The silence in his room pressed down on him, suddenly oppressive. The evening light filtering through his window felt wrong somehow - too dim, too uncertain.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcehXIsf8cL
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCbzEKQshts
Cel closed the Ledger with deliberate care. The moment his grip loosened, it dissolved into faint motes of light that faded into nothingness.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0alr7C0HzG
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBxgxNvIJ5F
He needed answers.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxTANMsyKhU
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡseu1vhLXa8
He closed his eyes and reached inward.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39sfKIQPf0
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyPrOoVD4kR
The cracked earth materialized beneath his feet. Mist curled around his ankles in familiar patterns. Small flowers with bluish-white petals swayed despite the absence of wind, their blooms catching moonlight.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbnYAgziSCD
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8fzPtvuVLQ
Footsteps approached through the haze.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTHRiw2wpGj
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEwMglVd3J0
Selina emerged, her white robes drifting through the mist. Her silver mask caught the moon's radiance, and below it, her lips curved in a serene smile.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQSl6zqr2UL
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKr6bLMCZLg
"Welcome back, Chosen One."73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjrhdQCqRQ
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmyEZSYESE7
Cel didn't waste time on pleasantries. "The trial. Was it real?"73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6oLykWHP0F
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRtsTezR7U3
Her expression didn't change, but something in her posture suggested she'd been expecting the question.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3iIvMqu0h
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWAUHgVQ6s1
"Yes and no," she said simply.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzNxMT2mfK3
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxvqYcL2upx
The answer settled over him like fog - present but impossible to grasp.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf5uM8EUTxi
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvvT73Brrvx
"What does that mean?"73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUDGxIRequ
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjS1ex4oR1v
Selina's hands folded at her waist. Silence stretched between them, broken only by the soft rustle of flowers swaying in the mist.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQM82W77fM
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwR4611g01b
When she finally spoke, her tone carried quiet finality. "I am sorry, Chosen One. That does not lie within my authority."73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuhZW9YTXyW
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa8hfengV7j
Cel's jaw tightened. The same answer she always gave when questions pressed too close to divine truth.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlTzcUvpXfE
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc1tmTIl1gs
He tried another approach. "The Crystal Monarch. Was that a real drake?"73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdPYwFXqgrI
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqjNToVbd6j
"It was."73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdzmr50GuMm
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELpA8JLclH
"And the Moon Goddess killed it?"73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB0fAGjdckO
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3zcY1eB9NI
"She did."73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYIpQkoMRU
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkXZoKNdrcF
Something shifted in Selina's expression as she spoke - subtle, almost imperceptible. But it was there. Her shoulders straightened slightly. Her chin lifted. The serene smile deepened into something warmer, more genuine.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxNVC7sKLCw
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRaJDPUK6sz
Pride.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡleGRNzVNEZ
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Not the cold satisfaction of victory, but something fiercer. More personal. The kind of pride that came from absolute faith in someone you served.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLQrM6NH71W
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh41dBG5d9s
It was the first time Cel had seen that particular emotion from her. Selina, who maintained perfect composure through every conversation, who guided him with patient certainty - she was proud of her goddess in a way that went beyond duty or devotion.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡusMgg8pVWB
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxpck6Ghftg
The realization settled in his chest with unexpected weight.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCYtT3zEul
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The simple confirmations felt inadequate. But when Selina said nothing more, Cel realized he wouldn't get detailed explanations. Not about why the goddess had intervened personally, not about what the drake's final creation had been, not about any of the mysteries the legacy had raised.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfesDVy91Ov
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He forced himself to move past it.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLXnFZjAxZl
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhIqcZ5YrHq
"What do I do now?" The words came out rougher than intended. “Now that the ten days are over."73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUYK2IZrx2K
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAAx4txRbGD
Selina's expression softened, the pride fading back into gentle patience. "Did you find something you enjoy? Something that brings you peace?"73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Wydlgaov4
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8AB4TfoZEi
The question pulled at memories from the past ten days. Wandering the city. The church. The tavern.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUE1U7e37rw
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡitFzygzYcs
His sister's face surfaced first - the way she'd smiled when he'd told her about the Moon Goddess. The genuine warmth in her voice when she'd said she hoped to see him again. Those brief conversations where he could pretend, just for a few minutes, that they were simply two believers sharing faith rather than siblings separated by death and resurrection.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ROOqcPaDb
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoJbCV24VBE
"I like talking to my sister," he said quietly.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡini6PvEFOh
