"Forged of Fire and Ice" by Jonathan Wellard-Bridger, in association with Stuart and Ellen Leighton

Hello readers. I apologise for the change of format but due to them being twins I elected to "hijack" the memory steam with William's help and write Stuart and Ellen's story myself. The reason for this is threefold: I wouldn't want you to have to read the same story twice from different perspectives, I wouldn't want the twins thinking I'm picking favourites, and I hope it will help me when I write my memoirs of my experiences with the ACES.

Now, although I realise that all of the students were told to begin their tales with a short introduction, mine is of no relevance to the narrative and is probably dragging on a bit. So, as a result of that, let us begin.

Unlike most of the stories you will read or have read, this does not start in the adolescence of our protagonist. Instead, it starts with their father - Dr Barnes Leighton.

Dr Leighton was unlucky enough to have haemochromatosis. This is a genetic disorder which results in an overabundance of iron in the body. It is that disorder that prompted him to become a doctor, in order to further research it and possibly prevent his children from having it.

However, prevention seemed out of reach, but a treatment was available. In a procedure known as a phlebotomy the blood is drained, only 500ml, or around the same amount as a donation, in order to remove some of the iron. Dr Leighton had it done to himself, but it was only temporary. The same was true of his children.

Having devoted his career to the disorder, he had them checked as soon as he could and the signs were there. Although the twins were non-identical they both had it. The joy of his wife giving birth to twins was overshadowed by the this revelation. But it got worse.

The haemochromatosis developed into hypothalamic disease in the two infants. Due to the hypothalamus' control over the pituitary gland in the brain, which in turn controlled several bodily functions, temperature being one of them, Dr Leighton was worried for his newborn children.

He spent more time than he ever had before at work, trying to find a cure. In trying to save his children he sacrificed the time he should have spent with them. But he did succeed in his goal and a drug to regulate the thyroid hormones of the two children, as well as remedying the other problems caused by the hypothalamic disease was manufactured. Two variations were made, TH- inhibited Stuart's hormones due to his temperature being much higher than it should, whilst TH+ promoted Ellen's to counterbalance her below-average temperature.

However, by some cruel twist of fate, they didn't work. Whether Dr Leighton gave them the wrong medicine, or if they just reacted in a strange manner we do not know. In fact, the only thing we do know is that their conditions worsened.

In the case of Barnes' marriage, this was the straw that broke the camel's back. The time he spent away from his family, despite its purpose, drove a wedge between him and his wife, but the failed treatment was the coup de grâce.

Going into somebody's memory like this may let you see what they saw, but you cannot feel what they felt. Even if I could, Stuart and Ellen were very young when it happened and probably only remember having separate parents without William's help. Despite this, I still felt very helpless and numb watching everything unfold, trying to be as professional and impartial as possible.

For a time the temperature abnormalities of the children were significantly magnified. But after a while things petered out. Tests showed no more evidence of haemochromatosis or hypothalamic disease. It may have ruined his marriage, but Dr Leighton's cure seemed to have worked.

And so the children lived normal lives. No further treatment with TH+/- was necessary. The only remnant of their former conditions was metabolic. Stuart's seemed enhanced whilst Ellen's was slowed. This caused a more muscular physique to develop in the young man, whereas his sister was forced to maintain a much healthier diet and exercise regime to achieve a better figure. These attitudes extended much further into their life, Stuart being much more reckless than his sensible, disciplined sister. Personally, I admire those traits, seeing a lot of myself in Ellen.

But as you can tell, the twins' lives couldn't remain normal forever. There was a trigger event that set them on a path to The Academy, and it was once again their father who could be blamed. The twins can certainly assure you that their mother was not one to stray from this train of thought.

In accordance with their divorce agreement, Barnes had his children for two days during the week and every other weekend, but he was permitted a week-long holiday once a year. And so, it was during their holiday to Lake Waccabuc that they discovered their powers.

Lake Waccabuc is in the northern region of Westchester, New York, about a 40 minute drive from Barnes' house in Peekskill to the west or Ashley's (their mother) in Harrison to the south. The Leighton's had bought a timeshare at a villa on the lakeshore back when they were together, sharing the cost as Ashley was a successful real estate agent, refusing to be completely dependent on her husband. Even when they were on a two-family income, a holiday home was well out of their price range.

The children were used to luxury, living with a successful doctor and realtor, but Barnes had fallen out of favour in the hospital and was forced to work at a walk-in clinic. This meant he couldn't provide for them what their mother could, so he was glad that he only had one holiday a year with them. This year was Barnes' turn to go to the lake, him and Ashley alternated each year.

So on a Monday morning during Spring break, Barnes drove to Harrison to collect his children, before driving them North to Waccabuc, and their destiny.

Things started out as innocuous as any holiday the three of them had ever. The weather was amicable, no rain forecast for the week, just clear skies. If only their lives had been as free of turbulence as the skies above then I would not be writing this tale for you to read.

