The announcement fell across the classroom like a stone into still water.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ro8aLlUJi
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsEvZqqFQib
Every noble straightened instantly. Even Theron, who usually maintained a relaxed posture, sat with rigid attention. The commoners shifted nervously, uncertain how to react to such a presence.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡECvaj9Wqo7
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuY0Urcncoa
Cel's hands tightened on his desk.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2sOVj0qsBE
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYLdltC1k3K
'Esrin.'49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxaxiVArpKz
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwzrafSpgEe
The woman who'd nearly killed him. Who'd dragged him from the Ashlands to the Reckoning. Who wielded power that could reshape battlefields with casual thought.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV3LNKrgD9D
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5tAz6g7XHY
The door opened.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXbO7VjSFO7
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQCuIxzio5m
She entered with the same quiet authority Cel remembered. She wore the Chosen Legion's dress uniform, ash-white hair pulled back in a practical style. Ruby eyes swept the classroom once - comprehensive, assessing - before settling into neutral observation.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAtJJ9k1sGN
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlA8exgUL4w
Every student seemed to hold their breath.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0Tlol0Y75
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtzotAiqLPe
Instructor Saren bowed - deeper than required. "Lady Esrin. The students are honored by your presence."49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCv7fIojVyc
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlgoMhoxvZs
Esrin's gaze tracked across the tiered rows. When it passed over Cel, there was no flicker of recognition. No acknowledgment. Just the same clinical assessment she gave every other student.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXcZtL3TkCz
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9vag0DqFMo
Good. He'd worried she might somehow reveal their connection.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzFNUfTXW2
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeg9D4S6x2X
"I'll leave them in your care," Saren said, already moving toward the exit.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡarV9LCMDAr
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2jBbRyVpTC
The door closed with soft finality.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIc9g7xEjnu
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbXRqWUePVq
Silence pressed heavy across the classroom. Forty students watching the Hallowed with varying degrees of awe and terror.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjQs4yzmvXt
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu69sr9MvmR
Esrin walked to the podium with unhurried steps. She didn't consult notes. Didn't adjust her uniform. Simply stood there, perfectly composed, and spoke.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLnkqObsi8B
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGClfP6tM2
"There are two purposes for my visit. First - to answer some of your questions. About being a Chosen. About the Chosen Legion. About what waits beyond these walls."49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlBX8J4jDFf
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZU5nXvYUd
Her tone carried no warmth. No encouragement. Just statement of fact.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCdgQsYjMSK
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHt40FKoe9G
"Second - this evening, the Academy is hosting a formal ball. To test your etiquette in a practical environment."49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU17xcSU9ZW
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm5gsNQ6CDB
Murmurs erupted. A ball? The commoners looked nervous. The nobles appeared intrigued.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtaOpEraEIb
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG9JqhfAfKc
"Ask your questions," Esrin said.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc5MWFSw5W6
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS6K86qWq7J
Silence held for several heartbeats. Finally, a few hesitant hands rose among the back rows.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA2c3N2vPL8
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfZUgwql9I
A commoner girl stood, voice trembling. "Lady Esrin, if it pleases you... what's the Chosen Legion like? How does it differ from serving a Great Clan?"49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVeYExPRBh
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1XJwUTXV4I
"The Legion accepts all Chosen regardless of patron deity or birth." Her answer came without hesitation. "Advancement depends solely on capability. No bloodlines. No affiliations. Just competence."49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnQlWJl62cV
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0KekQUsUtn
She met the girl's gaze directly.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5sNEJ8LQmm
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOwc7blSoyU
"If you're weak, you'll be assigned simple tasks. If you're strong, you'll face greater threats. The Legion doesn't waste talent, but it doesn't shelter incompetence either."49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhvPI57cPvU
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡppXEZ3pTv9
The girl sat down, clearly satisfied. 49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXDOazKA5da
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIb19dHqAfo
Another hand rose immediately. A boy near the back stood nervously. "Lady Esrin, our final examination is near - a patrol mission. Do you have any advice for us?” 49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkcIT5cLKMc
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡymPZ3y6wtl
Esrin's expression didn't soften, but something shifted in her tone. Practicality, perhaps. Or the closest thing to concern she would show. 49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5mpBPSbcyV
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT4Gp5mmRnt