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"And the tavern." Cel continued. "It's... comfortable there.."73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaEUKvkWif0
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He left out the third thing. 73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡep9NpD6SmR
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHyZPxNY4Eo
Talking to Selina herself. The way she listened without judgment, offered guidance without condescension, existed as a point of certainty in a world that made no sense.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBcwUH8i1U6
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmTTRHiZkvy
"I'm sorry," he added after a moment. "That's all I found. Just two things."73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1jxipLrPwk
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0GsarBxH1
Selina's smile deepened - genuine warmth transforming her serene expression into something radiant.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHcHjpIsjGU
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ96V5tHss0
"Even one thing would be more than enough, Chosen One."73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLEMWpMRyEx
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj934I7yzQC
Her voice carried absolute sincerity.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Gx8nol7ru
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡznbIehgbVY
"The goal is not to accumulate pleasures like coins in a purse. It's simply to experience joy at all. To allow yourself moments of peace without guilt or justification."73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnlSZ7RrIjj
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTg88XxBn4v
The words settled in his chest with unexpected weight. He'd been bracing for disappointment - for her to tell him he should have tried harder, found more, done better. Instead, she seemed pleased.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmlVEyCB6YA
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47OKkXXbCg
"What's next, then?" Cel asked. 73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXi98o1v000
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA5rneJ2s0I
Selina was quiet for a moment, as if considering her response carefully.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKb6C2k3TXZ
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCKKxl2XNB6
"The next step is to find out who you are."73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTKhFPhzizO
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5xG56RxFi3
Cel blinked.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTlF5jVlCna
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbiRp6J5SnK
"I..." He started, then stopped. The answer seemed obvious. Almost insultingly simple. "I'm an abandoned noble child. A Moon Chosen. That's—"73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAOeBUWnr1u
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQkvLMk1BW
"Chosen One." Selina's voice remained gentle, but carried enough weight to stop him mid-sentence. She stepped closer, moonlight seeming to gather around her. "You don't need to give me an answer."73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0s6QE5rNoS
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His mouth closed.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVsqwuWYaM1
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"The task is not to deliver a satisfying response that I can acknowledge and approve." Her masked gaze held his. "The task is to find an answer for yourself."73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUtitvFR7rG
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbiv8YMw1g7
Silence stretched between them. Cel's hands curled at his sides.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLvvVAy49ea
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUMRb1E2FEk
"I don't understand."73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJ7XaBQP9v
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyrd9fqLGqd
"You will." Selina's tone carried certainty that felt almost tangible. "Take your time. Let the question settle. See what surfaces when you're not searching for it."73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUnZyR4Xrkm
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The mist curled around their feet, patterns shifting without reason.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6W0WobSeku
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYIAqsQSW3P
"Is there anything else, Chosen One?"73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiioL0u1i5x
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAQvrZiQKj2
Cel shook his head slowly.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKoa7DYah5F
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVUgauWhrc3
"Then rest well." Her smile brightened once more. "May the Moon Goddess light your path."73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0MHP06lPiZ
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOMMrtixbyp
The familiar blessing wrapped around him as he closed his eyes and reached for the boundary.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKz6pHuQOr
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2HbURNQyOG
The room materialized around him with jarring immediacy. Narrow bed. Empty desk. Walls that pressed in from all sides.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS7nYISWQMY
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpK9aCwyGBR
Cel sat on the bed's edge, staring at nothing in particular.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgob6eh3wzj
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLrxbyuoX2v
‘Who am I?’73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXbPpK7P4Kj
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmd7x5KL9Pq
The question circled through his thoughts like a persistent insect. Simple. Direct. And he had answers.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrmuHnV6kBD
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0nhsjG3v1l
He was an abandoned noble child. Lord Aldric of House Solmar had thrown him away the moment the wrong deity claimed him. That was just fact.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ41yDQTzi76
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHwwJC0dGq5
He was a Moon Chosen. The mark sat between his shoulder blades, whole and unmarred. Undeniable.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ZxEbZk4jr
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdGd6Q8e3U
He was the Heir to the Moon Goddess. The paragon's name said it clearly enough.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn8vD8eI4qz
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUjJ4m3JKLc
He was a Chosen guided by a Divine Oracle. Selina stood in his soul, the highest authority beneath the gods themself.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡriU32NVxOT
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzdCHEh9asp
He was one of few Chosen who'd survived a journey through the Hollow Realms. Most who entered either died or went mad. He'd done both and come back anyway.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpiZqEE0LmK