The Monday was spent settling in. The calm before the storm. The holiday began on Tuesday, and we should take this slowly.

Stuart woke up at around 7am and went downstairs for some toast, a precursor to a much heartier breakfast later. His brown hair, inherited from his father, was disheveled, but Stuart was more lax about his appearance than his sister. Still, his body was far more toned. He slept in lounge pants, so the faint outline of the abdominals sleeping below the surface of his skin were clearly visible, his defined pectorals even more so.

Ellen did not have the luxury of a rapid metabolism, and was more concerned with the way her body looked than her brother. She was a 16 year old girl and those self-conscious feelings were inevitable. As such she had gotten up an hour earlier than her brother to go for a run. Neither of these activities were enjoyable, but she was willing to sacrifice to look good when she went swimming in the lake later on.

She returned in time for her brother's toast to pop, drenched in sweat with her short, brown hair ruinously messy. Ellen had always been white tomboyish in nature, following her slightly older brother from the day she was born. Hence, the hair was cut short and occasionally given plenty of volume with the help of a plethora of gels, waxes and sprays.

After finishing his toast, Stuart started to cook himself a fried breakfast. Looking in the cupboards of a kitchen he's visited, one would be excused for believing that a hoard of hungry locusts had swept through the place. In any case, Ellen was happy if this fact, as less food in her vicinity meant less food to tempt her.

After the customary morning greetings, Stuart carried on with his feast and Ellen went for a shower, doing a few press-ups beforehand just for good measure. If only some of the other students at The Academy shared her commitment and diligence...

Barnes used the morning to have a lie-in. With the stress of the walk-in clinic it was rare that he would have much time to relax, so he had to take any opportunity he had. He told the twins the day before that he would send them for a swim in the lake after lunch so he could have a walk around the picturesque surroundings. He never said the last part, but after witnessing the locale as a third-party observer I can't help but add extra detail.

So the twins spent their morning doing what they did best. Stuart was eating and practising his electric guitar, which was not plugged in by order of his father and sister (this rule seemingly does not apply at The Academy, hence I at the time of writing this I am plagued by repetitive renditions of his current favourite "Something from Nothing), whilst Ellen studied on the veranda in the fresh air. Truly, they were non-identical in factors other than appearance.

Lunch soon caught up with them. Barnes saved up all year in order to splash out on this holiday, so the fridge was stocked to keep Stuart happy,and Barnes himself joined in the feast without much hesitation. Ellen was content with a salad, however, sacrificing flavour for a better body.

Once finished, Barnes set out on his walk, intending on making the journey around Lake Waccabuc last as long as possible. He truly loved his children, but he had to stifle his exposure to them so he didn't get too attached. He simply didn't want to be too torn up once he took them back to their mother.

Stuart and Ellen rushed to change into their trunks and swimming costume respectively. Despite her efforts, Ellen still wasn't confident enough to wear a bikini, even though she packed one just in case.

And so, on that seemingly ordinary Tuesday, the twins set off to the lake for a swim.

Once at the lakeside, they decided to dive in. They'd learnt from previous years that the lake had the coldest water they'd ever swam in, and diving in was the best way to overcome the frigid water quickly.

However, in their haste, they'd picked a poor spot to do it. They jumped in at the same time, but Ellen was unlucky. She dived into the water too close to the bank and hit her head on a rock as she did so.

Stuart came back up, the breath knocked out of him from the shock of the cold water. He ran his fingers through his hair, kicking his legs to keep him afloat in the deeper water than her sister had landed in. As he never saw her emerge he began to worry, so he dove down to try and find her.

The water stung his eyes as he looked around, but he could make out the silhouette of his sister below him. His heart pounding hard in his chest, he came up to the surface once more for a gulp of air before submerging again to save his twin.

Although he thought nothing of it at the time, the water got colder the deeper he swam. Stuart just thought that it was natural, but the cold intensified far quicker than it should have done, and that is somewhat of an understatement.

Suddenly, the water around Ellen started freeze. It began fairly slowly, but once it encased her body the ice spread faster and faster. Stuart had no time to lunge towards the surface of the lake, freezing solid with his arm still outstretched, reaching for his sister

On the surface of the lake the ice spread until the entire body of water was solid. Frost crept up the plants on the banks, leaving the grass with a coat of glistening white.

For around five minutes the lake was still. There seemed to be no hope for Stuart and Ellen. All was silent, all was still. There were no birds chirping in the trees, no sound of leaves rustling in the wind. It was as though nature was holding its breath for something to happen.

And then something happened. Just as it had frozen, the lake began to thaw very slowly at first, from a small point roughly where the twins were. But unlike when it froze, the heat did not spread - it was much more concentrated.

The small puddle of water that had thawed grew to about a metre in diameter, but then it stopped. The heat grew more and more intense, causing the water to bubble and boil. It became more violent, as though the lake had been angered by its icy intruder, until an almighty plume of steam erupted from the hole like a geyser.

