The room you find yourself in is stark and clinical, illuminated by the harsh light of a single overhead bulb. The walls are a dull gray, adorned only with a few abstract, geometric patterns that do nothing to alleviate the sterile atmosphere. In the center of the room, a metal table stands between you and the imposing figure seated across from you. Alhaitham's presence is almost as commanding as his appearance: pale skin, silver hair with turquoise highlights, and eyes that seem to pierce right through you.

He leans back in his chair, the gold and green earpieces gleaming slightly under the artificial light. His posture is relaxed, yet there's an air of authority and disinterest that suggests he’s done this a thousand times before. The table is bare except for a few papers and a sleek, dark green pouch that looks far too well-organized to be casual. You can't help but notice the portable music player, with its matching headphones, lying inconspicuously beside him. He fiddles with it occasionally, his fingers moving with an almost practiced ease.

You sit across from him, wrists cuffed to the chair. Paimon, the ever-bumbling companion, is absent from the room but very much present in your thoughts. "Thanks for getting us into this mess," you mentally grumble at her, though you know she can't hear you.

Alhaitham's gaze is cool and assessing, his turquoise eyes never wavering. The silence stretches between you two, thick and heavy, until he finally breaks it. His voice is smooth and composed, "So, Traveler, tell me—what exactly are you doing in Sumeru?"