Chapter 87 – A Moonlit ReturnAetheria's Domain – The Celestial Moon Palace
The sky had never been so silent.
Aetheria stood alone on the highest balcony of her divine palace, her gaze locked onto the endless stretch of stars beyond.
She had waited.
Four years.
Four years of growing, of ascending, of becoming.
And now, she could feel it—him.
A presence that could no longer be hidden. A power that could no longer be contained.
Leonhardt Valerian Everhart was coming.
Aetheria did not move.
She simply closed her eyes—and waited.
The Arrival of a King
The world stilled.
The very fabric of existence trembled.
And then—
He appeared.
No portal. No grand summoning. No theatrics.
One moment, there was nothing.
The next, he was there.
Standing at the edge of her palace, bathed in moonlight, his crimson eyes locked onto hers.
He was different.
Taller. Sharper. Stronger.
More than human.
Far more.
And yet—
To her, he was still the same.
Her king.
Her Leonhardt.
Aetheria did not hesitate.
She moved.
Faster than thought. Faster than time.
One moment, she was standing across the palace.
The next, she was in front of him.
Her hand reached out—
And he caught it.
Fingers curling around hers, warm, unyielding, familiar.
They did not speak.
For a long moment, there was only silence.
Then—
Leonhardt exhaled, a sound that was almost a laugh but not quite.
"You came quickly," he murmured, his voice rough from disuse.
Aetheria's violet eyes burned into his.
"You took too long," she answered coldly.
Silence again.
Then, he pulled her in.
No hesitation. No restraint.
His arms locked around her waist, her body pressed against his, and her breath caught in the sharpness of the moment.
Her fingers curled against his chest.
"You left," she whispered.
Leonhardt's grip tightened.
"Not forever."
Aetheria pulled back just enough to look at him, her eyes searching his, as if daring him to lie.
"You were alone."
He didn't deny it.
"You suffered."
He did not answer.
Aetheria's fingers brushed his cheek. Soft. Reverent. A touch meant for only him.
"You will never be alone again," she declared.
And this time—
The world trembled, not in fear, but in acceptance.
For these two had never belonged to anyone but each other.
And now—
They would never be apart again.