"I need to ask you something." Cel's voice came quiet in the mist-shrouded landscape. 106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYQ5gG5YVDp
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhH9aqguU9o
Her masked face tilted slightly, attention focusing with that patient grace she always carried. "Of course, Chosen One."106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOTkCOlIeBV
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWnBoue09Wr
The words felt heavy in his throat. Not because they were difficult to speak, but because asking them felt like crossing some invisible line.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9601Bk8eak
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa95cNhGhet
"What are the Cursed?"106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiTin81ufUQ
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjbbnBZgF2q
Silence answered him. Not uncomfortable - just present. Selina remained perfectly still, her expression unchanged.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8XFrwrsdfy
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcd3CBKShIf
When she finally spoke, her voice carried something that might have been regret. "I am sorry Chosen One, that does not lie within my authority."106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5A08lgmI9s
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpyw3caGi34
Cel's jaw tightened. He'd expected the answer, but disappointment still settled in his chest anyways.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdhQS73bCSU
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPYFYu6FDGx
"Fine." He forced his breathing to steady. "Then can you at least tell me this - do they pose a threat? Are the stories true about them being... wrong?"106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtoIrq5ztNH
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFKrk83JPQZ
"Some stories hold truth. Others are born from fear and misunderstanding." Selina's gaze remained fixed on him, unreadable behind the mask. "The Cursed are as varied as any other human. Some deserve the exile they receive. Others do not."106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKO1QQHuQFP
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Xc4hvZ4iu
The honesty in those words struck deeper than any evasion would have. Not a judgment. Not a defense. Just simple truth, delivered without embellishment.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgDNOt1see
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNuAKvJb7Yy
"That doesn't help me know which category Raven falls into."106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ07nSZTh77x
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUvgwwSz9jg
"No," Selina agreed softly. "It does not."106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHLOIYSGnWm
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH2ce16I0xG
Cel's fingers curled against his palm. The logic felt wrong somehow - incomplete. If the Cursed were just people, varied like anyone else, then why mark them at all?106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHHtLJhuOlB
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡctzLzUYwtm
"You said some don't deserve exile." The words came carefully, each one weighed. "If the Cursed were just people, varied like anyone else… then why do the gods mark them with corruption? What is that mark, really?"106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTPc6hw5VPh
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCfM2VeoXtj
Selina remained silent for a long moment. When she spoke, that same note of regret colored her voice. "I am sorry, Chosen One. That too does not lie within my authority."106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyKJWwhTnCn
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIA4oIfdxLJ
The mist shifted around them, curling through broken earth and small flowers that reached toward moonlight.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmmRtHYNe6
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOzTqd4vthL
Cel stared at the ground, trying to organize thoughts that refused to settle into anything coherent. Every question led to another, each answer revealing how little he actually understood.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpYXiOTiefy
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGOK7qurkQ
Selina's voice came gentler now, almost hesitant. "Chosen One..."106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYnxR7xkPT
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxeSsDemH0b
He looked up.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVSERTDF2ID
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQ36D85fdg
"Please be careful." The words carried weight that made his skin prickle with instinctive unease - a subtle shift in her posture, an emphasis that suggested something beyond simple caution.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzfMEprzHSN
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3UZp5LMxCz
His chest tightened. "Of what?"106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhRcQrYBlZs
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJR6POSTo6
"That is all I can say." Her tone had returned to its usual serenity, but something lingered beneath it. A warning wrapped in silk. "You should rest now. Your body needs sleep."106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfQ1LoTy7wV
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRXOI2jdkAJ
The finality in her voice made it clear - this conversation was over.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjkdVAqUSWs
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIatCsx6CTf
"Alright," he said quietly. Then, after a pause, "Good night, Selina."106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnXKYQqeHC5
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt0oQXnFuGu
The words felt strange leaving his mouth. He hesitated. "Do... do priests even sleep?"106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡazNknjcCAE
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaAwHF32G4S
A soft sound escaped her - gentle and musical. A chuckle, quiet but genuine.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ46RTmBcNZ1
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ65wBAZyb9i
"We do not need to sleep." Her voice carried warmth now, the tension from before easing. "But I appreciate the kindness nonetheless."106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFVI0ll4Lrp
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ntohzth6r
Something in her tone made his chest feel less tight. A small comfort in the midst of unanswered questions.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXyMP2Qy95o
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxRg9Hq9NxT
“Sleep well, Chosen One.” Her serene smile deepened slightly. “May the Moon Goddess light your path."106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQpf1LkeHlf
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUZQ7G20eKs
The familiar words wrapped around him as he closed his eyes and reached for the world beyond.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb5UmrEhZE6
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgen5uylmw
Pain greeted his return - dull and persistent, radiating from wounds that Cinderward's manifestation couldn't erase.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDohwTcXPD8
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4OnVxChmt
