Tap-tap-tap.

Shane gulped.

His mother's water seemed to curl into an offensive position, forming into a liquid spear. His father rose higher in the air, his personal hurricane become faster and stronger.

The two of them walked down the stairs together, towards the door. Shane didn't want to follow them, but he mustered his courage and crept down after his parents. They walked towards the door, not even breathing. The figure was blurry through the glass, but soon his parents were close enough to see the figure.

They suddenly relaxed. His mother even laughed. Shane felt like his heart was going to throw itself out of his body as his father calmly opened the door for the person that was supposed to be their mortal enemy.

A middle-aged lady with tan skin and wavy brown hair stepped inside, smiling cordially. His parents beamed back.

"Shane, come over here," his father said. Shane stalked forward slowly, tense. Wasn't this someone dangerous? What was happening?

"It's OK, she's not in the Onyx League," his mother explained, "Lorelei's an old friend."

Shane sighed, and there was so much relief he wanted to cry.

"Oh," he said, suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed. He had been acting as if this unknown lady was some kind of monster.

His mother's water spear slipped through her fingers into tiny droplets of vapour, and his dad's winds died down.

Now that the fear was gone, it brought him back to the impossibility of their abilities. What had his dad called them?

"Psionics," he murmured, toying with the word.

At that, his father looked to him.

"We have a lot of explaining to do," he said.

"No kidding," Shane muttered.

He was still reeling from the sight of the water and the hurricane, dizzy from shock. He plunged down onto the couch before he collapsed onto the floor.

"We should sit down," his dad said hastily to the lady, Lorelei or something, Shane couldn't remember... he couldn't think clearly anymore.

"Thank you, Alessandro," she said, nodding to Shane's father, "Maya," to his mother, "and... Shane, is it?" she asked, looking to him.

Still numb from surprise, Shane managed a nod.

"Listen, Shane," his father said, "this is a story you really must know. Decades ago, a team of skilled scientists discovered that people could be given special abilities, powers, using genetic modification and specific DNA splicing. These people came to be known as Psionics. The years went by, and as these people had children, their offspring were also bestowed with the abilities, passed down genetically. Originally, we were supposed to help the world," his father said, staring into space wistfully.

"Then why do we never see superhumans, er, Psionics? Shouldn't they be everyone, helping people?" Shane asked, puzzled. His father's face darkened, and so did his tone.

"Human nature made sure that it would never happen. People are power-hungry. Governments, agencies, organisations, religious sects... there were too many people who wanted to get their hands of us and unlock the secrets of our powers in a manner of gruesome ways."

His father shuddered at this, and Lorelei looked suddenly uncomfortable.

Shane felt his brain working, the cogs and wheels turning, trying to understand this impossible story. He tried to comprehend it: humanity had discovered ways to manipulate people's genes and give them superhuman powers. It seemed impossible, yet at the same time it made a kind of strange, twisted sense. He really wanted it to be true, be real. It explained his parent's hurricanes and water globules. It meant he wasn't insane, and that was all he wanted right now.

As his mother continued the story, Shane was scared to listen. He didn't want to hear more. Each word destroyed a piece of the world he knew, like a small, painful bullet. The rational world he had fabricated in his mind was crumbling with each new fact he learned. But he forced himself to listen. If his perception of the world was changing so drastically, it was important that he knew why.

"The Psionics created small hidden cities around the world, to shield and hide themselves from enemies and to be among their own kind. The nearest Psionic City to here is Sanctum City, a couple hundred miles away, hidden in the forest. It is home to 50,000 Psionics. It's the biggest Psionic City on earth."

"50,000? The biggest?" Shane asked, incredulous. It wasn't much more than the population of Benissa Cove.

"Yes," Lorelei said, "there are only 100,000 of us worldwide."

She had a voice that was quiet, and yet strong. One that could pierce through a conversation without raising the volume.

"But then why don't we live in a Psionic City?" Shane asked.

His father and mother glanced at each other, their eyes meeting.

Shane could feel stinging tears of shock and betrayal forming in his eyes, but he forced them back. He couldn't cry, or he wouldn't think straight.

"Why? Why didn't you tell me the truth? Everything I know is a lie! My life is a lie! You lied to me!" he yelled.

His father flinched.

"We're so, so sorry." There were tears in his eyes as he answered.