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkjfm0fWPHV
He was a member of the Reckoning. Ninth rank. White Death. An assassin in an organization that hunted corrupt Chosen.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWYDAKyu4i0
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsf6RdyWJp7
He was an Academy student. Enrolled. Expected at morning assembly.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiQDSsgnFKr
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3dsnqVKIjh
The list felt complete. Accurate. These were the things that defined him - the truths of his existence laid out in neat categories.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbYKrMlEBn1
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7byTDRofJM
So why did the question still felt unanswered?73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrP0mGSFvPB
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipQZEkmNAO
His fingers drummed against his thigh, restless.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUrkWUhwEE6
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjG2I3JXH42
Cel pushed himself off the bed and moved to the window.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZH7hk50UhF
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzGhghsKIIW
Night had fallen completely while he'd been in his soul. The Academy grounds lay quiet beneath moonlight, paths empty and still. Beyond the walls, the capital glowed with scattered lamplight - windows bright against darkness, signs of life continuing without him.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfSABUJW3oN
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The waning moon hung overhead, bright and clear.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUrfRbOnW9O
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF8CnZRMKfK
Energy flooded through him immediately - Lunar Vigor filling his veins with effortless power. His muscles responded, tension draining away as strength settled into bone and sinew.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAnWZmlmTCT
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1osoMB7prL
Thanks to Eternal Witness, he had the whole night.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsvcEpM7emN
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqHUDYNrkD7
Cel's gaze tracked toward where he knew the training grounds waited, dark and empty.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxIlGkmtnsL
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZchkWM90XK
He moved to the door.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZuVv7csZXM
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The training grounds stood silent beneath moonlight. Empty weapon racks lined one wall. Archery targets at the far end. The packed earth center stretched wide and unmarked.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3spiS0AExj
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiuKaZOjclu
Cel crossed the threshold, boots crunching softly against dirt.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDWOnD4bRtb
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0Wx7iErv9
No one would notice. The Academy slept. Guards patrolled the outer walls, not internal courtyards. And even if someone saw him…73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Et95IPMYV
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy52mCs7y9n
He was a Chosen. Training at odd hours wouldn't raise questions.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh7EX6d1QkH
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6qT9gwDSgs
Moonlight poured down across the open space, silver and clear. Lunar Vigor surged stronger here - no walls to block the light, no ceiling to filter its strength. Power hummed beneath his skin like a second heartbeat.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxiTTGHnjrY
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAI0PxlTlQ5
His hand moved instinctively toward the bond with Silent Moon—73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbD5ONw7kbo
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Then stopped.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqjVwQXFf9s
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Instructor Calder's words surfaced in his memory - about base strength, about how enhancements multiplied what was already there. How doubling nothing still left you with nothing.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6N0CsWWBaJ
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4u7kOQ0l59
The foundation. Everything started there.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7mXxvzSadi
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And beneath Calder's recent lesson lay older memories - fragments from childhood training. His weapons instructor drilling the basics into him before he'd ever been allowed near a real blade.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfoJajUmGn2
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbE3OckjwUm
The Moon Goddess had forged him a new body. But that didn't mean the foundation was complete. Didn't mean it couldn't be strengthened further.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxGVtOpaem1
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His hand dropped.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlUVU0ycKuC
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Basic training first.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKWaqHmEwlo
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His hands moved to the Academy uniform's collar. The fabric separated easily, buttons coming undone with soft clicks. He shrugged the top off and set it aside on a nearby bench.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGHkbcpMOf
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLBtgonwgZk
Cool night air touched bare skin. The divine mark between his shoulder blades caught moonlight.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxa5nLjA2g
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB6kVp2MWwb
Cel looked down at himself.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNYNJGKrcyT
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡagKWVXKV9Y
Lean muscle defined his arms and chest - nothing excessive, but present. Real.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv14v7HfnhQ
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCfS2s8Q1xe
He'd seen his reflection in mirrors and windows, but he'd never actually looked. Never examined what the Moon Goddess had given him when she forged this new body.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡemkZPRCQyj
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWKWtqsFES
His fingers traced along his forearm, feeling the subtle shift of muscle. No scars. No marks of torture. Just... smooth skin.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1u5zrLbGXl
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡixrlOdMoxk
It still felt strange. Like wearing someone else's skin.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjI3C8a2onD
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAfP8CEOxRe
