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Sebastian Horn did not cry. It just wasn't in him to do so. So what was this alien tear doing welling up in the corner of his eye?

The teenage psychic was standing just inside the school grounds nearest the parking lot, surrounded by his immediate family. Felix and Annelie Horn had their arms around each other, both looking very tired (whether from the drive or the mental exhaustion of having found out only days prior that their son was a psychic, who was to say for certain). They had bags under their eyes and their mouths were thin, expressionless lines. Lisbet, Sebastian's seven-year-old sister, was hanging on to her big brother for dear life, arms wrapped around his slender frame with no intention of ever letting go.

Sebastian wrapped his hands in Lisbet's thick hair and pulled her even closer, trying to force back the intruding tear. "I'll be back in the summer, Lis. And I'll write every day, you know I will." His voice was slow and calculated. Something told him if he didn't take great care in speaking evenly, his voice might crack.

It wasn't leaving home that did it to him. He wasn't close enough to his parents or anyone in his town to really care much. In fact, the idea of going away somewhere new that might actually have interesting people was a little exciting to him (not that he'd ever show it). It was leaving Lisbet that broke his heart. But it was for her that he left. He didn't want another incident like before, or worse. Next time he could do more than just scare her.

The little girl buried her face into Sebastian's flannel top. "I'm gonna miss you Bastian."

A pang went through the boy's chest. "I'm gonna miss you too Lis." He stroked her hair, then looked up at his parents.

Felix gave his son a nod while his wife offered up a smile. "Make sure and write or call. Keep us posted on how things are going. You take care, alright?" Both of Sebastian's parents reached forward at the same time to embrace their children in a group hug. Sebastian leaned his head against his mother's shoulder, allowing himself this last moment to feel sad.

"I love you guys." He didn't say it often, but he said it then. The Horn family exchanged their final goodbyes before climbing back into their car, leaving Sebastian waving at them as they drove off into the distance. The last thing he could see was Lisbet's face pressed against the window. He held on to the thought of her sparkling smile as he turned and made his way back towards his dormitory.

Majesco Psychic Academy. His new home. It was already late -- his family had helped him move in all of his things and even unpack a bit. He had stuff the car as full as he possibly could with as many of his things as he could fit. He'd even asked if his parents would consider shipping up even more of it. If he was going to spend the rest of the school year here, he wanted to be as comfortable as possible. The thought of his precious records sitting at home gathering dust was too much for him to handle.

He locked the door quickly upon entering the dorm. From the looks of it he had the room to himself for the time being. At least he had the comfort of knowing whoever he shared with had their own room. The idea of having to share an actual bedroom with someone else was absolutely appalling.

Sebastian began to pull things out of boxes and stack them around the room, making sure to organize things in his very particular way. When he came across a small picture frame in one of the boxes, another pang went through his chest. It was a photo of himself, Lisbet, and his late cat Wolfgang. He clutched the frame tightly and curled up in his bed, a new wave of guilt and regret rushing over him.