Cel's lungs refused to work. His body locked in place, every muscle screaming conflicting orders - flee, fight, freeze, submit.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0uU0nKVfpl
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPBWLAwFhQ2
The head pulled back.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHFhMK4mtFp
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHAFXXtYiTD
The movement was fluid, unnatural, like smoke reversing through air. As it withdrew, more of the creature emerged.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlhnU5mUuhX
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDWNbxtT7v8
Recognition hit like a fist to his gut.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOXOjrht3Di
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF5mumYy2gl
The drawing.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNan4ht7Ocw
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOrw4egrL5u
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡteFhMF2YzG
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡep6v36rKrg
It was real.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6pXVtiK8mK
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7KxXvDX9EZ
And it was here.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4b8BksSGPg
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7P1AD6pJIg
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwLFEqi4PpA
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm8lPaLG0lM
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhNxvhi3USs
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhsFy8640mG
Then Cel's gaze traveled downward.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJey3kax2U5
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUFmAV2qOt0
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqLipp2d7qI
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi1DANXdhcV
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqfM1EgtzAK
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCZ1RgVJdv
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡobEiYrSvPs
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJibrugH5A9
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSED3BwqAOd
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8wBpzwfN2
Then they shifted.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxdGLSgeSiO
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAsAxWf4HKK
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmJeUeoGfnC
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSde6bsQ0pe
The creature's elongated neck arched upward, leading to that angular head crowned with twisted protrusions. Horn-like. Antenna-like. Neither and both.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAOQlEfhdhE
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡphYYug9O8K
Its violet eyes gleamed with something worse than malice.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUeJvlSphv7
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDoBSXlePa
Intelligence.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3pKC891MmA
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKXbGvQgRy
Cold. Detached. Calculating.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGeXf4SCcgA
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡceDOPt79pb
It didn't hate him. Didn't fear him. Didn't even seem to regard him as a threat.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡStF3GgL6Pv
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrQie3WAyDv
It just... observed.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP5XOgrq6DQ
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIPtPz36paG
Like he was a specimen. A curiosity. Something to be examined before being discarded.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmRTAylLC6b
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVFC2gqGDzX
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpYVzVvj1Ni
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2yWpYQcqyg
Every movement was too smooth. Too perfect. Too graceful for something so massive.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx28jTKGLnJ
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyiTJV4XjY2
Cel's legs trembled. His burned skin prickled with sudden cold. His lungs pulled in shallow, rapid breaths that did nothing to fill them.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhFR4zUYEzo
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHOGCU0MoeA
‘Run.’ The thought screamed through his mind with desperate clarity.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVWX8ymIACM
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9D7UBQz4uR
But his body wouldn't obey.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUnZ5kNbSqO
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Q771VEH2L
Terror had his muscles locked tight, his feet rooted to stone, his entire being frozen under the weight of the creature's presence.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4939SwXKtf
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUe73l5hJEj
And beneath the fear - beneath the primal instinct telling him he was about to die - something else stirred.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnp01ih8178
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFtUHeaBF0n
Awe.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ95TUKzqTdX
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1E1bhBxLrj
He couldn't stop staring at the horrible beauty of it. Serpentine grace wrapped around crystalline violence. Something so terrifying it became magnificent.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPaAuMtBmO3
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtTEWBRhyix
He'd never seen anything like it.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYwolXIxu4m
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLT4wiImNoY
Never imagined such a thing could even exist.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqTIhXZFwBY
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTTneyNqV97
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs6AqvhoWbt
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWkqITRyTTf
His body folded.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd2DmHLlXfx
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qMu4OPLSM
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9cSSnO9UMu
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAPnUsCgwyr
But none of it mattered.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjIISASd7iv
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMXGXOoK2Ht
Not compared to the creature looming over him, its crystalline spines pulsing with that cold, violet light.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYh69pLcj65
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfrirZGo04
His breath came in short, ragged gasps. His chest heaved. His vision blurred.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmlzcz0QhO2
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8qP3CqEtGj
For the first time since escaping that cell - since being given this impossible trial - a truth settled into his bones with absolute certainty.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBRbFUinXSG
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ68P4x1UgTM
He was afraid to die.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYhxx1LecMO
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwpl9ZNGGIb
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIXC0rzSJaG
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd1dygwQiG7