"You see, it starts with this organisation called the Onyx League. In the Psionic world, we are ruled by the Psionic Tribunal. They are a democratic government that control our world, and for the most part, they are a selfless and just leadership group. But some Psionics wanted to install their own regime, and rule us. Imagine the power! Being in control of thousands of people, each with superhuman abilities... it would be the most formidable force on the planet. They could very well take over the world, with ease, if they had that strength at their fingertips. And so they formed the Onyx League. They began gathering members, with plans to one day rebel and overthrow the Tribunal."

Shane listened, heart beating fast. This was the enemy her parents were talking about? It made a gang of drug dealers look like a pack of teacup pomeranians.

"We were young medic apprentices at the time, we had finished our schooling at the Psionic Academy five years earlier. Maya was pregnant with you. A few members of the Onyx League came to us and asked us to join their cause. We declined, and told them how evil their ideals were. We were young, and we thought we could show them a difference. But they swore they would kill us. Doing what we believed was best for our baby, we fled. We disconnected ourselves from the entire Psionic world, hid ourselves under a charade that we were humans. Acting like a normal human family seemed like the safest thing to do, because we weren't linked to the Onyx League. We weren't linked to the Psionic world at all! Later, we got reports that the Onyx League had been defeated and that it's members had been incarcerated, or went into hiding, but we still didn't feel like it was safe with even the tiniest possibility of their existence. So we stayed here."

Shane nodded.

"It wasn't until we got a report at work today that we realised the Onyx League had somehow still found us here in Benissa Cove, and was coming for us. But now that Lorelei is here, we can see that the report was a false alarm. They must have mistaken Psionic activity for members of the Onyx League. Son, we're sorry we lied to you."

His mother nodded. Shane leaned forward, and gave his parents a big hug.

"I forgive you," he said in a muffled voice.

After a while, he released them and leaned back.

"So if it was a false alarm, why are you here, anyway?" his mother asked Lorelei.

"I came here on orders from the Education Council of the Tribunal to ask if your son would like to try out to attend the Psionic Academy, where students train their mental and physical powers as well as being taught the highest level of mathematics, English, the arts and the sciences. Today is the last day for entries," she said.

His mother looked towards Shane.

"Shane? I know that this transition of your world outlook has already been tough, but do you think you can leave your school? I now realise you will be much safer in the Psionic world. There, they have soldiers and police to defend you. Here... well, there's nothing. Do you think you can?"

Shane tossed it back and forth in his mind. He had just barely adjusted to the possibility of Psionics, and now he needed to start attending a Psionic school?

He thought of his school now. Would he miss it? Yes, in a way, he would miss his life here. And yet... there was a kind of excitement at the thought of going to this 'Psionic Academy'. There wasn't much left for him here. All his friends were gone, and he never learned anything new in his classes. He realised that he wanted to go train his abilities, to learn new things... he wanted to go to Psionic Academy.

"Yes. I'll go," he said.

"Great! You'll have one last week here, to say goodbye to everything before you move one," Lorelei said.

Shane nodded, grinning. That was perfect! He could truly say goodbye to his old life, and remember and treasure it, no matter what happened. For a few minutes, there was a calm, happy silence.

Shane went upstairs and hastily packed a coat, jacket, shirt and jeans in his bag, as well as his laptop, a notebook, and a pencil case.

Then he came back downstairs with his backpack, a question already forming on his tongue.

"Hey, so why are they called the Onyx League?" Shane asked out of curiosity.

"I don't know," his mother said, frowning, "though maybe it's because of the color of their robes. Their cloaks are always hooded, and onyx black."

Images flashed in Shane's mind, of the three figures in black cloaks, of them running towards his bus across the town square.

"Oh no," he said, a sense of dread rising in his chest.

"What?" his dad asked.

"I saw them, on the bus today. Three figures in black cloaks."

Alessandro's eyes widened.

"They're here. They're really here," his mother said.

"We can't spend a second longer in this dangerous place, then," his father said. He nodded to Lorelei.

"Take him to the Psionic Academy now, please!"

Lorelei nodded grimly.

"Shane, come with me," she said.

"What? I need to say goodbye! I need to say goodbye to everything first!" Shane cried out. Tears he thought had gone once again formed in his eyes.

"Sorry," his father said firmly, "there's no time for that. If the Onyx League are here, then our lives are in danger every second longer we stay."

Shane sniffled.

"What about you guys?" he asked.

"We're going to Sanctum City. Our families still live there. We can move in with them for the time being," her mother said.

Shane nodded sadly.

"Bye," he said, "see you soon?"

His parents nodded. His heart felt a little more joy and a little bit more sorrow at the same time when he saw the strong, unrelenting love in their gaze. Lorelei walked out of the house. Wiping his eyes, he turned his back on his old life and followed her into the unknown.