"Raven!"118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc8RUGaxCyH
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4s0PRDLW8I
The name echoed down into nothing.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZBk6w5rigJ
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPMUxO8yYot
Cel stumbled toward the edge - he could jump, follow them down, there had to be—118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3tqQB4TRQn
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ87OBMjUyoF
Something closed around his throat and the world lurched.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEIOWjhgbZT
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhPjhldeCAH
His vision swam, legs dangling in empty air. Fingers clawed at a wrist round his throat—how had—?118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc3EWpr25sk
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGWmHsoc8rN
When it cleared, she stood before him.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyzS6E4QvCP
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiCOLdQZDGS
Esrin Tempvolt.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV3ZrFEqNDu
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoIO9z2PY6m
No wings now - vanished as if they'd never existed. Just dark armor, ash-white hair and ruby red eyes.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCrBjrPdIM
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpN9JmA3CMf
His gaze darted past her. The volcano stood in the distance, a broken silhouette against the crimson sky. The massive creature lay collapsed in its core, smoke rising from its shattered body.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpoirnbp3k3
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcelAM3pnPS
His eyes snapped back to her. Not a scratch on her armor. Not a drop of sweat. Her breathing was steady, unhurried - like she'd taken a casual walk rather than fought something that could level mountains.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWxtHAWGqYt
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFFAuApRo9p
"Who are you?" Her voice was flat, emotionless - a demand, not a question.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgMGKzdwF5v
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP00vEyX8gk
Cel couldn't breathe. His vision tunneled as pressure built.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYpzXnartEz
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMHm3urWuew
He forced words through the crushing grip. "Go... away."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9dE5E7Z2Dz
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj7MDykpWf9
Her expression didn't change.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGTeTCG3gd
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaAaWpH6qhq
His hands clawed at her wrist. He reached for Frostmark—118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWhne2CNInX
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUV11WTafvz
Pain.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFgqxe6uDoU
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrzxaIg3wYj
The world became chaos. Stone. Burning ash. Crimson sky. All of it blurred as he flew through the air before slamming into a dune of ignited ash. The second impact drove him sideways. Third. Fourth. Each collision sent him careening in a new direction, his body ragdolling across the wasteland.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYsCuK9WZGq
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq0mL83Kehe
Everything went black.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM2G6ciiyd2
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTMo1GosOMq
When awareness returned, he couldn't breathe.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZcx7qicYl
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkfTYsBDss6
His chest seized. He tried to inhale - nothing. His body refused. Panic flooded through him as his lungs screamed for air that wouldn't come.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaoEkdGiGiY
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwc2XrKVvq0
Blood surged up his throat.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNXIEq1DPYj
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJw1WUsjpo6
He rolled onto his side, retching. Hot liquid poured from his mouth, choking him further. His throat worked uselessly, chest heaving in broken rhythm.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡecfDkWeNyW
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡopR6FcXdMq
More blood came up. His vision grayed at the edges.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ4zsRokVaN
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtyR1nKu480
He clawed at the ash, fingers digging in as his body convulsed again. Another wave of blood. His chest locked tighter.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPA7Ja9F3Mw
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFPRs4WpZX4
'Breathe—'118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk0DajDyIGf
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1HNeDHSP2w
Nothing.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHFjyq7CpPz
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡifr1qdzTyj
'BREATHE—'118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDG9qwERHNW
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSgHSi35SfC
His lungs finally obeyed.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXFMqIRzLF
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJkLmz7ZGAA
Air rushed in - hot, full of ash. But real.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxRa0rvaWc8
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6k1Zl7ooPH
He sucked in desperate, ragged gasps between coughs that brought up more blood.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn86PLtk1A5
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbZ4wLJA09G
Footsteps crunched across burning ash.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOgMCMnOTJr
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW3ySgQJvN5
Not hurrying. Just the slow, inevitable advance of something that knew its prey had nowhere to run.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtHrM0nZuO3
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxWafU8QHc2
"Use that power on me again and I'll break every bone in your body before you hit the ground."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYNgI7vp0Kp
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIQn8ltNRD5
He sucked in desperate breaths between coughs, blood still hot in his mouth.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAojlqQb5js
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqH2aA07W7i
