When Cel opened his eyes, Selina's arms were still around him.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm2NMxvUA1V
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnSlm8pvrDC
For a moment, he remained perfectly still - caught between the sacred ground he'd just left and the reality of her embrace. The warmth of it. The gentleness.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiWKprBNdDF
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His breath hitched.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJi3FUiY2a
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7yGMtELpn5
Then, something inside him broke.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLP9YUrgizd
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Not violently. Not like shattering glass or splintering bone.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJsheUwQNr0
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtRpMqKeaud
Like melting ice. Like a dam finally cracking under pressure it was never meant to hold.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIrDhDR8eS
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6BhA5jswRG
A sound escaped him - small, choked, achingly human.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPH3NTb0id4
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His shoulders began to shake.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtiesBACV96
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEjMyt45j5s
Cel tried to stop it. Tried to force the trembling back down, to swallow the weakness rising in his throat. He'd survived torture. Starvation. Nightmares made flesh. 111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIUkpwvnkr0
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkiKA9l7KEC
He shouldn't be—111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdc00SKwVvV
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Another sound tore free. Louder this time.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd0PfwL3sJY
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzpsBYKqsuU
The tears came.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jLePtnbbf
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3GaLl7JHTc
Silent at first, hot against his cheeks. Then accompanied by gasps he couldn't control, sobs that wrenched themselves from somewhere deep in his chest where he'd buried everything for so long.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0pMYdPknX0
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcjKrKsKGVz
The year in the cell. The maggot-infested food. The cultists' knives. Ren's death.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQzqzz3w8m
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKOREVXOhT3
His father's fists. His mother's silence. His brother's cowardice.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNT3WC7E37E
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5lQokzxKJB
The mirror lake. The crystal maze. The creature that had killed him.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDGNR8dQmAP
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡff32FKyknj
All of it - every moment of pain, every betrayal, every second he'd told himself he had to endure because there was no other choice - tore free at once.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzu3JuCvAfM
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZTOW4z4w17
And he couldn't stop it.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmdes92mEig
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzkSVJhdnrb
Cel's knees weakened. His hands clutched at Selina's robes, fingers curling into white fabric like it was the only solid thing left in the world.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIPfGGurpSF
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkZclpfIpFI
She held him.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUalR2bL8D2
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKG2R3RQqJU
Didn't speak. Didn't pull away. Didn't tell him to be strong or to compose himself.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7QvpQaiu6I
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd1l1JMPcKm
She simply held him, one hand moving to cradle the back of his head with steady gentleness while he broke apart in her arms.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYdbmz5E3k0
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjl562R00DV
Time became meaningless.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJls0OJsgqS
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Eventually, the sobs gradually quieted. The gasps turned to shaky breaths, leaving only exhaustion in their wake.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoH0bqmf3ix
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg43UYuDkM8
Cel pulled back slowly, roughly wiping at his face with trembling hands.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAq37CzWqYM
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7DAKpofvKB
His cheeks burned. Not from fever - from embarrassment so acute it felt physical.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9MQiz8c8Op
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb1qmx0PcO6
He'd just—111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2nM8U7zKv5
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡniLwxpT3Gp
In front of her—111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk9Purbltu7
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNZvmKTh9ow
"I'm sorry," he choked out, unable to meet her eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvjLdMOkIok
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRU1H15iaIf
"There is nothing to apologize for, Chosen One." Her voice held no judgment. No pity. No disappointment.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDwslcEUXJM
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgrHn0h09yS
Only acceptance.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1FltQlUmeR
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrrhjVelrGW
Cel swallowed hard, gaze fixed firmly on the ground between them. His throat felt raw, stripped clean.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0oDsJOj48E
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFq9rjgl94e
"I just…" He didn't know how to finish that sentence.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXVIhcxDR90
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWPGQCaEuWv
"You have endured much." Selina's hand remained on his shoulder - light, grounding. "The soul remembers every wound, even when the body has been remade. There is no shame in acknowledging that pain."111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiIxE9WG1pk
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnxdmmgiI4y
Cel's breath came out shaky. He nodded once, not trusting his voice.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbrUiLLL96G
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoV9juysf4d
When she finally stepped back, her hands lingered for a moment before releasing him entirely.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡct30axDcJi
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhW3umKGh6W
