When Cel opened his eyes, Selina's arms were still around him.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmDAXUEQXUp
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡambiV5mWid
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.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn8GYhZjAto
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgue150bTZ4
His breath hitched.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCVyqTawgvy
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU0KsrAR7WI
Then, something inside him broke.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqdR5knAG7n
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFe9jd3FxYj
Not violently. Not like shattering glass or splintering bone.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfV7Fv9wbkn
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRtqYK2LWaV
Like melting ice. Like a dam finally cracking under pressure it was never meant to hold.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Ij2cIbPAd
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbBIHOJpMUH
A sound escaped him - small, choked, achingly human.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzpX9r3zKZQ
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIelyYEt8gX
His shoulders began to shake.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxAEnlIR9j
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQdY0mCqudE
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. 159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmKfhaGJ6bE
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsWzfAY6qoz
He shouldn't be—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbwuDds0pPE
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwe8unqAZkJ
Another sound tore free. Louder this time.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe7XaOA61WF
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSlxl097ZKL
The tears came.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4wyCzwxL0
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoFDpxpdj0C
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.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVrhi9tkSH3
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr7FTrCpajg
The year in the cell. The maggot-infested food. The cultists' knives. Ren's death.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsioycfo3QC
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVo6KYvhKQn
His father's fists. His mother's silence. His brother's cowardice.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj22WTC21Nl
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZg3CrOn0Z
The mirror lake. The crystal maze. The creature that had killed him.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEiT9ykcyHc
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49t1TucBif
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.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ7YRoIxDSN
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7uCh1BPkNm
And he couldn't stop it.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ69IacJCWYl
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdjb0YQsLJm
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.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxIwLpWTbnd
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8BzYC2Swnt
She held him.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh9EYK6uLON
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVOprRTumXn
Didn't speak. Didn't pull away. Didn't tell him to be strong or to compose himself.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8U1j3WdNhS
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCeh3dytAfM
She simply held him, one hand moving to cradle the back of his head with steady gentleness while he broke apart in her arms.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ0W42ven0i
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0RVkK1AjBn
Time became meaningless.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnKjJtQwvlo
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu192R6jNZK
Eventually, the sobs gradually quieted. The gasps turned to shaky breaths, leaving only exhaustion in their wake.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy586bLBMiU
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvYBI0AyhHD
Cel pulled back slowly, roughly wiping at his face with trembling hands.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnuOW08r0aE
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjiLPrhwmbA
His cheeks burned. Not from fever - from embarrassment so acute it felt physical.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXV3eYnQnOb
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVrfrAaONi1
He'd just—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkjOnnNTwjW
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡodUiGF2eGM
In front of her—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxgqmIChH02
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiZuPENIukN
"I'm sorry," he choked out, unable to meet her eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCRiBXgv9hK
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlUPDGFJPui
"There is nothing to apologize for, Chosen One." Her voice held no judgment. No pity. No disappointment.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLHNgsqqAlc
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlLUx0ano3U
Only acceptance.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMxqSN0vSGR
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhbpcGYPhri
Cel swallowed hard, gaze fixed firmly on the ground between them. His throat felt raw, stripped clean.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJjFLAf53IH
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM5ciYcSVVT
"I just…" He didn't know how to finish that sentence.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfj0CC3dLi6
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs2gMQnf0Ru
"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."159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwITEKbK8Ua
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1SotmqEcLJ
Cel's breath came out shaky. He nodded once, not trusting his voice.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7aMf8Ty9Z
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAQAMRNSZe
When she finally stepped back, her hands lingered for a moment before releasing him entirely.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3wumvSz88T
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJGKwDR5GBS
The mist swirled between them, giving him space to collect himself.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSYLI3FkBH
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrM56MuDEqc
Cel took a breath. Then another. His fingers rose to touch his face - flushed and damp, eyes surely red and swollen.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeFve7eVQUf
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXPPT7cNUKS
Humiliation seared through him.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBm9ADobqWl
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKcc8VWcp06
He'd wept. Like a child. In front of someone who had guided him through death itself with perfect composure.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbZlwDe4lB
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQyBf2N4yVa
The transformation still didn't feel real, but the shame certainly did.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLAaOGWYZmO
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLWu9g7ob4a
He forced himself to straighten, to look somewhere near her general direction even if he couldn't quite meet her eyes yet.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXpJdbs7ID5
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3bMtWwSbeW
"Thank you. For everything.“159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA73r9l3WLC
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4v3FzhGBAR
He gestured vaguely, unable to articulate what her presence had meant.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNruYI3orru
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk1Nc8Vjvri
Selina inclined her head, serene as ever.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHoOLT3cHnL
