"Okay," the system whispered, its tiny eyes wide with absolute awe. "I know I usually advocate for emotional vulnerability and soft human connection... but that was the most intensely romantic, terrifyingly badass thing I have ever witnessed in my entire existence."
Elara did not verbally respond, maintaining her chilling imperial stride as she exited the throne room. But deep within her chest, the uncalculated thermal anomaly pulsed with a steady, triumphant warmth.
She had protected her variable. And she had done it with perfect math.
The walk back to the private chambers was entirely uneventful. The palace corridors, usually bustling with servants and minor officials, had been completely evacuated. Word of the defenestration had spread faster than a plague.
Elara's internal processors were running a post-combat cooldown sequence.
'Heart rate: decelerating to a steady sixty-five beats per minute.'
'Adrenaline levels: dropping by forty percent.'
