From Ruin to Reign Leander's Unbreakable Will novel Chapter 369

Wesley's face twisted with panic. He stumbled forward, his tone dripping with flattery.

"My vision failed me. I'm very sorry, Sovereign!" He bent low, his smile forced wide.

"For Dani to know you is her greatest blessing. It is also the honor of my family."

The man who once stood proud as Half Lord of Highcliffe now bowed with submission. His will was broken.

Raphael stood quiet, his face calm. Yet inside, laughter thundered.

Daphne and Leander had grown up together. Their bond ran deeper than anyone imagined. Today, Leander had even placed the Celestial Mirror in her hands. That act alone proved it.

If Daphne stood beside Leander, then the Florian family had Astria's strongest force at their back. With Leander supporting them, they would rise higher than anyone else. Raphael's lips twitched in triumph he dared not show.

Leander turned to Daphne. His eyes softened, his voice gentle. "Dani, it's over now. Let's walk through the Southern Ocean bazaar."

The sigil in her palm had already sunk into her skin, leaving a glowing triangle etched across her arm. She rushed to him, slipped her hand into his, and smiled wide.

"Of course!"

Her joy bloomed like sunlight. She leaned against his shoulder, her whole body trembling with delight. Together, they left, ignoring every other soul. Their figures vanished into the horizon.

From beginning to end, Leander never once looked at Reginald or Gareth. The Celestial Mirror might have ordered his exile, but it was their hands that carried it out.

Whatever bond he once had with the Ashcroft family was already cut.

Gareth stood frozen. Reginald tipped his head back and sighed long and heavy.

They had cast him out. They had destroyed his strength. That decision had birthed a titan who now towered above them. Yet that titan wanted nothing more to do with them. They could not tell if it was their victory or their tragedy.

Eira's eyes narrowed. Her hand curled into a fist as she watched the couple leave.

"Hmph. You think having Daphne erases everything?

"You saw my body. You'll pay for it."

Not far away, Aurora's gaze burned hotter and hotter. She said nothing, but her eyes clung to Leander's back with hunger she could not hide.

The golden sands of the Southern Ocean stretched wide under the silver moon. Leander and Daphne walked close, shoulders brushing, the night painting them in light.

"Ander, you must have suffered so much in these nine years."

Her voice quivered. Her eyes shone with pride and ache.

She had seen his strength. She had seen him stand higher than anyone else. But the joy twisted into sorrow.

Behind his power lay endless struggle. He had risen after losing everything. After losing his martial power. He had clawed his way out of despair. How many times had he faced death?

The thought made her chest ache.

"Those days are gone."

Leander's tone was calm.

Daphne said nothing more. She darted a few steps ahead, spun, and looked back at him with eyes full of love.

"I never thought you would be so incredible, Ander. Iron Sovereign. What a name. One day I'll marry you. I'll be the Iron Sovereign's wife. That alone makes me the happiest woman alive."

Leander chuckled, his voice playful. "And when'd I say I'd marry you?"

Her brows shot up. "What?" She lunged at him, her face bright with playful anger.

Leander laughed and backed away.

"Catch me, and I'll marry you!"

Their laughter rolled across the beach. The moon looked down as they chased each other through the sand.

The night stretched on. At last, the game ended. Leander sat at the edge of the shore, his eyes locked on the restless sea. Daphne lay across his lap, fast asleep, her face soft with peace.

He struggled to imagine what kind of event could crush even those ancient powers.

"Leander, the universe is far greater than you think. What you've seen so far is only a glimpse.

"This isn't the first time the end has come. Five thousand years ago, Aurion the Sun Emperor and Veyar, God of War fought to stop it. They both fell that day. Their sacrifice bought the Earth five thousand years of peace.

"But now, there's no one like them left. You're the only one I've seen who might reach their level.

"When the next apocalypse comes, you're the one who'll stand for this world."

Leander's eyes narrowed as the voice continued to echo.

"Remember this. The Arbitration Office and the Aster Communion are powerful, yes, but their reach ends at Earth.

"Out there, among the stars, they're nothing.

"Grow stronger, Leander. When the world burns, it will need your strength."

The last word faded. The soul turned into a beam of blue light and sank into Daphne's arm.

Leander blinked, as if waking from a dream. He watched the ocean shimmer for a long time, then smiled faintly.

"Interesting."

He had believed he had reached the peak, that nothing on this planet could threaten him. But now, the Celestial Mirror's words had cracked that certainty open.

His journey wasn't over. It hadn't even begun.

"An apocalypse, huh?"

He clenched his hand slowly. His eyes glowed with hunger, not fear.

The path stretched far ahead. Everything was only beginning.