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqTbmgarp8
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.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWX8c0FZCiX
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡznvyqdblMA
"Selina." He cleared his throat. "What rank do you hold as a priestess?"159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrJSXd0oGrC
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpETiu0eMMR
No hesitation. No cryptic deflection.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuD7mnTiOyZ
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYHuuEZmo6U
Her smile deepened, tranquil and certain as moonlight on still water159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwxNUo5r2Tg
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHHf66C0QP
"Rank One." 159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDZn3TOv4T
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfI6MULNarS
The words landed like a physical blow.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQmDDiVS25
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtFtZm7U474
His mind went blank, then exploded with implications he couldn't process fast enough.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDl7sNacXnP
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwO0JFRT6lY
'Rank One?'159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5U9KwK6Np9
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3tv5OjCmtF
A Divine Oracle - the title humanity gave to those who stood at the pinnacle of divine service.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnq9wbEINRM
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJZ0iPNuLG
Not just a priestess. Not even a high-ranking servant.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7j1kt7uXC
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5rcBM1nktm
The highest authority beneath the gods themselves. The singular voice through which a deity spoke directly to the mortal world.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp1fUnrUxVw
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjsQkkbxXbi
His embarrassment suddenly intensified a thousandfold.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdWPORvWVCy
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSVXEJxoa4m
He'd just—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY4qEhXlgNc
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn2aLVe63Sm
He'd just cried on a Divine Oracle.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡen5RTy3UE0
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKrfgCvLh0e
Sobbed into her robes like a child seeking comfort from his mother.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP2AlZrwokV
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGCFCtN7ITv
And before that—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4Py6yUu9v
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxfrUaTgZ2x
Memory crashed through him like an avalanche.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQLYg11taf
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPXlVVDANe
His tone. The way he'd spoken to her.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ91dpEmBVth
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCerF3ROMi
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.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxyYlvmX7i0
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfkiSsbOLJS
He hadn't been respectful. Hadn't been grateful.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6dXq3RdcrB
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4yc5lclFcx
He'd been angry - and he'd let that anger out on her.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuguPEs2Tvk
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ77hZSzdi7Z
Cel wanted to disappear.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNRb3Gj9K2z
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWKxMib0E75
He hadn't just questioned a priestess or shown weakness before a guide.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfIoJjtJHQ6
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVR71doUhGv
He had challenged a Divine Oracle with barely restrained fury. 159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoAORHRqEEo
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzB5KwlIXxb
And then wept on her shoulder.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfzKVfQOx3r
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPTRkn7YycQ
His legs suddenly felt unsteady.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOv7N7IATII
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTpHaRx9ndS
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.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpd9ZFtSmma
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJpmQPrkIQB
His voice failed him.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqssNJpgka1
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjU8e7WkHOz
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.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4RmkL4ctwZ
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt1foOWftEf
Because it transcended mortality.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOFXdISQO5i
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPbhLBToqtZ
She wasn't just a guide. She was the voice of the Moon Goddess.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHVCKF6pGAU
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJMuZlShsF5
And he'd—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAFcmhAbEqv
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcs5vCl3eYn
Shame crawled up his throat like bile, bitter and choking.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf1OjD3USTM
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6M5VyIKbGc
"I was..." He forced the words out. "I was angry. At everything. And I took it out on you."159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi7fgC0izMd
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRlz6xWu41
His hands curled into fists.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbxU2ZmXi5F
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAVZNbggiKj
"You were patient with me. Kind. And I..."159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv84M02Gc3m
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcqnq8PdCiK
He couldn't finish. Couldn't articulate how wrong it felt now—lashing out at the one person who'd actually helped him.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4prwPjwzI
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4cmphJUy4C
"I'm sorry."159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwvScyJatCc
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsFRtY8VGmO
Silence answered him.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM2QvVsmkEH
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlKZbjY6NuW
Cel kept his gaze fixed on the ground, watching mist curl around his bare feet. Each second stretched unbearably long.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ih6KDKPYd
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIesLMCGIBf
Then—movement.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOiCP32WTSX
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCViYBmrkQL
Selina stepped closer.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXVGl2Vu4h3
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCdYwoaKudU
He flinched slightly, expecting… what? Blame? Divine wrath channeled through soft words?159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhltjV12VD6
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ2BnQrFHHP
"Chosen One." Her voice carried no anger. No coldness.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5cwrSwiQ6Q
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6lcdoB6GAC
Only that same impossible gentleness she'd shown since the beginning.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv5bN6qEo20
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡspEBflQQI2
Slowly, reluctantly, Cel raised his head.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4TqEIS2kY1
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwnbul4bZq6
