Cel's lungs refused to work. His body locked in place, every muscle screaming conflicting orders - flee, fight, freeze, submit.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuXCo4pyWKP
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ82NOBSyZn9
The head pulled back.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVazCjtmoQ
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ncX2Sg3gm
The movement was fluid, unnatural, like smoke reversing through air. As it withdrew, more of the creature emerged.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhVgtrxOcyB
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAT5rVNWm4V
Recognition hit like a fist to his gut.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGRjYiDKu2Z
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw6Lkw7CcUd
The drawing.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxMSTRANEWD
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuH8NmZg3q0
The ancient sketch from the ruins - fairy-like wings above, crystal growths below, the truth hidden beneath aggressive black ink. The thing the long-dead people had knelt before in worship.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpBkTicmQmH
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLgocmJVnXt
It was real.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLpvtmjqNQ5
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCkJ2oKrXLl
And it was here.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCIakBDKVJD
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCS3m2fPQLi
The creature's body uncoiled, serpentine and impossibly long. Its skin was translucent, pale and luminous. Cel could see every bone beneath, the delicate ribs expanding with each breath, the jointed spine curving in fluid motion.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEFA3b2iNMt
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRlphXPfTG
Long, clawed limbs unfolded, each movement precise and deliberate. Razor-sharp talons clicked against stone as it shifted its weight. The torso was lean and graceful, deceptively slender - almost human-like in its proportions, which made everything else about it worse.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZlZ2DYYTl3
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgcaRqBKYdo
Then Cel's gaze traveled downward.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKnlRw1JAPq
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8j8amy65PN
Where the body should have tapered into a tail, flesh simply... ended. Translucent skin bled seamlessly into violet crystal - first as thin veins beneath the surface, then erupting through entirely. The formations grew denser, more chaotic, consuming everything below. Jagged spines jutted outward in wild clusters, each one longer than Cel was tall, sharp enough that the edges seemed to cut the air itself.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGLFInKPgyr
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBoFUATBc1
The crystals pulsed in rhythm with the creature's breathing. Violet light rippled through them like blood through veins, casting fractured light across the cavern walls.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABsna3BNSn
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpnOddeusVO
Living flesh above, crystalline growth below - as if the maze itself had claimed the lower half of this thing and made it part of the nightmare.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoFm5Bp34VX
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdK8NvBx5VY
Four wings stretched from its back - delicate membranes veined with violet light. They looked ethereal, almost fairy-like, as if they belonged to something from children's tales.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqAHypzNKOH
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyFNJDFibiY
Then they shifted.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡddZmW2aMrE
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1KolnsTujF
The air warped. Twisted. The temperature dropped so sharply Cel's next breath misted white. The cavern's walls seemed to bend inward, then stretch outward, dimensions flickering like his eyes couldn't hold them steady.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0dXofhfBS
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSHFLDzcTSa
The creature's elongated neck arched upward, leading to that angular head crowned with twisted protrusions. Horn-like. Antenna-like. Neither and both.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6piNtvF9Vk
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMs2zwujns5
Its violet eyes gleamed with something worse than malice.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbswexKxnKQ
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj7Jff5AyvB
Intelligence.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcDWm8lKeb6
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2bntl0DKtX
Cold. Detached. Calculating.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3VyYEi202N
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjauxiZBaJ9
It didn't hate him. Didn't fear him. Didn't even seem to regard him as a threat.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJr4BkIngmS
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLd5GZ3Ad1
It just... observed.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqSSPNvEWXY
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDLFMlCXJy9
Like he was a specimen. A curiosity. Something to be examined before being discarded.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNLTuopj5AT
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEsAgXC2izs
The creature's tail flicked once - a casual movement. The crystalline spikes adorning its length caught the light, each one pulsing with energy that pressed against his skull.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnv3AnMHA1U
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAFwwPBuE1e
Every movement was too smooth. Too perfect. Too graceful for something so massive.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD9OUWnOFei
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJrmiQexbqH
Cel's legs trembled. His burned skin prickled with sudden cold. His lungs pulled in shallow, rapid breaths that did nothing to fill them.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7C7nmuDahq
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEnlZfbzyjN
‘Run.’ The thought screamed through his mind with desperate clarity.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ar45NLCaS
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMRsrao44Wq
But his body wouldn't obey.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfi8hcN0bUe
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy8lV6nsdgV
Terror had his muscles locked tight, his feet rooted to stone, his entire being frozen under the weight of the creature's presence.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtPNwDSfYvj
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyKkniVHK5F
And beneath the fear - beneath the primal instinct telling him he was about to die - something else stirred.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmIAIdstIrE
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDyHyud13K
Awe.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCT28J0YDU1
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmU5SQxpwEE
He couldn't stop staring at the horrible beauty of it. Serpentine grace wrapped around crystalline violence. Something so terrifying it became magnificent.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBD90lTd5AM
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfhZr3MsyDw
He'd never seen anything like it.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡutizaMStK4
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcV02i8wWtj
Never imagined such a thing could even exist.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlhu7yXKssF
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnVPG39hc65
And that realization - that he stood before something so far beyond human comprehension it might as well be divine - filled him with a terror more absolute than any blade or fire could ever inspire.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6MKpYmS7TN
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpjVwLhAs6H
His body folded.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdpx8ChMACm
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe9d4gvo3dL
Cel collapsed forward, his forehead striking stone. His impaled hand slammed down, sending fresh agony up his arm. His burns stretched and split, his cuts reopened. Every injury in his ruined body screamed for attention.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcvhr7f8NnW
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcUyPMh8ihG
But none of it mattered.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbv0oFRNqJw
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8JrqbEnu4D
Not compared to the creature looming over him, its crystalline spines pulsing with that cold, violet light.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeosK339IT6
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1UGo8oK46
His breath came in short, ragged gasps. His chest heaved. His vision blurred.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWMWD5GoJkR
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVZbJzPUdG9
For the first time since escaping that cell - since being given this impossible trial - a truth settled into his bones with absolute certainty.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Uysen6the
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLLMzN0CmS1
He was afraid to die.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaDh3yPpqoJ
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHn4PA1BsjW
Not the resigned acceptance he'd felt chained in darkness, waiting for the cultists to finally bleed him dry. Not the distant acknowledgment that death was inevitable, that his body would give out eventually.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXd5Ju9YlQH
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1B1MOWYjl
This was different. This was true fear.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlbyIQ5BCbD
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc4V6vxfFJZ
He'd survived. Against every odd. Despite his father's betrayal, the cultists' torture, the creature in the Hollow Realms, the mirror lake, the burning maze, the liquid nothingness - he'd survived all of it.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsiIjChjax3
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtoHd1MuRlB
He clawed his way through nightmare after nightmare to become something that would make them all regret what they'd done - to make them all pay.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12bArmf4GM
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDBjWqxQbqi
And now he knelt before something that could end him without even trying.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ67RwAKNstv
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqhHnGPrhDv
Tears burned his eyes. 41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXp1S70MlYM
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmliY3ULs7I
"Why...?"41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Egtx7pmWI
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc2N3GsyCq0
The word barely made it past his lips - a broken whisper he couldn't hear through his ruined ears.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4OpE9IvHex
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeNu7QttgQa
The creature's head tilted slightly. Watching. Waiting.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcqmFiWHlQy
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8yWoY9KoSo
"Why did I... survive... only to..." His voice cracked. Failed him.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZNYFbmImg
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUZmh1XWYBL
Cel’s entire body shook - not just from exhaustion or injury, but from the crushing weight of hopelessness pressing down on him.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTGYBM4NsYe
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ev1dCAssn
Tears dripped onto stone.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡheippKSOWG
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjMnFroGNcA
"I thought... I could find a way... but this..."41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeiVivYJcGH
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKzfhvQlEgz
The creature remained perfectly still. Its violet eyes held no sympathy. No understanding. Just that same detached curiosity, as if watching a dying animal struggle in its final moments.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4mEBSZclpO
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQcwidA1Pa
‘Get up.’41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW2C9mZVVYP
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1H0aq58u6Z
Cel's breath caught.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAfHrjmghb7
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbHhBM5ywnB
The voice cut through his despair like a blade - clear, commanding, impossible to ignore.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3p95EvzT40
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI62kChCklB
‘Don't give up!’41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaz1pjvf2uw
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZYo5gsLBRc
His fingers twitched against stone. His blurred vision sharpened, just slightly.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNaPN3yd2tk
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMFrbeSoHKy
It wasn't a plea. It was an order.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvPFt6L10sr
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadd3oB2R57
Cel's heart pounded harder. His mind reeled, grasping for the source.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0QanN5DQI
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNd4e3QJWzz
'Who...?'41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgy12qOzUp3
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwqK9G6OXwq
