After some time a knock came, it wasn't loud and it wasn't aggressive. But it was firm enough that Denver felt it in her bones.
.Knock. Knock. Knock.
Three precise taps, evenly spaced, mom froze in the kitchen, spoon mid air over her coffee mug. Dion, who had been half asleep on the couch, instantly sat upright.
Denver's heart dropped.
"…I think they're here," Dion muttered.
Mom tried to keep her composure, but her eyes betrayed her worry. "Maybe it's just a delivery."
"Who even ordered?" Dion whispered back. "And after the school incident? no chance."
The knocking came again, more deliberate, Denver stood up slowly her legs felt heavy, like the gravity had doubled.
"I'll get it," she said.
Mom grabbed her wrist. "Denver,"
"I'll be fine mom."
She walked to the door, every step feeling like walking toward a firing squad then she opened it. There were two people standing outside.
One was a tall man in a dark uniform coat, with a badge on his chest shaped like a stylized eye. His posture was straight, his presence suffocating. His black hair was neatly tied back, and his eyes were sharp enough to cut through steel.
Beside him stood a woman with short brown hair and glasses, holding a tablet. She looked more like a researcher than a soldier, but her eyes were just as observant.
"Good morning," the man said, his voice calm and formal.
Her heart skipped.
"…Yes?"
He held up his badge.
WGR Authority Bureau.
"We'd like to ask you a few questions regarding yesterday's incident at Northwind High School."
Behind her, Dion quietly swore under his breath. Mom appeared at the doorway, forcing a polite smile. "Is there a problem, officers?"
The man shook his head slightly. "Not at the moment, this is just a routine inquiry."
Routine that word felt like a lie.
"May we come in?"
Mom hesitated, then stepped aside. "Of course."
The moment they entered, Denver felt the temperature drop as they sat at the dining table. The man introduced himself as Agent Kael, and the woman as Agent Mira.
Mira opened her tablet, projecting footage onto a small holographic display. Denver's blood ran cold, it was a CCTV footage it displayed the school entrance, her walking inside with her hood up and her walking out minutes later.
Kael folded his hands. "You were the last civilian recorded entering the premises before the incident."
Denver forced herself not to panic. "I was just… passing by."
Mira adjusted her glasses. "You remained inside for approximately forty three minutes. During that time, multiple gravitational anomalies were detected in that wing."
Denver swallowed.
Kael continued, his tone neutral but heavy. "Did you encounter anyone inside?"
"…Yes."
Mom's hand tightened on the table as if trying to break it.
"A boy..." Denver continued. "He had a green hair and look just around my age. H-he was… using his gift."
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly. "Gift?"
"Yes, it was telekinesis... or so I think it was."
Mira's fingers moved rapidly across her tablet recording every details and searching for any lead.
"Did you have a conversation with that person?" Kael asked.
"I did" Denver replied. "He told me to never come back"
"Is that all?"
"Y-yes"
Then Kael glanced at Mira checking if the lie detector had sense anything, unfortunately there were no lie. Both agent Kael and Mira stood up.
"Well if that's the case that ends our inquiry, thank you for your cooperation."
Then mom asked, "Then w-what will happen to my son... I-I mean my daughter?"
Kael look at her with serious and sharp eyes then casually said, "We are only the investigatory division our only job is to collect data, the rest will be handled by the main unit."
And agent Mira added "Your daughter will not be held responsible for the incident..." Mom let out a sight, but Mira added "But she will remain on the suspect list."
Then mom eyes widens, "What?! how could my daughter be a possible suspect when she clearly did not do anything?!"
Dion intervened, "Mom calm down, it's okay, at least Denver is not being held responsible for anything."
Mom glared at Dion and snapped completely, "It's okay?! your sister is being falsely suspected of a crime! do you even hear yourself?"
Kael let out a sigh like he had been in this scene for a hundred of times, given that he is a agent of WGR he must have handled a lot of moms like this.
"Ma'am I understand your confusion, but whether you like it or not anyone here could be the perpetrator. For the sake of everyone's safety we are taking all the chances we could get to stop the real perpetrator from causing further harm to others."
Mom after hearing Kael, she cooled down "I... understand,"
After that agent Kael and Mira look at them one last time and turned around walking toward the exit. As they walked past a small table, Kael's eyes stopped on a framed family photo a mom and a dad hugging their two boys and then he stopped. Mira was still walking toward the exit and then she noticed Kael stopping.
Agent Kael turned back toward mom and then suddenly asked.
"Ma'am do you perhaps, have a son that is a gift user?"
Dion, Denver and mom was both caught off guard,
Mom tried to lie, forcing a laugh "No... of course not,"
But trying to lie was useless the moment agent Kael asked that question they are already cornered, then agent Mira's tablet suddenly made a sound, her tablet detected a lie detected.
Both agents suddenly stepped back, their movements were synchronized, smooth and trained. Their hands hovered near their waists, near their guns then the room's atmosphere shifted instantly.
Mom reacted faster than Denver expected she stepped in front of both her children, spreading her arms like a shield, her body trembling but unyielding.
"Mom..." Denver whispered, her voice was shaking. "…Just stop. I'll go with them."
Dion snapped his head toward her. "Hey, stop acting like a tragic hero, you sound weird."
Mom glared at both agents, her voice sharp. "I am their mother, I won't just hand my child over to strangers in suits. If you intend to harm them, you'll have to go through me."
Kael's eyes narrowed, his tone turning colder.
"Ma'am, lets not escalate the situation just hand us the boy."
Then suddenly the word boy echoed in the room,
Dion froze. "…What?"
Mom blinked. "…What do you mean, boy?"
Dion pointed at himself, dumbfounded. "Why me?"
Kael's gaze shifted directly to him.
"Or else we will be forced to escalate this matter to a classified containment procedure."
Mom's face drained of color. "Or else… what?"
Dion swallowed. "Wait, wait, wait a minute, why am I the target here?!"