Esrin was ten steps away. Nine.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuKIrk3yQHR
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJaSkzUREz
Cel's mind raced. He couldn't fight her. Couldn't run. Couldn't use Frostmark without her killing him before he hit the ground.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfmLUthSA7G
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ5KlVuy34G
But there was something else. Something that might—118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4MAFuXUhp
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdIMCsSccFQ
Eight steps.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrNZu2eYvp2
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTd3ifFGgEQ
Cel slammed his fist into the burning ash.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvk1UK9pbGu
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNcYhcgzgsS
Seven steps.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGe7RRqEPfd
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAC8RlZTTLc
Again.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbtjKusceO
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvRDD6zlEOd
'Come on.'118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxgJlTOXYZa
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXqL805i0Eo
Six steps.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6SRVqFYUL2
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT2W53Djrtr
Again. Harder.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu8yFhMzHvn
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvDY2CdOJfk
'I know you're there!'118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5AlOglWrhN
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHKn35Ef6mS
Five steps.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhBpruHh0gE
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFFcZogNSK
The ground beneath him vanished.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6cAXuSfxXT
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYk5cRNWP7v
The Tremorborne erupted in an explosion of ash and stone, its circular maw opening wide as it surged upward with impossible speed.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwzxkGclwGd
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9lKRcR6gWx
Cel fell backward into that hungry darkness—118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Exw1IkxLt
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqz3r0MSQe9
And as the maw began to close, as Esrin's expressionless face filled his vision one last time, his lips pulled back from bloodied teeth.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqoZU2GyA6F
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmivk7zV3UM
A smile. Savage and defiant.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUwKp1fwsbR
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj8n3xibxUz
Then the maw snapped shut and darkness swallowed him once more.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsnNO7Aza0m
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrrwnfBVWxK
***118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpGZkFYMeiw
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCjU6FzVgnz
Esrin's eyes narrowed as the ground sealed itself.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3nx8kdkjCz
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8GT2tVzczf
'His divine energy... I can't sense it at all.'118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQtxIi6ZcNE
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFVTh2lRqqk
The observation settled in her mind with uncomfortable weight. She'd encountered Chosen who masked their signatures before - but suppressing one's divine energy required absolute mastery. The kind of control that took decades to develop. But even then, it left traces. Ripples in the fabric of reality that marked where power had been suppressed.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRVKuerMMEJ
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeyqcY2z6sM
This boy had nothing.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6XkGtqzyvP
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGTkmbsK18R
As if he simply... didn't exist in that regard.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd8ZjAzYIe0
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsmg9sHpXrM
'An artifact?'118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNu48kvNEsA
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE4FT2mJQ4C
White wings manifested from her back in a cascade of crackling lightning. She rose, ash swirling away from the displacement as she climbed toward the crimson sky.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzrYklhE7c
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXoRDMfVksj
Her glaive materialized in her grip.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxyl6ARDtbx
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUyuAg90Qsa
Lightning crackled across the blade - not the white-black energy of before, but something brighter. Purer. The weapon blazed with contained violence that made the air itself hum.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmiTA5BBklC
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLx72HeobDP
She drew back and hurled it.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡou8ZepIUwz
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlAstO5Gh9c
The glaive became a streak of blazing white, tearing through the air with a sound like ripping silk.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0VIDJmjPAF
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXv0alXjNLA
It struck where the Tremorborne had vanished.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8JpyShd0gh
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcr39VHfKJ
***118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJuc8G6Jky
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ4nWCfP0Bt
Light.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmxt09A0Vg
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpdmdedmhMT
Blinding, absolute light that turned the darkness into screaming white.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHjN7rt9EPe
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgwWj77tjkH
The shockwave hit first - a wall of pressure that compressed the worm's body inward. Then sound that wasn't sound but pure force translated into noise.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEAriwjxjwO
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc3bGqmd21T
The Tremorborne's flesh detonated around him.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2zkyfHFey3
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRa86mTLZmN
Chunks of obsidian armor flew outward in all directions. Tissue vaporized. The concentric rings of teeth shattered, fragments spinning away like shrapnel.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZEuP4ZMjgI
