"Hey trash."56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCYyKGHdxyL
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCr593foQ1H
Cel's hands stilled on his fork.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxGgbSWrK4q
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Kyros Solgrand stood at the end of their table, flanked by two other Sun Clan nobles. His fire-red hair caught the lamplight, amber eyes bright with something cruel.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc5Xt47n9F4
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"I couldn't help but notice." He gestured at their uniforms, at the crescent moon embroidered over the heart. "You're Moon Chosen."56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDl7DdZBCTJ
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Lior went rigid beside Cel. His fork clattered against his plate, the sound sharp in the sudden quiet that had fallen over nearby tables. His shoulders hunched inward as if trying to make himself smaller.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5bSEuBOuuH
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"Yes." Cel kept his voice neutral. 56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQebJGv1hRS
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Kyros's smile widened. "How... unfortunate."56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8omyqu07er
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He moved closer, circling their table like a predator assessing prey. His companions remained at the end, blocking ways.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXzNDcDVCFH
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"The Moon Goddess." Kyros spoke loud enough that nearby conversations died, students turning to watch. "The weakest deity. The forgotten one. The goddess who can't even maintain a single Great Clan."56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8SNVDLkdki
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His hand landed on Cel's shoulder - fingers digging in.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ864CqEVGwT
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"Must be hard, knowing you'll never amount to anything. That your blessing is worthless."56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoR6O62oI2G
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Lior's hands had curled into fists beneath the table. His breathing quickened.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ55Lfe1XXxa
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Cel forced his muscles to relax. Forced his jaw to unclench.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLnLKhhO8O
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"We serve who chose us," he said quietly.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0x3gWAVxJy
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"Do you?" Kyros leaned closer, breath hot against Cel's ear. "Or do you just accept your pathetic fate because you're too weak to demand better?"56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGftZZX96v
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The rage that had been simmering since Kyros appeared flared brighter. Cel's vision tunneled. His hands trembled with the effort of keeping them still.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbCnT49dZHB
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He could break Kyros's nose. Right now. One strike, perfectly placed, and the smug bastard would be choking on his own blood.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGIMO6Dse4f
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But if a commoner struck a noble - even in self-defense - the punishment was severe. Imprisonment. Public humiliation. In some cases even execution. The Empire's laws protected nobility with brutal efficiency, and the Academy wouldn't shield him from those consequences.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1L9Qj7Eahe
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The unspoken truth was obvious - nobles operated under different standards. Not just in sparring. In everything. They could strike commoners with minimal repercussions. But the reverse? That was a crime against the social order itself.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEB9WYOSQje
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So Cel just sat there. Took it. Let Kyros's words wash over him like rain.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnSJxmSllLK
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk69EZyieCd
"Nothing to say?" Kyros squeezed harder, nails digging through fabric. "That's what I thought. Moon Chosen are always like that. Weak. Pathetic."56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmNkCxmWn5W
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He released his grip and straightened, turning to address the watching students.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJxQZIkpYQV
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"Remember this, everyone. What do you call Chosen of the weakest goddess?" He paused, smile widening. "Trash. Nothing but blessed trash."56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT6IaNXOnTY
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Laughter rippled through some of the tables. Not all - several looked uncomfortable. But enough that Kyros's smile grew.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnXOGFu92rB
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He walked away, his companions following. Their laughter echoed across the dining hall.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwszuyoo4TJ
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Cel's hands were shaking. He pressed them flat against the table, fingers splayed wide.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcuL2Ue9EIF
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Lior simply stared down at his plate, paralyzed by what just happened.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ66SXuwvyaI
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Eventually, he excused himself. Exhaustion lined his features, shoulders slumped with the weight of the day.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVmdSQCslg1
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Cel remained. He finished his meal in silence. The dining hall's energy had shifted - conversations more subdued now, glances occasionally drifting toward his isolated corner.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡivLOTdXdF6
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He ate mechanically, tasting nothing. His mind replayed the confrontation over and over. Each word. Each laugh. The feeling of Kyros's fingers digging into his shoulder like he had every right to do so.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLvrK1z6Yfy
