Cel lay at the chasm's edge, staring into the depths.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq1MiRe6Z1Q
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE2xsLDM7GL
The white light pulsed far below - steady, gentle, almost alive. Each beat sent warmth through his chest, so different from the violet crystal shriek that had destroyed his hearing. So different from the four burning suns that had scorched his skin.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡspjgHgpdS0
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDDeyzyaE68
This light felt... safe.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWwqo8qHAwf
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHSdfUYgkAN
His cracked lips pulled into something that might have been a smile if his face hadn't been so ruined.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4QOIxevG8i
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYUtfql9bpk
'Maybe...'189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGf5joGIE4c
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEsaG32q50A
The thought formed slowly through exhaustion and pain. He wouldn't survive another day in the maze - this much was certain. The burns covered most of his skin. His impaled hand wouldn't stop bleeding. His legs couldn't hold his weight anymore.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtVWuMvtvV1
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPtuMYGlv2V
But that light was unlike everything else in this nightmare.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBiPVnAeoPm
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy05Mt3BKfV
And the skeleton had jumped toward it without hesitation.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa6LIrCtwL4
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPZjNMY7h7T
'The trial.' The words surfaced distant in his mind. 'Find the moon.'189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh6qVQwotp7
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFQdPkiFnEC
He'd searched the entire maze - or what little he could reach of it. The moon had vanished from the sky. The answer wasn't above. Wasn't in the crystal formations or the mirror lake.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5X4UAsHCns
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpW4PjDB56W
But deep below, where even the crystal-infested creatures were drawn…189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFMvLzkfv3d
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYefJxMi1Jf
Maybe that's where it was.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJZblWlbZbL
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzd5ifAaDrL
Maybe that's where he'd find what he needed to complete this trial. To earn the Moon Goddess's blessing and escape this place before his body finally gave out.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjGWUdO2sVN
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ09qg99MQfk
It was the only hope he had left.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBrgIgYRYfZ
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡglwo8umeKe
Cel's left arm trembled as he dragged himself forward. His body scraped over the edge, and for one terrible moment there was nothing beneath him but air.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB3VLnTWbN0
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlILe4Vg66O
He fell.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLRTP6nlI4y
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVszfllih3M
The air rushed past him. His body tumbled through darkness, too weak to even flail.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZWohdByOP
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKHdfnxMJtj
He slammed into a wide ledge jutting from the chasm wall.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB2GgO7B33Y
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB59lYhXgNL
The impact drove the breath from his lungs. His body bounced once, then slid across crystal before stopping at the ledge's edge. For a moment he lay there, stunned, teetering over the drop.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAbjCaSZfdZ
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXAcTYB8UwP
Then his weight settled. 189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUZpLcDRRbk
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXD10CObYPN
Pain registered distantly - his shoulder, his ribs, something in his back. 189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgeu2phgOCt
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWn6Zu9wNj9
Cel's fingers twitched against smooth stone. His cheek pressed against crystal, cold seeping through burnt skin.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBQft6WGe16
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYrXd8x8wEV
‘Down.’189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡusNP6TlnuA
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUf5JsVkVEu
The word echoed in his skull. Not a choice. A command his body obeyed without consulting his mind.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnRwuUIOzai
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNtwj5nULTZ
His left hand scraped forward, finding purchase. Then his knee dragged up. He crawled across the ledge toward the next outcropping, his body moving like something already dead, animated by will alone.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzeukCguJ0i
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7o4jFVjlm
Each movement should have been agony. His burns stretched and split with every reach. His impaled hand dragged uselessly, leaving a trail of blood. His shoulder screamed from the impact.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4w5Uuaby1
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXbuG8ePI0W
But the pain felt... distant.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ96uuVT7sbW
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWqV6d68t2A
Muffled, like the silence that had swallowed his hearing.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcMlzNusPX
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHretv0Mp8P
His left hand reached for the next crystal. The edge sliced his palm - he watched blood well up, watched it smear across crystal. The pain registered somewhere far away, disconnected from him.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFsKa2DPo9r
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvSSbukSaZB
He kept descending.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyi1GhVtVG0
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXxdA14jn5c
The walls pressed closer. The violet glow from the crystals grew dimmer, overwhelmed by that white radiance rising from below. With each movement down, the light grew stronger. Warmer.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfzc2RJpRJT
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6uyBCPGPnR
His breathing steadied. The constant burn in his chest eased. His throat stopped feeling like shredded glass.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZMfg12VMd
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNe4ShJYP9M