Cel opened his eyes to broken stone ceiling, moonlight filtering through gaps where the structure had crumbled. 106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEzHU7Afk6M
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3oQHgllMU5
Raven's silhouette remained near the entrance, back turned, surveying the wasteland beyond with that same careful vigilance.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzKKFYRAuVj
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQNTuSXi7I
Cel's mind wanted to churn through everything Selina had said - and more importantly, what she hadn't said. But his body overruled him, dragging him down into sleep before he could form another coherent thought.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4B1q0DeYrz
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGyfkV0wqCs
The nightmare came as it always did. Golden light. His father's rage. Blows that fell like judgment while his family did nothing to help him.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIdnBBNlQzw
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAHUDocDKrC
Cel gasped awake.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkEx9L3EP9E
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhHPrLRXlH
His hands clawed at the ground beneath him, fingers finding only ash-covered stone. Sweat coated his skin despite the morning chill seeping through gaps in the walls.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwY2fifNKmm
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Ci5NgONjP
The nightmare clung to him like oil, coating his thoughts with remembered pain that felt more real than the broken ruins surrounding him.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPQWIiQ7ug
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0qxiDLIfzp
His breathing gradually slowed. Steadied.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5UJokoy9i
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49pVgy4O5S
Movement drew his attention.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXCnkdWGWaJ
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIPA8sJi77U
Raven stood near the entrance, silhouette dark against the crimson light filtering through crumbled stone. He wasn't looking at Cel - just standing there, keeping watch as he had been all night.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡITpVNmDcpF
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWbbk4ntGI
Aware, but not intruding.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzAH0lgw6iB
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLBnP2DXYsU
Cel pushed himself upright, testing his balance. His hands were steadier now, the nightmare's grip loosening with each deliberate breath.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcwcscNI2UG
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqtDjo01H0V
Raven glanced back at him, expression unreadable.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Elw2AZOY2
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwwJPTlhudF
"For your notice," Cel said quietly, "you also mumble in your sleep."106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQhAObIbv50
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy9HVSWYLkw
The words came out more defensive than he'd intended - a justification for weakness he shouldn't need to explain.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAAqzpusS96
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrNWsDdLy7k
Raven's lips quirked slightly. "I know."106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5oGEffWFJL
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW20G2xzydi
The simple acknowledgment settled something in Cel's chest. No questions. No pity. Just mutual understanding between two people haunted by things they couldn't escape.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBoxodI40qz
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMclg7KHCxX
"Ready?" Raven asked.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8v5gwzYlst
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqkhnu0OhNY
Cel flexed his right hand experimentally. The fingers responded - not perfectly, but better than yesterday. Sensation was returning in slow increments, the frostbite damage gradually receding.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4iPagGPyvi
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBWSsGcfRnL
"Yes."106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsxelGnazHr
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcde8higQIY
Raven nodded once, then moved through the archway without further discussion.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmrMgRpyQKa
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSaHecujZ8m
Cel followed, emerging into crimson morning light that painted the wasteland in red tones. The mountain rose larger on the horizon now.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiEf6roPUic
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3czz01Xsdl
Perhaps another day of walking. Maybe less.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSPSRxxRQGV
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9QgnzfRzEW
They fell into rhythm - boots crunching against ash-covered earth, silence pressing in from all sides. The same endless landscape stretched before them, broken only by scattered obsidian, ruins and the distant mountain.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0BzL6SfBc
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwB8UImd6M
Selina's warning circled Cel's thoughts, refusing to settle.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7znfVrzea0
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrpcMWoYmqQ
‘Please be careful.’106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWyDIGJPoA
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoAYrUQMjQq
Careful of what? The Cursed in general? Raven specifically? Something else entirely that he was too ignorant to recognize?106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi2USlXiZJy
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Se1wNWZy5
The ambiguity gnawed at him. But dwelling on unknowns wouldn't help. Not now.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYa2EOZdgsi
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyYnSULAPhU
His gaze tracked to Raven's back - the confident stride, the way he moved through this dead world like danger was an old acquaintance rather than a constant threat.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwvNcKxjh5P
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLFqRPRnSxn
Whatever secrets Raven carried, whatever had earned him that mark of corruption, Cel would learn eventually.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq4DpRyN5DW
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP2SMOjzvWa
Or he wouldn't.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHIbN0Af0si
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSF8yyWWKOS
Either way, the mountain awaited. And with it, the slim hope of finding a rift that led back to their world.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtrg4AzRfy2
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaMhPw78I47
Time passed in silence, marked only by the rhythm of their footsteps. The crimson sun remained fixed on the horizon, unchanging106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2s60UqFzMy
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ32rpzEUy78
