Chapter 100 – Beneath the Moonlit Sky
The realm of shadows and obsidian thrones faded, dissolving into the vast night sky.
Aetheria and Leonhardt now stood at the peak of a mountain, high above the mortal world. The heavens stretched endlessly above them, vast, dark, and infinite, a perfect reflection of her power. The full moon bathed them in a soft glow, its silver light embracing them both.
Leonhardt exhaled slowly, his breath misting in the cold air. He welcomed the coolness—it was the only thing keeping him grounded after what had just transpired between them.
Aetheria stood before him, her celestial silver hair shifting gently in the wind. She was divine in every sense of the word—untouchable, immortal, the goddess she was meant to be. And yet, here she was, standing before him as his.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The silence between them wasn't uncomfortable—it was charged, a moment suspended between two eternities.
Leonhardt studied her, his gaze tracing the delicate features of her face, the deep violet of her eyes that held galaxies within them. She had changed. No longer just a demigod, she had ascended.
"You're different," he finally said.
Aetheria smirked, tilting her head. "And you're just noticing?"
Leonhardt chuckled, shaking his head. "No… I noticed the moment I saw you again." His eyes softened. "But now that we're here, away from everything, I can finally look at you without the world watching."
Aetheria stepped closer, closing the distance between them. "And?"
His fingers brushed against her cheek, his touch featherlight, as though part of him feared she would disappear. "You're more than a god now, Aetheria." His voice was quiet, reverent. "You're something beyond that."
Aetheria's eyes flickered with something unreadable. "If that were true… then what does that make you?"
Leonhardt smirked. "Yours."
Aetheria inhaled sharply.
She had conquered the heavens. She had taken her rightful throne among the gods. But none of that compared to this.
To him.
Her fingers curled into the fabric of his coat, pulling him closer. "Then prove it."
Leonhardt arched a brow. "Haven't I already?"
Aetheria shook her head. "Not enough."
His laughter was quiet, dark. "You're insatiable, Aetheria."
Her lips hovered near his, her breath warm against his skin. "Then satisfy me, Leonhardt."
The moon bore witness as the King of the Fallen Gods and the Night's Queen reclaimed each other beneath its cold, watchful gaze.