When Cel opened his eyes, Selina's arms were still around him.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr32sBXT7zz
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDgfzh8CagL
For a moment, he remained perfectly still - caught between the sacred ground he'd just left and the reality of her embrace. The warmth of it. The gentleness.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBAVdYlywyl
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdNWhKxWcg
His breath hitched.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwQYcIbEpt
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Then, something inside him broke.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5VGf55ZoEt
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFrsheiLia9
Not violently. Not like shattering glass or splintering bone.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡet8MQz3XfW
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3vBf47xYXp
Like melting ice. Like a dam finally cracking under pressure it was never meant to hold.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmSEp7sRiUc
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQJXJJX0JuQ
A sound escaped him - small, choked, achingly human.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo8s8D5WGA1
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPMdsJt8oBp
His shoulders began to shake.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD034PbeGjU
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ZXCT1H6ou
Cel tried to stop it. Tried to force the trembling back down, to swallow the weakness rising in his throat. He'd survived torture. Starvation. Nightmares made flesh. 27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYk048olhxU
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDkUMYcGHvR
He shouldn't be—27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE0gIuO6fxH
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMTO5dSnlkH
Another sound tore free. Louder this time.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMExpYFT31v
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOCdejbEsq
The tears came.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv608bE9ZSo
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡExMPDPZATu
Silent at first, hot against his cheeks. Then accompanied by gasps he couldn't control, sobs that wrenched themselves from somewhere deep in his chest where he'd buried everything for so long.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDTE6yFHtP4
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyp8opC4976
The year in the cell. The maggot-infested food. The cultists' knives. Ren's death.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8OaPzCuu05
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPwFvHJxAN
His father's fists. His mother's silence. His brother's cowardice.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3z9zGMHSZc
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJy7fFYuxTc
The mirror lake. The crystal maze. The creature that had killed him.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKtzYiVCXFf
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtLENyBDxiT
All of it - every moment of pain, every betrayal, every second he'd told himself he had to endure because there was no other choice - tore free at once.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCBdwDoucK
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4tc0BNPkFs
And he couldn't stop it.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9iBl1AuvUy
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj5mphV8KK8
Cel's knees weakened. His hands clutched at Selina's robes, fingers curling into white fabric like it was the only solid thing left in the world.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQH21YsS7Dp
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKHPn82tT06
She held him.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRPLtT0mSBj
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfKVZMf0Cf
Didn't speak. Didn't pull away. Didn't tell him to be strong or to compose himself.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwtHQHcEd92
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPnRr5o0t7z
She simply held him, one hand moving to cradle the back of his head with steady gentleness while he broke apart in her arms.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcH5UhT5Ak9
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4389g9nUh4
Time became meaningless.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIuwbvOrSjX
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdrbv6eWiPB
Eventually, the sobs gradually quieted. The gasps turned to shaky breaths, leaving only exhaustion in their wake.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ixbs9pmZy
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCYgqBkbSz7
Cel pulled back slowly, roughly wiping at his face with trembling hands.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEaXtNGqSYe
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJFOfHHyqj
His cheeks burned. Not from fever - from embarrassment so acute it felt physical.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiZ8DfPjdAv
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNzWFy3NOcb
He'd just—27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa4S5cgisG3
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcKI1AyRKLX
In front of her—27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgu9nSVmQkR
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWdMLBZjnwf
"I'm sorry," he choked out, unable to meet her eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv3ToDCTqnR
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDySwN1SDx
"There is nothing to apologize for, Chosen One." Her voice held no judgment. No pity. No disappointment.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzYrT84ZPAv
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR0S67nSuFB
Only acceptance.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ38NdLsa9E6
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiBWI7NazDr
Cel swallowed hard, gaze fixed firmly on the ground between them. His throat felt raw, stripped clean.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsThnftMoTY
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL0UNN0V2wl
"I just…" He didn't know how to finish that sentence.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1WeOenVK95
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhTrd6hm1tT
"You have endured much." Selina's hand remained on his shoulder - light, grounding. "The soul remembers every wound, even when the body has been remade. There is no shame in acknowledging that pain."27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5wKE6NoTK8
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKuHWICYrHt
Cel's breath came out shaky. He nodded once, not trusting his voice.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9T0weGebUW
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡenOiQkhr8Z
When she finally stepped back, her hands lingered for a moment before releasing him entirely.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvSqwn9hX1A
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh7alAHhJrS
