The crowd pressed closer to the board, voices rising in waves of excitement and disappointment.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqK74TR2RYl
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Cel hung back, letting the others surge forward first. He could wait. The rankings weren't going anywhere.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXMJOs2lYZq
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXtHyp2o186
Gradually, students filtered away. Some wore satisfied expressions. Others looked troubled, arms crossed as they muttered to friends about matches they should have won.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGqI4iMKLz7
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8KMXM79Zp6
When enough space cleared, Cel moved closer.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlLeaWXVKGn
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His eyes tracked down the list.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx0eD0BL8Rv
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Rank 1: Sylvaine Grovethorn52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMX7CAMaM0U
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPjEAqi3QKM
Rank 2: Owen Peakscale52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsHVVGvVylR
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO4GNqI0LxW
Rank 3: Hestia Mortveil52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOBRqGVml6h
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHzopG725j
Rank 4: Theron52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiyr3tnJZka
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ81HnkIh0B3
Murmurs rippled through the crowd at that placement. The All-Blessed had grown up as a commoner, yet here he stood above every noble except three. Divine favor, apparently, included natural talent for fighting.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH3SX8VQSog
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvOG8HS540n
The unfairness of it settled in Cel's chest like cold stone.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmOl3XDfDDt
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4BICwqFoJ
Rank 5: Cordelia Tidecall 52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnAtJf1frUN
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyFMOfebEzA
Rank 6: Percival Tempest 52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0nlISbf2Up
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4MRLfOBAbP
Rank 7: Kyros Solgrand52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBBGqGgBN16
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ28ghN7I0xu
Then the remaining nobles in descending order - each one benefiting from years of private training, inherited techniques, artifacts passed through bloodlines.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA2ChOpKNa1
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDrk3avMM7J
Then—52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEioUxm34U2
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Rank 15: Celvian52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSj7mGmrFNy
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBrmpK6oPE5
Cel stared at the number.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJ00W09HUx
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl8D1HsBWrx
Fifteenth. The first commoner on the list. Above every other student who'd come from farming villages and merchant families.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLtZaPaBnlh
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW2a3OUKFUD
His jaw tightened.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmHZY7z1jRk
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRfcSAlbPEA
He'd held back deliberately. Fumbled his strikes. Made his bladework clumsy and uncertain. Pretended his strength was just an authority he couldn't control properly yet.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBVu2FixUT
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4e9Xacp1YM
But even then, the gap between a trained noble and the commoners was vast. That couldn't be overcome by pretending to be weak.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQrKp3CZsC
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVixiQ3lVSU
His gaze dropped further down the list. Past more names. More numbers.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1TJVJUks7z
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Until he reached the bottom.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTV5dLPpRIv
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Rank 40: Lior52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbO2yFhxE9P
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Last place.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ867zpfqhgJ
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVmU2OyzYvb
Dead last among all forty students.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Y1tSVr3Ry
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ33KkdfRbq
Cel's gaze swept the crowd until he found him. Lior stood at the board's far edge, shoulders hunched inward like he was trying to disappear into his own uniform. His hands twisted together at his waist - that nervous gesture Cel had come to recognize.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8m4d5I8qs3
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzHzczm3SnL
Their eyes met for a heartbeat.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaW0R3hd6sD
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsvoMhoGSnN
Lior's throat worked. His fingers twitched once, as if reaching for something to hold onto.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡomkqqTSV91
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡALe7PGDq0F
Then he turned and walked away.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHsYb7UjRET
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHKvjYEbBQ
Not toward the dining hall. Not toward the classroom. Just... away. His footsteps quick and unsteady, like someone fleeing before they broke apart completely.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMKORHRka0H
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBhBMfrdPQ5
Cel watched until Lior disappeared around a corner, jaw tight.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjQfxPP6pMp
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJIH9R2TcGH
Morning assembly came and went. Theoretical classes passed in their usual rhythm - Instructor Saren's voice washing over topics Cel already knew.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxffqXKUgng
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgRhzaWJ9U1
Lior's seat remained empty.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdv9wOvBKvz
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8YESA2NapA
Afternoon combat training arrived. Students filtered onto the grounds, forming loose clusters while Instructor Calder barked orders.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnTA6eN9bWC
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Still no Lior.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVcKAdisY4W
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8YAuADJXYj
By evening, when dinner filled the hall with voices and the clatter of plates, his absence felt deliberate. Permanent.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbANoli9ew4
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5A1Qk9YPv
Cel ate alone at their usual table. The empty seat beside him felt heavier than it should have.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1MfVftsaiX
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOMxoiiay0b
When the meal ended, he rose and made his way through corridors that had grown familiar over months of routine.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTiXg9R7RSf