Cel's throat had grown tight over the past hour, each swallow requiring conscious effort. His tongue felt thick, papery. The black medicine coating his wounds seemed to pull moisture from his skin, leaving him parched in a way that went beyond simple thirst.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSAcsJc9fZ2
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS0VEQVVsoZ
He'd been ignoring it. Pushing through the discomfort the same way he'd learned to push through everything else.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD2DbSo1965
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡve40kPoXDa
But when Raven slowed ahead of him, then stopped entirely, Cel knew the issue had become unavoidable.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRbDcbtnnx
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjt5hXnAzV0
"We need water," Raven said, not looking back. His voice carried that same flat pragmatism it always did, but something in his posture suggested urgency beneath the calm.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiZHiuEhrQT
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFMS3DHldew
Cel came to a stop beside him, scanning the wasteland. Ash. Stone. Nothing that even hinted at water.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡryJ5PF3Wsm
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJR3EwGGDg0
"There are fissures," Raven continued, his crimson eyes tracking across the landscape with practiced assessment. "Cracks deep enough to reach underground waterways. Rare, but they exist."106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzHc42yd3y2
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUDkOGpzaBn
Cel weighed his options in silence. He'd kept Frostmark hidden deliberately - Selina's warning still echoed in his thoughts, cautioning him to be careful. Revealing his abilities felt like showing his hand to someone he didn't fully understand.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhrlOHU3QSG
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ21rGDjC1pR
But searching for water in this endless wasteland was uncertain at best. They could wander for days and still find nothing. 106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6FfkwObEwz
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8peirxciWP
The risk of revealing his gift was smaller than the certainty timewaste.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQnxFlERFK
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvMbcdI6vft
"I have another source," Cel said finally. 106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRjuHEgqa1V
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOCsu1xcowP
Raven's attention shifted to him, question implicit in the tilt of his head. "What do you mean?"106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡASMiBA5tYD
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZd12N9fO0
Rather than explain, Cel knelt and pressed his left palm flat against the ash-covered ground.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWqzciTr4W
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTv0386CROA
Cold erupted beneath his hand.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1aTtQISI8T
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKmo3H34EIW
The familiar burning sensation - vicious and sharp - raced up his arm as frost spiraled outward in delicate patterns. The ash beneath crystallized instantly, forming a perfect circle of ice that shimmered with pale blue light.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLO1c02lk5l
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡENl1G5P4fj
Raven went still, his gaze fixed on the frost circle.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7toPbcZBDd
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEs1fN4Anzq
Cel pulled his hand away, fingers aching from the cold. The frost remained, etched into the ground like divine scripture written in winter.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoj6B7Bqzf1
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGP078KYMcX
He reached down and broke off a chunk. It came away with a sharp crack, the fragment glittering in his palm.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL81yyEeV2y
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8BxrFYr5o
Then he brought it to his mouth and bit down.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqmatWDxLeH
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3ldX7wmpb
The crunch echoed across the silent wasteland. Cel chewed methodically, breaking the ice into smaller pieces before swallowing. The cold traced a path down his throat, settling in his stomach with surprising weight.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0lL2pmR7Ka
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJuiFTyyp0U
When he finished, he looked up at Raven.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡliubeFVE0e
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpkaNpGONwo
The young man stood frozen, staring at the frost circle with an expression Cel couldn't quite identify. Not disgust - not the revulsion he'd shown when Cel had eaten raw meat. Something else. Something that looked almost like... wonder?106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQmlixOgGW
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWuaY8lhVIl
"You can create water," Raven said finally.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡllw7HC0qfM
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxlP9IQC3sX
"Ice." Cel gestured at the remaining frost. "But yes."106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHXOZ2v5kO1
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1goXqPkGLw
Silence stretched between them.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5KsZoIcCiy
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF3Hi0B0i1b
Then Raven moved - slow, careful, like approaching something that might vanish if startled. He knelt beside the frost circle, one hand extending toward it.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRZausb0ggF
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeN6HFdqGbi
His fingers hovered just above the surface for a heartbeat. 106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8CR9nYWdbC
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7EzN8ec2l
The moment his skin made contact, Raven flinched - a subtle jerk of his hand.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTaAMJCMQKX
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB5nBKVcgfc
"Cold," he said flatly.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQQ3O6tmiMf
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfnWTbf0e0
Raven lifted the ice to his mouth. His teeth closed around it—106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjr8UfJ2z8c
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVhAZY9nn8K
And nothing happened.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWrG3W96VAw
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbJMVutUSMi
He tried again, biting harder. The ice held firm, refusing to crack under the pressure. His jaw muscles flexed with effort, but the fragment remained stubbornly whole.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA6CggVjehE
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ0ZxSv4jkr
Frustration flickered across his features. He pulled the ice away, staring at it like it had personally offended him.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5qTSwN94ci
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPudU4tBiJx