Cel moved to the center of the training ground and began.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLedmLXXusk
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ21YsNmbhU0
Hours blurred together.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIQDFZ2XM83
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Push-ups until his arms trembled. Squats until his legs burned. Planks that tested endurance. 73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6ueswyVJd
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwPWujy3dMe
The moon tracked overhead, marking time in silver light.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr1Efufv0km
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUuPDRKjElZ
Sweat coated his skin. His breathing came hard and fast. The pleasant ache of exertion settled deep into muscle and bone.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPBijLTnM2C
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbVtRCrMB1f
He worked through the exercises methodically, the same way he'd been taught as a child. No wasted movement. No shortcuts. Just pure, fundamental training that built strength from the ground up.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIf0sKLjml8
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsAIqHUpMTF
Eventually, the sky began to lighten at the edges - darkness bleeding to gray, then pale gold as dawn approached.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0wGeoS1hh1
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcWvuJQYcu
Cel straightened from his final set, chest heaving. Sweat dripped from his chin onto packed earth.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoN9D7W9hzw
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnNxZvEYYHe
He felt... something. Barely noticeable. A faint satisfaction that came from work completed rather than exhaustion overcome.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBT8EYqKFcg
73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRwTrCSvxVD
His divinely forged body had taken everything he'd thrown at it through the night and emerged with only the mildest acknowledgment that effort had been expended.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo5Y9wqYntJ
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Strong, then. The foundation was strong.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTqWSQIh2Wq
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But not complete. Never complete.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSQjmhkpw86
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A bell rang across the Academy grounds. Clear. Sharp. Unmistakable.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr8151SEBCu
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Morning assembly.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2Da5Y7XYx
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Cel grabbed his uniform and pulled it on, fingers working buttons with practiced speed. The fabric stuck to his damp skin uncomfortably.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ZtP0Yonoj
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The well. Students would gather there before heading to morning conditioning.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBnTO6GiPpy
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He left the training ground at a quick walk, cutting through paths between buildings. His breathing had mostly settled, though his muscles carried the pleasant warmth of sustained exertion.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1eNtEbFwPZ
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The well came into view ahead - a simple stone construction with a wooden bucket suspended over dark water. A few early students had already gathered, forming a line. They held basins in their hands, waiting their turn to draw water.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVJc30hZCim
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Cel slowed as he approached, keeping to the periphery.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyz51P7UJvA
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Lior stood at the well, hauling up the wooden bucket. Water sloshed as he carefully poured it into his basin, filling it to the brim. He set the bucket back and turned away, heading toward the outer edge where other students had already drawn their water and were washing themselves.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtfS9TZB3E3
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More students filtered in from different directions. Most looked half-awake, their movements sluggish with sleep. The line at the well grew longer as they queued up.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡObCvNMgiX7
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A boy sat on the ground near Lior's path, already washing. His basin rested beside him, water dripping from his cupped hands as he scrubbed at his face.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8jVJLxVGXh
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Lior walked past him, careful to keep his basin steady.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHgpqlWoyP
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The boy's foot extended - casual, deliberate. Placed directly in Lior's path.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5XmM2kzTyF
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Lior's foot caught the obstruction. His balance broke instantly. The basin flew from his hands as he stumbled forward, trying to catch himself.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡar67AWInHp
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Water arced through the air and crashed against packed earth.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3UazUIWcfx
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Lior hit the ground hard. The basin clattered beside him, empty.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNvqlDMDVc
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The boy who'd tripped him continued washing his face, unbothered.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrAk7qPH1RM
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A few nearby students glanced over. Some chuckled. Most simply ignored it and went back to their own business.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWBgCjLrHM
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Lior pushed himself up slowly, dirt clinging to his damp palms. His gaze tracked to the empty basin, then to the dark wet patch soaking into the ground.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyFpFaqaleq
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He didn't look at the boy who'd tripped him.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jUHgZHazQ
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Cel watched from the periphery.73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQWHeFaumkG
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His expression shifted.1234 copyright protection69ＰＥＮＡＮＡThmX2DISQA 尼

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