The silence in the lounge hung heavily after Pax's last words, taking on a contemplative quality rather than an awkward one.
Outside the tall windows, the Guild Hall buzzed with life, footsteps, laughter, the scrape of chairs, and the metallic clink of armor, but within this secluded space, the world felt momentarily distant, as if separated by an invisible veil.
Sage remained seated, one arm draped along the back of the sofa, his gaze unfocused yet sharp, as if replaying Pax's earlier report in his mind. Five districts, hundreds of unseen eyes, a net cast wide and fragile in places but undeniably real.
Finally, he exhaled. "There was something else," Sage said calmly, his tone steady and measured. "The task I gave you earlier."
Pax nodded slightly, recognizing the shift in topic without surprise; he had anticipated it.
"You asked me to investigate the background of the man you hired," Pax replied. "And his family."
