The room was quieter than Nina expected.
No handcuffs.
No guards standing too close.
Just a wooden table, two chairs, and a small lamp casting a warm yellow light over the concrete walls.
Nina sat with her hands resting on her knees, posture straight out of habit. Across from her, Olivia leaned against the table, arms crossed, expression calm but watchful.
"So," Olivia said first, breaking the silence, "how are you holding up?"
Nina blinked, slightly taken aback by the question.
"I am alive," she replied. "That is more than many can say these days."
Olivia nodded slowly. "Fair answer."
She pulled a chair back and sat down properly, facing Nina instead of looming over her like an interrogator. That alone made the atmosphere feel strange.
"I wanted to ask you personally," Olivia continued, "what really happened to Valkyria."
Nina's fingers curled slightly. Her eyes lowered for a moment before lifting again.
