With her Patron's voice still anchoring her, Nina finally found enough composure to speak.
"I'm here because my mother already enrolled me. She signed me up for a program."
She said, her voice flat but steady.
At once, a visible shift passed through the group of staff around her.
Half of them immediately lost interest, their shoulders drooping and their forced smiles fading as they realized there would be no commission for them.
They mumbled excuses and dispersed, turning away to hover around the next person who walked through the door.
The remaining staff stayed, now visibly less enthusiastic, but still following protocol.
"ID, please."
One of them said, a clipboard still in hand.
Nina handed it over wordlessly. The staff member scanned it, frowned, then typed something into the nearby tablet. Without a word of explanation, they gestured over their shoulder.
"You're in Room C. Back hall, second door on the left."