The mist swirled between them, giving him space to collect himself.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVsLFuPxqQ
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS6UQj6xyX4
Cel took a breath. Then another. His fingers rose to touch his face - flushed and damp, eyes surely red and swollen.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmV0oanlpNt
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFUgtGRm8Hk
Humiliation seared through him.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTamEmcGGhn
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM6GsfTRhGM
He'd wept. Like a child. In front of someone who had guided him through death itself with perfect composure.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtG7M5ueqZx
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGKKv5v6x9P
The transformation still didn't feel real, but the shame certainly did.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrEwguNg92G
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeCDxNVz3Vp
He forced himself to straighten, to look somewhere near her general direction even if he couldn't quite meet her eyes yet.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPIqarRdf1I
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS0MlQmT5FK
"Thank you. For everything.“111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1zoCyclANe
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDundMkuYEM
He gestured vaguely, unable to articulate what her presence had meant.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyMO7WPFErF
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRy1Y4Jkh1l
Selina inclined her head, serene as ever.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7BGzbrNCmI
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy7fTF0w06B
A question surfaced - one that had been lurking since the moment she'd appeared in his dying consciousness. Something to focus on besides the heat still flooding his face.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDnq0koPiHU
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU4wpSLyi4q
"Selina." He cleared his throat. "What rank do you hold as a priestess?"111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1TIRjTaXXj
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP9JsKcnnSF
No hesitation. No cryptic deflection.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLCc7Wvc4Ag
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsSz46Dhtul
Her smile deepened, tranquil and certain as moonlight on still water111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1QiTV9E7Hj
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡubhgs5HYpO
"Rank One." 111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUGriF4IKov
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The words landed like a physical blow.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXHtylrW6H
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrBBPTwhFZ6
His mind went blank, then exploded with implications he couldn't process fast enough.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8fSYlKQAfs
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0nPAAuCJXK
'Rank One?'111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWTcRxat50U
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKX6thjB5nj
A Divine Oracle - the title humanity gave to those who stood at the pinnacle of divine service.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbz3W2csUsX
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtg0wBc90vw
Not just a priestess. Not even a high-ranking servant.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKClyTKQlFp
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡamT6Lfmx9S
The highest authority beneath the gods themselves. The singular voice through which a deity spoke directly to the mortal world.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy2AkH0c27s
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡulzgc7qfwK
His embarrassment suddenly intensified a thousandfold.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQBNM7CaZ47
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEbcquk90QG
He'd just—111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡihHFEnHpd4
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡROTk6LkfSZ
He'd just cried on a Divine Oracle.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1uJCh9eCZk
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjV7OWd08QI
Sobbed into her robes like a child seeking comfort from his mother.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgTX7W9LMcQ
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHu79iHALtP
And before that—111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7KXuU1lvOI
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJAPUcod0Vu
Memory crashed through him like an avalanche.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmEyqHhLy6Q
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb7wVwiNxck
His tone. The way he'd spoken to her.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjyo2tFjjDF
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ44Kz0W3X52
Sharp. Impatient. Laced with frustration when she couldn't answer his questions. The edge in his voice when he'd pushed back against her words.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAEOr38zSUh
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm8jx2gA7AU
He hadn't been respectful. Hadn't been grateful.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWbDYDK1fW9
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe3yQcYG2dj
He'd been angry - and he'd let that anger out on her.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIQId2e3xJZ
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwYGi2KqV8
Cel wanted to disappear.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwyusRUWU6b
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6yn3fkwNT
He hadn't just questioned a priestess or shown weakness before a guide.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbSifcPadnT
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGXtcyfcpTF
He had challenged a Divine Oracle with barely restrained fury. 111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUkWih0E47P
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuPCKyPdUQ2
And then wept on her shoulder.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3uVyDwSdnY
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDl4Oytwa1
His legs suddenly felt unsteady.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLxJ4NUh75
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKDLCz0lPN
Cel's gaze dropped to the ground again. He couldn't look at her. Couldn't bear the weight of meeting those eyes now that he understood what - who - they represented.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNHgfHsNSYS
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmORl29ype2
His voice failed him.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP24ULei1ZG
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqNZREPh0D1