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When his plate was empty, Cel stood and left.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡikKdEdgGR0
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Hours later, the training grounds lay silent beneath moonlight.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgR6MrKUiN
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Cel crossed the threshold, boots crunching against packed earth. Empty weapon racks. Archery targets standing like sentinels. The space felt vast without other students filling it.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAiIcXPraRG
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He shrugged off his upper uniform like always, letting it fall to the ground beside him. The night air was cold against his skin, but Lunar Vigor flooded through him under the moon's light.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡboNRNNUbJ5
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He moved to the center and stopped. Breathed. Let the day's accumulated tension settle in his muscles like coiled springs.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh7iuDq7Hss
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Silent Moon materialized in his grip.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfxPVhCMLRL
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Then he moved.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDe7bGRUQ6
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The blade sang through air, cutting patterns driven by pure fury. He moved through the Chosen Legion forms he'd been practicing - each one executed with divine strength behind it, each one brutal in application.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg1hvh67MQ2
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Hours blurred together.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54C83d556C
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Cel kept going.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1QfQPAuKjV
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Until finally… the rage began to drain away. Not gone. Never truly gone. But manageable again. Locked back in whatever dark corner of his mind it usually inhabited.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKlqrtdP2MQ
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The blade completed its arc. Cel's muscles burned, sweat cooling on his bare chest despite the chill—56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWRq5mUwp6F
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Footsteps.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzw5RIhK74Z
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His body went rigid mid-stance. Silent Moon hung suspended in the air as he turned.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvBlOtYybB5
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Lady Hestia Mortveil stood at the edge of the training grounds.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡowgoVoHu6p
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The moonlight caught her jet-black hair, making it gleam like polished obsidian. Her crimson eyes studied him with an intensity that made his breath catch.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVfrGN4M9D3
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For a heartbeat, neither moved.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaLXzx1ZrSQ
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Then her gaze dropped. Lower. 56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFiSnfVamn
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Suddenly, Cel became very aware of the cold against his skin. Heat flooded his face. He dismissed Silent Moon with a thought and lunged for his discarded uniform, fumbling with the fabric as he yanked it over his head.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhIGNLgOnhQ
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMnk0PY6Qjj
"Lady Hestia." His voice came out rougher than intended. He straightened, adjusting his collar. "I apologize. I didn't realize the grounds were occupied."56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaulDLTjJZG
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A beat of silence.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOg69yb6jRm
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"They weren't." Her tone was neutral, almost clinical. She walked past him toward the far side without another glance.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPMM0n9XfTi
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Cel just stood there, uncertain. Should he leave? Continue?56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoLAmUSPnB7
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Hestia sank to the ground in a meditative pose. Her hands rested on her knees, palms upward. The night seemed to gather around her like a cloak, shadows deepening in her presence.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFfgSZFTubX
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6LX3nk3RXR
She was replenishing her Divine Essence. It made sense - the Death God's domain aligned with darkness, with the stillness of night. Divine Essence recovered fastest when immersed in the right environment. Ocean Chosen would seek water. Moon Chosen would need moonlight. 56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0wue2LNtd4
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Not that it mattered to him. There was no need to replenish one's Divine Essence when you had none.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9kZrHuCnjy
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Cel re-summoned Silent Moon and returned to his forms.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9U7kAx08Z
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The silence stretched between them, broken only by the whisper of his blade through air and the distant sound of wind through empty weapon racks.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCEz80whk3R
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Like that, the days blurred into routine.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzbpiXsP5O8
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Sparring matches carved the class into a predictable hierarchy. Nobles on top. Commoners below.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4cJ9VKa3xU
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"Blessed trash."56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwbMnMnZBTL
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Kyros's voice cut across the courtyard. His hand shoved Lior's shoulder, sending him stumbling. Laughter from the other Sun Clan nobles.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm6PIxhwE2i