She stood before him unchanged. Mask catching moonlight, lips curved into a beautiful smile. White robes stirring in wind that didn't exist.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRxlFCeoPyd
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Z8IBVjsu8
But now he could see it - the presence that saturated every gesture, every word. The weight of divinity she carried with such grace.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQsLw1mDy9u
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR610AWDne8
"You are not the first to question the divine." Her tone remained even. "Nor will you be the last."159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUnroGKcisw
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgmZDD0SyQj
Cel's breath hitched.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqz0X5evqz
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBGS4SynwOZ
"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—"159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVx74OZJVq2
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaIZxjbgw6a
He gestured helplessly.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2aBCZyTdcf
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ13oU5kr8RQ
"You deserved better than that."159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdSvYyA3V0t
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6plY4S9EwO
Selina regarded him for a long moment.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtp05TqTTxP
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqcOae0e5Q
"Your tone was inappropriate, yes."159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNU30SRzdS1
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnhVowGXuZX
The blunt truth hit like a fist.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPODR3eB2UK
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMOEBr27Ecb
But there was no cruelty in her statement. Just fact, stated simply.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1JPg6Opd8o
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNt7zgs1xqy
"However." She tilted her head slightly. "I do not serve to be worshipped. I serve to guide. To guide you."159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOVCbYFKUhp
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ13Y4zGy4pk
Her hand lifted in a small, dismissive gesture - as if brushing away his concern.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsjcduV1hij
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0hcl7Samx
"You may speak to me as yourself. It is enough."159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrwhzmjsC5u
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZUcvMoToD
The shame didn't vanish - it couldn't - but something about her words cut through the worst of it.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9qFqfi0EOG
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOxWczWFfK
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.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnplkDUCRj
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdDkoNe4ltY
Even now, standing before him with her true nature revealed, she spoke with grace rather than command.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuEeE0w17lH
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6u4EFxzNp5
Cel's chest tightened.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqP7nM5ssZ
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZGLHuVn3Vx
Not from unworthiness - though he felt that keenly.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Jqo6Pr3Ds
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwpUA3Drd06
But from recognition.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFuyflvpZ33
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLPVCHfUnnS
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.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdPBVBFKZc5
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCFQK1WujDQ
And here stood someone with more power than any of them could dream of.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2j92LrUHVg
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAXLw51B8PF
Who chose not to wield it as a tool of domination.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5JgJFjmY0X
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXOUt40axsZ
"Then..." He straightened slightly, meeting her masked gaze. "I'll speak to you as myself."159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxXnChZhepw
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPMm7FNsqT0
A pause.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbqSIME0z9b
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTRbtpd2JTN
"And I'll make sure you never regret guiding me."159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0ZmHN8Noj
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFYRif7KPqO
Selina's smile deepened - genuine warmth that transformed her serene expression into something radiant.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbkmjoChgLH
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQbwKyIszP0
"I never have, Chosen One."159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAdGF3J5gZG
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9aqJHx5GA7
The simple certainty in those words settled over him like a blanket.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeWlyVwQ5hr
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Not forgiveness - she had nothing to forgive, apparently.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjf8p8KRoFU
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Just acceptance.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2v83v0Miug
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Cel bowed his head. Not in apology this time.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuEfvz7sNMR
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7g5JlYLEWp
In respect. True respect, given freely to someone who had earned it through every patient word, every quiet truth.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3HEG1ElPMJ
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡigeRlMMxHd
When he raised his eyes again, something fundamental had shifted inside him.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡte4dq3e14L
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The guilt remained - it would serve as reminder, fuel to be better.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRrtMByMs2G
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But beneath it, something else had taken root.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡngJ34Qy8MB
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFY17X6WMr0
Trust. Deep and unshakeable.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJdJHY0h1tO
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Whatever came next - whatever trials or horrors the future held - he would follow where she led.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQpMmydvgmP
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIYysROpsVb
Because Selina wasn't just the goddess's voice.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrxSHD73bnx
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq2skQwZ7pA
She was his guide.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTw6Rx71e06
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And he would not dishonor that gift again.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa8hgHVbykf
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Silence settled between them, heavy with unspoken understanding.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhtfydgHoLg
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt5dscLsEPm
He didn't need more words. Neither did she.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPmfjcV6Z13
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7t31ANAZ1I
The mist around them stirred.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTcFdXFI9dk
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ZQBKJbt5W
Selina's gaze lingered on him - just a moment longer - before she turned away.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2LkGeI1Ua4
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2USlRng2uG
"Follow me, Chosen One. There is more yet to be done."159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyC5t8DVX1j