But the cavern offered no answer. Just the creature before him, still watching with those terrible, glowing eyes, and the sphere's gentle pulse at his back - still calling, still patient.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9LXCzNstsS
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxJgN3OvqMS
His hands pressed flat against the ground. Cold stone bit into his palms.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt337fy9xd4
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSYAGpjiool
'That's right.'41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1AXiRYin2C
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZaZ6o9jjNi
The thought formed slowly, fighting through exhaustion and pain.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbVeaFPMXHM
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAaH8E4Lzqm
He'd endured too much. Fought too hard. Suffered too long to die here on his knees.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBqV2XvPjzy
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ZTAgVMzpT
His father had beaten him. The cultists had tortured him. The maze had tried to burn him, blind him, drive him mad. That sphere had nearly consumed him whole.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡowmBQ0Os3B
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFtDXgT7Tey
But he was still here.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpN7NlxykRz
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8a6MptqKBO
Still breathing.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDni5BdmJIB
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK2cqvtW6zK
Still alive.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKaNcH0KMqS
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCLJg7gmzRS
And if he was going to die - if this creature was going to kill him - then it would be on his feet. Fighting. Not cowering on the ground like those fools in the ancient sketch, begging for mercy from something that had none to give.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPBe4qo90vX
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88MEXOrk3v
His teeth ground together hard enough to hurt.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡENg5th0gi9
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDb1Jk7jSeg
Cel's left arm trembled violently as he pushed himself up. His right hand screamed in protest, the wound through his palm tearing wider. His legs shook beneath him, threatening to give out.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuPagdqkZkT
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtjL1UqbEn2
But he stood.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLstwVNNhd7
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHEt8wUUyNU
Swaying. Barely upright. His vision swimming.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCz9A9WIc0
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlUFYWsoEZu
But standing.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDp2vlOLhdm
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvBKRESrzO8
His lips pulled back from his teeth in something between a snarl and a grin - raw and defiant.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEs86Tc5QK7
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1KCH9hULdI
"I won't..." His voice came out hoarse, broken by deafness and exhaustion. "I won't be your pawn... you crystalline bastard..."41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡasDLEbfaJo
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpQLURK6OWX
The creature's gaze narrowed.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfq4LDjE7Y1
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MQQSDvyT0
Its head lowered slightly, those horn-like protrusions catching the light. The crystalline growth along its lower body flared brighter, faster, filling the cavern with cold radiance.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ75C7JY4dxo
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEpR8vJ52ZA
Then it moved.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgAWtFsm2BJ
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7hoNu4HeIm
The tail whipped through the air with impossible speed.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYWqUYegzIH
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpswdSyBecQ
Cel threw himself sideways on pure instinct. His legs barely responded - weakened, burned, pushed beyond their limit. But adrenaline forced them to obey.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrgK95AuIS
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLb4wz03l5x
The crystalline spikes missed him by inches.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmRkBYXrs7F
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJqGDwB7RO
The tail whipped through the air with impossible speed. 41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj8DF0grNQq
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeKC7zBn8Rf
Cel threw himself sideways on pure instinct. His legs barely responded - weakened, burned, pushed beyond their limit. But adrenaline forced them to obey. 41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh8ZbTsgCsG
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgvmX8DKwM
Crystalline spikes missed him by inches. 41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXow3x6wp9
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ25X48syPJD
The wind from the strike slammed into him like a battering ram, hurling him sideways. He crashed into the cavern wall, ribs screaming.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYDooeSafBr
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHZxQra67r7
He crumpled to the ground, gasping. 41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuDt6VCG4Xc
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdI3vMQxYAi
‘Move!‘41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJohBJGNpA2
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJwGo0mpRG
He rolled onto his side. His body fought him - muscles trembling, vision swimming - but he forced himself to his knees anyway.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlDpuXk1UhC
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2tK82YAtuD
Something caught the corner of his eye.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMPlejVYl5s
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgDbT6xT67r
A crystal shard. Palm-sized. Sharp. Lying among the scattered bones and crystal fragments covering the cavern floor.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLWw3gd1Y1n
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6IbRoTCy8a
His left hand shot out, fingers closing around cold, rough edges.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSI2tpZT8F
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuOXlWmptqA
Cel pushed himself to his feet, crystal shard gripped tight in his fist. 41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPyvKguTdaj
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡziis9nB16U
This was insane. Suicidal. 41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbwuEitiMDv
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡupb0ICVYCY
A piece of broken crystal against a creature the size of a castle wall. 41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd54atHf9jv
