In the Williams estate's study, the only sound was the muffled sobs of a man with brown hair speckled with white. Garrett, a grizzled Brigadier General, tried to stop the tears from falling as he wrestled with the memories flooding into his head.

Christopher and Kristine exchanged awkward glances, wondering what had happened to their father. He was under the effect of their Mesmerizing Gaze on him which froze him for a few seconds but the secondary effects of this ability surprised both of them.

As the twins waited for their father to recompose himself, they spoke to each other telepathically.

“Should we ask what he saw?” Christopher asked, curious about the secondary effect of the Mesmerizing glare.

“You ask him,” Kristine told her twin brother, still mad at their father. However, she cannot deny that she was also curious.

“Dad, are you okay? What did you see?” Christopher approached closer to their father to ask.

Garrett looked up at Christopher, his eyes were still red. It seems his daughter was unaware of the secondary effect of her powers, unaware that both twins possess the ability to use Mesmerizing Glare. “Memories of you two when you were children flooded my head. You two used to be so adorable when you were toddlers.” He gushed. “I should be okay now.”

Garrett turned to Kristine, his emotions still in disarray. "You can go to military school," he said, finally giving his approval."Your powers should be enough to take care of any creeps that come near you.

“Thanks, dad.” Kristine nodded, feeling a sense of validation. Her hostility towards her father softened a little. Her plan to obtain her father’s approval worked despite a few hiccups in the process. She certainly wasn’t planning on almost having her brain fried.

She smirked at her brother, reveling in her genius. She had managed to convince their father to let her join Christopher at military school.

Christopher, on the other hand, nearly rolled his eyes. The plan was reckless and almost led to having all their secrets exposed. Not to mention the fact that Kristine almost became brain-dead.

Garrett continued. "And I will schedule an appointment at the Psion Testing Center for you both," he said. "We need to get you registered as Psions as soon as possible, so you can take advantage of all the benefits and privileges that come with it.

He would make sure his children would be registered as Psions as soon as possible. He had seen enough of the world to know that it was a dangerous place, and having a Psionic ability could give his children an edge in the current society and make people think twice about taking action against them. Psions were highly cherished by the government, a fact that Garrett was well aware of. He had risen to the rank of Brigadier General before age of 30 thanks to his Psionic abilities.

The twins shared a look of surprise. It was surprising that their father had made such a quick decision. They knew that registering as a Psion must be very important.

"But what happens if we don't register?" Kristine asked, her tone warmer than before. "Is it really that important?"

"Of course it's important," Garrett said. If you don't register, you won't receive the benefits that come with being a Psion. And, concealing your powers is a crime. It could get you into a lot of trouble with the government."

"Benefits?" Christopher asked, intrigued.

"Yes, benefits. There are a lot of perks that come with being a Psion. You receive special privileges and benefits in society. There are tax incentives, better job opportunities, and access to exclusive government programs.”

"I see," Christopher said, nodding his head. This was the first time he heard of these benefits. It was news to him, and he couldn't help but think that if more people knew about it, they would be up in arms about the inequality of it all.

"What kind of tests will we have to take, Dad?" Christopher asked, eager to know what to expect. He was only able to discover minor details of the test from the internet but the complete process remained a mystery to him. It seemed the government was trying to keep it all under wraps.

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"The tests will assess the strength and control of your abilities," Garrett explained. "You'll be put through a series of exercises that will help determine your rank. When I first discovered my powers, I was given a C rank. But after honing my abilities and gaining the ability to read thoughts and memories, I was upgraded to an A-rank Psion."

"What if our powers aren't as strong as yours?" Christopher asked, worry creeping into his voice.

"That's perfectly normal, Christopher," Garrett reassured him with a smile. "Even if your powers are not as strong as mine, being recognized as a Psion by the government is still an incredibly valuable status in society. So, don't worry. I'll let you two know about the appointment as soon as I set it up."

"Bye, dad," Kristine said, still distant but at least she had spoken. "We'll see you later."

Garrett let out a resigned breath as his children exited the room, leaving him to his thoughts. His joy at the prospect of his children's abilities had caused him to lose control of his emotions. He couldn't resist peeking into Kristine's memories with his Psionic ability.

He reached for his phone and quickly made an appointment with the testing center, ensuring that his children would be registered as Psions at the earliest opportunity.

Despite his eagerness, a deep sense of unease nagged at him as he notified the testing center that he would be accompanying his children. It was an instinct he had honed on the battlefield and couldn't shake off, even in the relative safety of his own home. It was a sensation he could not ignore, putting him on edge.

However, he quickly brushed it off, knowing that the testing center was a secured facility with armed guards. The government wouldn't allow anything to happen to the testing center, right? It was going to be a routine procedure. Garrett reassured himself that his children would be safe and that nothing bad would happen.

**

In a dimly lit room, a gruff military man with a full head of brown hair and a black eyepatch covering one eye listened intently as one of his spies at the Psion testing center relayed the news of Garrett's appointment and his plan to bring his children. Electrical burns marred the skin around the covered eye, evidence of a past encounter with a Psion.

The man's remaining eye narrowed in contempt as he absorbed the information. His lips twisted into an evil smile.

"This is it," he growled. "Garrett has finally let his guard down. He's always been holed up in his military camp or estate, surrounded by his loyal soldiers and ex-military servants. But now, he's made a grave mistake."

The spy asked over the phone fear evident in his voice, "What do you mean, sir?"

The man let out a chilling chuckle, a sound that sent shivers down the spy's spine. "Let's just say, there's a surprise waiting for Garrett and his children at the testing center, and it won't be a pleasant one."

He quickly ended the call with the spy and began a new video call. He was connected to one of the top engineers in his organization. The engineer on the other end was a lanky Asian, sporting black thick-rimmed glasses and dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep.

The man emitted a low, menacing chuckle. "I trust the shield generator prototype is operational?" he inquired sharply, a single eye piercing through the video call.

It might seem like the level of technology in this world was similar to Christopher and Kristine's previous world, but that wasn't the truth. Technology had been making strides in the underground, out of sight of the masses.

The engineer nodded timidly, clearly intimidated by the man's presence. "Yes, sir. We managed to develop a shield that can repel metal such as small arms fire, but it was quite challenging to create with our limited funding."

"Hmm," the man grunted. "So is it as good as a B-Rank electromagnetic Psion?"

The engineer shuffled uncomfortably, knowing he was in hot water. "I'm afraid not, sir. But it's still a valuable tool that will provide our men with an advantage in the upcoming attack on the testing center."

The man frowned before he replied. "Good enough," he said. "With that shield, our men will be invincible. They won't know what hit them."

The engineer hesitated for a moment before speaking up. He had been wanting to ask this since he started this project. "But, sir, what about the innocent people at the center? Won't they be in danger too? Won't that damage our cause?"

The man's smile faded, replaced by a scowl. "They're collateral damage. Sacrifices have to be made for the greater good. It's for the betterment of mankind. Psions have no place in our society. They're a hindrance to our progress, our evolution. With technology, we can surpass them and return mankind to its correct path and destiny," he preached. "And we'll make sure no one can trace the attack back to us."

The engineer sighed, blocking out the sermon. He wasn't listening at all. He was tired of these anti-Psion fanatics in this organization spewing their hate. Science was his only concern, as were many of the people in this organization. Technology had stagnated since the Icarus calamity and the appearance of Psions and Psi Beasts. Since then, scientific progress has been focused on weapons against Psi-Beast or entertainment.

Many people had loads of ideas and projects they wanted to explore to push society forward, but without funds from these extremists, they remained only ideas stuck in their heads.