Cel's foot slipped on smooth stone. He caught himself, barely, fingers scraping for purchase. His body swung wild for a moment before finding purchase.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeWrnWiWHsC
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV2xodXWee9
He should be panicking. Should be terrified.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbU1tp1cYOu
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIdFwyYffqT
But he wasn't.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy7UnrCp0o6
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrS2LvBJA9
His legs stopped shaking. The trembling in his arms faded. When he reached for the next handhold, his grip felt... steady. Strong, even.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoEe3TNeAJZ
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQz6tVnlTtX
Cel pulled himself onto a wider ledge and paused. His legs shifted beneath him - not crawling now. Walking.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgT1em4bGDc
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVL4dZ7S0Zx
When had he stood up?189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡILU1FEmgO1
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlqHT0HYA7C
He looked down at his feet, planted firmly on crystal. Looked at his legs supporting his weight without collapsing.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmdyWTTJpdj
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQQRUpLHct5
A crystal formation beside him caught his reflection, its surface smooth as glass.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTgftfuoDcX
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHBzA0dpJll
His face stared back at him.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTnbojcFKXp
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnVpZvzPAJw
But the expression wasn't his own. The reflection's eyes held nothing - no rage, no defiance, no spark of the newly found hope. Just empty acceptance. The face of someone who had already surrendered to his fate.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvNCQHUTxVC
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJSzx7jlSK0
Cel's hand reached for the next formation. The reflection's hand reached too, matching his movement exactly.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2M9LuaJgo3
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgyt2rFkuTX
He kept descending. His body moved with increasing ease, as if the journey required less effort with each step.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNK2FFs5HB
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFE3N4I4uU
The reflection followed beside him, its hollow eyes tracking him.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG4sWYerm1x
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9hNKKd8Gkb
'Wait… isn't that…?' 189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNBi7ZPIO4
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBnNsDsF7Ms
The thought barely surfaced before slipping away. 189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNn9NDMhDxo
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8uPkxdWkPU
'What was it again?' 189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKfFzaJ63Q
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS8pSpCRUom
A shiver crawled up his spine. His instincts screamed at him to stop, to look, to remember.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0bzE9QOG6
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlrH2QNSuuG
But he didn't. 189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Fhexu47AX
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2D1LkFEQV3
His steps never faltered. His gaze never wavered. Whatever it was, it didn't matter anymore.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC2uO7NGZBS
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡldIrTHoAnK
He focused on the path below. Left hand. Right foot. Down.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxoZxvRPsf
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8KqdYxOGwE
The white light pulsed stronger now, close enough that its warmth touched his skin. Not burning - nothing like the suns. This heat seeped into him gently, filling something that had been empty for so long.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡES8byWgV5m
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNEGxk7NTjn
Cel’s next step found solid ground.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGnb0pheEbl
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3BXsW7JG5N
Since…189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYPxjvKCpHT
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLFyVEDKmpx
Since when?189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfBnls5mY8I
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU10P6y52r0
He blinked, swaying. The chasm walls rose impossibly high above him - he'd been descending for... how long? Minutes? Hours? The memory felt hazy, like trying to hold mist.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7sLUdr5CdO
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4iVDUbHWxJ
The cavern floor stretched before him, smooth and vast. And there - suspended in the center like a captivating star - hovered what he'd been drawn toward.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqdjCrEwg2
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIExoBWJyvk
A sphere of pure light.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡalsPTpa7bF
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOd73rJWpAX
It filled the cavern, so enormous his mind struggled to grasp its scale. The white radiance pulsed from within it, steady as a heartbeat, casting everything in gentle luminescence.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8iQ54sxP7h
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZHfPo46cU4
Bones lay scattered across the floor beneath it - pale fragments studded with violet crystal growths, half-buried in the ground. 189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzs24036OdH
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJbgGZErCpE
He didn't look at them.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOEQDl0UwsZ
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4o0RguBBoL
All that existed was the light.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnrsxci2Uxa
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQgg362b2Pr
‘Beautiful.’189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaFZTUv8eEf
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjYfPxxatk
The word formed in his mind, soft and certain. This was beauty - real beauty. Everything else had been false. The pale moon from his vision, his family's faith, all of it hollow compared to this.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1XUu30k2EZ
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoCvtIdSuWI
Cel's left foot moved forward. Then his right. The pain in his feet had vanished. When had that happened? He couldn't remember his last step hurting.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRV08QYXhQy
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmbrdorpbkO
Couldn't remember why anything had hurt at all.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDPSbzBQoF1
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrKPNkFuWx5