"It won't—" He tried once more, applying enough force that Cel could see the strain in his neck. "—break."106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzJ3qei5q4t
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHj5cIQddV1
Something twitched at the corner of Cel's mouth. The sight of Raven - the same person who'd faced a Defiled-rank creature without flinching barely a day ago - now locked in a battle of wills with a piece of ice, was absurd enough that a laugh threatened to break free.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWeG3umbBcq
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡChDFL159DI
He swallowed it down.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNLa9dxkYr1
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5BhNIKD5z1
"Here." Cel reached over and plucked the ice from Raven's hand.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFj7uQ2Da1R
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNAm5wKQW8W
He closed his fist around it.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIMU9oqiGnY
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgnNhiyNjt
The ice shattered instantly with a sharp crack, fragments spilling between his fingers. He opened his palm, revealing a dozen glittering pieces small enough to swallow safely, and held them out.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPvmIFkfGqV
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiBbnFILD9Z
Raven stared at the crushed ice in Cel's hand, then up at his face, then back to the fragments.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3fz6ZRPi1P
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXaSTdxvNZh
"That's..." He paused, seeming to search for words. "You didn't even try."106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIQtrXsnpWc
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJkkrBjnbfR
Cel looked down at his own hand - at the fragments resting in his palm, at the ease with which he'd destroyed something Raven couldn't even crack.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAd5znsGZzT
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl8VGzFxqog
His assessment had been wrong.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2HFwUwcSgF
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfK4vT6Nd6U
The thought arrived with uncomfortable clarity. When he'd tested Frostmark's durability, when that single punch had shattered the frost, he dismissed the ability as fragile.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoL70ImAykS
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqobGhNPTe
But it hadn't been the frost that was too weak.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO0UcBjQRiY
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxK0VRLBEk6
It had been him that was too strong.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7oYUBVIadp
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBHBvYTuLSh
The Moon Goddess had forged him a body whose strength outstripped his ability to control it. A body that made even simple movements violent.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXOK1yn5zTy
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0KsAcc8NV
And he'd used that strength to judge divine ice, never considering that the flaw lay in his perception rather than the gift itself.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKbyKjBE182
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxH8cKUlBss
Shame flickered through his chest. Another failure of understanding. Another moment where his ignorance had led him to undervalue something precious.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlWlmOM3OD7
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSTODoNUsib
Raven was already eating the crushed fragments, his movements careful as he swallowed the smaller pieces. When he swallowed, something in his posture relaxed slightly - the tension of dehydration easing.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9198y1fa6d
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR7m4jlgRg7
"Make more," Raven said quietly.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrxAevWuAkL
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ24N0CDJQnb
Cel pressed his palm to the ground again.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGrwQgltzg
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSK8UMuFv0B
Frost bloomed outward in spiraling patterns, beautiful and intricate. He broke off chunks and crushed them methodically, creating piles of fragments that Raven gathered with cupped hands.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6GhYOJo4ET
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR8QEEWQ572
They ate in silence - the crunch of ice against teeth the only sound in the vast emptiness surrounding them.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN47Wec5h3X
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwcYD2vM7PT
When they finished, Cel's throat no longer felt like sandpaper. The tightness in his chest had eased. Even the throbbing of his wounds seemed less insistent.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXDsF5ni6qc
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM56xCDNBX3
Raven stood, wiping frost residue from his hands onto his dark clothing.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZU3Y1NLZyJ
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaXFc26AX8u
"That changes things," he said, gaze tracking toward the distant mountain. "We can go straight."106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgDcOF2zkR
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJRKxoW3yl9
Cel pushed himself upright, testing his balance. His left hand flexed experimentally - the cold from creating frost had left it stiff, but nothing worse.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHSKxfs2YS
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWBNbWFsk1X
They fell into step together, boots crunching against ash-covered earth.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwMsSQ9b8Bb
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT7e0u29ROR
Raven walked in silence for a long moment, his expression thoughtful in a way Cel hadn't seen before.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmlZ0bhqs1f
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWjvNBpj8cZ
"A useful gift." He glanced back at Cel. "Your goddess must favor you highly."106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfuUhJkXQf
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYv5axYdxwe
"The Moon Goddess chose me," Cel said carefully. "I don't know about favor."106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOzbAmFsOil
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRpp9fgpk6e
"Still." Raven's pace slowed. "To grant such a gift... your priest must be no ordinary guide.”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ22IcUo4DpF
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPzu3sVvmk
Raven's hand landed on his shoulder.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBleUuXx4Ue
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCuYG5zvVZ
The contact was light, almost casual - but something in the timing made Cel's attention sharpen.106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJY2z9ps2dY
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ92CzpmuEJ1
"What rank does he hold?" Raven asked, his crimson eyes fixed on Cel's face.1234 copyright protection102ＰＥＮＡＮＡG9Dx3SlStx 尼

216.73.217.128