Drops of hot water fell from the sky, melting any ice it came into contact with. The geyser died down, but then something else emerged from the hole. It was Stuart, gasping for air, and dragging his sister upwards with him.

He pulled her to the shore, steam hissing from his body, hers as col as the ice that surrounded them. Stuart couldn't clamber onto the ice as any he came in contact with melted instantly, so he was forced to swim to the shore with his sister.

Once there, he laid Ellen on the ground. There was blood coming from a cut on her forehead from when she hit the rock. There should have been more, but the ice water seemed to have sealed the wound somewhat.

Stuart had seen enough television shows and films to know the basics of CPR, so he did what he could to get his sister breathing again. After some trying she coughed and spluttered up some water. From then she started breathing normally, but her breath condensed on the air.

Stuart was no longer steaming by this point as his temperature had died down, but Ellen was still cold to the touch. Worrying for her safety, Stuart picked her up and started walking towards their holiday home.

Ellen was placed on the sofa and bundled up with blankets to keep her warm. At the same time, Barnes ran through the front door. From his walk around the lake he saw the frost spreading on the grass and, upon looking up, caught sight of the geyser erupting from the frozen lake. He elected to run back to the house, fearing for his children's lives.

He was quite relieved when he saw his children were still alive. Admittedly, his lungs were burning from the exhaustion, as he rarely exercised, but his offspring's safety was his primary concern.

Stuart and Barnes fussed over Ellen until she was feeling better. Within a few hours her temperature had returned to normal, and by the next day she had fully recovered, notwithstanding the cut on her forehead.

The holiday continued as normally as possible. A couple of days were spent inside until everyone was back to their best, and even then the trio only engaged in walks around the lake. The ice retreated from the hole in the centre of the lake, but none of them dared venture into it again.

Once the week was over they packed up their things and got ready to set off back to Harrison so the twins could have some time with their mother. Conversations involved essentially anything other than Tuesday's lake debacle, nobody had spoken about that at all.

When they were back at Ashley's home, the Leightons saw an unusual car parked outside. The clean, new Mustang looked much better than Barnes' old "jalopy" (as Stuart and Ellen referred yo it's) and he feared that Ashley had found a new, wealthier partner. He didn't want his children to have a new father figure they would become more attached to than him, but his suspicions were dashed away when he saw it was a rental car from Virginia.

As they opened the front door and went into the living room they saw a man they had never met before - Volss Helstrom. With his muscular frame he towered above Barnes when he stood to greet the twins. His slicked back, brown hair and clean-shaven face was also different, as Barnes had a receding hairline and stubble, both products of spending too much time working.

Volss introduced himself, being brought up in America he spoke perfect (albeit simplified) English, but he had inherited his parents' German accent. Currently, I am not aware of any regional variation like in England, but his parents hail from Lower Saxony, if that gives any indication.

Ashley informed her children that he was there to speak to them about an opportunity for a boarding school or a college or something along those lines. It was a free scholarship and Ashley had been assured that it was like nothing else available elsewhere.

But that wasn't the full picture. Volss asked for some time alone to explain the arrangement to the twins. The left Barnes and Ashley in an awkward position they always tried to avoid - being alone together. At least Ellen had covered up her cut with her fringe, to prevent any accusations, and Ashley was in a good mood with the news of the school.

Volss explained the children's power and how it was caused by a mixture of their former medical condition and their father's experimental treatment. I've never been told how the staff at The Academy are aware of potential students, but I suspect that Dr Burham, the psychologist here, is here for more reasons than just keeping the students sane...

Regardless, upon Volss' explanation of the school and their powers, the twins took to the idea of going to The Academy like ducks to water, especially as it meant their mother could no longer use them as weapons. Ashley and Barnes would simply be told that it was a boarding school - the twins' extraordinary body temperature manipulation and the abilities of the other students would be left out.

Volss brought the parents back into the room to explain that he would take the children immediately, so they could say their final farewells, although they could still send letters and they would meet up once the holidays began.

The goodbyes did not seem particularly heartbreaking - Barnes was the only one to shed a tear. Then the twins grabbed whatever they thought most important and got into the back of the Mustang, ready for the long journey to Virginia, and from there, a boat awaited them to carry them to their future.

"Yeah, that's perfect," said the twins in chorus after reading my chronicle of their origin.

"It's just a bit ambiguous about our powers," Ellen continued.

"Look, I know you can lower your body temperature drastically and your brother can increase his, it'll all be clear to the readers," I replied.

"And what about our powers lying dormant until our lives were in danger?" Ellen always had high standards.

"Trust me, the readers will understand."

Suddenly there was a knock at the door and William poked his head around the door and gestured to me that the next student had been prepared for "re-memorising". I put away my notebook and stood up, shaking hands with Stuart and Ellen as I left.