Cel lay at the chasm's edge, staring into the depths.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ7a8vFUAeq
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbsXXvuiP9m
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRgxGoqnxI
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMfz8vr4cAi
This light felt... safe.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRVrxLIq5q
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHESFgung03
His cracked lips pulled into something that might have been a smile if his face hadn't been so ruined.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ07yumw0Fs
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ugmka4jiw
'Maybe...'266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPtn73NBFaG
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3CAb8EZ8kl
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAZwmZwsB5B
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYAj19PVJN5
But that light was unlike everything else in this nightmare.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡofM4nDnc2h
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHF1GlbjJB5
And the skeleton had jumped toward it without hesitation.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7YS4MyrjAH
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjl78fJ96OP
'The trial.' The words surfaced distant in his mind. 'Find the moon.'266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjGl1hNqdp
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZBDdWeDaC
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8hWWOJRQV3
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZU1GaycXv2
But deep below, where even the crystal-infested creatures were drawn…266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyCA28Fl5Kg
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmLtMout84Q
Maybe that's where it was.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡklEpqhkWvL
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzu7sMCat5n
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZOKYdz45K8
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz1lXVG4R23
It was the only hope he had left.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw09oS4cfeo
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡackcCF4WFN
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonR9DGzMUL
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5R5EVoIcFF
He fell.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfSyMbilpgp
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdnWCp5aj40
The air rushed past him. His body tumbled through darkness, too weak to even flail.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsK0Wb1qejV
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY4R8YzV5Ua
He slammed into a wide ledge jutting from the chasm wall.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4P7fYBxvks
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwx06TkEb3
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxRDtBx07oP
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi1VjpilgNl
Then his weight settled. 266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdNcXMXYRL8
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG5bEQoh40B
Pain registered distantly - his shoulder, his ribs, something in his back. 266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsslOxazZk1
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSB8g9RpCWo
Cel's fingers twitched against smooth stone. His cheek pressed against crystal, cold seeping through burnt skin.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW87HhPucpl
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeNahv8TYAI
‘Down.’266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0bJpyvjfsT
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd9qZvzvYil
The word echoed in his skull. Not a choice. A command his body obeyed without consulting his mind.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuj7IBv9HN7
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9XBItV2kY
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS7DCCrnU3S
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB4GGCPgrUX
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlAl9KAqx65
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRChK7iemJb
But the pain felt... distant.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmdL8wafLTP
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3SWhZdJFqJ
Muffled, like the silence that had swallowed his hearing.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5jEFVUlq1
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXTmW7IcwUz
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqgODclkJQl
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAcvWt3RJp8
He kept descending.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3wAeE4a54p
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1CiuVnEPF1
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5poUZIAAe
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdzrta4S4Md
His breathing steadied. The constant burn in his chest eased. His throat stopped feeling like shredded glass.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoMuFVfT21v
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2CXubChnGw
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTAGi0Y9FxU
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡStfwiBsr82
He should be panicking. Should be terrified.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHlQFKzRRK
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyuI0nBdSbJ
But he wasn't.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOyxQxMrsVz
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTQzetjTVP
His legs stopped shaking. The trembling in his arms faded. When he reached for the next handhold, his grip felt... steady. Strong, even.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzlEIhIEDa
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKqI2yJllFW
Cel pulled himself onto a wider ledge and paused. His legs shifted beneath him - not crawling now. Walking.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwmVUDB16bq
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWo6nqYK14Z
When had he stood up?266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZPeRNJAWL
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡifZ94iQ1VK
He looked down at his feet, planted firmly on crystal. Looked at his legs supporting his weight without collapsing.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtkyruzmlO4
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxbb2QGQRWj
A crystal formation beside him caught his reflection, its surface smooth as glass.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmr74AJ3I3T
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqVPakAsA4
His face stared back at him.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjaewYtaXMB
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ79vqRE0M12
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB8n86HOzf9
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFSdzuWNgl4
Cel's hand reached for the next formation. The reflection's hand reached too, matching his movement exactly.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHXZoxssQss
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYKMOScH9cl
He kept descending. His body moved with increasing ease, as if the journey required less effort with each step.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZfR8vVRzR
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Bfp0Z2v91
The reflection followed beside him, its hollow eyes tracking him.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCa78Tzi9d9