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0F5JfzQMon
The commoner dormitory stood quiet. Most students remained in the dining hall or gathered in common areas. Cel's boots echoed against wood as he climbed stairs to the second floor.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxZPnGjtp4D
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIGyA4i3s6w
Lior's door waited at the end of the hall.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ5xcvBrmBp
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50N9YZMOxp
Cel stopped before it, hand raised to knock.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxkpx3OLzr2
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyyS0WNPp4h
A sound filtered through the wood. Soft. Muffled.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRwdU3TweKS
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Whimpering.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMs66tJptQ8
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His hand froze mid-air.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5FwtZ3US7z
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8dGgdE1OSX
The sound continued - broken, desperate. The kind of crying that came from somewhere deep, where all composure had finally cracked.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhu9ebsQ4Mq
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVDPVRY9Xdw
Cel's hand lowered slowly.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ98i5Pko2qK
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFc4G3gKlx8
‘What am I even doing here?’52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAR8iLWFgWT
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBwBEVILyaE
He had no idea how to comfort someone. The concept felt foreign - awkward and uncertain, like trying to speak a language he'd never learned.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyc6EP9JdSP
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcWDtxJdtDi
When he'd broken down in that cell, no one had come. When nightmares tore him from sleep, he'd faced them alone. The only comfort he'd ever known was Lyra's occasional visits - her brightness cutting through the darkness for brief, precious moments.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAdeX6OJGeb
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84D8pICdPy
But Lyra had been a child. Natural warmth and affection poured from her without effort or thought.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYsfD8xX1IV
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoxbqCtrf1D
Cel possessed neither.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtoieMlefZW
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8og0JcLUqD
He should leave. Walk away. Let Lior have his privacy, his dignity.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡznE6worz8r
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡovvo4l0wmu
But the memory of his own tears - shed in darkness with no one to hear, no one to care - made his chest ache.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0aflyJVB4t
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9JPCidDGK
Maybe the knowledge alone that someone cared… would be enough.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgvwoFT6NDi
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqSxBNpbwp
Not enough to fix anything. But something.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxMI46kzO8
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDeT3qZDoI8
Cel's knuckles met wood. Three sharp raps.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZNozbjur9g
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0H5yuTIQca
The whimpering cut off instantly.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZpR07Med0r
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwPBUCDmhcC
Silence stretched. Then footsteps - hesitant, shuffling.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8cHgLqw7Z
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50TwjW2rzH
The door opened a crack.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlpRMLo1Qsd
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2sFMV63jZi
Lior's face appeared in the gap. Eyes red and swollen. Cheeks wet with tears he'd tried to wipe away but hadn't quite managed. His wheat-blond hair stuck up at odd angles where he'd run his hands through it.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Ajluchp3Z
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI6Dl9V9MOQ
"Cel?" His voice came out hoarse. Uncertain. "What are you..."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpmqdqWsffC
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnsFfNDbJE4
"Can I come in?"52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡngHUbc0ud1
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWB4G7DN3gi
The question hung between them.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNjTek05Wc
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh0l3Q3XSa5
Lior's throat worked. He glanced back into his room, then at Cel, then down at the floor.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡag3XGcQo8d
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ6kjtk0Rib
Finally, he stepped back and pulled the door wider.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9cFjZLpKNZ
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoA3uwRBc98
Cel entered.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjS6auvmfed
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp994iZsaHJ
The room was identical to his own - narrow bed, simple desk, wardrobe. But Lior's space carried signs of actual habitation. Letters stacked on the desk, the ink barely dry. A practice knife resting on the windowsill. Blankets rumpled from restless sleep.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSep1dFXyXZ
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaYCHblUIJK
Lior closed the door and stood there awkwardly, hands twisting together. His gaze fixed on the floor between them.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJGoz8cHEG
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqoNBvFooww
"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I know I should have attended classes today. I just... couldn't."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVkRhx3SFV1
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtkiHtbvQnI
"It's fine."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwJwuxuPMF9
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjxmToMpRpW
The words felt inadequate. Hollow.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡigzDtCUG5j
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGH0t048CIE
Lior's shoulders shook. His breath hitched.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp7iqyCy9Bx
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcV6f5GnpIs
"It's not fine." The admission came out broken. "Nothing is fine…”52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW6le0QJr8L
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSNEtbz3JWc
"Come," Cel said quietly, gesturing toward the bed. “Sit.”52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCRia0oLSmv
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfNjcOa2ZNl
They settled on opposite ends of the bed - Lior perched on the edge like he might bolt at any moment, Cel leaning back against the wall.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQEzEbANEHk
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd1SdlvoytE
Silence pressed in around them. Lior's hands twisted together in his lap, fingers white-knuckled.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7EcWBUmIJ
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEIgfJTCtj6
