A cascade of golden chimes rattled the glass panes of the viewing room. The sound resembled a thousand heavy coins spilling across a polished metal floor. Leo stepped out of a swirling blue spatial tear and planted his boots firmly on the oak floorboards of his City Heaven.
Jasmine crossed the room before the portal even closed. The ruler of Pearlstrand did not offer a formal bow or a stiff military salute. She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight embrace.
"You actually dropped a star on him," Jasmine whispered. She released him and took a step back. "I watched the impact from the cliffs. The entire sky turned crimson. You vaporized his invincible shield in one second."
"The shield was mathematically inferior," Leo replied. He smoothed the lapels of his dark coat a
