Illias shook his head vigorously.

"N-no, no, no, it's not that." he said.

"I don't want you to leave!" he insisted.

"....but.... uh... are you sure you should BE here?" he then asked.

"I mean... if I need to let you in, then doesn't that mean you don't have the proper authorization to be in the lab?" he asked her further.

"...you and Sharp always told me never to let someone in unless they prove they're allowed to BE in." he then added.

"....." Illias was stunned. Stunned silent, and still.

However, he then suddenly let out a large breath, as he almost collapsed to his knees.

"...so you're back." he said.

"I... I was wondering if I would ever see the day." he admitted.

"I've tried my best to keep your lab going, but... it wasn't the same." he continued.

At the same time, she heard violent hissing from his hair.

"...yeah, THEY'RE not pleased, though." Illias then commented.

"Especially Helena."

"......." Illias was silent for a moment.

"Welcome back, boss." he told her.

"And as you can see... I didn't decorate." he said.

"Everything is still standing." he told her further.

"I did all I could to keep the place running." he continued.

"Is there anything else?" he then asked her.

Illias paused when she wrapped her arms around him, but he managed to return the gesture before she stepped back.

"....well..." he mumbled.

"I DID bury myself in work." he admitted.

"And I WAS more irritable without you here." he went on.

"Irritable!?" a passing employee said, upon hearing that. "THAT'S an understatement!" he said, continuing on.

"THANK you, Allan!" Illias shot back through gritted teeth.

"..........." Illias was silent now.

"I have to go." Allan then said.

"I need to heft these boxes to storage." he told them, before excusing himself and leaving.

".......hm." Illias then mumbled.

"I... should go back to work." he said.

"Just... or maybe -I- should consider disappearing for a while." he then muttered.

"If I was such a dictator as all that, maybe I should just go." he finished, through gnashing teeth.

Illias was silent again, before shaking his head.

"I'm working on something for the Order." he told her.

"At first, I was working on something to stop the corruption that was plaguing it." he said. "But that situation ended up being fixed before I could finish it." he went on.

"So the scope changed to something that could prevent it from happening again." he continued.

"....so that's what I'm doing."

"....hm." Illias muttered.

"Well... all right, we DO have a number of projects going." he admitted.

"We have some development for new weapons going on, but that's kinda stalled while Mira works out her issues with Peyton right now..." he muttered.

He then snapped his fingers.

"Oh!" he exclaimed.

"And we're also making a new supply of the 'truth serum' we use! That's a little behind schedule due to recent events."

"Ah, yes, I did." Illias replied.

"I made sure it got to the team working on it." he said.

"They're making progress, but we're pulled a little thin at the moment, so we have less manpower to put on it." he went on, before pausing.

"...though, admittedly, that could be because I'M dedicating myself to the Order business." he then muttered.

"Regardless, either coming to help with my project, or working with the team on the truth serum would be the most productive usage of time." he concluded, before pausing.

"Oh... and yes, I realise I DID kinda fall apart without you here." he then said, conceding to her point from earlier. "But I didn't get anywhere NEAR as bad as that Levi kid's gotten..." he mumbled, shaking his head slightly.

"Huh?" Illias muttered.

"Oh... crap, I said that out loud, didn't I...?" he muttered.

"Uh... eh-heh... well... see... when he heard that you left this place, feeling the way you did, he... REALLY shut himself in." he told her.

"Nobody's really seen him for... close to 2 weeks or so now." he continued.

"Apparently he's sequestered himself in his dorm. Refuses to come out for anything." he went on.

"Even his schooling's starting to suffer by now, I'd wager."

There was silence when she knocked. So she knocked again.

And again. And again. Until it just turned into constant knocking.

"....what?" she then heard a soft and pathetic voice ask from behind the locked door.

"If that's you, Ally, did you lose your key?" they asked.

"If it's anyone else, go away." they then said.

"It's better if you stay away from me."