Everything about her made sense now. The way she moved through his soul's landscape with absolute certainty. The calm that never broke, no matter what horrors he did. The patience that felt limitless, untouchable by mortal weakness.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH0xjBNB4Sq
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGyJFLJHAQJ
Because it transcended mortality.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSLQPTKXQq3
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX6hClkWKNL
She wasn't just a guide. She was the voice of the Moon Goddess.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdQXqFmXk96
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9QtkxO2w3n
And he'd—111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBsC7NCNvjx
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMdYbnY26i4
Shame crawled up his throat like bile, bitter and choking.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoDi4urE2DL
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqHVpLS1Oub
"I was..." He forced the words out. "I was angry. At everything. And I took it out on you."111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKVhZsHhWb
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4FM2TQXWpX
His hands curled into fists.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsthIlzt5RJ
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoQbNFdCo19
"You were patient with me. Kind. And I..."111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEHAVQjlY5F
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnupKie5pgK
He couldn't finish. Couldn't articulate how wrong it felt now—lashing out at the one person who'd actually helped him.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBlbl8un3Ac
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj2XYG4JjJU
"I'm sorry."111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl6L8c7eS9f
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNreKP9QlEj
Silence answered him.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Uq5qLwYrV
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKYUtJmf39y
Cel kept his gaze fixed on the ground, watching mist curl around his bare feet. Each second stretched unbearably long.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXggex2uWB
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvLvIc8Dtoj
Then—movement.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwBUUmTzbk
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBxlc26J3V3
Selina stepped closer.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1N3rRKquim
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWBYT9ZWJrZ
He flinched slightly, expecting… what? Blame? Divine wrath channeled through soft words?111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Bk8uk56cL
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeXrmMYF5BE
"Chosen One." Her voice carried no anger. No coldness.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK3xIpcYhyD
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzEDj17Vkm6
Only that same impossible gentleness she'd shown since the beginning.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxtZLAZx0YV
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJqWHFeES8O
Slowly, reluctantly, Cel raised his head.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXWVjsQ38xb
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡks9ilvwL5u
She stood before him unchanged. Mask catching moonlight, lips curved into a beautiful smile. White robes stirring in wind that didn't exist.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjgqeWWyWow
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNixDNRCPF8
But now he could see it - the presence that saturated every gesture, every word. The weight of divinity she carried with such grace.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk8GTqbK7g2
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqbcQcyNXPP
"You are not the first to question the divine." Her tone remained even. "Nor will you be the last."111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH0ZVcWs4tP
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsmanIufD2M
Cel's breath hitched.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9dWzerI2nk
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX6dkOzXGMx
"But you're a Divine Oracle." The words tumbled out before he could stop them. "The highest voice of the goddess. I shouldn't have spoken to you the way I did. With anger. With—"111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjw4Rbrpo7h
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdhTnBgECLo
He gestured helplessly.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTTwkQwuxTj
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZx3HdBeJsh
"You deserved better than that."111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2X5xJBF4mW
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLkNZr53OiP
Selina regarded him for a long moment.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7AfAjDPXZK
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSk0xD6ooSw
"Your tone was inappropriate, yes."111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhX1QQkX6Lz
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlD1St6Wv8Y
The blunt truth hit like a fist.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0t9Mj8JJOt
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdBNL3cZHLH
But there was no cruelty in her statement. Just fact, stated simply.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzGOJSWmDnb
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNAGKBGPQl
"However." She tilted her head slightly. "I do not serve to be worshipped. I serve to guide. To guide you."111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpRcv28IsMR
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCHQ6VmaQu
Her hand lifted in a small, dismissive gesture - as if brushing away his concern.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEOkHwd2BDO
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfJMng9tbOr
"You may speak to me as yourself. It is enough."111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQUA6DaEF5
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRs1Pyti9Z
The shame didn't vanish - it couldn't - but something about her words cut through the worst of it.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBRPBwXGrrv
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi21w7pNmyh
She had never demanded reverence. Never once reminded him of her status, even when he'd pushed boundaries most priests would have punished him for crossing.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwK6fjqaI8m
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOneVwFbmVp
Even now, standing before him with her true nature revealed, she spoke with grace rather than command.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJPomgdI2s3
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjLB8YaNWPQ
Cel's chest tightened.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8AhiPDWoB2
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8JrEgBD8fC
Not from unworthiness - though he felt that keenly.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvLhYWU0iMD
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But from recognition.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ21bcB5tOiw