"Don't be heroes. The examination tests judgment as much as strength. Know when to fight and when to retreat. Overconfidence kills more Chosen than any creature." She paused. "And never split your group unless absolutely necessary. You're students, not veterans. Act accordingly." 49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVoDltPxgfe
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoB3EKm83p8
The boy nodded, sitting down with a sobered expression. Another voice called out from the middle rows. 49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxO1YKmZxOu
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7hZLGzAwpb
"Do you see the royals often? What about the princess?"49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ4ZNToKZ1b
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT10NyvX1HG
Something that might have been amusement flickered across Esrin's features. "Occasionally. When duty requires it."49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd8renijBWf
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2EmT4bEfy1
"What about the Emperor?" The voice carried genuine interest. "Or the Empress?"49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0EbkAH6t6x
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ493chWoSd
"Less frequently." Esrin's tone suggested the topic held no particular interest to her. "Next question."49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsjtv4ELh4o
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGMGOVrkYii
Another hand - a girl near the middle rows, barely able to meet her eyes.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxJepmtEWka
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAsJXpbPWrV
"Lady Esrin... are you the strongest person in the Empire?"49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZ5hBhhXPS
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqO1Zu59fw
The question hung in the air. Several nobles shifted, as if the directness bordered on improper.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQFUVwHbq8g
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVvLFCHPO8T
Esrin's expression didn't change, but Cel noticed the slight pause. The way her jaw tightened almost imperceptibly before she spoke.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlLlPQ1rtiC
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8xsmUUxoPC
"Yes."49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvorYBuu1cY
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgshRVbo6q3
The answer came flat. Final.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQdKk8asRh
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGfwW6VNuyr
But Cel understood why she'd hesitated.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12eApXKNwO
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNXlruR01If
'She may be the strongest in the Empire. But within the Reckoning, she's only second.'49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKGPIKSNOqD
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxgTxcp6rR
Veyron held the rank of the First Reckoning. The hooded figure whose presence commanded even Esrin's respect. Whose power Cel couldn't begin to estimate.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdiEIIrF9kr
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe6OIxrMdWr
But she couldn't reveal that. Couldn't acknowledge the organization's existence.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi8pqTMCtei
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyk3WkKgS7Y
So she simply claimed the title everyone expected her to hold.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoib3H1Bpvt
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzC97wVB0YG
"How does someone become Hallowed?" The same commoner girl asked, voice still trembling slightly. "If... if that's permitted to ask, my lady."49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeYVFlgSOiX
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgtXm25tXwr
Interest rippled through the classroom.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYVo2GzZ662
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUuVFIQwVv
Esrin's expression shifted slightly - not quite approval, but acknowledgment that this was the right question to ask.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo2PeZUc0OT
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCFpk3ht5XQ
"There are four steps. First - being marked and chosen by a deity. You've all completed that."49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1OXBhYCOxe
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8iovaEO6F
She lifted two finger.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuiweZPy6Zn
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYNKSTAud59
"Second - master your Divine Essence completely. Prove to your deity that choosing you was worthwhile. Show them you've mastered their gift."49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf9PPKI9T40
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLG8X99Blp
Cel's jaw tightened.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTdwVJjWruY
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXoFZIQecWG
'What about me then?'49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmNJCiCyF9E
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLjEUAK2otb
The question screamed through his mind. He had no Divine Essence pool. Nothing to expand. Nothing to grow.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMA1dcVgOnX
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ23JBuV0j0G
How was he supposed to evolve when the fundamental requirement didn't exist?49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDumrAnztNi
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvUAZhfAB1W
"In accordance," Esrin continued, "your deity will expand your Divine Essence pool beyond its birth limits. As you all know, the pool you're born with cannot naturally grow. This expansion is an gift. Recognition that you've earned more."49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5CATEn5wP1
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCgkYzFCv3Z
She raised a third finger.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8BSIS8fYcR
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpWa0jOfLro
"Third - achieve a World Creation.” 49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMicPCqbwtX
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiW0rGcpfJg