The mist swirled between them, giving him space to collect himself.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYvDaZ9YyVh
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHQF6u4J0FG
Cel took a breath. Then another. His fingers rose to touch his face - flushed and damp, eyes surely red and swollen.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdFJx4F5LKu
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMtrYVMVPHd
Humiliation seared through him.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdNL3enGggZ
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5Zv88kEcs
He'd wept. Like a child. In front of someone who had guided him through death itself with perfect composure.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIYkzAsTAiZ
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImbOXzethR
The transformation still didn't feel real, but the shame certainly did.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡngzbERJOpZ
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYZYO84C0Ya
He forced himself to straighten, to look somewhere near her general direction even if he couldn't quite meet her eyes yet.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq8QkSeHOkd
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4qzaqaMa7
"Thank you. For everything.“27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0UlW4WTlB
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtkrGoLL0Oe
He gestured vaguely, unable to articulate what her presence had meant.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOFhn6UKR2k
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRLF1OwFEBv
Selina inclined her head, serene as ever.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAbeiZE5NtJ
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUv61jJClJD
A question surfaced - one that had been lurking since the moment she'd appeared in his dying consciousness. Something to focus on besides the heat still flooding his face.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2bdjMRncCb
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6ceLNquc2
"Selina." He cleared his throat. "What rank do you hold as a priestess?"27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡowl9xhVc0b
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9aMRNhrLG4
No hesitation. No cryptic deflection.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbbBB62Zsvm
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡutPiiu9WAI
Her smile deepened, tranquil and certain as moonlight on still water27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaHN0QGrpVN
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSyAs6wRg3V
"Rank One." 27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaiOrVWop49
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The words landed like a physical blow.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe9TTUTDM0P
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpuPlEI1i0X
His mind went blank, then exploded with implications he couldn't process fast enough.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPM3mxWvA3x
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpl6p8Rf4M8
'Rank One?'27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqjQtdERbhj
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Y58RzJwhw
A Divine Oracle - the title humanity gave to those who stood at the pinnacle of divine service.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvGJ8aAb402
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkOkwW6MXaZ
Not just a priestess. Not even a high-ranking servant.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD7rUYADuY6
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJORogQVlzQ
The highest authority beneath the gods themselves. The singular voice through which a deity spoke directly to the mortal world.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7GcPzNl1g
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnw6FXUs5C
His embarrassment suddenly intensified a thousandfold.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6UQSMJ2iDL
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKtfL5aSXiy
He'd just—27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡODuSfLzmWv
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He'd just cried on a Divine Oracle.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8kBWcnxsAr
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRnySOxbFF3
Sobbed into her robes like a child seeking comfort from his mother.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHRmIkVdtFW
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZXMtaw7lkZ
And before that—27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnyuIh4AYXr
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2l7fIZBNzS
Memory crashed through him like an avalanche.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcDyxCUNH7e
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBkHLGV5yKk
His tone. The way he'd spoken to her.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLhiEQhEp7
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ueoAyc67q
Sharp. Impatient. Laced with frustration when she couldn't answer his questions. The edge in his voice when he'd pushed back against her words.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpT6gn2io4u
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3bpEkH4wRc
He hadn't been respectful. Hadn't been grateful.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwagos7Far
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPJkhm6TW8A
He'd been angry - and he'd let that anger out on her.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKeZhEm9s1f
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnpZXGiWifV
Cel wanted to disappear.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBxVNZwFeo0
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJDWrpZt3cZ
He hadn't just questioned a priestess or shown weakness before a guide.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkRuBckY4qc
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT4eURT6WkR
He had challenged a Divine Oracle with barely restrained fury. 27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO0MEiezzpB
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And then wept on her shoulder.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGqobm2WSC
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His legs suddenly felt unsteady.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR59iiqk2rk
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFUGdYr0aaO
Cel's gaze dropped to the ground again. He couldn't look at her. Couldn't bear the weight of meeting those eyes now that he understood what - who - they represented.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQNFTX7t5Sq
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8qBAHVLD37
His voice failed him.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUuGZcYlXDO
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5B850b8SBs
Everything about her made sense now. The way she moved through his soul's landscape with absolute certainty. The calm that never broke, no matter what horrors he did. The patience that felt limitless, untouchable by mortal weakness.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGPdErjMUEQ
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEEMxF0r2AK
Because it transcended mortality.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8PHA9U2A7g
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRn0mvLRrhT
She wasn't just a guide. She was the voice of the Moon Goddess.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFBhsAHx3dY
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLFiPxyD1jv
And he'd—27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr2p4Y9skVo
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp7XgCYvE13
Shame crawled up his throat like bile, bitter and choking.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjlBFk7HbVM
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGcMYat0Jir
"I was..." He forced the words out. "I was angry. At everything. And I took it out on you."27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN3E6MI6VGZ
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHEyM5N5mud
His hands curled into fists.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrlwp9i4z70
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZwQdWAQJlC
"You were patient with me. Kind. And I..."27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOmP5XQM7Q7
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡngAlwaklmI
He couldn't finish. Couldn't articulate how wrong it felt now—lashing out at the one person who'd actually helped him.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCcFFCv2pWz
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAQLWjbvkre
"I'm sorry."27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTwFyHUWgnV
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxkkNyUAxLO
Silence answered him.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡczx4tfkMEW
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhTjv5hfEdl
Cel kept his gaze fixed on the ground, watching mist curl around his bare feet. Each second stretched unbearably long.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR0qngAQSkC
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4KcAp7X9Yl
Then—movement.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL9Rv5Vhnsw
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNuFuXumum
Selina stepped closer.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxXChIAasqD
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡePovkyWIo5
He flinched slightly, expecting… what? Blame? Divine wrath channeled through soft words?27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyBa98wfngP
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCVU6IAYWx
"Chosen One." Her voice carried no anger. No coldness.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVN9oMTnErj
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaaFpDJfZVg
Only that same impossible gentleness she'd shown since the beginning.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsv6m5kvpOD
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvkjfnLr8a6
Slowly, reluctantly, Cel raised his head.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡISCn0UO5nB
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwPDQucuKwB
She stood before him unchanged. Mask catching moonlight, lips curved into a beautiful smile. White robes stirring in wind that didn't exist.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5pAWj66V2
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5EivixveuY
But now he could see it - the presence that saturated every gesture, every word. The weight of divinity she carried with such grace.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡap76XBVbRw
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9L1FMmETza
"You are not the first to question the divine." Her tone remained even. "Nor will you be the last."27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVDINAs90o
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmAm4erMW0T
Cel's breath hitched.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjfPIvIemG5
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4sylNkUPtF
"But you're a Divine Oracle." The words tumbled out before he could stop them. "The highest voice of the goddess. I shouldn't have spoken to you the way I did. With anger. With—"27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcUOSE9h5JI
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgyQOVjrIdB
He gestured helplessly.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Q95IlEN5T
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuB7rs9yA1X
"You deserved better than that."27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYN9A417jx
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOmkOADvewg
Selina regarded him for a long moment.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxAtBR3Ytdx
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdr6k7JcTo0
"Your tone was inappropriate, yes."27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3VltDfVTQY
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxstidNDBk7
The blunt truth hit like a fist.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZUoDuaYjq4
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrCP1NZCCaQ
But there was no cruelty in her statement. Just fact, stated simply.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6lcgyc97dZ
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ578paJoWur
"However." She tilted her head slightly. "I do not serve to be worshipped. I serve to guide. To guide you."27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlAFlShUCAK
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFyUJUZ1h1
Her hand lifted in a small, dismissive gesture - as if brushing away his concern.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAs4pNPAzMu
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJw2ABN7leb
"You may speak to me as yourself. It is enough."27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuaMMxvSYDe
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEKQlERuVjZ
The shame didn't vanish - it couldn't - but something about her words cut through the worst of it.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBn3DlwnULF
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkyfPp4gjhJ
She had never demanded reverence. Never once reminded him of her status, even when he'd pushed boundaries most priests would have punished him for crossing.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD2umiABDkL
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwSci2bfXud
Even now, standing before him with her true nature revealed, she spoke with grace rather than command.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLyVNlG6eds
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ5zz5O3SNK
Cel's chest tightened.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRhuBdLlMxE
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB3TWKPukaK
Not from unworthiness - though he felt that keenly.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTvsSZw0w7C
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But from recognition.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7phwqWFzxW
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd13pWTGFgh
