As it turns out, the beach really was just rocks and water. It was cold water too, absolutely freezing.

The weird thing was, the sand was black.

I picked up a handful and watched as the large chunks slid through my fingers. It left coal-like dust on my palm, which I whipped off on my pants.

We actually had to bundle up a bit before coming out here. Which I wasn't happy about until presented with what Mr. Wales was starting to call WilliamWear™ my own personal clothes brand. Which basically meant my wings stuck out in the back, they didn't get cold because they were covered in feathers.

"Black?" I asked skeptically.

"It's something to do with he volcanoes on the island." She explained sifting her mittened hand through them.

A few other people had come with us, including creepy doctor Howard from my trip here, some other kids, and tons of body guards. Principal Wales himself was here.

"I have my assistant running things back at the base." He explained, when I asked him if he had things to do.

"Oh, where are we?" I questioned, hoping he would at least tell us what country.

"A large chunk of private land I own. It's best kept a secret, not even my nephew knows exactly where this place is." He pulled the parka's fur lined hood up over his face.

I personally loved the cold wind blowing against my feathers. Instead of the heavier jackets I had just brought a sweatshirt, which I was considering tying around my waist.

"Where is Justin?" I asked.

"I always send him out with my team when we pick up kids. Being the only normal person in the school, it's good for the new people to meet someone who won't judge them for who they are." He answered, sitting down on the rough gravely substance with a contented sigh.

I joined him. Being with Mr. Wales was like hanging out with those adults that knew how to be cool around kids of the modern age. Kind of like being around a father. 

Thinking back of my parents brought a pang of guilt so strong I got choked up. They probably thought I was dead. After nobody saw me again, the media just accepted it as an elaborate hoax. Some teenager who wanted his ten seconds of fame even came out and pretended to be me, but explained how flying was all a trick. Mr. Wales had explained it all on our way here, via abandoned-looking heavily-enforced underground tunnel. I had no idea what was going about in the world since the Lab confiscating my phone. Which I never got back now that I thought about it.

Genny joined me, humming a tune while stretching out on the cold, black, beach.

"What made you want to make a school for kids like us?" I asked Mr. Wales suddenly.

"Well, there are lots of gifted people in this world who need a place to learn." he stated.

I sighed discontentedly. "Yeah right, 'gifted'."

Then I blushed. "Sorry I didn't mean it that way, it's just..."

He glanced at me while I hugged my knees in shame. I curled my wings in closer to my body, not sure what to say now.

"Well William, most of the kids in this school would agree with you. After all you're just kids, this is a very distressing time and age."

I nodded silently. Genny shuffled a bit and sat up. "So what's the real reason you made a school?"

His face twisted in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I'm an empath remember? You were lying." She accused roughly.

He frowned. "I suppose you were right, but the real reason is not a very happy story."

"Shoot." She persisted.

He looked away for a second. "My brother was experimented on in the Lab's early years. He and I vowed to make this world a better place for people like you. Kids that had nothing to do with anything, some were picked up off the streets or signed on for injections before they were born. We housed them and gave them a better life until they were old enough to find work or go to college. Eventually my brother got married and had a kid, Justin grew up as normal as could be."

"What happened after that?" I asked.

"They were murdered, by some sick people from the Lab, Justin was only eight at the time and me being his nearest relative I adopted him. That's what drove me to spend my money on some land and hire trustworthy people to build me a school. A school where gifted children could be safe instead of being forced into mandatory service to their country." He finished, rubbing his hands together to warn them up.

I felt chills run down my spine and a uneasy feeling enter my stomach. That wasn't a happy story at all.

"Why don't you guys go walk around for a bit?" He suggested.

"Sure thing Mr. Wales." Genny grabbed my hand and pulled me up, surprisingly strong.

"Come on Will, let's go find some shells." She suggested.

As it turns out there are quite a few shells. None of them very interesting though so we soon gave up.

"I wonder what it's like up there?" Asked Genny, staring up at the massive cliff that bordered the sea.

"Let's go find out." I answered, and started climbing up.

"You could just fly you know." She announced, joining me.

"Well I wouldn't want to seem rude, would I?"

She laughed, quickly out climbing me and I was soon staring at her onlooking face as she looked down on me from above. I was sweating in the heavy jacket, plus it had been years since I had climbed something.

"You should hurry up, it's beautiful here." She sighed.

I snorted, giving up on my gentlemen act and peeling off the rock.

She gasped as I let myself drop backwards, then I twisted and spread my wings out. The air pushed upwards from the cliff and I sailed up, folding them slightly and dropping neatly in front of her. She blinked a few times, both our cheeks reddened at how close I was.

I stepped away, and stared at the landscape around. All I could see was grass, rocks, grass, more rocks, and mountains in the distance. Despite it's bleakness, the land seemed to hold a certain beauty to it. I breathed in the frigid air slowly and shrugged my jacket off, letting the wind buffet against my arms. It felt amazingly relieving.

"Look at this place." I sighed, letting my wings stretch out to their maximum wing span.  There was so much space out here, it made me abhor the cramped wooden walls of the school, despite it's safety.

"Yeah." She agreed with me.

I was still admiring the place when I could have sworn I saw movement in the rocks ahead. It was at least a mile away but with my bird eyes I could see it nearly perfectly. Nothing stirred after a few minutes but I couldn't shake the feeling it was important. So I reached out with my powers to see if I could detect anything with my mind.

I gasped in pain and clutched my head. The air was suddenly filled with a horrible gritty scraping noise. Like nails against a chalkboard being poured through amps. It was overwhelming and I fell to the ground.

Genny gasped and had managed to catch me before I fell off a cliff. I tried to push the noise away but now it seemed to have latched onto me and wouldn't let go.

"Will? What is it?" She asked, frantic as to why I suddenly collapsed.

"Noise.." I grunted, she couldn't hear it?

"What noise? I don't hear anything!"

I pointed towards the rocks. "Someone's mind, got to get down."

And then it stopped. I sucked in a relived breath and sat up. Listening to the chocking silence.

"We need to get down from here now." I ordered.

"William! Genevieve! We're leaving!" Shouted Mr. Wales.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, but we're not alone, I know a fast way down." I said.

"You do? Ack-" I surprised her by wrapping my arms around her waist and beating my wings furiously. She wasn't that heavy, but I dropped faster than I should of. We landed back safely on the ground and Genny jumped away from me, her red with embarrassment. I was also blushing profusely, that was the nearest I'd ever been to her.

"Come on kids, something's  messing with our signal, we have orders to go back." Mr. Wales explained, giving us an odd look.

"Uh, yeah, I'm pretty sure that same thing hi-jacked my mind reading skills." I announced, rubbing my still aching head, maybe I could get an ice pack.

He hurried us along. And I was glad to find myself back in the warm halls of the school. That was, until I walked into the dinning hall with Genny, expecting some hearty dinner.

There were a lot more kids here than usual. It was so crowded I didn't notice the older teen come my way until he was inches from my nose.

Then Tyler Santos punched me in the face.