This was different. This was true fear.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1jAB97qY4K
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBiMu8ZlpeO
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZppNQln2VA
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU0roenkaQW
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXRn18ohqZr
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWyf3GzjX18
And now he knelt before something that could end him without even trying.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkbKuAtCGt2
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyolMu2s80m
Tears burned his eyes. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuuJu6kV0qE
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqdaVserLZ
"Why...?"8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ppBmYSHxk
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrdpdq5aGp0
The word barely made it past his lips - a broken whisper he couldn't hear through his ruined ears.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz55V2WJbIb
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0MoP5ZyTCA
The creature's head tilted slightly. Watching. Waiting.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAFazo5ogDD
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU3kqj6jSti
"Why did I... survive... only to..." His voice cracked. Failed him.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6K5k4cNGhi
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF5H0EcUmkZ
Cel’s entire body shook - not just from exhaustion or injury, but from the crushing weight of hopelessness pressing down on him.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlej5VMHhtz
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNHLDrLYNGB
Tears dripped onto stone.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCLC3ImdYqK
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBP1LE2mzo0
"I thought... I could find a way... but this..."8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQqx2wlypu
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVFDtTVKNT0
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡewVvBgFTXX
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQMC1S44aDM
‘Get up.’8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2PVmKomhvV
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2x7MqCEzc7
Cel's breath caught.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTH6aWxJuY0
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaqeJtkszd7
The voice cut through his despair like a blade - clear, commanding, impossible to ignore.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW1Px6kJoqF
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgfmAEdBabB
‘Don't give up!’8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWxXNBEHfx
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxP5Bt20alO
His fingers twitched against stone. His blurred vision sharpened, just slightly.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3yCa3raQhm
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1mfl4dRckH
It wasn't a plea. It was an order.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVtWiSa9T7j
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI56drxYqJy
Cel's heart pounded harder. His mind reeled, grasping for the source.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHbrUQ9GXKo
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdE4Od7C58q
'Who...?'8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFEbv4Ke5r
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCEzOU8WvMb
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1LC93YRxjx
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5U95gTg6q
His hands pressed flat against the ground. Cold stone bit into his palms.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2gw2pb7JND
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTkNCrr1cO
'That's right.'8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiQFzgTSzHg
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcgOpfIklL6
The thought formed slowly, fighting through exhaustion and pain.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmlS4kAkLLH
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxqm60VoNml
He'd endured too much. Fought too hard. Suffered too long to die here on his knees.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZaEbjh3NyD
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZaYyyHFM6
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLCMZaCLaYF
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1hdG8COAq0
But he was still here.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWJQ6TExbJO
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSqqsyCXXdA
Still breathing.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeQ9Y9AxMLX
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRyWU6vkOcx
Still alive.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1xpCXpinaD
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00WRAyKEwy
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO0ZP0zu2q3
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEegQFFPFbE
His teeth ground together hard enough to hurt.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3rp6ci00wv
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnNBznRcBFw
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡloN9pIQaXz
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgCB7HL8tI9
But he stood.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqI2l1eBsxw
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHC0uoHenWP
Swaying. Barely upright. His vision swimming.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz6MRfo5hdU
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhuhZC6TRGk
But standing.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡamrjoY3nRS
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK6nTDp64XE
His lips pulled back from his teeth in something between a snarl and a grin - raw and defiant.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz1cLc0uavu
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXMXvrPagF
"I won't..." His voice came out hoarse, broken by deafness and exhaustion. "I won't be your pawn... you crystalline bastard..."8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBTq9sKOZiQ
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVEJAZFkLlE
The creature's gaze narrowed.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmi2JekjQrs
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMvPr9onHL7
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGALP1KUCQW
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdaohCdWScA
Then it moved.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmzZmkFBp7K
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnlODLMKV4G
The tail whipped through the air with impossible speed.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85egMKQyvq
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpE6e3wlrh5
Cel threw himself sideways on pure instinct. His legs barely responded - weakened, burned, pushed beyond their limit. But adrenaline forced them to obey.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH33L018gzW
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvyRU8UQYgd
The crystalline spikes missed him by inches.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3GDZFUVwue
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ37KDuSF6KS
The tail whipped through the air with impossible speed. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcu3cVNuLKF
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD6ab3joeB6
