Cel took a slow breath and closed his eyes.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2phcweIPew
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvHtKIphNfa
The bond was there - carved into him like scripture across his soul. Silent Moon. Not just a weapon waiting in some distant armory, but something closer. 91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39y4nc1GSa
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5MARZQyYcV
He raised his hand and reached for it.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPrGRgX4JAp
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUzc54m7DWZ
Not with fingers, but with intent. A pulse of will extended from his chest like a breath released into cold air.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZT7U1kJy6D
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQnlFRwXxa6
The air shifted.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7eBaRvIc86
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhPtclE8Ygg
Cel's eyes snapped open.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg0ODhjwK66
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1pEWVpXYhR
Ash curled inward at his feet, recoiling from something unseen. A breeze rose - sudden and soundless - carrying no temperature, no scent. Just presence. The gray dust spiraled toward a point before him, caught in an invisible current.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIAuCtn7fwb
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyUocs7FKTF
A glimmer appeared in the empty air.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFJBA9E5eHp
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAQ9DP5QunZ
Then it grew.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡej4a3AGC5d
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5spg6hrn0x
Thread by thread, moonlight unraveled from nothing. Weaving. Building. The light moved with deliberate grace, as if the artifact had always existed beneath the surface of reality and was only now choosing to be seen.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIAQtDtqRCc
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNUyJKljzU3
The radiance exploded.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIByo28pjZ
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDwhZM6z9To
He threw up an arm, shielding his face as the light reached its peak - blinding, merciless, absolute. For a heartbeat, the Ashlands vanished into pure white.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzTXLaev8p
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdFRm7zUiAi
Then the brilliance collapsed inward.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpDKCuij5qI
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe81RVF2A9U
When he could see again, a blade hung in the air before him.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0sI8SMW8O
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5xOMK1odPC
Long. Slender. Perfectly straight.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu2bl0P9adN
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaERLHHs3pB
A chokutō.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbZ5Ru8y8y2
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzTip2og6or
Recognition sparked immediately. A straight katana - he'd studied its form years ago during weapons training. Simple geometry. Single-edged. Single-edged. Practical. The kind of weapon that rewarded precision over fancy movements.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKqhP1HGGim
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEA4MdOWEIo
But this was no training blade.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzFRw3ZASy
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPOrJfCPc0J
It hovered in the air, and Cel found himself unable to look away.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr1QXMv057m
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZri1gJAtfN
Deep violet bled into dark steel along its length, creating a flow that shifted with the angle of his gaze. The edge carried a spectral indigo sheen - subtle, but unmistakable.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyx22phuNHd
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgo33RH95m
His eyes traced down the blade's length and stopped.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡplBineEmcH
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtrIE0LcRnL
Etched into the blade near its hold were nine symbols. Moon phases. Crescents, half-moons, and at the heart - a full circle. Each one carved with divine precision, spaced in flawless intervals from new moon to full and back again.
No embellishment. No wasted detail. Just the phases themselves, stark against the metal.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr8T5DTlXrJ
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJE8Z5Z8Iy
The guard was a narrow oval - simple, obsidian-dark, serving its purpose without demanding attention. Below it, the hilt stretched clean and sure, wrapped in midnight silk that caught the hollow light. Dusk blue and coal black, braided together like woven shadows.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcDhNfnjrts
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvTk3vPlrtp
A single crimson ribbon trailed from the pommel.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF8xvKBEHEj
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHuQk8X9ov
Cel's fingers twitched at his side.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpxWfsTe4O4
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMlEozhK7vt
He could feel the weapon's weight without touching it. Not physical mass, but meaning. Presence. This artifact had been forged for a single purpose, meant for one hand alone.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXy7kylD1Uk
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7e4f9knDxI
The Moon's.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ3obg6mH1T
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuvkDlAMghb
Or now... his.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp8iWHRBh14
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXUXWdKunc
Slowly, he reached forward.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3mf5psAR6U
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyw7nuKgV9h
His fingers closed around the hilt.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLa3aoj6ufe
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO44wiAhQQG
Cold shot through his palm.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3jCl1yrz1D
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy7qDRdu9EH
Cel gasped - not from pain, but from sudden, sharp awareness. The sensation raced up his arm, into his shoulder, straight to his chest where it settled like ice against his ribs.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlpmBpybcLS
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2nwoeocpW
The weapon wasn't just metal. It was alive - responding to his touch like something waking from a long sleep.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWvP9cjtvQn
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhxaIAeyPb
Then the moon phases began to glow.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqLGCdPW9xk
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdUy0Qw2FN7
Four of them ignited with soft white light - pristine and cold, like moonlight untouched by cloud or smoke. The outermost crescents blazed first, then two quarter moons, illuminating in sequence along the blade's length.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqlHuaf78MG
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlqtr74GSn5
But five remained dark.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQcOvmUMPD2
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOksV1ktiKO
The full moon at the center. The half-moons on either side. And two crescents flanking them.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8yrcOtjA19
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzIz5SdDiWA
Those symbols alone stayed dormant, as if the weapon had looked inside him and found those spaces... empty.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZl9cd6Y2B
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXAvBHWXjTX
Cel stared at them, pulse quickening.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUrGd8PlcA4
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaG7JLd5LpS
‘Empathic Steel.’91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxy1JxLhHrK
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9SDKkNeBzD
The description hadn't explained what that meant. Now he understood.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFT5rJSHh1
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNcLlXqMjs
The blade was reading him. Not his thoughts or memories - something deeper. And it was reflecting that truth back through those glowing symbols, showing him exactly what he was in this moment.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWfHNZrzYDS
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPpOnHH7CyZ
But what did it mean that five phases remained unlit?91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBUhfNIKb2Y
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxYAliObAaN
He didn't know. At least not yet.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdNKzumdndW
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTPBYmLGCLn
His grip tightened around the hilt. The weapon felt... right. Balanced perfectly for his reach, the weight distributed in a way that made holding it feel natural despite his lack of real combat experience.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKbnfQHQdc0
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjR1ht36Qgf
Cel lifted the blade slightly, watching how the edge caught the red dawn light.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfu95IFTQLt
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ96pdc0frms
A bitter smile pulled at his lips.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡORNPOuXzun
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRYG33yjReY
His father had spent years trying to make him into a warrior… and failed completely. The clan's weapon masters had given up on him before he'd turned twelve.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOfEVB13SRX
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyeeeXOBKyq
Now the Moon Goddess had placed a divine blade in his hands.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwu7Yewfy8f
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZYei2W4apS
The irony was almost beautiful.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7xQyGdwal
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY4gItAcJ2s
"This is mine," he whispered.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAW4YlG3o3N
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqmPKsWkcv
Not handed down from his clan. Not stolen, borrowed or granted as charity. Earned through suffering. Through death itself.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwYW4uEmTXE
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHHmnvczwBB
Cel exhaled slowly and stepped back from the twisted pillar, letting the Ashlands stretch around him. Silence pressed in from all sides, heavy and waiting.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnY1MQ5oOuC
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnz8hK4qYBq
Time to see what this weapon could actually do.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZzX5V9G6gb
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAQIGzmnOXD
Cel adjusted his grip, fingers settling into the silk wrapping. The hilt was just long enough for two hands, but he held it with one - the way a chokutō was meant to be wielded. Single-handed.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTO7SO22AM
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZlOnjU8IkA
His stance felt wrong immediately.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUHjAAIurP5
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMOmDWrWg19
Feet too close together. Weight distributed poorly. But fragments of old lessons surfaced anyway - the theory he'd been drilled on years ago, buried beneath failure and his father's disappointment.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0DSBEw3XIF
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXahGmNlBAI
He planted his feet wider into the ash and raised the blade. Not high. Not aggressive. Just... ready.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTRRX5lFp1H
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhdVqQQvGax
Then he moved.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqfPOnZdDGS
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlX5TEvVxQU
A basic diagonal slash. Down and across.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGNlOi2zHHJ
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAZNnvNeLu
His arm surged forward.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡly4Ok8a2QD
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdAsM91LX6e
Too fast. Too hard.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqwTov6sYcI
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ankUL5HEg
The blade ripped through empty air with violent speed, and Cel's entire body lurched with it. His front foot skidded through loose ash.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZkGmgnuAq
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmEByBaqWOC
He stumbled, barely catching himself before falling completely.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZp5XqTDhW6
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVjYgZG6uTz
Dust scattered around his legs as he straightened, breathing harder than he should have been.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkdPoDiOmhE
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5RmhOLUp0y
‘What in the gods' name…?’91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnLeAXI6Aqf
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwjgJ3O0Fd6
He'd barely put any force into that swing. Just a simple practice cut, the kind he'd done hundreds of times as a child.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGa0ZcO0LBQ
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbCetggNHQs
But his muscles had responded with far more strength than he'd meant to use.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiw69dKZ1D8
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWaBH2hI16W
Cel gritted his teeth and reset his stance.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCioXI60ds8
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxTPHhanv5a
This time he moved more carefully. A straight thrust forward. Slow. Controlled.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDfM06amRZE
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHrbaoX47y6
His arm extended—91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxa4RWWSTVN
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1KGAEsGy0
And the blade shot forward.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLe6PQ7om3k
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNxCNzHSDk5
The tip punched through air like it had real weight behind it, his shoulder rotating harder than he'd planned. His back foot scraped against stone as his body tried to compensate, and he had to hop once - actually hop - to keep from pitching forward.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv3dDaYDRc1
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1OJBoV6rRX
Heat crawled up his neck.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXMOeQb1hEa
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW9h7qfo3G2
This was absurd.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVmCFC3Zvg3
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf3ZMCnOzd4
He had strength now. Real strength, gifted by divine resurrection. But his body didn't know what to do with it. His mind gave commands expecting the response of his old, broken flesh - and his muscles answered with overwhelming force he couldn't control.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7S6xOj7EIR
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRhE2vdWsOx
The weapon made no protest. Silent Moon followed every motion with perfect balance, its weight barely felt in his grip.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTf9LtfN0xB
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdJaqX5RfUd
It wasn't the blade that was clumsy.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrV5n1LFklR
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYmm1TuBR8d
It was him.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt96YSW0H7m
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaJN0KQkEOT
Cel stood motionless for a moment, shoulders rising and falling with each breath. Frustration coiled tight in his chest, hot and familiar.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLPWcam4cU1
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVnFmSdmFO3
‘Focus.’91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDpLK5cF0cN
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9dwjlfbiN6
He closed his eyes briefly, forcing the heat down. Getting angry wouldn't help. He needed to adjust. Learn this body's limits the same way he'd learned to survive that cell - through observation and adaptation.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmdV52ejQU
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbB53kOKkGn
When he opened his eyes again, his vision had narrowed.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4KiuWReuOf
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qT7KW3aMQ
Not to the empty Ashlands or the distant horizon.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPlHQyIhBlP
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYEyY7ly5Vb
Just to what he could feel.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb5zSxrQReB
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlNU5wQ7zGJ
The brittle ground beneath his feet. The silk wrapping against his palm. The quiet hum of power coiled beneath his skin, waiting.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvVPQAl9Ke9
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0tPVMiWeEp
He readied the blade again. Slower this time.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNaeuNraMTA
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9QhUU53kuS
His weight shifted onto his back foot. Core tightened. Front foot lifted slightly, hovering.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWpnSO4UdgG
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXnZXZ0Uahk
Then forward.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN1p9QWSyLG
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡelTCFO0z0C
A thrust. Clean. Measured.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMR7DOfpiUc
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCRT9lz0OuB
His arm extended at the speed he intended - not perfect, but closer. The blade's tip drove straight ahead, cutting through air without that wild surge of uncontrolled strength.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoovtj1V8m9
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSXOEYl8nI5
His balance held.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1prcopMc1
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXorw28nboP
When he pulled back, his feet stayed planted exactly where he'd put them.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfQFhxejv1f
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTsWSt3I3gL
Better.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhrC0WAKpbt
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDl277VXmie
Not good. Not even competent by any real standard.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmraWKcZwID
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXg79Lpvsf8
But better.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8tCOOHRLS
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrOUygLMEsy
Cel let the tension drain and glanced down at the blade in his hand.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ46IgH7AolA
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHiA1PVx6co
Then froze.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNNXdeF3wEO
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ovvqB6fou
Two more moon phases had ignited.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Nc9KvT7Ks
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEDpKC6Uxum
Now all six crescents on the outer edges shone along Silent Moon's length, leaving only the full moon and the half-moons at the center unlit, dark and waiting.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4VZLCyhph
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAKpDvI5w3t
Cel's breath caught.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzuKMtWrSef
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxXTKntK5gB
The blade hadn't responded to strength. Hadn't cared about perfect form or technique he didn't possess.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpaiOcwmsBg
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk9sO4gWa7b
It had responded to focus.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfU5YLNpjoj
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6BBrzZPZS
To the moment his mind and body had aligned.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxGTLKmUAK0
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMNf7nm2vUC