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxGwtoGZ1lF
But it was all he had. 41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg0Ypr4ROl4
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLOrW8aNNN
Cel charged.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyODZctvlxL
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4QlvduUOge
His feet stumbled over loose fragments. His vision blurred. His breath came in ragged, desperate gasps that burned his throat.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNMJQETet0c
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1JFAbITYSz
The creature's head turned toward him - those violet eyes fixing on his pathetic approach.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6otKCbRqRu
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSdAz7kYNWb
Cel pulled his arm back and hurled the shard with everything he had left.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG3bv0FvhPt
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkSj6HhLBMk
It spun through the air, catching the sphere's white radiance… and found its target.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ16GDCCujDE
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4u6vnlzxaV
The crystal hit just below the creature's left eye socket.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEjdTiR6kwx
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxIlsHVg43k
The creature's head jerked back. Not far. Just a slight recoil - an involuntary flinch.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE1ph6KPUaJ
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWVraCvAWMB
Rather from surprise than pain.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUxZHnUB5MU
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6Jx0pPfbC
Cel stood there, swaying, his empty hand still extended from the throw. His chest heaved. His heart hammered against his ribs.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmMYQbTcnx3
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhRZTyiVgDk
For one desperate, fleeting moment, hope flickered in his mind.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCJcodJcD7
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeoKbfl0ihx
‘I hit it. I actually—’41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLlVHTHql41
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmXFwsgq6sH
The creature's expression shifted. 41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQApWvmxDph
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZH5mqQMFqq
Its head tilted again, regarding him with something that looked almost like... amusement.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzYu9P41Cr
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS7YXAbj6hF
The violet glow in its eyes brightened slightly. Its lips - if they could be called that - curved in a way that suggested it found his defiance... entertaining.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnLQkAgPzwK
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM5GEnhrBJV
Then its clawed hand lifted.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ55TA5Eskqe
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkZOd3qdqTz
One finger extended.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4J5qrjoVp
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH0m6ZljS96
And flicked.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnrH0GUJvlz
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5f57oo2Z3t
Cel felt it before he saw it.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTdRxFplGJ
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuDaazGcJtE
A crystal spike erupted from the cavern floor and punched through his torso.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV4FhKoweKC
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX2egVRRC1E
Cel's body went rigid. His mouth opened in a soundless scream.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYjHdc4ou3e
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxqNnxJcNYG
Blood erupted from the wound, coating the violet crystal in dark crimson.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQvG9F63j5
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHcf8aASdGH
His vision exploded into red and white. Pain beyond comprehension. Beyond anything he'd felt in the maze, in his father's beating, in the year of torture.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡISKQeeTen0
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJI6PZtibXU
The ground disappeared.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FPl5QeieH
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAFtranzxK1
The spike rose, carrying him with it. His feet kicked uselessly at air. His arms twitched, fingers spasming, unable to coordinate enough to grab the spike impaling him.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLL5mddeNLG
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8DkSi6aAP3
His body swayed like a broken puppet. His own weight pulled at the massive wound, tearing it wider with each small movement. Blood ran down the spike in thick streams, pooling at its base far below.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDVn5x5bhI
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHMS5QTrMJe
The spike rose higher, lifting him until he hung face-to-face with the creature.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM5UOHn2yOg
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiIdwgNDwVp
Its head shifted closer, violet eyes filling his vision - cold, curious, patient. Studying every twitch, every shudder, every weakening breath.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWu2AJVff1d
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKoILGCgliv
Cel's head lolled back against the bloodied crystal. His strength was bleeding out with every weakening heartbeat. The cavern blurred - violet light smearing into darkness at the edges of his vision.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTLp17HQcxz
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2mr9eKH9xv
This was it.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfVI4l0E5dZ
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn9n7NSIksD
This was how he died.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4QkgGGvDK
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGT8HpLNBnf
Not from starvation in that cell. Not from the crystal maze's heat. Not from the void or the mirrors or any of the other horrors.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡroyc1z2K6W
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsHjG8FcAWW
Here. Impaled. Helpless.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlnbRg1Hk5Q
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl7vH8OPWd6
His unfocused gaze drifted across the cavern, past the pulsing crystals, past the creature's grotesque beauty.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYcP3FE9EzV
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKQw5rGySSS
And stopped.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbxQ03fGtf4
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2PkVLIeLbM