Cel threw himself sideways on pure instinct. His legs barely responded - weakened, burned, pushed beyond their limit. But adrenaline forced them to obey. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAb74oBs3MI
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJDuRXkjWak
Crystalline spikes missed him by inches. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHmuyyBmnX
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyPyHN0kpxb
The wind from the strike slammed into him like a battering ram, hurling him sideways. He crashed into the cavern wall, ribs screaming.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4gha4QVqfR
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFPj7j9DbX9
He crumpled to the ground, gasping. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcAJ2SJxdFH
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUpNnJ5BQR4
‘Move!‘8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJaO82wPsyh
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmocPYdC9HD
He rolled onto his side. His body fought him - muscles trembling, vision swimming - but he forced himself to his knees anyway.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12DySJVZTj
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWfi9yegLkj
Something caught the corner of his eye.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFYMzHno6yF
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbDaBbM0FSf
A crystal shard. Palm-sized. Sharp. Lying among the scattered bones and crystal fragments covering the cavern floor.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0olY6Ui0kf
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvqTLbnnmZT
His left hand shot out, fingers closing around cold, rough edges.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiuBPoIjhKt
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh8jDs86Dk5
Cel pushed himself to his feet, crystal shard gripped tight in his fist. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡan4xepenIB
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUdKEnGrwF5
This was insane. Suicidal. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKIPrCtGBmV
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFeXgyGzcvh
A piece of broken crystal against a creature the size of a castle wall. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVOserkOkE9
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfzGBBD0iqn
But it was all he had. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhh21PE0jAS
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4p77PT3RZf
Cel charged.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvihVtBBPLA
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhvZVFikqTf
His feet stumbled over loose fragments. His vision blurred. His breath came in ragged, desperate gasps that burned his throat.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG3DAgCfb36
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsshqLajUwm
The creature's head turned toward him - those violet eyes fixing on his pathetic approach.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ89HRPjmg3O
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmddoCHbTUe
Cel pulled his arm back and hurled the shard with everything he had left.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaZDXrVIQk8
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ83TbX0bcn
It spun through the air, catching the sphere's white radiance… and found its target.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Bwsm6dUUQ
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0i7TiF0O2
The crystal hit just below the creature's left eye socket.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw2MESZAdgR
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ1XitN0qxV
The creature's head jerked back. Not far. Just a slight recoil - an involuntary flinch.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS0MOKWw8Ll
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1QVR6IucGx
Rather from surprise than pain.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMCuPncymJj
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHRK6F6zRsV
Cel stood there, swaying, his empty hand still extended from the throw. His chest heaved. His heart hammered against his ribs.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡperqoIvhsj
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaT3wfR6O3z
For one desperate, fleeting moment, hope flickered in his mind.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5fujAhPNym
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0VvNIMOYxR
‘I hit it. I actually—’8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiBQKRkLrJw
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwBvOn5Uguu
The creature's expression shifted. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhdEmwsJqlI
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGXCgbRfL43
Its head tilted again, regarding him with something that looked almost like... amusement.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMpkFSw1Xoa
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb3jgPGsAhB
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJupUH05oiI
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJn20jVAODy
Then its clawed hand lifted.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqY5WIqqneT
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYqOgoj7NO2
One finger extended.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1C4hhzShDF
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡURbgg40UlC
And flicked.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDAtTNB33vF
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkhNcNwz1Y
Cel felt it before he saw it.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkY5B6AuuYj
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw2fQJUTqJF
A crystal spike erupted from the cavern floor and punched through his torso.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQht2NmZha
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp6pKUGaW9G
Cel's body went rigid. His mouth opened in a soundless scream.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXohx46gol1
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE37TgKJDbR
Blood erupted from the wound, coating the violet crystal in dark crimson.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCiJIdL1RMS
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ZGQh6W5fe
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbc2WwmAmlX
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2CCwu8W6Yl
The ground disappeared.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeiQGZb0iyj
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUxz4tIbquc
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1ZQHTqfRk
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgadhQ5aTx2
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmb9LqsvF4c
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE3l3MIYXXB
The spike rose higher, lifting him until he hung face-to-face with the creature.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQFQcDOxBP
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Ky271Ga8Q
Its head shifted closer, violet eyes filling his vision - cold, curious, patient. Studying every twitch, every shudder, every weakening breath.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5f9ySr2u7E
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwhsqzU23kC
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYDQF9L7ecp
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyrxDrF11t1
