Thousands of years ago, several long-forgotten races lived alongside humans. They worked together, rested together, fought together. They were treated as equals. The most powerful of these races, the leaders of the others, has no name. It has been lost through time, but they are most commonly known as misfits. We don’t know what they looked like, how they acted or what languages they spoke. But we do know one thing. Each member of this race carried a gene. This gene was the one, tiny thing that made them special. It gave them extraordinary powers. They became extinct after being infected with a massive and contagious plague only dangerous to them, but not before breeding with the humans. When their leaders died, the other races fled.

Because there is only one gene with powers, it was rare for children born to human and misfit parents to inherit these gifts. The humans continued after the misfits were gone, and eventually they were forgotten. But the gene stayed. It weakened with each generation of humans, but it never quite disappeared. Children through the ages have developed supernatural powers due to inheriting this gene. No-one knew what was happening, so they were commonly labelled either mad, a witch or a heretic. The chances of the parents of these children having powers were almost impossible, so they could shed no light on the situation.

One of the other races was the Elementals. There were Fire, Water, Earth and Air varieties, each different from the other. Eight hundred years ago, one Elemental of each kind saw how badly the misfits were being treated. They were being beheaded, burned or hung for their talents. Disgusted by this, the four Elementals united and decided to build a school. Each year they would search the world for misfit children and send them a letter offering them a place. They would teach these children how to control their powers and keep them secret, therefore preserving their lives.

The location for the school took a while to decide. They eventually settled on a small unoccupied island a few miles off the coast of Wales, out in the North Atlantic. It was quite warm in summer, but a lot colder in winter. If a boat happened to come past, all they’d see would be a rocky island shrouded in mist. No-one dared to come close, for fear of catching their boat on a hidden rock below the surface of the water. Besides, what would there be for them there? Only people on the island could see it for what it really was – lush, green and beautiful.

Each Elemental formed their own house. Members of Fire were strong and feisty, but could be arrogant and impulsive. Members of Air were kind and peaceful, but tended to be naive and a bit simple. Members of Earth were stoic and determined, but were sometimes narrow-minded and exclusive. Finally, members of Water were intelligent and imaginative, but could be stuck up and self-important. Students were put into a house upon arrival at the island.

The school ran smoothly for a few hundred years, and the misfits began to learn to control their powers and keep them secret from the rest of society. But then the Fire Elemental decided that one house wasn’t enough. This had been his idea in the first place, so he believed he was entitled to the entire school. When the other three objected, he tried to take the island by force. And so the war began. Students were evacuated and the Elementals fought. Three against one, it should have been easy. But although they tried to stay firm in their beliefs, the Air and Earth Elementals began to realise that the Fire Elemental might be right. It would be much better to own the entire school, instead of just one house.

Each wanted it for different reasons. The Earth Elemental wanted to bring the other creatures out of hiding to come to the school and the Air Elemental wanted to move the school out of sync with the universe, therefore making it invisible and much safer. But bringing the other creatures out of hiding would reveal them to the humans, who had already proved themselves violent and untrustworthy. They were sure to exploit or attack the creatures, and they couldn’t hide among humans like misfits. They didn’t look the same. Moving the school out of sync with the universe would be much too risky. If the slightest thing went wrong, the entire island and all the students and teachers on it would be thrown out into a parallel universe. But the Earth and Air Elementals didn’t see that. They became consumed by greed, and each began their own battle for the school.

The Water Elemental could see the benefit of owning the whole island, but she knew that they were more powerful as four Elementals instead of one. This battle was tearing the school apart, she could see it happening. She was the youngest and most inexperienced of the four, but also the most powerful. A dangerous combination. She knew she had to stop them, but they were too caught up in their views and refused to see reason. There was only one option left. She had to make them realise. She summoned all of her power and drew the other three into her body, to share her mind and see her point of view.

But it went wrong. They merged with her, but she didn’t have the power to force them back out again. By the time the other three realised what was happening, it was too late. They were one. The war ended and the school continued as normal, but with one Elemental instead of four. This Elemental is neither male or female, and is a combination of the Earth, Air, Water and Fire varieties. The students call it the Principle. It is as powerful as all four of them put together and could easily destroy the island with a flick of its finger, but has no intention of doing so. The safety of the school is its best interest, but the students are still scared of it.

And so we reach today. The school is flourishing, and no human has any idea of its existence. Misfits from all over the world have become students here, and a few adults have been given the honour of teaching. Will you embrace your powers, or will you fear them? Will you use them to help others or for your own gain? The choice is yours. Welcome to the Elemental School for Misfits.