Selene blinked at Benjamin in confusion. Tianna was doing her best to avoid Selene's eyes. When Selene looked at her, it felt like Tianna was scared of her.

But why?

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but the definition of Telepathy has to do with communicating with someone mentally. Or does it mean a different thing in this Rodia?" Selene asked.

"Actually, it doesn't," Benjamin said reluctantly.

"So? What's so terrible about it? Why do you both look scared like it's a ticking bomb?" Selene asked.

"That's because it is a ticking bomb," Tianna mumbled.

"But why? How? It doesn't sound more dangerous than any of these other magical abilities you've mentioned. Silver Tongue sounds even scarier. I've been on the receiving end of it and that wasn't even the real deal." Selene said grumpily.

"Telepathy is a million times worse than Silver Tongue," Benjamin said shaking his head.

"I find that hard to believe." Selene rolled her eyes.

"Well, believe it. Everyone is afraid of Telepathy." Tianna said.

"Why? Have you been in contact with one? Asides from me, of course." Selene asked.

"Well...no."

"Then how do you know it's worse?" Selene snapped.

Tianna shrugged so Benjamin decided to answer Selene.

"As a person who didn't grow up in Rodia, I spent a lot of time reviewing ancient scrolls and manuscripts. Telepathers are the most powerful magic users of Rodia. It's common knowledge that even the strongest Magi cannot stand against a Telepather at their weakest." Benjamin said.

"How can you be so sure? Have you encountered one?" Selene asked looking at her aunt.

"No," Tianna said reluctantly.

"Actually, no one has encountered a Telepather in over ten thousand years," Benjamin said.

"You're starting to give me some 'Avatar, the last Air Bender' vibes. Next thing you'd say I'm the last Telepather alive." Selene scoffed.

"You're not. There's said to be an entire community of Telepathers. They're called 'The Brethren'." Benjamin said.

"Then where is this community?" Selene asked.

Benjamin and Tianna looked uncomfortable.

"Well, no one actually knows where they are. They're rumored to be living in a castle near the outskirts of Rodia but I never saw them in all my time around the country. It's almost easy to believe they don't exist." Tianna mumbled.

"So they don't actually exist?" Selene asked.

"They do but they've shielded and hidden their location in such a way that no one else but a Telepather can find them. It's said that the doors to the castle are shut against everyone but a person with their ability." Tianna said.

"That's not exactly encouraging considering how they're the only ones who can probably teach me anything. Ten thousand years is a long time. Don't people, I don't know, have sex? Shouldn't there be more Telepathers? Anomalies like me?" Selene asked.

Tianna made an uncomfortable sound at the sound of the forbidden 'S' word. She looked at Selene warily but her niece looked pointedly at Benjamin who was blushing furiously.

"It's been confirmed that Telepathy is a rare form of magic. Even when there were Telepathers amongst us, there were only a handful." He said.

"How rare?" Selene licked her lips.

"Only about one in a billion babies born are Telepathers. Usually, it takes almost a hundred years for a new Telepather to be born. Once a child is born with this ability and it's discovered, the Brethren send a representative to acquire the child." Benjamin said.

"Acquire the child? Why on earth would a parent give away their baby to a group of people called 'The Brethren'? That's such a sexist name by the way." Selene said.

"The parents willingly give away their child. Telepathy is a very dangerous form of magic. Too dangerous to control or tame." Benjamin shivered.

"Telepather babies are often referred to as 'demon babies'. They're considered dangerous even from birth. Besides, it's never a matter of choice. If a Telepather decides to take away your child, there's nothing you can do." Tianna said without emotion.

Selene felt cold. She could finally understand why her grandparents were so eager to get rid of her. She didn't understand it. She didn't feel dangerous.

"Why all this fear? Why the hatred? What happened to all the Telepathers? Why did they stop living with the rest of the people in Rodia?" Selene asked.

"Those are a lot of questions," Tianna said warily.

"I just want to understand! Why do you both seem so scared?! I mean, I've seen what Benjamin can do. I couldn't even move when that Snake thing looked at me. I don't feel dangerous." Selene snapped.

"Well, you are," Tianna said.

"She's right. Even at your weakest, you're stronger than I am. It's understandable. Telepathy is powerful." Benjamin said.

"What do you mean?" Selene asked.

"No one truly understands the power of Telepathy or how it is used. It's the most difficult form of magic to understand." Benjamin said.

"What about these ancient scrolls? There must be something!"

"When the Telepathers left the city to live on their own, they burnt down the libraries and carted away most of the scrolls that contained knowledge about their rare power. They're vicious with information and cruel to outsiders. I've searched for years and I barely understated the power of Telepathy myself." Benjamin sighed.