This was it.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzNQb0yES2s
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwiG6fwdw0S
This was how he died.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxML2fqM4pj
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3AyBNwpy5K
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCaxe2zL8wX
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0XO7OAuzux
Here. Impaled. Helpless.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrrLPNYVeWg
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRuabjWk0fB
His unfocused gaze drifted across the cavern, past the pulsing crystals, past the creature's grotesque beauty.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6vXuPCO2r7
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKsTUjQO9Au
And stopped.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWy08ysan7Y
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHHE0FaG2Ss
There - in the surface of a distant crystal formation - his reflection watched.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPM3wNROte
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjm4ggdS7cV
It looked knowing. Resigned. The expression of someone who'd surrendered long ago and was simply waiting for the inevitable. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKRWHnoEi1z
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYj0RFky5tT
Not triumphant. Not vindictive. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoSYKv0ieLV
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqgWMgbe3rr
Just... waiting. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIbj7m7aGKX
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrBZ18a94FN
‘We will see.’ The words flashed through Cel's mind - the reflection's parting promise in the mirror lake. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8lVyCApnzc
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXmH3oBOP4
It had never needed to fight him. Never needed to convince him.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOMYO6aRawo
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNjsYjGdQTW
Because it had always known how this ended.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJFuF4xWgF3
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡajmZgB0NAX
'So this is it...' The thought barely formed, drifting through his fading consciousness like smoke.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ58TvqQkZrJ
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7oELTBDbcz
He'd fought. Raged. Defied everything this nightmare had thrown at him.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2f3sk2JeO3
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNHoM3czWBb
And circled right back to the same place:8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwEHIAnsHLJ
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsLOs0dc0YH
Death.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGToJ7aS78K
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5JERSRxKe9
The creature's tail coiled, muscles tensing. Preparing the final strike.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlaKZtEVxVo
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgmF1idDKde
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgltvHYiwui
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPeD33fPEA
Then—8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxSIbx10b3k
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeDdz4vYeXK
Silver light split the darkness.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ck26Qloxq
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbuoFFuv4KG
Faint at first. Almost imperceptible against the violet glow saturating everything.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYHgqtktZx
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx6pFbkjFso
But it grew8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLR0JLy5g5A
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9tH1ttwtYa
It spilled across the cavern walls like liquid starlight, washing over jagged crystal formations and scattered bones alike.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx7TurG6c0f
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSpBJ3LKsfV
Cel's eyes fluttered. His weakening gaze dragged upward, past the creature’s frozen form, past the endless maze of crystal walls.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq1DDcjS2zW
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNNebDbfjwd
And there - above it all - hung the moon.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWYdB9mAw61
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM6UPDhHM5N
Full. Radiant.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonlAQA0IF8
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJwob8Y8r4
'Ah... there you are.'8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV7Y1guVQOc
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsoeGY4f14u
The creature's head lifted toward the moon, eyes narrowing, tail stilling mid-coil.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbefGsixW8d
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPZ9DViDDvp
The moment stretched. Suspended. Weightless.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNEv6Ke7Zi1
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6i7oM7E0vx
Cold touched Cel's skin - not the suffocating cold of death seeping through his bones, but something gentle. Something real. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2OH6Jk1pUd
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfURpaHRBzF
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhHi1tTZ4Pg
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1eH83KKT9
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. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfBt6jDe36a
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyMnN1ZThHT
The agony in his chest remained sharp and immediate. Blood still dripped steadily from the wound. His body was still dying. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZFAJOHc2TS
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXbWcHIMxRv
But the crushing weight lifted. The suffocating despair. The certainty that his death meant nothing. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKWrOzqWqc
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT7UHpWD0s5
This cold whispered something different. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRRgOEMIzq
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3tcT707XSO
Peace.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqXSs6dGfPH
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7nFSt6u71D
After everything. After all of it.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQFZcOM91Us
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZf7HAzP5ea
Peace.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8EHjhE1CWn
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ62qf1JXZXx
His eyes grew heavy, and his lips curved - barely perceptible - into something that might have been a smile.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTslXrld235
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡff5k8nSnEv
And in his mind - or perhaps somewhere deeper - words formed with crystalline clarity:8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzf7NOlSfvO
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhqUY7a7Yl4
<You passed the trial: You found the moon.>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkYJTrNFTPj
1234 copyright protection4ＰＥＮＡＮＡuPL2uRZZcJ 尼

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