"I'm thinking about leaving," he said finally. The words came out flat. Empty. "Going home."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWcvC1dZVnw
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVFfNUjMCBU
Cel said nothing. Just waited.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1LNjBM1tXP
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg7Ju5QKlz3
"I don't—" Lior's voice cracked. He swallowed hard and tried again. "I don't amount to anything here. I'm last. Dead last. I can't learn fast enough even with you helping me. I can't fight properly. I'm a Chosen of the weakest goddess."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfa2NzSNrLx
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBBu0osuvUu
His fingers twisted in the blanket.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWKtC7VL8Ps
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQdfUaJk5cd
"My artifact is blessed rank. A knife. Not even a sword - just a knife that barely cuts better than mundane steel. And my authority—"52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA3kBEysqFe
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡezkRNSvU4Y
He lifted one trembling hand.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu18mbV9mdh
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5TQT4ib0ED
Then, light bloomed. A small orb, no larger than an apple, casting barely enough illumination to read by.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYIN3A89tbb
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡusNctIkcP6
"This." Bitterness bled through the word. "This is what the Moon Goddess gave me. Light. Not even bright light. Just... this."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrHHTk7USxm
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTvjeYYLC4Q
The orb flickered and died.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVcdtg0Dnnc
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9sGVmHMLh5
"My priest is rank fourty-one," Lior continued, voice rising slightly. "Fourty-one! That's supposed to mean something. But look at me. Look at what I got."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Ey72GGi4R
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He pressed both hands against his face.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCLYCZLcIqJ
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡumoOgRJ7cn
"My mother sold everything she had to send me here," he whispered. "She worked herself sick for months just to afford the journey. And my father—" His voice broke completely. "He tried so hard to be proud. But I saw it in his eyes when the Moon Goddess chose me instead of... instead of someone stronger."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3hnTY2yncg
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdLe00HKpMo
Tears slipped between his fingers.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPQ60FWGXSP
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMHoRuY03Nr
"I don't belong here," he whispered. "Everyone knows it. The instructors. Kyros and his friends - they're right. I am trash. Blessed trash. That's all I'll ever be."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwU2TvMMWUL
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgTiwinpJdu
His shoulders shook.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXhAgGKafL
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXGTFCNQCEl
"Even if I stay. Even if I graduate. The Chosen Legion is supposed to accept everyone, but..." He lowered his hands, staring at nothing. "They'll treat me the same way. Because I can’t do anything right. I never have. I never will."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9dqp1gTVxE
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7E6DAGhR8l
The words hung in the air like smoke.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPwPu4F9ZMK
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡECTa16azul
Cel watched him - shoulders hunched, hands trembling, face buried in his palms. A boy coming apart at the seams because the world had shown him exactly how little he mattered.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0DFpV5Dk7f
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhsLHBR4j7c
‘I should say something.’52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLTMy1R03b6
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjBhhKUW7Ch
But what?52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTrGMSObQk9
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBAK86P5jGX
That things would get better? A lie. Lior's circumstances wouldn't magically improve through empty reassurance.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8D02N5RWv0
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAhXhXSG2om
That his ranking didn't define him? Another lie. In this world, power determined worth. 52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9zCOKEgxzO
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVdY4K3im72
That he should keep trying? Cruel. Lior had been trying. It simply wasn't enough.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEMi6ayzSGV
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTdiRTkJNu
Cel's jaw clenched.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSQQGsLGwpo
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9PuAuTTAIw
He didn't know how to fix this. Didn't know how to make the pain stop or the tears dry. All the words he could think of felt hollow - platitudes that would shatter against the truth the moment he spoke them.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt55dVF9b9T
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG8cFx2q9fX
So instead, he spoke the truth.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUcugQx1UwI
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT91sjulS1K
"When I was young," Cel said quietly, "I was like you."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZyCoclMTOk
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgq42Q18Jqs
Lior's head snapped up.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeTGpPBt2XF
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBdZklhD2k
"Timid. Useless. Afraid of my own shadow." The words came easier than expected, pulled from memories he usually kept locked away. "My father hated me. Not in some abstract way - he genuinely despised everything about me. My weakness. My gentle nature. The way I flinched when he raised his voice."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ0PVhtf36n
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCgdN33xuXE
Cel moved to the window, staring out at darkness.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYakBzJz9An
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3lGXEOtU0g
“As for my mother..." He scoffed. "She was there. Physically. But that was all."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXcx8fN6XMm
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKU8uuwvmkC
His fingers pressed against the windowsill.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNozpmFin6a
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL4aAhFCdPu
"I had a brother who outshone me in everything. Perfect. Talented. Everything my father wanted. He'd watched when I got punished. Never helped. Never spoke up."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOv0vBWGJYM
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYGhpf66fgV
Cel's hands curled into fists.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs75LP14CvQ
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfoC7lHHYWL
"I wanted to die…” A pause. “The thought of enduring another moment in that house, with those people, felt impossible. But I kept going anyway. Not because I was brave or strong. Just because..." He stopped. Started again. "I endured it because there was nothing else to do."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ4DjLM3oaj