He had spent his entire life surrounded by power. His father wielded authority like a weapon, crushing anyone who dared question him. The nobles of the Sun Clan wore their status like armor, ensuring everyone knew their place.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDdpcI52p8k
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPNl8x8bUE2
And here stood someone with more power than any of them could dream of.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx7JTb5iSji
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZaJvALwC99
Who chose not to wield it as a tool of domination.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGV3ctvFBKt
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43qeG5SQUm
"Then..." He straightened slightly, meeting her masked gaze. "I'll speak to you as myself."27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFT8NVLB6Lo
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10gmryyvyu
A pause.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡal89yYyJZc
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSvCpxCljZi
"And I'll make sure you never regret guiding me."27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwHMmTfbxtx
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbhixCcoTQ
Selina's smile deepened - genuine warmth that transformed her serene expression into something radiant.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZq3OnoHG9b
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7vXT4AjH1p
"I never have, Chosen One."27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqV0qkQ2kx
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFc9wqz9muq
The simple certainty in those words settled over him like a blanket.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDXqTNV8NlQ
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Not forgiveness - she had nothing to forgive, apparently.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIRPhzTJptB
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Just acceptance.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSEbcB5rO4n
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8CmNaG1LTE
Cel bowed his head. Not in apology this time.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxILqLJXXlv
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlmXmru7KvF
In respect. True respect, given freely to someone who had earned it through every patient word, every quiet truth.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyhpAcRB5xz
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXMSl3ghGZE
When he raised his eyes again, something fundamental had shifted inside him.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdamXv3fTTS
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE8Jhxe0yRx
The guilt remained - it would serve as reminder, fuel to be better.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKMZTgW94j1
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But beneath it, something else had taken root.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdt2muJbAPl
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Trust. Deep and unshakeable.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyerYtobRMQ
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Whatever came next - whatever trials or horrors the future held - he would follow where she led.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6O1BLT2gPB
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8MizEsEY2W
Because Selina wasn't just the goddess's voice.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT6KCXlTn48
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPqu7PGSNEG
She was his guide.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdg3swzbXLe
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And he would not dishonor that gift again.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcIaTrTK6Mx
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Silence settled between them, heavy with unspoken understanding.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxDzwWhayc
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He didn't need more words. Neither did she.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiTo8UnPxjl
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The mist around them stirred.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0r1moiPL0S
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Selina's gaze lingered on him - just a moment longer - before she turned away.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJGwHioTq3
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3aLLnia7ej
"Follow me, Chosen One. There is more yet to be done."27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡphRbHpbl1K
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHQfSzHLcje
Cel followed without hesitation.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdZ09RL7QvY
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUpqoDPGAxk
They walked in silence through the transformed landscape of his soul. The mist parted before Selina as if bowing, then closed behind them like a curtain.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC1DpK1szPk
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcbfnLqf0S9
With each step, Cel felt the difference. Steady. Strong. No trembling weakness in his legs, no exhaustion dragging at his limbs. His body moved with an ease he'd almost forgotten existed.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUczyH6QGq
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"What happened to me?" he asked.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEaho4EFzUf
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She didn't slow her pace, but her head turned slightly toward him.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSeweSXbE3E
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWnebarpWql
"Your physical form in the Hollow Realms succumbed to its injuries," she said simply.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiDms3vOBQZ
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7sskxjbRFj
The words should have struck harder. But after everything - after dying twice already - the revelation felt almost distant.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn6yHd8aUcT
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY5zLrxSaRv
"Then how…“ He gestured at himself, at the body that felt foreign in its wholeness. "How am I still here?"27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8QsjsuYcBF
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyso6NcGydZ
"Your soul was preserved within the trial - protected by divine ground." Selina's voice carried a weight he hadn't heard before.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6bhBqFNqmw
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU1CyGmZyz4
She paused, as if choosing her next words carefully.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPVobGptyLw
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"What the Moon Goddess granted you is not mere healing. It is true resurrection - the reforging of flesh and bone around a soul that had no vessel."27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGcqXQf9YrF
