Kite followed Harry into the officers' lounge.
Leather armchairs and tufted couches were arranged in front of a large stone fireplace, where embers still glowed warmly. A tall bookshelf lined one wall, crammed with reports, atlases, and leather-bound texts. In the corner, a brass gramophone played faint classical music, crackling now and then. The air was thick with the scent of tobacco, polished wood, and old parchment.
At a round table in the middle of the room, six people were gathered, playing cards.
"I'm telling you—I'm an expert at this game," said a blond-haired boy with too much confidence.
"You won one hand, Ralf. One," a raven-haired girl shot back with a smirk.
Harry cleared his throat and knocked gently on the doorframe. The group jolted upright like schoolchildren caught by a headmaster, scrambling to hide the cards.
Harry sighed and rubbed his temple.
"You gentlemen and ladies are really not making the best first impression for our new guest…"
The group quickly lined up, looking anywhere between sheepish and amused.
A tall woman with a beauty mark near her lip stepped forward first, offering a playful smile.
"Sabrina Adams. A pleasure to meet you, handsome."
"Don't flirt with the new kid, Sabrina," came a voice from behind her.
"I was complimenting him, moron," she snapped back without missing a beat.
The voice belonged to a charming man with wavy brown hair and striking green eyes.
"Ethan Grayson," he said with a wink. "Hope we get to spend some time together."
"Just don't," the entire group chimed in, deadpan.
"I'm not that bad an influence!" he protested with a dramatic pout.
"Very bad, actually," they all agreed in unison again.
Before Kite could react, two petite twin girls appeared at either side of him, slipping under his arms.
"Her name is Kora—" "—And her name is Lora."
They hugged him tightly.
"We're going to have so much fun—" "—Lots and lots of fun!"
"They finish each other's sentences," Kite thought, blinking.
The raven-haired girl from before stepped forward, gently tugging the twins back by their ears.
"Enough, you two."
"Ow, ow, that hurts, you meanie—" "Yeah, big meanie!"
The older girl gave Kite a polite curtsy, her demeanor firm and disciplined.
"Lauren Romero. It's good to have you with us."
Kite nodded in return.
The blond boy from earlier approached now, grinning with recognition.
"I knew I'd seen you before! You're the eleven-year-old who joined the academy mid-year, right?"
"Yeah," Kite said, a little awkwardly.
"You were all anyone could talk about. I was in my final year back then, so we never crossed paths. I'm Ralf Darwin—good to finally meet you."
He offered his hand, which Kite accepted with a smile.
"Nice to meet you too."
Harry stepped forward again, placing a firm hand on Kite's shoulder.
"Why don't you introduce yourself, lad?"
Kite turned to the group.
"Kite Lighthart, specialist officer. I'll be stationed here for a month. I look forward to working with you all."
There were murmurs of welcome, nods, and grins all around.
Harry smiled faintly.
"Well said. Now, come along. The facility's bigger than it looks."
Kite followed him through a side door into a dim hallway lit by gas lamps.
As they walked, Harry spoke again, voice quieter now, more reflective.
"This place used to be much livelier… halls filled with laughter, too many voices to count."
Kite looked at him, a question forming in his eyes.
"You must be wondering where they all went, right?" Harry continued, his smile fading. "Why the place feels half-empty?"
There was a pause before he answered himself.
"There's no single reason. Some retired. Most… didn't make it. We lose people one after another—quietly, slowly. No grand exits. Just fading names on reports."
He looked straight ahead, eyes shadowed beneath his hat brim.
"Our lives are spent on the edge of decay. We wear false smiles to forget what we already know too well."
Kite glanced at Chu-Chu, who sat unusually still on his shoulder. For a moment, he couldn't think of a single thing to say.
He had only seen their laughter—not what it tried to cover.