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Lior kept his eyes down. Cel's jaw clenched, but he said nothing. Took it. Like always.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNGFHu0bu0D
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO3l5ISseh0
The confrontations came and went like weather - predictable, unavoidable. But something puzzled Cel about the nobles' behavior. In the tavern, the barkeeper had spoken of political factions regarding the throne’s succession. Yet here, they seemed unified. Cordial, even.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbRfeSQly8U
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The reason for that was simple: Theron. 56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYsWRlPQg2v
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He moved through them all like sunlight through water - effortless, warm. The nobles gravitated toward him naturally. Perhaps they'd all received the same instructions to cultivate the All-Blessed's favor. To leverage that connection later when the succession fight began in earnest.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ27yMeopsZc
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Sylvaine ensured the Life Clan maintained the closest position. Always at Theron's side, always visible, always reinforcing their clan's support.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKpL9QyePH
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Only Hestia remained apart.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMOzAEHjM9g
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She sat alone during meals, moved through training exercises in isolation. The other students kept their distance. Whether from the Death Clan's tainted reputation or simple wariness of Raven's sister, Cel couldn't say. 56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPBbKfgziLQ
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Night fell.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbZlQJ39zjG
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Cel arrived at the training grounds first, as usual. He'd barely summoned Silent Moon when footsteps announced Hestia's arrival.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBuiGFWtEUK
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She crossed to her meditation spot without acknowledgment. Settled into stillness.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrhxvKNMKAR
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Cel moved through his forms. The blade traced familiar patterns, his body flowing from one position to the next with increasing fluidity.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRwFUXcjVIm
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An hour passed. Then another.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvU9TSOtdS7
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When Cel paused to catch his breath, he glanced toward Hestia's meditation spot. Over the past weeks, she'd been inching nearer. Subtle. Gradual. Never speaking. Never explaining.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3aRlkSTU8
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But close enough now that he could hear the faint rhythm of her breathing when the wind stilled. 56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsL3SOOkAxb
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡacgnjH37vi
Why? 56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEaqMsWZ2cO
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The only connection between them was Raven. But she couldn't possibly know about his encounter with her brother. Couldn't know about his noble blood, his true identity. 56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe9FtjDwFpb
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All she could see was what everyone else saw - a commoner Moon Chosen with unusually developed muscles and no Divine Essence. He had explanations for both. Nothing remarkable. 56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGlwRcvZKsQ
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6LG9uK68rg
Yet she'd shown interest from the very beginning. From that first day, her crimson eyes had tracked him with an intensity that suggested she saw something others missed.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ZWpA1UYvn
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‘It couldn't possibly be my looks, right?’56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdsBxUAxIZH
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Cel's next strike faltered slightly. His eyes cut toward her meditating form - jet-black hair spilling over pale shoulders, crimson eyes closed in concentration, the faint outline of her slender frame perfectly still despite the cold.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡINvvCoQF2B
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He shook his head and returned to the forms, pushing the ridiculous thought away. 56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDlZvk9INxS
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Silent Moon whispered through the air, cutting patterns that had become as natural as breathing.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZMLU5XZq8G
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The week wore on. Classes during the day, silent training at night. Hestia's presence became as constant as the moonlight itself - always there, always watching when she thought he wouldn't notice, always inching closer with each passing evening.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu2kKGFs6GP
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Whatever she wanted, she kept it to herself.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrtMeC2Xlm9
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Morning light filtered through the dining hall's tall windows, painting the long tables in shades of gold and amber.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYH7HpyEH5
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Students clustered near the entrance, voices rising in excited chatter. Cel pushed through the crowd until he could see what held their attention.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZeDj9Xav42
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A board had been mounted on the wall during their off-day.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUw2sqWYYmL
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Names filled it in descending order, each accompanied by a number. The rankings.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHzJtFmHY7
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