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtgFwVZeZk9
'Wait… isn't that…?' 266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuQG4lMoQMD
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbsiWjWQ5AE
The thought barely surfaced before slipping away. 266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡus5LICLaCX
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8jzXHUZeZx
'What was it again?' 266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbSUp9pZIRu
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRTsqeCpy5t
A shiver crawled up his spine. His instincts screamed at him to stop, to look, to remember.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2qqX68feGk
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDDBKXA9zcD
But he didn't. 266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQERyuaa9Zb
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYWY1t6YedF
His steps never faltered. His gaze never wavered. Whatever it was, it didn't matter anymore.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ227BqmasNa
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBeFKn7V3FT
He focused on the path below. Left hand. Right foot. Down.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡawpt3S7dkz
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrtiHSQjM4c
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsmGBcw5M1U
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrJmyvrVYUI
Cel’s next step found solid ground.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeh9hm2CBNi
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLCyyeMEM3J
Since…266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWgGRtCLiD
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeZL0GQvhy6
Since when?266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvjuHNuCQmV
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd3NyKpnM2m
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx6WL6jUjin
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW74hoNjbXD
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡezevD6AtdG
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTbi6Id3mE
A sphere of pure light.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiB666NelaP
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡenW4zgNzyw
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmUTT7xbBxa
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0myfV8P4M
Bones lay scattered across the floor beneath it - pale fragments studded with violet crystal growths, half-buried in the ground. 266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ios9pBaQC
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ405NxhS6hw
He didn't look at them.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUTNPc9HrkS
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ZDfXsOdxC
All that existed was the light.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzWmz2KNkw
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI0Z4ey5RBS
‘Beautiful.’266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4UiKyOJZAu
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP5CRcM1ban
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt1AfNbkbxV
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡroHpUVN51R
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡThLFCgnQrE
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGnl7hLZwZ7
Couldn't remember why anything had hurt at all.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ23WMUgga53
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5GdIRngWSu
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Yk7HJtwvV
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9AhFchLWFa
Another step forward.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJWaGyhDfQ8
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEW8nYEwxH5
The light pulsed. His heart pulsed with it.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUMONAy0Kbi
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmVpgeWYnPJ
'The trial...'266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlVy9QejUQ0
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghzhEcvJjq
The thought drifted through his mind like smoke, barely formed before dissolving. There had been something. Some task. Some reason he'd been suffering.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELT117ecxX
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEOLaQWESHz
But it seemed so distant now. So... unnecessary.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEBiQZkzQAT
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRalaN1uIY
Why had he been searching? Why had he fought? This peace had been waiting all along. Just here. Just below.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0lO5BTX2Pg
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjK9E8GXUr6
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1LF1KfP6N
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡydhDadnXXm
All of it... filling.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa197KQIJBw
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRr100yeJFM
Becoming whole.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLUTuCnMbvj
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RTnToLfc4
The sphere towered before him now, so close he could reach out and touch it. Its surface rippled like liquid silver. Inviting. Welcoming.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbwy0D5bIbQ
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ96SewOd23W
'Home.'266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9tdtEybtss
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTbgBD1w8yB
Yes. That's what this was. He'd been searching for a home. For somewhere he belonged. And he'd found it. Finally.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp3O5jXAGFg
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡorVwBwVZgZ
Cel lifted his left hand, fingers extending toward the light.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF8pZTq1rxn
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡevadjzWnP2
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyCFTn0JATg
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmM2g1qMXcP
His knees buckled.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX7fiyzpgMp
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh3OStjQBrb
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVx1fCAYYns
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOkhI4Thl8
His lips curved into a smile.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFIKEYytDw
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvACYB9kTaC
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4kEOVxNp0m
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsshBAeksmM
Only this.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9PpKUyXjg6
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDU9Y4ic0z
Only—266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgeDcfP1Jco
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeEp2OWYOKB
The cavern shook.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhXeETQDJpN
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIwXvJDWYj1
The tremor hit with brutal force, violent enough to crack the crystal formations on the walls.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCaNXjJdVhD
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmKVugJRt5F
Cel's hand ripped free from the sphere as he fell sideways.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfz3Gi25CDE
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVArGREVaCz
The warmth vanished instantly, replaced by crushing cold.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe3XqPh75tU
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQQskJFrHn
His consciousness slammed back into place.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8FefAki1Pl
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO0g44JOEXv
The pain returned all at once.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYeTVC9nOWw
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYjoES8OsCB
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeFXdN3yfYH
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0GRadnrbgP
He gasped, lungs heaving like he'd been held underwater.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ecxFEzWKO
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4pnPjGReI1
'What—'266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ4RH6ooBV5
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHdlCJ5ejzl
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzWwi3Cg2F
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0nKdf9OSnx
The sphere hovered before him, pulsing gently. 266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrWIcGn9rxM
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8tPjJEfE12
It was beautiful. Inviting.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSR4SZRnibX
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkLQnBBIMc3
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—266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9vNBlYM0U4
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2tUoT9GPkH
'No.'266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGrnSLoENYK
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSgWkLnZSV8
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHmVjUe82Co
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7fKkqXSnse
'This thing… manipulated me.' The thought arrived with perfect clarity. 266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJwa6AA7oCs
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡULhXyqkvRu
But when had it started?266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4DVm3EANVO
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLAwBfuLx8S
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—266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zMDCzxIQh
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZEKFVsPElx
'Decided what?'266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRrXnI1L9oY
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFV4kk7mJEy
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?266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2fl4CK6eoB
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEGgnwh2NIy
His mind raced backward through fragmented memories.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmg3Jh35Cbs
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmli8nj8CTe
The crystal maze. The spire in the distance - he'd avoided it. Gone the opposite direction every time.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6dShJE6DY0
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ78rMMsUXEN
Why?266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCoS4QkrQAb
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡixX069yCYn
He'd told himself it looked dangerous. Ominous. Something about it felt wrong.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlI9XB31WGk
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJaE6tVjQSd
But what if that feeling hadn't been his own?266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ56SuoK17Og
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqUJ2uMz344
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOkyeaftgtr
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLVI9nDwOBF
What if none of it had been his choice?266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7evenT4l2b
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz2XN2eMD9D
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0zbc5munC
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjBrtY3esDb
What if it had been guiding him all along? Herding him like cattle toward this exact spot?266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJtBliPOg8Z
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxdyv418Ex
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLBorPbzr2J
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl9heQhWln4
Even now - especially now - that warmth pressed against his skin. Gentle. Patient. Waiting for him to reach out again. 266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIpzfBVQg7i
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02z3UpzJ4q
To surrender.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFEIjKkXbAC
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd9iJ7HtQL7
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdI8VJr2SHR
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOflPeytZii
Just like everyone who'd ever tried to make him into something less.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVjqyyt19h
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2K7ScPNnX2
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTu6KWzCki7
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGhTGVfY8CY
His jaw clenched. His fingers curled into fists despite the agony in his right hand.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy79HaE9Wsc
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYWwCW1rEb
'It almost had me.'266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX6zKOgIyWn
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNotS65b3GW
The sphere pulsed before him. That gentle rhythm matching his heartbeat, trying to align again. Trying to pull him back.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2abnlEDI2G
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLEOlzR8ZSW
Cel tried to push himself up. His legs trembled, refusing to hold his weight. He collapsed back onto his knees, gasping.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡILVLT9QXXK
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkdaGtoRzrz
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7I8o4Qtse
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡauLtfllpaS
He turned.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSMnSE2h19
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7CfVLBahD
A massive head filled his vision.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡct6f5i3UrT
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkUb8rBJZvR
Cel's breath stopped.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJPOQvYxXcd
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsFz9sXVCWF
Pale, translucent skin stretched over angular bone structure. Violet light burned in hollow eye sockets.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdLaq1ZB4vS
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyqKDlZNbbj
The creature blinked.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnoPBP2S4Bz
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk864OwFqBt
Slow. Deliberate.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGyH1T2PufJ
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡevtbbqoxfZ
Its head tilted slightly, studying him with an intelligence that made his skin crawl. Not animal. Not human.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKgeiEVxq3y
266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7rPiQnToL
Something else entirely.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkkPpTKlTHC
​​​​​​​266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKXvesLDwfu
1234 copyright protection262ＰＥＮＡＮＡEgOKu6ox3Z 尼

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