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsW3AvvUzsh
He had spent his entire life surrounded by power. His father wielded authority like a weapon, crushing anyone who dared question him. The nobles of the Sun Clan wore their status like armor, ensuring everyone knew their place.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMafJ8NLizE
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7SxOmvM35e
And here stood someone with more power than any of them could dream of.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTXuDElXwkL
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXYyxZRn7x8
Who chose not to wield it as a tool of domination.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVCKcZamqgS
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIunsampLsH
"Then..." He straightened slightly, meeting her masked gaze. "I'll speak to you as myself."111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtFWLhKCc6x
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZvm0PV5Day
A pause.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs1mPlfGa2l
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhdM4IuW6CZ
"And I'll make sure you never regret guiding me."111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb7GNlGqjLc
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAhc5VkFqT9
Selina's smile deepened - genuine warmth that transformed her serene expression into something radiant.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjm3MKucJbl
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3I3dNX4Jga
"I never have, Chosen One."111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUIEcPWy2bA
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The simple certainty in those words settled over him like a blanket.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡakUHICCRFW
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Not forgiveness - she had nothing to forgive, apparently.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhdwGOblCHX
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Just acceptance.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcCyDo5P9gL
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Cel bowed his head. Not in apology this time.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQBvfk1UwT
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In respect. True respect, given freely to someone who had earned it through every patient word, every quiet truth.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsbTbqmZZXQ
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIQcA0Nxiei
When he raised his eyes again, something fundamental had shifted inside him.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwU5QbYN7KH
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The guilt remained - it would serve as reminder, fuel to be better.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKaSqjDmUgD
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But beneath it, something else had taken root.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwjrX3pz26G
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Trust. Deep and unshakeable.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmFr7hJfUKx
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Whatever came next - whatever trials or horrors the future held - he would follow where she led.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYiWTB0A4nl
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuPLLR9xxkI
Because Selina wasn't just the goddess's voice.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZ6ZKGMEt3
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She was his guide.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhHYAxIqgay
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And he would not dishonor that gift again.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI8bystsbOJ
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Silence settled between them, heavy with unspoken understanding.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjae9ZqWyST
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He didn't need more words. Neither did she.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoDRzuiCIFQ
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The mist around them stirred.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡydS8lXxXkI
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Selina's gaze lingered on him - just a moment longer - before she turned away.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB1h0Fe5ay1
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"Follow me, Chosen One. There is more yet to be done."111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMqbVEY7Oou
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Cel followed without hesitation.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxsVUf6oxQj
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They walked in silence through the transformed landscape of his soul. The mist parted before Selina as if bowing, then closed behind them like a curtain.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1H059JQzMU
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqWEHwe3yAW
With each step, Cel felt the difference. Steady. Strong. No trembling weakness in his legs, no exhaustion dragging at his limbs. His body moved with an ease he'd almost forgotten existed.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBEVcw8Snxm
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"What happened to me?" he asked.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSemFJtskJe
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She didn't slow her pace, but her head turned slightly toward him.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIcNM0A71j1
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"Your physical form in the Hollow Realms succumbed to its injuries," she said simply.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVneU8N5Y5Y
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The words should have struck harder. But after everything - after dying twice already - the revelation felt almost distant.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBxGh7AATTL
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"Then how…“ He gestured at himself, at the body that felt foreign in its wholeness. "How am I still here?"111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNsYTSZxiz1
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoi38qbpIHs
"Your soul was preserved within the trial - protected by divine ground." Selina's voice carried a weight he hadn't heard before.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHtdDbjm1wG
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She paused, as if choosing her next words carefully.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ05CeFy1rSB
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"What the Moon Goddess granted you is not mere healing. It is true resurrection - the reforging of flesh and bone around a soul that had no vessel."111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRzhTf0gFrO
