Chapter 63 – The War Will Wait
The night stretched around them, silent and endless, as Leonhardt and Aetheria stood locked in each other's embrace.
Neither wanted to let go.
Neither wanted to face reality just yet.
But reality was cruel.
And it wouldn't wait for them.
A Moment of Peace in a World of War
Leonhardt was the first to move.
His fingers brushed against Aetheria's silver hair, his fiery gaze locked onto hers.
"We don't have much time." His voice was quiet but firm.
Aetheria nodded slowly.
She knew it too.
The battlefield was still raging behind them.
The war was still unfolding.
And soon—
Someone would come looking for them.
But for now—
For this moment—
Leonhardt had no intention of letting the world interfere.
He reached for her hand, his grip firm, possessive.
"Come with me."
Aetheria didn't hesitate.
She followed him without question, her fingers entwined with his as they disappeared into the shadows of the forest.
The Forgotten Ruins
Leonhardt led her to an abandoned ruin—an ancient, crumbling temple hidden deep within the forest.
Aetheria glanced around.
The air was thick with forgotten power, with traces of a past long erased from history.
"…What is this place?" she murmured.
Leonhardt exhaled, his red eyes glowing in the dim moonlight.
"A temple of the gods."
Aetheria's brows furrowed.
A temple?
Out here?
Hidden away from the world?
Leonhardt stepped forward, his boots echoing against the cracked stone floor.
"I found it during a scouting mission," he said. "No one comes here. It's been abandoned for centuries."
Aetheria's gaze swept over the ruins.
There were faded carvings on the walls, depicting stories of ancient battles, gods, and forgotten rulers.
Her eyes narrowed.
These were not the stories of the four remaining gods.
They were older.
Much older.
"…Leonhardt."
Her voice was quiet.
"Who do you think built this place?"
Leonhardt didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he stepped forward, brushing his fingers against an engraved sigil on the wall.
A symbol of a crowned god, standing above all others.
Aetheria's breath hitched.
It was his symbol.
The symbol of the King of Gods.
Leonhardt's voice was low.
"This place… was built before the war. Before the gods erased history."
His gaze darkened.
"They tried to erase us."
Aetheria clenched her fists.
The gods had rewritten history.
They had erased everything that once belonged to them.
To him.
To her.
She turned to face him, her violet eyes burning with cold fury.
"…Then let's take it back."
Leonhardt stilled.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then—
A slow, dark smirk curled on his lips.
"…You always knew the right words to say."
Aetheria's lips curled in response.
"Of course," she said. "I was your queen, wasn't I?"
Leonhardt chuckled.
Then, in a swift motion, he pulled her against him once more, his fingers tilting her chin up.
His gaze pierced into hers, filled with something deep and dangerous.
"Then be my queen again," he murmured.
Aetheria's heart pounded violently.
Her fingers curled into his cloak, her breath hitching.
"…Always."
Leonhardt's grip tightened.
"…Then let's begin."
Aetheria's violet eyes blazed.
She didn't need to ask what he meant.
They had been waiting too long.
Now—
It was time to reclaim everything that was taken from them.