for a meltdown. She felt the emotions trying to come up once more, but succeeded in keeping them at bay for now. She'll handle them once she's home and Ahylino is put to bed.

She sat back as she watched people in the library come and go. Most didn't even acknowledge her. Despite everything, she was here, and Ahylino was at school, and everything was fine so far. They could do this. She just hoped Ahylino was at least having a good first day at school.