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡizLig6menb
Cel's body tumbled through the expanding destruction, untouched by the devastation but thrown like a leaf in a storm. His vision was nothing but white. His ears rang with a tone so high it felt like silence.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡncGxbNyMx3
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡReOSdzb4aX
He hit something solid.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuy0Jarbnbt
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhqoJU2oqLa
The impact drove what little air remained from his lungs. His back slammed into stone, his head whipping back—118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB8lblqCwAo
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDoC7YK3ZaR
Then stillness.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCGBWjAgXpB
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeIZfjkrifG
The light faded by degrees. White to gray to the familiar crimson of the Ashlands sky.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQGorJyH78
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrtoW9htaqR
Cel lay at the bottom of a crater.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ04XGFDQ1F4
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNQepwbtUxd
The walls rose around him in a perfect circle, the stone still smoking from the heat. Ash drifted in the air like snow.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbwufA8Kr5e
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqNABWuFOpJ
He couldn't move.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZBIJbDU84T
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiWkSxVRW1P
Not from injury - the blast had somehow missed him entirely. But from something deeper. Primal terror that locked every muscle tight, that made breathing feel like an act of will.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgD4MSjD7uL
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCDxpv3WdHc
The glaive stood embedded in the ground beside his head.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡww4FavqPjh
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK58EU9BFmz
So close he could see the intricate patterns etched into the blade, the way lightning still danced across its surface in fading arcs. Close enough that moving his head a fraction would bring his temple against its edge.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP3VNMNgrCU
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOtI8TnsCoh
A shadow fell across him.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1aodtah4Dx
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWLVD0f7zCQ
Esrin descended through the air, wings beating with slow, deliberate grace. Her boots touched down on the scorched stone with barely a whisper, one on either side of his torso.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5g62Lfv8Q3
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxTbHSi6Fi9
The white wings dissolved in a cascade of fading lightning, crackling out of existence as if they'd never been.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4hszD2gDWV
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaRlgDaPQ2T
She stood there for a moment, looking down at him with that same flat expression - as if killing a Defiled-rank creature and obliterating everything in a hundred-step radius was simply routine.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVc0tuLfaa6
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhF1YYW9qgW
Cel's chest rose and fell in shallow breaths. His eyes were wide, unblinking. Every instinct screamed to run, to flee, to get away—118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2dIuDsKW4f
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJz4EU9Ub5V
But his body refused.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMPZQclG1Dz
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTaDKosyKp3
Esrin reached down.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQo24Set8NW
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRg0ZPJ5Xpn
His eyes tracked her hand, his throat already tightening in anticipation— 118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZY63IxQ8A0
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtKltsTKFaH
She grasped the glaive's hilt.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF6pcHCg81X
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnMndbUOOBD
The weapon came free with a soft whisper of steel against stone.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEGjtHYqy2l
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjbg45debPb
She held it loosely at her side, the blade still crackling with residual energy.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1nAJ3pP0H6
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZzP3SbXpTM
"You're wasting my time."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNKx4uZYxuL
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvLiDElTbOl
Cel's jaw worked. Blood coated his teeth, his tongue. When words finally came, they scraped like broken glass.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD77cZfOtJ1
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLIV7KDxvrq
"Then... leave."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtAMWLurhou
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcqifb5tJnN
Silence answered him.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn2dvOClsmv
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT5HdhCMnsA
Esrin's gaze remained fixed on him, flat and emotionless. Seconds stretched.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3fbK4Sx6nW
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMN4T9dIsDu
"What's your name?"118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcbr6omHvKr
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBuZA7ZjxtT
The question came without warning, without context.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiU47JMplbR
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdMX7o026r
"Celvian."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ25mVBFNrCl
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNhrTf81xFN
"Your patron god?"118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPN0f0g9S2
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl80aW5c88F
His throat tightened. "The Moon Goddess."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKlJMYq9P3M
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5YNTle1fQP
Her eyes tracked to his snow-white hair, to his glacial-blue eyes, then to the armor covering his battered form.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY51yYlnQ5u