There - in the surface of a distant crystal formation - his reflection watched.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLaR6BSH28L
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnvASbYCEyr
It looked knowing. Resigned. The expression of someone who'd surrendered long ago and was simply waiting for the inevitable. 41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWVKJUXF3kK
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLAb2l4Ysec
Not triumphant. Not vindictive. 41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLCTGAMV6d5
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh20kKHbcdw
Just... waiting. 41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZFd71xVVr5
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYFtipNdyUj
‘We will see.’ The words flashed through Cel's mind - the reflection's parting promise in the mirror lake. 41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrhY7vN8OOf
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmPF5GfbssG
It had never needed to fight him. Never needed to convince him.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSUMvzn4fkg
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfpl1QDJxys
Because it had always known how this ended.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQHtOdTBkB
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCeWXmFr0Fz
'So this is it...' The thought barely formed, drifting through his fading consciousness like smoke.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHRafK6P1Md
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ21B3ljtQg
He'd fought. Raged. Defied everything this nightmare had thrown at him.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEyDzJa5NXx
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRNSZgOfkv
And circled right back to the same place:41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYcxIpyO2B1
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH7yx8eBQNi
Death.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOAZcY0qRcr
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzmVmKFlui4
The creature's tail coiled, muscles tensing. Preparing the final strike.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEcYVh5sGFD
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzE1j3fxNYO
Cel didn't have the strength to lift his head. His body hung there, shaking, blood streaming down the spike in steady flows. His vision locked on the distant reflection that had given up long ago.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVvOKuokuWl
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZjOC4oNwd
Then—41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn5RornAv2I
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Wp3apRNAD
Silver light split the darkness.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYytkXgvFTm
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpXCXHKCnIx
Faint at first. Almost imperceptible against the violet glow saturating everything.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWX1RcgNDiT
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0HPM3vQGx
But it grew41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxyh14rcGt0
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLPeRvipLA1
It spilled across the cavern walls like liquid starlight, washing over jagged crystal formations and scattered bones alike.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZL8ROvC3RQ
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgr3rvhrgEe
Cel's eyes fluttered. His weakening gaze dragged upward, past the creature’s frozen form, past the endless maze of crystal walls.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx55YVKrxsI
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIoVHWIAHks
And there - above it all - hung the moon.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6o53NIoRAV
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQ8RfcJHWZ
Full. Radiant.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBN8C3n7AI
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9a55ZbQvlC
'Ah... there you are.'41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF5aMOLIJaF
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBHaOnehfGf
The creature's head lifted toward the moon, eyes narrowing, tail stilling mid-coil.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHIboA6czQt
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGNyW9vVdI2
The moment stretched. Suspended. Weightless.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtbZPx1lBB
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQL6m6t15l3
Cold touched Cel's skin - not the suffocating cold of death seeping through his bones, but something gentle. Something real. 41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOomveIL8PR
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4WNJ4ligEo
His breath misted. Silver frost crept across the cavern, coating everything in a thin layer of ice that caught the moonlight. Even the blood dripping from his wound began to freeze mid-fall.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDzHXt3cYNc
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrd5s2PzBhD
The sphere's warmth had been false, consuming, trying to fill him with comfortable lies. This cold was honest. It didn't promise to heal him or take away the pain. 41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOso0YaIm2F
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ53L93modyO
The agony in his chest remained sharp and immediate. Blood still dripped steadily from the wound. His body was still dying. 41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdClQdlT7Sp
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ3L6LqlLh3
But the crushing weight lifted. The suffocating despair. The certainty that his death meant nothing. 41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZazCknAwI
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClXjq0sRLB
This cold whispered something different. 41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2EpMZdLdvB
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4dNjSbb01U
Peace.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJOuSLmzVC
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB05IzKVkZc
After everything. After all of it.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡufQOcQ34xV
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuYnOn61KGF
Peace.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOHkT15XF5g
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGNuhDGDQK
His eyes grew heavy, and his lips curved - barely perceptible - into something that might have been a smile.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOZ8e1RvTx
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ9zATgNrBf
And in his mind - or perhaps somewhere deeper - words formed with crystalline clarity:41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnXvL4VGGfo
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVsV2EbOLuQ
<You passed the trial: You found the moon.>41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxh5XXL4fJ
1234 copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡNGrAsVMhdy 尼

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