Something warm flickered in his chest. Not pride - he had no right to that yet. But recognition.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhY6f73HrQA
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn8ld2lDch5
The weapon saw him - just like the Moon Goddess did.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoxxIsNQN1S
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbLpGb1PwzP
Not what he pretended to be. Not what others wanted him to be.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC5mFZiyZ9H
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3KFYvHReVN
Just what he was in each moment - distracted or centered, scattered or focused.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmL5kv2AhTA
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaYM6Yk2qv9
And it reflected that truth without judgment.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47JutpmcYc
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡajBIe4HBEh
Cel's fingers tightened around the hilt, that warmth spreading.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdDTbFubtWx
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxcCbHji2h4
He adjusted his stance again, more confident this time. Weight back. Core engaged. Blade raised.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1atpORBLaz
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTH6gw6F53N
A downward cut. Precise. Controlled.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwGg4wJBlSu
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnkwZppVw8O
His front foot stepped forward—91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTtEsRKQ2Eu
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpU5KDHCjsi
—and sank.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6RJQ7uawZ
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrPFDbwseXL
The ash gave way beneath his heel. His weight pitched forward, balance destroyed before the cut even began.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxI4deum7Gz
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwGPWdMHJc7
Cel tried to compensate mid-swing.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUerlxDhJhD
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡltc7CxLWP4
His arm jerked back. The blade pitched upward, tip veering wide. His back leg locked, and he nearly went down on one knee before catching himself.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlkNjj0bOOZ
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8hSQBRxTcd
Clumsy. Terrible.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbXF2gAwBBq
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhvgizR0lal
He straightened slowly, jaw clenched, and looked down at Silent Moon.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYN5fbC0rRs
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡheNo1dr9HC
The two crescents beside the half-moons had gone dark again.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKrGUamemnx
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyBdEynvwtt
But not just them.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxnrDxy95yF
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB3ufqDNa9M
Two more phases had dimmed as well - the quarters, one on each side. Their light snuffed out like candles in sudden wind.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0isy4V97GK
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAVJduQlba
Only two remained lit now. The outer crescents, glowing faintly at the edges of the blade.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcy6cPVWt1T
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc5ZqIaT7nn
Cel stared at the darkened symbols.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT7Sg8e0FwI
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfHfTxtxHNU
He understood now.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxVYEj9g4Qo
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxhFO9DcAn
This wasn't a tool he could master through repetition or brute force. Silent Moon demanded more than technique. It demanded something he'd spent years trying to bury beneath rage and survival instinct.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD4HB1ymJ5t
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAhzhB4wu7l
Presence.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQdWod85nmN
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtXansfIDG8
Awareness of himself - not just his body's movements, but his mind's state. Every flicker of doubt. Every surge of confidence. Every moment of clarity or chaos.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9tpbA9pAgW
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdJlumF7n2d
The blade would reflect all of it.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmTd7cbk8sg
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIni9uq7kA
Yet he didn't understand what those reflections actually did. What power they unlocked or withheld. 91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXO4wqmXuuZ
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyuzOKI8lij
He would have to learn that.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDv4UdM4wVn
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0uqiFpdqW1
But now. Not today.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj64lJisAPc
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn9CwKTPMv0
Expecting to master a divine weapon in the span of minutes was absurd.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVRTxCimlVj
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtgAQVoJHKf
His fingers loosened slightly on the hilt, tension draining from his shoulders.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkUQ6Gc9n57
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdP9AGoYZSL
Understanding would come.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ6NShHVbWR
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRAyNwBpAAI
Eventually.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3aGsikx1pm
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrT1TqrrwKy
First, he needed to understand his other gifts.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ96kDxJLjly
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOKp5bQjTvT
Cel dismissed Silent Moon with a thought.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaLDFFwDmWl
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1eqNnYwCNd
The blade dissolved into moonlight, threads of pale radiance unraveling until nothing remained but empty air. The connection didn't sever - he could still feel the weapon's presence within him, waiting just beneath the surface of reality.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAToCzZgNKh
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTqDcPUJkqW
Ready when he needed it.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi5U0sBV3Tw
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpIwRWiUDgf
His attention turned inward, reaching for the authority of White Death.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt2LDyOFUPr
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwpnQZ4KtPk
Frostmark.
and then Add to home screen.