Twenty minutes had already passed since Alice had gone to prepare something to eat. Keldo, meanwhile, was sitting on a large black leather mat spread across the floor of the spacious garage. Scattered tools, exposed electrical wires, and the various disassembled components of his second-generation armor lay all around him. The dim ceiling lights flickered slightly, casting dancing reflections across the dark metal plates.
The air was thick with the acrid smell of overheated circuits and burnt dust. Keldo's hands were buried deep inside the open breastplate, his fingers moving with surgical precision as he adjusted the internal systems. Small sparks occasionally flew whenever exposed connectors brushed against one another.
At the other end of the room, Verdy tossed him a tool without even looking at him. It slid across the floor with a dull metallic clatter before coming to a stop right beside Keldo.