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKAODJH66N8
Lior stared at him, tears still wet on his cheeks but his breathing steadier now.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOXh7BPUJtx
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Cel turned from the window to face Lior directly.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvPpvKFYXB1
52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4mZIKrFPAd
"You think you're weak," hel continued. "That you don't belong here. That everyone sees you as pathetic." His voice dropped lower. "They probably do. The same way my family saw me."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkngObsJaat
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He moved closer, crouching so they were eye-level.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9YezOQVPYL
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"But you're here anyway. You are here despite knowing you'd struggle. You practiced reading even though the letters didn't make sense. You stepped into that sparring circle knowing you'd lose."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDgZf4qUWTi
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Cel's gaze held Lior's.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKAQKC8quy1
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"That's not weakness. That's endurance. And endurance..." His throat tightened. "Endurance is the only strength that actually matters when everything falls apart."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJBt5zyiyFS
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Lior's breath hitched. Fresh tears spilled over, but something in his expression had shifted - less broken, more... present.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh9TMPSLL6f
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"I can't promise it gets easier," Cel said quietly. "Can't tell you that people will stop looking down on you or that your ranking will improve. Maybe it won't. Maybe you'll struggle every single day for the rest of your time here."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8wHe9ZkRaf
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He straightened.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsBFuUcUw1c
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"But you're still breathing. Still trying despite knowing how hard it is." A pause. "That's more than most people manage when the world rejects them."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtF7tG5rLP0
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Silence stretched between them - heavy with truths neither had expected to share.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd1W25WB4aQ
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Then Lior wiped his face with both hands, smearing tears across his cheeks.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqUDTjpOQZ
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"I didn't know," he whispered. "About your past. You seem so... composed. Strong."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZvYw3LL8f
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"People rarely are." Cel moved toward the door. "We all carry things that don't show."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtIfSY0eOOJ
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His hand found the handle.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeh37q3ZOAQ
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"Cel?"52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQjPtNbP6L
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He glanced back.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5pnWleyu7I
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Lior's expression held something fragile but genuine. "Thank you."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAyvCqPVIuT
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Cel nodded once.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡomoyiDCLMe
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Then he left, pulling the door closed behind him with a soft click.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwKpDCibI9b
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The corridor stretched empty and silent. His footsteps echoed against stone as he made his way toward the training grounds.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnqtX6oU4RG
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Night had fallen completely. The moon hung full and bright - pouring its light across the Academy grounds in pale radiance.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVCqMLeAkE
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Lunar Vigor flooded through him the moment he stepped outside. Power hummed beneath his skin, turning exhaustion into energy.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQOMXIsUB2S
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The training grounds came into view.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQolZzq1xM6
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And for the first time in weeks, he wasn't the first to arrive.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9aUAQRqSj6
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Hestia sat in her meditation spot - perfectly still, jet-black hair spilling over pale shoulders, crimson eyes closed in concentration. The night seemed to gather around her like a living thing, shadows pooling at her feet.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQk5ge9mKXY
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Cel stopped at the threshold.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Y4oWR5Z0i
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Usually, he'd summon Silent Moon and begin his forms. Let the silence stretch between them, unbroken except for the whisper of his blade through air.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3fzqNHBRn
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But tonight…52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡksM0CjskpT
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Tonight, he needed to know.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxbYgKRs0pe
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He crossed the training grounds, boots crunching against packed earth. Each step deliberate. Purposeful.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTNg6Ji7JBo
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Hestia's eyes opened when he was still several steps away - her expression unreadable.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSKkZc5f7bj
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She didn't speak. Just watched him approach with that same intense assessment she'd worn since the first day.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5PIKeivNBP
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Cel stopped a respectful distance away.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqqSR3R6jyY
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"Lady Hestia."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl91aWf9xjk
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"Celvian." Her voice carried no inflection. 52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsiQHI6OGmd
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He met her gaze directly.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmmOPfKsaVX
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"What do you want from me?"52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgTLzqA6VEQ
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