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcvT5TfGsaN
"How old are you?"118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpu8iToZmO
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpgzB1jUtqP
"Sixteen."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEmBmzlYmMI
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzTiQNnWQmG
For a single heartbeat, the cold assessment in her eyes softened. Not to warmth - but to something that looked like she'd just confirmed a suspicion she'd hoped was wrong.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4jPwSBv0YY
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHIWsIYZnYQ
"How did a sixteen-year-old Moon Chosen end up in the Hollow Realms?"118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwdqgYcNQAR
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa5ouWG2aA7
Cel's fingers dug into scorched stone. The truth would reveal too much - his origin as a noble, his father's betrayal, his year of torture. All of it weakness she could exploit.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIzIv5bfW7v
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ7YwReNj4k
His jaw clenched as rage flared hot in his chest.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRfQXR08dHn
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImKtP0Tw9C
They were his to kill. His vengeance. His blood to spill when he grew strong enough to make them scream.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ95PS4ygupI
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxjnPyFjmA7
But if he could set a Hallowed on them first? Watch them scramble like rats as Esrin Tempvolt tore through their compound? See them taste fear before he came for what remained?118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvf3sDJkG2M
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTG47u9pgwE
The thought settled in his chest like cold satisfaction.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡboFZEudZ9v
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn8XrtfbRxb
"The Children of the Voidmother." His voice came raw. "They threw me through a rift. To seal it."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEyg4tYARoD
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡARhHh1zBu4
Esrin's expression hardened - the only real emotion he'd seen from her. Her jaw set in a way that suggested this information mattered.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡak1hMRQJPK
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ybgp0mMnI
"The cult." Not a question. A statement laced with something cold.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbfRhXcEFz4
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsCFbxMHrVN
He nodded.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjeKjBILBr
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMvswgqoiaf
Silence stretched again. Esrin remained perfectly still, gaze fixed on him with that same calculating intensity. Weighing. Deciding.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlFWWTk5lpB
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNSjR7lKHT2
Cel kept his mouth shut. Every instinct told him that speaking now - saying anything more - would be a mistake. One wrong word and she'd start asking questions he had no safe answers for.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCeOGTLtD7z
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZs32zhH9Pl
He couldn't risk that.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiK2nhYyAx7
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWkFV8HFRa5
So he stayed silent, even as his body screamed in pain, even as blood continued to drip from his mouth. Waiting for her verdict.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmS4Wa1pHLm
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpMwYDyDPaA
Finally, something in her posture shifted - subtle as a blade finding its sheath.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn2CLUEMMd3
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8OD8tVmQBa
"You're not what I came here for." She dismissed her glaive, lightning crackling once before the weapon dissolved. "But leaving a Chosen to die in the Ashlands serves no purpose."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJBqzPFTZT
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡglm7pK6fMe
The clinical assessment in her tone made it clear this wasn't mercy. Just... efficiency. A waste of resources to let him rot here.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxx4SljphM
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIGP41Mju0r
"I'm taking you out of here."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBj5IweFcgw
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡND2gdCdLQN
Cel's body went rigid. "I can leave on my own."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1dZls8Aivr
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDauL5C15ty
He braced his hands against the scorched stone. Every muscle screamed in protest as he forced himself up. His arms shook. His legs threatened to buckle. But he made it - swaying on unsteady feet, refusing to fall.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZwEZNpjeWq
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk2ocCLaPea
"Can you?" Her gaze swept across his bloodied form. "You can barely stand."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ51lXIyoY8T
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1qRYU8AXBI
"And whose fault is that?"118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBX0TsSTglo
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9xfWYPVCVW
The words came sharper than intended, edged with pain and defiance.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAeueNumRhZ
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzlYCzjQlfO
Esrin's expression didn't change. No flicker of guilt, no acknowledgment of what she'd done to him. Just that same flat assessment.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD7ht4zQsaO
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJWkt9egZOJ
"Mine." The admission came without hesitation or apology - a simple statement of fact. "Which is why I'm not leaving you here to die from it."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5CV0SmlcE8
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM1rPqs9Yna
Her hand moved to a pouch at her belt before he could respond. When she withdrew it, something rested in her palm - a flat stone perhaps the size of a coin, covered in symbols that writhed when looked at directly.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAKjevktW0o
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnpOgkAls5u
Her fingers closed around it.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIaRcGt9DE2
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡypw9HApYvf
