The red numbers on the holographic clock shifted to a single digit as Leo stood at the scrying window of his City Heaven. He rested his hands on the wooden sill and watched the massive blue dome enclosing Ashguard. The magical energy field pulsed with a steady rhythm against the morning sky. The barrier had protected his domain for a month while he built his industrial engine from the dirt up. Now the timer displayed just under five minutes remaining.
He did not pace the room or wring his hands in anxiety. He observed the changing landscape with the cold precision of a mathematician waiting for a final equation to resolve.
Balthazar pushed the heavy oak door open and stepped into the viewing room. The master blacksmith wore a clean leather apron and carried a thick ledger filled with inv
