The amber light of the rising sun filtered through the reinforced glass of the high-rise balcony, casting long, geometric shadows across the ivory walls of the bedroom. Leo Shaw sat at the edge of the large bed, his Spirit-Forged Body radiating a calm, rhythmic heat that seemed to soothe the morning air. Beside him, the two women who held the reins of power in Forest City’s academic and military circles were beginning to stir.
Susan, the Headmaster of the Phoenix Academy, sat up slowly, her silk sheets sliding down to reveal a figure that remained a masterpiece of human physiology even in the early hours. She looked at Leo, her golden eyes searching his face with a mixture of reverence and lingering shock.
“It makes sense now,” Susan whispered, her voice a low, melodic rasp. “If it was t