Murmurs rippled through the students. Several looked confused. Others showed recognition.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Cb7TNayYU
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfrktD9jlt4
“This requires not just mastery but understanding. You must comprehend the fundamental nature of your Divine Essence. Its truth."49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHw0EL0EFDB
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMderybs815
Her expression remained neutral, but her voice carried weight.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnu65hHUdLr
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFc8DZsSOjZ
"It is the most difficult step. Every Chosen's essence is fundamentally unique. There are no instruction manuals. No proven methods. No shortcuts."49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuxEPi2H22E
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcIHdpf2RY8
She paused, letting that sink in. 49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXbMBltkmjN
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBIIf8VL7g5
"Most Chosen never achieve it.”49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSpQi0Ew3yT
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4KDs9BaF9b
A fourth finger joined the others. 49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf2qc34ZZET
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQH9bORTfz4
"Fourth - raise your affinity with one paragon to the maximum. To reach perfect resonance with your deity's nature. To become one with their will.”49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTR8wCmOAHf
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4VSJoNrukc
She lowered her hand.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMQgxXryOwq
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN2YKOO8jXF
"Only a handful in history have reached this level."49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuftHTPU3pb
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpEJLmKFXuY
"Could you show us your abilities?" A reckless boy called out. "Like your World?"49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuAGMwgY4Qo
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPXCN10TRbg
Several students still looked confused. 49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuMoagcuyz1
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhATvwY0XkU
Lior leaned toward Cel, whispering. "What's a World?"49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAPuUfItbNy
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgg2YtmJumw
Before Cel could answer, Esrin spoke.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zpjmKuTpU
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYlwUFJ1o9b
"A World is the manifestation of your Divine Essence's true nature. An expression of power so complete it creates its own reality." Her tone carried the weight of someone explaining a fundamental truth. "It's not something to show off."49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡffzOYx2Dqt
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTPYrdswwAv
Her ruby eyes swept the classroom.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsDnzj5fFHp
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQVt2SiaxFg
"Besides - if I manifested my World here, the pressure alone would tear most of you apart."49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvHyWQcrKAn
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwudCoGlADS
The classroom went very still.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZWyBBoeKkx
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWyBQ0xDTkO
Several students paled. The excitement drained away, replaced by uncomfortable awareness of the gap between them and the woman standing at the podium.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3FfGjCxOZ
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0qBr8fFfA
Another hand rose.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1WoXlCPk8S
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBnKGNcEhY8
A commoner boy Cel didn't know well. His voice came uncertain. "Lady Esrin, why were you announced without a family name? If you're a noble."49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡomEnHEgBii
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc3rEWDhmPa
The question was innocent. Curious.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlvQOjYOnfc
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp4u13C0zff
But every noble in the front rows went rigid. Glaring at the boy who'd asked such an impertinent question.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPDnZYI7WtT
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JQ97pKLOj
Cel watched their faces, noticing something else.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlHSFgWkNYy
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS1EFsFChWS
Only Percival Tempest reacted differently.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhRCOXTk9FN
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbfBA1btqdb
His emerald eyes narrowed not at the commoner who'd asked.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa0O6foTQkQ
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx00K7c2mmV
At Esrin.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8AkLxZV7PS
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26mgohPqJF
His gaze locked onto her with an intensity that bordered on hostile.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaOWOqDE2X5
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGpl2aScM1K
'Did something happen between them?'49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQtsqxXrdPE
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZenMb1Wta
Cel filed the observation away as Esrin answered. 49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqACwQBfrSB
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTaMHsm3tXf
"I forsook it."49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqgz9XFYh8O
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDuaBGTPyT
The answer was cold. Final. Brooking no further questions on the subject.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOkAaH5Rs9
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdwcYKxK1vF
The commoner who'd asked paled, clearly realizing he'd touched something sensitive.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEj2GhtnhXY
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR1rJAFzp3v
But Esrin's attention had already moved on.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmCKsX7nqo3