The stone shattered.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDHyaBvOKV
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9TO67xJp5O
Not cracked - pulverized. Fragments turned to dust that slipped between her fingers, dissolving before hitting the ground.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWcNQoiFna8
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlbq81W4lWw
Violet light erupted from where the stone had been.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMApeFZqPj
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2jvAM3liow
Cel's eyes widened.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXSr093ka0e
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrpNS4Qe1LB
A rift tore itself into existence - but wrong. All wrong.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6q5Ee2GIb0
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMCHZVMs9fe
The edges didn't shimmer. They crackled - sharp, violent bursts of energy that fought against their own existence. The violet light bleeding through wasn't steady. It pulsed, writhed, twisted back on itself in patterns that made his eyes water.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZlSJz4rEH
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4wW3LplOmb
'That's not possible.'118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa4arrrwfQO
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhRnrErNi4F
Creating rifts was impossible. Even for the Hallowed. Rifts were tears in reality that formed naturally, that could only be found and sealed, never created.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9QUrk1AtXI
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmlbhBOjzyO
Yet here it stood, crackling with violent energy, defying every law he'd been taught.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMu77Rg5bla
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgcnm9kEIVy
'She just... she just created a rift.' The thought repeated itself, unable to find purchase against the impossibility before him.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe7TYM2ImW6
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZpJVHyUX2
Raven's voice echoed in his memory: 'You can trust her. She will protect you.'118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIVqHh6joe6
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGwpaZUsmTv
Esrin Tempvolt. The woman every noble child had been taught to admire - proof that strength and honor could coexist. The pinnacle of grace and power that young ladies aspired to emulate. 118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsxh46PZq2H
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz9H0CGhE7E
And Raven had been certain. Even knowing she hunted him, he'd told Cel to trust her.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl3ZGVwzTu1
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡosGZNkXV7s
Esrin stepped toward the impossible rift, then glanced back. "Stay close. The passage is disorienting."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVHSKYN2Lxl
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlQHJxB60ob
Cel stared at her extended hand.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAHCdppOZB7
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDZdDBPGZc
She'd nearly killed him. Had thrown him across the wasteland like garbage. Had threatened to break every bone in his body.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV8Qbli1xd9
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi1mXaXHySm
But everything Cel had ever learned said the Hallowed were humanity's greatest protectors. That Esrin Tempvolt was someone worth believing in.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyYHKFbJvAQ
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlz0SKw58cC
His fingers closed around hers.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEgPs2nQvhI
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcfzNdLACCE
He had no choice. Fighting Esrin was suicide. Running was impossible. And if Raven had been right about trusting her…118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBuOsh7Z1KX
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFrwbof3eTl
'I'm sorry, Raven.'118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHPz3tLxb8k
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd5qJBpDaJo
The thought was brief, nearly drowned by everything else screaming through his mind. But it was there.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqZ0gw0uyg
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85yU64mU60
She pulled him forward without hesitation, her grip firm but not painful. They stepped through together.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQymOaN8ikX
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqptOXJ2kwA
The world inverted.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAxkOctki3n
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ94K0onxUzU
Violet light swallowed everything. Up became down became sideways became nothing. Cel's stomach lurched as gravity lost meaning. The only constant was Esrin's hand, anchoring him while reality twisted around them.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKXvDED0fpl
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4J4tMROS6F
Then it stopped.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBCaLzR9le8
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg07FF73UyI
Solid ground materialized beneath his feet.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkg8HLxuR8c
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmVq21TAChr
Cel's vision cleared by degrees.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQGsbd4VuG
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBDRIpaRuZz
They stood on an island of land suspended in—what exactly?118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpnp1JVkYtP
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQCOs9jGwwq
Violet void stretched in every direction - not empty, but crackling with that same violent energy. Lightning arced through the emptiness in branching patterns, illuminating depths that had no bottom.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpc4CXEwEnT
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXrP8GMtzZ3
And in the center of the floating land stood a manor.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ37WOzhnWDQ
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcORGIohGwP
<You have achieved something extraordinary: You entered a new dimension.>118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCCpYLjOkzH
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9WZ9tOCbva
'Huh?'1234 copyright protection114ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2mql4zFMtQ 尼

216.73.217.128