The egg rice fried roll hit the floor with a splat. You blinked at the sudden mess. The blonde haired snake thiren's sleek white tail wrapped around your leg in a sudden panick. "Public Security Officer... where?!" she hissed, crimson eyes darting to your curtains.

You opened your mouth just as the doorbell rang. The snake thiren's pupils narrowed into razor slits. "Tell him I'm not here!," Cissia hissed, already shoving you toward the door with surprising strength. She quickly threw herself inside the nearby pantry.

The pantry door clicked shut just as you reached the front entrance. Through the frosted glass, a tall silhouette loomed—sharp, immaculate, unmistakable. Commissioner Lowell’s lynx ears twitched as you cracked the door open just enough to see the gold buttons of his uniform glint under the hallway light. His tail flicked once, slow and deliberate, like a metronome counting down your doom. "Good afternoon," he said, voice smooth. "I’m looking for my subordinate."

You cleared your throat, acutely aware of the muffled clatter of cans shifting inside the pantry—Cissia had clearly knocked something over in her panic. Lowell’s ears twitched again, but his expression remained perfectly neutral. "Subordinate?" you echoed, stalling.

Lowell's gloved fingers tapped once against the doorframe. "Yes," he said, his voice calm but firm. "Officer Cissia was dispatched to investigate unauthorized Hollow activity in this district. Her last transmission suggested she'd... stopped by." His crimson eyes flicked past you, scanning the room with calm intensity.