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE1jFp8kwpW
"Any other questions?"49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWV0EimGF6j
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBbbEhr2Tn8
More hands. More inquiries about the Legion, about missions, about what life looked like beyond the Academy walls.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOenr14PbtQ
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs9XiBIHQ5N
Esrin answered each with the same clinical precision.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5MiroTzgN9
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo5j7Zp3bjA
Finally, she glanced toward the window. "That's sufficient. Prepare yourselves for this evening. The ball begins at sunset."49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjUM3DiZKag
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLteKPJlgaJ
She walked toward the exit without ceremony.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhYLhXXPDFN
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQjfUZOnpZH
Her boots clicked against stone - steady, unhurried. Every student tracked her movement, watching the Hallowed leave with the same presence she'd arrived with.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAgkakjazLi
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡttElSTn8Kv
The door closed.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8JcFWtTcJa
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfNklcDImkI
Breath rushed back into the room like a tide returning.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD9KlZ0TBtw
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0VntxlD2ZB
"Did you see her eyes?"49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI5ktHp73U2
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3g6qikMT8m
"The way she moved—"49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzIPSPkxgGx
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnE3jHuarg5
"A Hallowed! An actual Hallowed!"49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUQUsyrsyv
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcpvvtsQnG
Even the nobles couldn't fully contain their awe. They'd seen powerful Chosen regularly. But a Hallowed was something else entirely.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6o0thwvuIk
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0jqktdnKa
Cel sat quietly, processing.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ61H0sIWPE0
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhgNPLKkHfk
His mind churned through everything Esrin had said. The four steps. The requirements. The impossibilities stacked against him.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwKz91QUAhc
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡauQ962yXo7
'How the hell am I supposed to become stronger?'49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtBDymBEads
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh54sbqnF2k
The question burned without answer.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYix1YltNC
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDdDXiuMsGD
Instructor Saren returned, calling for attention and dismissing them to prepare for the evening. Students rose in clusters, still buzzing with energy. 49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGc7K2k6XCx
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0sxm8YWasE
But Cel barely heard her, staring at the empty podium where the Empire's greatest defender had stood.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNbkZwv2O0v
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbuJAfyeyK7
And wondering if he'd ever reach even a fraction of that strength.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCyPEPAYJVa
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkN7KB7g9QO
His thoughts were interrupted by Lior's elbow nudging his ribs.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOasaHdu6gc
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZeQ0F5chzj
"Can you believe we'll actually get to see a real ball?" Lior's voice carried nervous excitement.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCxabMcXcf
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtGYUaJ581U
Cel glanced at him. "You know you have to dance, right?"49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyTjTSk46sB
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3P2ZRvotn6
Lior's excitement evaporated instantly. "Oh no. I forgot about that. I'm—I'm going to make a fool of myself."49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZAu6Un6On8
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"All of us are," Cel said.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRUI0buVV8J
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The truth settled between them. The commoners had learned basic steps in a few months. The nobles had been training since childhood.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPFr77Q18SX
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Tonight would make that gap painfully visible.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqyl3T6o5N
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But as the students filed toward their dormitories to prepare, Cel found himself thinking about something else entirely.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ7L9s9iPCE
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Esrin would be there. Teaching. Demonstrating proper form and grace.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ89GPYwzmln
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And despite everything - despite nearly killing him, despite the cold brutality she'd shown - he couldn't deny one simple truth.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNWqe3LLtro
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She was the most elegant woman in the Empire.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡksZ4G8cXzR
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The ideal every noble daughter aspired to become.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzds5bjSRpN
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Tonight, he'd see that grace in its proper context.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPHspCXadRY
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He was… curious to see.1234 copyright protection45ＰＥＮＡＮＡjPU62NkqFl 尼

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