The burns on his skin - were they still there? He looked down at his arms. Saw the blistered flesh, the weeping wounds, the blood. But felt nothing. They might as well have belonged to someone else.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlb45qfuDWG
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxyjU0vT6we
Another step forward.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSJ0CzyrIWq
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbaIWQgDh8p
The light pulsed. His heart pulsed with it.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUUBMyFlfbv
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoNNEPUxmH0
'The trial...'189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzbeHC883jm
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxafINTPMkh
The thought drifted through his mind like smoke, barely formed before dissolving. There had been something. Some task. Some reason he'd been suffering.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbBSg1E6ELM
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx2hldUZCck
But it seemed so distant now. So... unnecessary.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfsr6eQrR5Q
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMKZrtYvmOa
Why had he been searching? Why had he fought? This peace had been waiting all along. Just here. Just below.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ZRC56FJA8
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDUHbt46ItN
Each step brought him closer. The warmth intensified - not burning, never burning. It filled the hollow spaces inside him. The emptiness carved out by a year of starvation and torture. The wounds left by his family's betrayal. The cracks from watching his father beat him while his mother did nothing.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkaYboPnVKJ
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDfh8gb9uGH
All of it... filling.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjI8fmAfBx7
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJGUc6XZXpW
Becoming whole.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaXxak2b5pR
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcad98VxqNd
The sphere towered before him now, so close he could reach out and touch it. Its surface rippled like liquid silver. Inviting. Welcoming.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo5f9u4LB4h
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5nCjn5U728
'Home.'189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFybLtukRUz
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLb1HzixsbO
Yes. That's what this was. He'd been searching for a home. For somewhere he belonged. And he'd found it. Finally.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBPIMGU5Dj
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2T2u9tngMT
Cel lifted his left hand, fingers extending toward the light.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjBPPCXqCxd
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYYBzVicuIx
The warmth reached out to meet him, eager, hungry. It wrapped around his hand like a lover's touch, gentle and consuming. The sensation traveled up his arm—not pain, but fullness. Being filled. Being completed.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1sVjmh0aC8
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRauDtCJfuI
His knees buckled.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6CtAK63G8h
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxcKZ54CcgU
Cel gasped as the light surged into him, pouring through the point of contact. It flooded his veins, his bones, his mind. Every empty space inside him suddenly packed full of something vast and eternal.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC1Qxki7zV5
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjqzS0lxF5
His lips curved into a smile.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHWL1uH4STy
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3IrnS5DRdr
This was everything. This was all he'd ever needed. The maze didn't matter. His trial didn't matter. Finding the moon didn't matter.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡShj0LYqvKt
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRF47deZek3
Only this.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHshOa3vVfp
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX26YKZQGQ7
Only—189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRg8S2twJCg
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdWgWJEwI0U
The cavern shook.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClPPpmF8wL
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIthq3kAHNm
The tremor hit with brutal force, violent enough to crack the crystal formations on the walls.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJiHGpL6dTb
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtoo6TUGCQi
Cel's hand ripped free from the sphere as he fell sideways.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ6Gaco9YFa
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUXbjAsm2j
The warmth vanished instantly, replaced by crushing cold.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Ti9eF7dRH
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTkJLLMsHL
His consciousness slammed back into place.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE2eE3GbXDZ
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiOQSsdu5QA
The pain returned all at once.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡho9MfA2MlL
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSt2girQikj
His knees hit the ground. Pain exploded through his legs, sharp and immediate. The burns on his skin screamed. His impaled hand throbbed with each heartbeat, blood pulsing hot between his fingers.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYNEzM8JpfN
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsth1stkQqW
He gasped, lungs heaving like he'd been held underwater.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzt6QgcDmF3
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCfm59egpw
'What—'189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4llfVj8VT2
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYcDU9vx6Ip
His vision swam. The cavern spun around him, crystal walls refracting light in dizzying patterns. He pressed his left hand against the floor, trying to anchor himself.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq1G6QjxT36
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtlt1exug9m
The sphere hovered before him, pulsing gently. 189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡncQ6NgJXD7
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLpvLN00Adj
It was beautiful. Inviting.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJISuBnRS83
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEhwLHRSImy
Cel's chest tightened. The urge to reach out again clawed at him, desperate and immediate. Just one more touch. Just to feel that warmth, that completeness—189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0JV7uucfE4
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRrSdireiae
'No.'189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3tSCUPMDqR
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU1iu78Kur3