Selene sat back feeling deflated. It wasn't nice knowing you had so much power but didn't know how to use it or how to learn about it. There was only one way forward and one thing to ask.

"What happened ten thousand years ago? Why did they leave?" Selene asked.

"There are many stories but the most believable one talks about how people were afraid of Telepathers for years due to their ability," Tianna said.

"I'm tired of hearing about this fear! Why were they afraid for crying out loud?! It doesn't sound more dangerous than Silver Tongues! Magis sound scarier!" Selene snapped angrily.

"That's what you think!" Tianna scoffed.

"Ahem." Benjamin coughed gently before an argument could begin.

Selene turned her angry eyes towards him. Some of the anger and frustration she felt faded away when she saw how calm he looked.

"You keep referring to Silver Tongues. Why do you feel they're dangerous?" He asked gently.

Selene hesitated.
"I've felt what you guys called the 'residual' form of that magic. It was strong enough to make me feel sick. They have the power to persuade you. That's scary." She answered.

"The keyword there is persuade. A person with the magic of Silver Tongue can only persuade or convince you to do what they want with words and even then, you can resist if your mind is strong like the way your body resisted Larry. A Telepather whispers words into your head without even moving their lips and makes you think it's your idea." Benjamin said.

"What?" Selene asked.

"What he's too kind to say is that Telepathers are brainwashers. They control minds. They can bend anyone to their will without lifting a finger. Do you know how scary it is to realize that every one of your actions might not even be yours but what they want you to do?" Tianna asked.

"But..."

"The worst part is that you can never really tell if they're manipulating you or not. Their form of magic can't really be sensed by anyone except a fellow Telepather. It's a dangerous form of magic and it can easily be abused." Tianna didn't even allow her to speak.

"When you add that to the fact that they have been missing and no one knows where they are or if they'd be back for revenge, it's easy to understand why everyone's so afraid of them," Benjamin said gently.

"But you said they aren't many. How much harm can one Telepather wreck against five hundred Rodians?" Selene said in a meek voice.

"You'd be shocked." Tianna scoffed.

"Back to my story. It was said that the other magic users became afraid and jealous of the wonderful magic the Telepathers could use. There was one in particular—a woman whose name you bear." Benjamin said.

"Selene," Selene mumbled.

"Yes. Selene was the most powerful Telepather in the entire kingdom. Perhaps that's why your mother named you after her. She was said to be so remarkably beautiful that some men committed suicide when she rejected their advances. Many were jealous of her power and desired to kill her. No one knows exactly what they did to her because all those involved were killed, down to their third generation. It was said that she killed over a million Rodians who plotted to kill her while washing her raven hair." Benjamin winced.

"A...million." Selene gulped.

"After that, the Telepathers left for good and no one has seen them since then. They never interact or show up except when another Telepather is born. Even then, only one or two show up. No one even knows how they find the child. They just do." Tianna shivered.

"Why didn't they find me?" Selene asked.

"Your mother wasn't willing to give you away. Your mother and I discovered how strong your aura was during the few trimesters of the pregnancy." Tianna said.

"What?" Selene blinked.

"I knew at once that you were going to be a Telepather and the fact that you were going to be born close to Black Day wasn't appealing. My parents wanted your mother to get rid of you and marry the man they chose." Tianna said.

"But mom refused." Selene swallowed.

"Yes. She had the option to kill you and destroy the Prophecy of Black Day or give birth to a child of death. She chose you and left everything behind, including Isaac. She sealed her fate." Tianna said ominously.

"Why? It sounds like everything would have been better if she didn't have me." Selene said sadly.

"Tabitha was very secretive. Most times, it was like she didn't live in the same world as us. She said having you was for the greater good. Also, she was a child who was born to die." Tianna said.

"Born to die?" Selene frowned.

"Once in a thousand years, there are people like your mother. We call them the Harborers of Death. It was her destiny to die young but she said she didn't want to die without having The Child of Black Day." Tianna said.

"It sounds like she knew about the Prophecy," Selene mumbled.

"She knew the part that involved her. Tabitha was smart. She wasn't as myopic as my parents." Tianna said.

"She knew she was going to die." Selene shook his head. It sounded awful.

"She was the one who left the will for those on Earth to be able to contact us. She'd planned everything to the last letter." Tianna said.

"How? What do you mean?" Selene asked.

"When your mother died, I got a message from the Orphanage about you and I moved to Earth. With the little magic I had, I got the documents I needed to keep you. Your mother left a will." Tianna said.

"Can I see it?"

"I burnt once I'd read it. She didn't want anyone else to see it. She explained a lot of things." Tianna said.

"Like what?"