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Cel’s breath caught.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlefuNhkcSy
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8tv5sourLL
Not healing. Not recovery.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGJSTFb434i
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Resurrection.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCeVpBDO4it
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His soul had survived the trial, and the goddess had forged him a body capable of matching that survival - whole, strong, unmarred by the year of torment that had destroyed the first.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAgIiAsblrz
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl0Js9lCP6B
Perhaps that was why the trial existed at all - to prove his soul worthy of such a gift.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRY1aapcbdL
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ifuzCh3M0
Cel let the truth settle as they continued forward.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7xsL3sHdX
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Eventually, the terrain shifted.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr66sjtNp2a
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The cracked earth gave way to something smoother. The jagged stones retreated. Even the bluish-white flowers thinned until only mist remained, thick and luminous around the edges of a clearing Cel didn't remember seeing before.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCEnAFkrr0K
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At its center stood a monolith.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIHeBtTu0BW
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Not stone. Not metal.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFenFX0TfVq
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Something else.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmINz0sR0Zh
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Cel stopped walking.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlUmpHuo4lI
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The structure rose before him - taller than he was, seamless and dark. Deep midnight blue pulsed across its surface like a slow heartbeat, while threads of pale light coiled beneath, moving in patterns he couldn't follow.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokxMLnSzBC
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCr0YaniJDT
Sapphire beneath moonlight - cold and radiant.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2gyIFCvYA5
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Divine.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY2qMSIFrXM
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He knew that without being told. The same way he'd known the frozen sea was sacred. The same way he'd recognized the fairy-like creature in the crystal maze as something beyond natural.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR49Zxr61sj
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This wasn't just an object.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFoPuIdyZjS
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This was touched by divinity itself.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHU6EYaEYAt
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Selina came to a stop beside it, one hand resting lightly against the smooth surface. She didn't look at him, but he felt her attention anyway - patient, expectant.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGCr1kqCGS
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Cel's chest tightened.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIaF7ABJU65
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He knew what came next.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmeK7iegiGQ
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMNqGSB9Foh
Every Chosen One, upon receiving their first blessing, was granted three things.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡodhmeiesUB
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjgk8ZKbiT
A trait - passive power, woven into the core of their being. Not meant for spectacle or battle, but something that changed who they were on a fundamental level.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT4q0kJQXfs
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJJGcOlaaq
An authority - active power, immediate and tangible. The god's first true answer to their Chosen One's nature. Something meant to be used, whether for protection, destruction, or survival.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWqGriefjpl
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhIn4KxGiSK
Both could stem from the same paragon or draw from different aspects of their deity's domain.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaC5NPhf7jy
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtJUtZmn7RR
And an artifact - a divine instrument forged by the gods themselves. Weapon or armor. Whatever form it took, it would be theirs alone - bound to them until death.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeEvQ1RsnSQ
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOfA2PmEpsr
Unlike future blessings - earned through achievements - this first gift was granted freely. A mark that the journey had begun.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7V4QF2l3HE
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLG0tKZMR0e
Cel's hands trembled slightly as he stepped forward.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRJggRJxDLt
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfaMtUDuOED
The monolith responded.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMBI5IT3ndK
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQQmSjZi1hi
Silver light bloomed from its core - threads like veins of pure moonlight spreading outward beneath the surface. They coiled and twisted, drawing patterns that burned themselves into his vision.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4lbTpaEGZ5
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Runes.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Elgt7AC3W
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He couldn't read them. Didn't recognize the script.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOL6ddEQztn
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But he understood them anyway - meaning that bypassed his eyes entirely and settled into his mind like instinct.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1lVMMgi1us
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4NiOB1dBp0
<Name: Celvian>27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjyR8Pk0GOo
<Paragons: (Heir to the Moon) (The White Death)>27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKkt1Ho0oE6
<Artifacts: (Silent Moon)>27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAloaNeq17G
<Insights: (locked 0/1)>27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVmiDvruw2
<Achievements: (1)>1234 copyright protection23ＰＥＮＡＮＡkPv4l27eZO 尼

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