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ952shYpgwm
Cel followed without hesitation.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzhudpKl1MX
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4MBzd08P3h
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.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuW5CQXFK4f
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFMPmTGIYSB
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.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8pCTVc4yP
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZk6lHeNSHK
"What happened to me?" he asked.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj5FLfQhUH1
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She didn't slow her pace, but her head turned slightly toward him.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXozE0S3Sat
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdsbwY26lUG
"Your physical form in the Hollow Realms succumbed to its injuries," she said simply.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiiZkQxKosJ
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00Dpfz09AQ
The words should have struck harder. But after everything - after dying twice already - the revelation felt almost distant.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡykJMCAcDWc
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdzIf3Wc0rr
"Then how…“ He gestured at himself, at the body that felt foreign in its wholeness. "How am I still here?"159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWOEKHZdJMN
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRxS3oWsgN
"Your soul was preserved within the trial - protected by divine ground." Selina's voice carried a weight he hadn't heard before.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaaFuTbbWBB
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbOPwCDI8jv
She paused, as if choosing her next words carefully.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYtwT53wiRB
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFWgAPSH8ti
"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."159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGfhZHPzvOP
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡauYdllnL6l
Cel’s breath caught.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEGeGf8IwQU
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHUg5pgIHP
Not healing. Not recovery.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRx5YHl5OMa
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzzRKDXjES8
Resurrection.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQxZGQuMgBI
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrchMPecTq1
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.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxjakXqa8yZ
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkPLfQ7JCHd
Perhaps that was why the trial existed at all - to prove his soul worthy of such a gift.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq0X4XxiZJN
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYA4ZGY9yg
Cel let the truth settle as they continued forward.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLsDEpDjrHd
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfogB3Xzyer
Eventually, the terrain shifted.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Ik7oAyoxQ
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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.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrkvVpjGnAp
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At its center stood a monolith.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUdnqAWhGzs
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Not stone. Not metal.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfz9HGlOBT3
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSS2Ldg7ET
Something else.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2QLhbfq4Cr
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Cel stopped walking.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAwE2OcMHum
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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.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zLxj4guFL
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9AE5RCSOi
Sapphire beneath moonlight - cold and radiant.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7HcuRYDP5h
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Divine.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRsOlKk5M6F
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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.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWmgre7haa4
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ8iXHQwbFG
This wasn't just an object.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRcMS38p0rr
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This was touched by divinity itself.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN3faU13qOv
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMXBmYtUvkx
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.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi2yznZdjdm
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoXAkp1Aw8M
Cel's chest tightened.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡijGOHtWtzT
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHyof07iDSW
He knew what came next.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVFM3YfYUnE
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI1rOOj0SGC
Every Chosen One, upon receiving their first blessing, was granted three things.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuSkwWneIqD
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8qzGVSs2CD
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.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMY2fchO0B
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJB0ranoTsr
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.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh1kuTnEKSJ
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUA9hzHYQy
Both could stem from the same paragon or draw from different aspects of their deity's domain.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjeF9fuQjzn
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbAqVqUIVS
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.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡymQjWnEnCF
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Op0Q5ysuT
Unlike future blessings - earned through achievements - this first gift was granted freely. A mark that the journey had begun.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGivfIiMN3q
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLriRHFkV2K
Cel's hands trembled slightly as he stepped forward.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1SGQ6m9eKg
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The monolith responded.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH4Fxxjrhkh
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPrMmmIIsO
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.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeaRcDAiDXL
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Runes.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRapGHvfWQ5
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He couldn't read them. Didn't recognize the script.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqorPYpkbBZ
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But he understood them anyway - meaning that bypassed his eyes entirely and settled into his mind like instinct.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNn1TSA1WYi
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnG7QwQjmBC
<Name: Celvian>159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIpZPpFrOMS
<Paragons: (Heir to the Moon) (The White Death)>159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO2I7dq7j05
<Artifacts: (Silent Moon)>159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2YFa9unir9
<Insights: (locked 0/1)>159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNbKI7VDWMB
<Achievements: (1)>1234 copyright protection155ＰＥＮＡＮＡBUsUFHl5HM 尼

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