JASON
I found Sage standing outside in the compound when I left the council meeting. She was a short distance from the main house, with her attention fixed on her phone. Her fingers moved across the screen occasionally, and she seemed completely absorbed in whatever she was reading.
I slowed my steps as I approached, expecting her to notice me. However, she made no effort to look up, even when I was close enough for her to have heard my footsteps. I couldn't tell whether she was genuinely distracted or simply choosing not to acknowledge my presence, but considering how things had been between us lately, I suspected it was more likely the latter.
I stopped a few feet away and called her name.
“Sage.”
She continued looking at her phone for another moment before finally raising her head.
