Adrian pulled at the tie around his neck, trying to loosen it just a little. He wasn 't used to wearing something like that and it felt too constrictive, too tight around his throat, and even though Mr Briar said that it made him look professional and that he should keep it on, he still didn 't like how it felt. Maybe he would get used to it in time, but Adrian wasn 't so sure.

Stop pulling on it

, came Mr Briar 's voice, and Adrian obediently stopped.

Adrian glanced quickly at the man sitting next him, upright in his SSS uniform, and gave him an apologetic look, before returning to his notepad. His pen scratched across the paper, the only sound that he was allowed to make in the small meeting room.

A select number of SSS agents at varying levels sat around the table, Adrian and Yuri included, all wearing too-tight ties and sombre expressions.