"She explained what happened with Debbie many years ago. Your mother knew her unlike anybody else. Debbie is a dangerous woman to cross. She doesn't forgive and she never forgets. When your mother realized that Debbie had penciled her down as an enemy, she knew it was only a matter of time before she'd be attacked." Tianna said

"But why? My father was just a guy. What was do special about him?" Selene frowned.

"It wasn't a matter of whether he was special or not. Debbie was a vindictive young woman. The fact that her crush chose her friend over her and even scarred her because of that said friend was something she couldn't forgive. Your mother knew Debbie would hunt her down and kill her." Tianna said.

"But couldn't she just have explained that it was a misunderstanding? It wasn't like she had anything with Isaac at that time." Selene said.

"Debbie wasn't exactly an understanding person. She's extremely loyal to those she loves but when she decides to hate you..." Tianna shivered and left the sentence open.

"I still don't understand how mom fell for my dad. I don't." Selene sighed.

"Isaac was a very charming young man. Extremely handsome and sweet. Their love was very beautiful. A pity it was tragic." Tianna sighed.

Selene took off her glasses and rubbed her nose. She'd never felt this tired before.

"I'd be lying if I said I understand everything y'all just said. On one hand, I believe everything you've said because it just feels right and true but on the other, I think y'all are crazy." Selene sighed.

"It is a lot to take in and a lot to understand. There's so much you don't know and so much you have to learn." Tianna sighed as well.

"I still don't feel special. Shouldn't I know if I have the power of Telepathy?" She looked at her aunt.

"Selene, no one knows exactly what happened the day your mother died. No one knows the kind of spell she cast on you and what you did after." Tianna said.

"What I did after? Surely you don't think I could have really done anything to defend myself." Selene looked at her aunt with disbelief.

"Child, don't you ever sit back and wonder what really happened the day your mother died? The truth is that you're the only one who knows what happened." Tianna looked at her with piercing eyes.

"I can't remember anything. When I try, it hurts." Selene shrugged.

"That's because there's magic blocking your mind and preventing you from remembering what you have to," Tianna said.

"Who could have possibly done that? This Debbie woman?" Selene asked her aunt.

"I wish it was that simple. What's worse is that I can't feel anything from you." Tianna said.

"Excuse me?"

"I can't sense any form of magical energy from you. Yet at the same time, I can tell there's something there. It's like a small hole in a roof leaking water. It exists but I can't really sense it." Tianna sounded frustrated.

"I'm certainly not masking anything. I didn't even know about any of this till today." Selene said indignantly.

"That's what you think. The only time I've ever really felt your magic is when you feel extreme fear, anger, frustration, excitement, or resentment. During that time, it's like water threatening to burst through a dam and I can barely put a cork on it. The leaks of power I've felt is remarkable. It's so powerful and it is only a fraction of what you can do. I only wish there was a way to release the water." Tianna sighed.

Tianna paced around the room looking lost in thoughts.

"For years, I goaded you to anger. I wanted you to explode and burn me with your rage. The worse part is that whenever you reach the peak, your eyes become dull and you accept defeat. Despite how harsh I was, you wouldn't rebel. It wasn't just out of gratitude to me for taking you in, your mind was also forcing you to hold back." Tianna mumbled to herself.

"If I'm getting this right, there's a Prophecy about me that I don't know about but I'm supposed to know when the time is right, a crazy-ass old lady is hunting me down because of some love grudge I know nothing about and she'll kill me as soon as she finds me. Also, I'm powerful but I can't even use my power because of some mind block." Selene said.

"It's depressing when you put it like that," Benjamin said.

"It's very depressing to me. I wouldn't have believed y'all if I didn't see that snake thing. It felt so much like déjà vu. I'm sure I've seen that thing before somewhere and I know it has to do with my mother's death. The thought of some crazy lady having control over those things creeps me out. I don't fancy the idea of dying anytime soon." Selene grumbled.

Whenever she thought about the Snake Hunter, she felt a lump in her throat. She remembered how she'd been so afraid and how she hadn't been able to even move. It was the creepiest thing ever.

She'd pinched herself so many times to confirm if she was indeed awake. Her chest felt tight when she realized those things would eventually come back for her to finish the job.

It might have sounded weird how she readily accepted the story her aunt told her but for Selene, it wasn't that difficult to believe. For years she'd been plagued with horrible nightmares which had shaken her to the core. Nothing could surprise her anymore.

She suddenly jerked back to reality when Benjamin reached out to hold her hands in his. She didn't even know she'd been wringing her hands.

"Hey, don't worry. I'll...I mean we'll teach you everything we know. I have a plan that could work." He said gently.

Selene observed at him while tilting her head to the side. His golden eyes were filled with a mixture of worry, anger, confusion, and something she couldn't read. It was what she couldn't read that bothered her the most.

"Why?" Selene asked suddenly.

#M.M