He jerked his gaze away, jaw clenched so hard his teeth ached. His hands shook. His entire body trembled with something between withdrawal and rage.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkhY3hBCqYd
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS6MVeQOVFc
'This thing… manipulated me.' The thought arrived with perfect clarity. 189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw8pvu7xQXo
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnSy5uAUjT1
But when had it started?189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjLZjAoaF9l
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡizZVBgitz6
Cel's breath came faster. He'd climbed down into the chasm on his own. Hadn't he? He'd made that choice. Seen the light and decided—189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPphGPEfqZ
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡedRK56qED1
'Decided what?'189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNhhrMdVjz
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkz0HbLkoVl
His fingers dug into the stone floor. When exactly had he decided? When had the pain stopped mattering? How had his body suddenly become strong enough to walk when moments before he couldn't even stand?189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV4JW86h3Iv
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNC9lWS8nxT
His mind raced backward through fragmented memories.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbmHjNycFnm
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtHHEPx4ZGh
The crystal maze. The spire in the distance - he'd avoided it. Gone the opposite direction every time.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP4HwQ3OVqP
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0njSIqPaAa
Why?189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz8YZk4ZPD9
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuczEqPTpSC
He'd told himself it looked dangerous. Ominous. Something about it felt wrong.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF7Fm4tduV5
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd0a2fh4HDf
But what if that feeling hadn't been his own?189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgn1cdGC24U
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGwNnHA4qJy
His stomach clenched. The thought wormed deeper, spreading like infection through his memories. Every decision he'd made in the maze - every turn away from the spire, every frustrated return to the ruin, every restless urge to keep moving in the other direction.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmyB48Ln6rt
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXcfSf47gNa
What if none of it had been his choice?189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVFWaQSl72C
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxPDiwF6wyZ
The marks he'd carved to track his path had disappeared. The maze had folded in on itself, passages appearing and vanishing. He'd assumed it was the maze's nature.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg8S3ZfvI2U
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIeGCC5ZyUF
What if it had been guiding him all along? Herding him like cattle toward this exact spot?189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc4JeH28Mz7
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ItDV1kLdm
Cel's breathing grew ragged. His nails bit into his palms hard enough to draw blood, mixing with the dried gore already coating his hands.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUVEpGG2IHP
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg6qf9izwma
Even now - especially now - that warmth pressed against his skin. Gentle. Patient. Waiting for him to reach out again. 189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡygo0d2rQxL
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCj9ZBdqwSK
To surrender.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKwP8bkHEnT
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmydFHAqUhj
Just like the reflection watching him from the wall. Just like his father had wanted. Just like the cultists who'd bled him for a year, waiting for him to break.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡURGrxrGOpJ
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeoLDBgttjW
Just like everyone who'd ever tried to make him into something less.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZwRAMVCoyP
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDHQDL5guT
Heat flooded through Cel's chest - not the sphere's false warmth, but something hotter. Sharper. The rage that had kept him alive when he should have died a dozen times over.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQaaBOtDGwD
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTmIY949G3N
His jaw clenched. His fingers curled into fists despite the agony in his right hand.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ65N02ILq6M
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf6C7sSmnZj
'It almost had me.'189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCslWMW6mCQ
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOdNLItnwo
The sphere pulsed before him. That gentle rhythm matching his heartbeat, trying to align again. Trying to pull him back.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSbPtQHiN0b
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYx9eZQeaQ2
Cel tried to push himself up. His legs trembled, refusing to hold his weight. He collapsed back onto his knees, gasping.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJ482zYjgu
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg2xxJ5QZl1
He needed to move. Needed to crawl away, find somewhere to hide from that light while his mind was clear enough to think. The cavern had to have other passages, other routes.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo2BEWdS53b
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡduKqBM706w
He turned.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8LtNKOIZ3x
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWppW1dLlGP
A massive head filled his vision.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pFTzLWxA4
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMvlGKVNPm2
Cel's breath stopped.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjI2HaIOlBd
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBnHNDogIOr
Pale, translucent skin stretched over angular bone structure. Violet light burned in hollow eye sockets.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEip4zPxm9V
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnACI2mnvRd
The creature blinked.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFR7CejB0rI
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsMqrn9vQLq
Slow. Deliberate.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEH3TL5d78z
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMJzOS4yQjz
Its head tilted slightly, studying him with an intelligence that made his skin crawl. Not animal. Not human.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS7cVvWaZ5S
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDxt6HFrOc6
Something else entirely.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡflW78eR6B9
​​​​​​​189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3msjvaVcRS
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