Sage's playful mood evaporated, not slowly, but like a circuit being cut.
She noticed immediately that what he was about to say was serious. His tone had shifted. The easy confidence was gone, replaced by a low, grave timbre. Tension coiled visibly in his shoulders.
His refusal to visit the Capital Sector had been sudden and sharp. It wasn't a request it was a wall.
Her thoughts raced through possibilities. The Council? Had they found something else? Was he in danger again?
Her hand rose to rest against his cheek. "Okay," she said softly, her voice a stark contrast to the storm of calculations in her mind. "I'm listening. What is it?"
Zaeryn didn't waste time and told her. "Alright. The reason I froze when I met Valerie," he began, his voice a bit low and strained, "wasn't just because I was intimidated by her though I was." He paused. "But it's because I recognized her. We have a connection."
Sage remained silent, her mind processing, waiting for him to finish.
