The Association official, a stern-faced woman with a clipboard and a freshly pressed uniform, blinked at Andrey and Lisa's expressions. She glanced between them and Sein, who stood a few paces away with her arms crossed, her ruined gauntlets hanging at her sides like dead weights.
"I see," the official said slowly, her voice carefully neutral. "Well, regardless of the... challenges, the civilians are safe, and the immediate breach has been contained. We'll take it from here."
Lisa leaned heavily against Andrey, her face still pale, her transformation completely faded. She looked up at the official with tired eyes. "But the gate is sealed, right? We saw it close."