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Cel’s breath caught.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS8onMWS9Nb
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Not healing. Not recovery.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjeLawF4kul
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Resurrection.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYycUdXo6Th
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His soul had survived the trial, and the goddess had forged him a body capable of matching that survival - whole, strong, unmarred by the year of torment that had destroyed the first.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpI0dfuTZqL
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Perhaps that was why the trial existed at all - to prove his soul worthy of such a gift.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXZbrjxYaWr
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Cel let the truth settle as they continued forward.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPObpbeQjn
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Eventually, the terrain shifted.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTUAtLIB4Sl
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The cracked earth gave way to something smoother. The jagged stones retreated. Even the bluish-white flowers thinned until only mist remained, thick and luminous around the edges of a clearing Cel didn't remember seeing before.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4haeeecXGk
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At its center stood a monolith.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCgs2tAQzhH
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Not stone. Not metal.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf5s5XJ8qHb
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Something else.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1KOAekyuS
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Cel stopped walking.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4b3XdyqaeR
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The structure rose before him - taller than he was, seamless and dark. Deep midnight blue pulsed across its surface like a slow heartbeat, while threads of pale light coiled beneath, moving in patterns he couldn't follow.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe7IigDIIBI
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAVCSWugrK2
Sapphire beneath moonlight - cold and radiant.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡexYI0Z0rn6
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Divine.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHRbTaCT3M0
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He knew that without being told. The same way he'd known the frozen sea was sacred. The same way he'd recognized the fairy-like creature in the crystal maze as something beyond natural.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMndTaLOG12
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This wasn't just an object.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbk5vHbDptH
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This was touched by divinity itself.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSJYa4RwVIF
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Selina came to a stop beside it, one hand resting lightly against the smooth surface. She didn't look at him, but he felt her attention anyway - patient, expectant.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTIyRqqbXwB
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Cel's chest tightened.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYAHmbxwzWI
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He knew what came next.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1rOL8flt62
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Every Chosen One, upon receiving their first blessing, was granted three things.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOsOH0ZkjHI
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPl2dzTGESX
A trait - passive power, woven into the core of their being. Not meant for spectacle or battle, but something that changed who they were on a fundamental level.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP2HsLS9EYc
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An authority - active power, immediate and tangible. The god's first true answer to their Chosen One's nature. Something meant to be used, whether for protection, destruction, or survival.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxaTCgvXuIx
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRKmg180qBe
Both could stem from the same paragon or draw from different aspects of their deity's domain.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUpr4MZU0C
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And an artifact - a divine instrument forged by the gods themselves. Weapon or armor. Whatever form it took, it would be theirs alone - bound to them until death.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4EsvMLy8Jn
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Unlike future blessings - earned through achievements - this first gift was granted freely. A mark that the journey had begun.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoQJwSIVY6M
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYW3J2IhFVS
Cel's hands trembled slightly as he stepped forward.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSsXIjKFGQy
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The monolith responded.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡumlx4Xn3Lb
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDjmnpqOFeK
Silver light bloomed from its core - threads like veins of pure moonlight spreading outward beneath the surface. They coiled and twisted, drawing patterns that burned themselves into his vision.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡshdesyn2Te
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Runes.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6gox3TXtvi
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He couldn't read them. Didn't recognize the script.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfLDqNuNrNI
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But he understood them anyway - meaning that bypassed his eyes entirely and settled into his mind like instinct.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRMCF0wNFrZ
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa3GmMGCvIr
<Name: Celvian>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxs4k59CXk7
<Paragons: (Heir to the Moon) (The White Death)>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJXV8yWNJCH
<Artifacts: (Silent Moon)>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwhGjtqxGw7
<Insights: (locked 0/1)>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOPBo3hTI0P
<Achievements: (1)>1234 copyright protection107ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7iLvX5t6q 尼

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