One year earlier...198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpFmSp8rJ6t
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡogl7oCcqFW
Cel's blade trembled as his opponent's sword slammed into his guard, sending shockwaves up his arms. Around him, other clan members moved with fluid grace while his movements remained stiff and mechanical.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBVH9Synmr
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0YM0uD5hzr
"Again," barked Master Kael, the clan's weapons instructor. His weathered face bore the scars of countless battles against the creatures that crawled from the Hollow Realms. "Your stance is too wide, boy. How do you expect to face a rift-creature with footwork like that?"198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQfnvFtHf9z
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfb23rIR0IG
Cel adjusted his position and raised his sword once more. Sweat dripped from his brown hair, stinging his eyes. Across the courtyard, his older brother Darian flowed through an advanced sword pattern, each strike precise enough to cleave stone. A small crowd had gathered to watch, their eyes bright with admiration.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5TiuBfkrph
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw11qhMIl7f
No one watched Cel.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsOVgfYWrt0
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS13BuFJwkr
Born into House Solmar of the Sun Clan - one of the six Great Clans who serve directly under the gods themselves - Cel had inherited a legacy of warriors who had stood for centuries as humanity's first and final defense against the monstrous creatures. Every child of their bloodline was expected to become a hero. Every child was meant to shine.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb6y0BDzpCZ
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLh9jXKZi0g
But some flames burn brighter than others.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTTtuqwWnFT
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtqyGa6JtFu
"Pathetic." The voice cut through the training ground's clamor like a blade through silk. Cel's father approached, his golden armor gleaming in the afternoon sun. Lord Aldric of House Solmar commanded attention wherever he walked - his presence alone could silence a room. "Fifteen years old and you still fight like a novice."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpp6x1zPoaL
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiWLjPlPAkv
Cel's grip tightened on his sword hilt. "Father, I've been improving—"198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKdXgub2kTl
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSRgYcmZ62u
"Improving?" Lord Aldric's laugh was sharp enough to draw blood. "Your brother had mastered the Solar Blade technique by your age. You can barely manage a proper guard stance."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImFnc6X8Mx
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVBy8ddXDxC
The comparison hit like a physical blow. It always came back to Darian - golden-haired, unmatched talent, blessed by the Sun God, everything their father had ever wanted in an heir. Cel's shoulders sagged despite his efforts to stand tall.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKsOWBsO1W9
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡArU6ZNY8n7
"I arranged my marriage for strength," Lord Aldric continued, his voice low enough that only Cel could hear. "Nerida's Ocean God bloodline, combined with our solar heritage - I expected children who would reshape this clan's future." His dark eyes fixed on Cel with cold calculation. "Instead, I got you."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSbPaeHEDfg
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMoyMK3erbo
The words settled in Cel's chest like stones. Around them, training continued - steel rang against steel, voices shouted in exertion, feet pounded against packed earth. But for Cel, the world had narrowed to just his father's disappointed gaze.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwJMyByv6Al
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqmRgh5yRLb
"The Divine Calling approaches," Lord Aldric said. "Perhaps divine intervention can salvage what breeding could not." He turned away, his cloak billowing behind him. "Pray the gods see something in you that I cannot."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFFi9bmbXQZ
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8GIdgLcYQR
That evening, Cel sat alone on the clan's highest tower, watching the sun set over the training grounds below. The stone was cold against his back, but he welcomed the discomfort - it matched the ache in his chest.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKQdl933SRw
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqn0wIsDATj
"Still brooding up here?"198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYKnD7R553G
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgwFvnZRk7U
Cel turned to find his younger sister climbing onto the roof. Lyra was only thirteen, but she moved with a confidence that belied her years.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoL4W4ojzv4
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNhHpbz0r4O
"I'm not brooding," Cel said. "I'm... contemplating."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXMY81YCWhN
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHto1yCiCAR
"Same thing." Lyra settled beside him, her legs dangling over the tower's edge. "Father was particularly brutal today, even for him."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKJeS8TMhh
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxIF8hW61i
"He's not wrong, though." Cel picked up a loose stone and hurled it into the courtyard far below. "Darian was invited to train with the Royal Guard last year. Master Kael calls him a prodigy. Look at me - I can barely keep up in basic training."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAuxfQCebEM
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoVgF7dabLh
"Darian's not the only child in this family," Lyra said quietly. "And the Sun God isn't the only deity who might choose you."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxSUHwuZdEo
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ix5RyUu4i
Cel glanced at her. Their mother's bloodline carried the Ocean God's blessing - deep, patient power that flowed like tide and current. 198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFjRK3yY2K7
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlMYA2APzIB
"Three days," Cel murmured. "Three days until my fifteenth birthday."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP0HNFFErR7
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM8EDykLJeD
"Three days until everything changes," Lyra corrected. "For better or worse."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡthzZ5L209f
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP8nGtuS6JO
The night of Cel's fifteenth birthday arrived with unusual stillness. Cel lay sprawled across his bed, staring at the ceiling. Sleep felt impossible, but it was necessary - the Divine Calling could only come in slumber, when the barriers between mortal minds and divine will grew thin.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzPVJT4P4qg
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyAtFH3sXWs
When unconsciousness finally claimed him, Cel found himself standing on an endless expanse of ice.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ55h6g3Oz0o
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWkSafRTzcF
The frozen sea stretched to every horizon, its surface so perfectly smooth it seemed like glass. Above, the night sky yawned black and infinite, unmarked by clouds or stars. But the moon… the moon was impossible to ignore. It hung low and vast, silver light spilling across the ice like liquid mercury.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiC7CBNWjMs
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2bhQW6jPZG
Cel's breath misted in the frigid air. This wasn't the blazing solar landscape he'd expected, nor the churning oceanic depths of his mother's heritage. This was something else entirely - alien, beautiful, and utterly quiet.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkQfR8MjMu7
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBoKZgcLmYh
He took a step forward, and his footstep echoed across the frozen expanse like a bell tolling in an empty cathedral. The ice beneath his feet was clear as crystal, and through its depths, he could see shapes moving - vast and graceful forms that defied description.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcwzW1iI8Po
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXdw6SBW0Eq
The moon's light grew brighter, and Cel felt something shift within his chest. Not the burning warmth of the sun, nor the flowing strength of the ocean. This was something colder, more patient - like winter itself given consciousness.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiWzaLO7XQV
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtHtD2UDV7y
But there was no voice, no divine proclamation, no burning symbol branded into his soul as there had been for his brother. Only the ice, the moon, and a silence so profound it seemed to have weight.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUpdXjsfLH
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM8uhNlvxb5
The vision began to fade at its edges, silver light bleeding away like water through his fingers. Cel reached out desperately, trying to hold onto the impossible beauty of it, but the ice dissolved beneath his feet and the moon dimmed to nothing.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkWoqFoVgjy
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9I0zNP03h6
He gasped awake, the taste of winter air still sharp in his lungs. Dawn light filtered through his window, but something was wrong with the morning warmth - it couldn't quite reach him. When he sat up, his blankets crackled softly. Frost covered the rough wool in delicate, crystalline patterns that caught the early sunlight like scattered diamonds.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDYodHmJg2P
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM8xPuDwCoZ
'I am not like my brother,' the thought crashed through him with the force of understanding, silver moonlight still burning behind his eyes. 'But I am still chosen!'198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡefoqTqR9eP
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVKDGkwbDKb
The realization blazed through him like wildfire. It didn't matter that it wasn't the Sun God - the divine still marked him for something greater. His father would have to see it now. Would have to acknowledge him.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrkCY7FMe9J
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd4fPH8llCx
Cel burst from his chambers, his bare feet slapping against the marble floors as he raced through the sun-drenched corridors. Servants pressed themselves against the walls as he passed, startled by his urgency. The great dining hall's oak doors stood open ahead, golden morning light streaming through tall windows.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMrPU28QHRz
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ImYbbT3en
"Father!" The word erupted from his throat before he'd even crossed the threshold. "I had the Calling! I've been chosen!"198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8gr3F0t7F0
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw1kUUg4uvC
Every fork froze halfway to waiting mouths. Lord Aldric's knife paused above his breakfast, a thin slice of meat balanced on its edge. Darian's eyebrow arched with lazy interest, though his lips curved into something that might have been amusement. Their mother's teacup rattled against its saucer as she set it down with trembling fingers.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAtepHarmZN
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzTTnXW6Qk
Only Lyra reacted with pure delight, bouncing in her chair. "Tell us everything! What did you see?"198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMfbfH1a12p
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXkdOLcel1J
For the first time in years, every eye in the room focused on Cel. He straightened, drawing breath like a man preparing for battle, and began. The words tumbled out - the endless ice, the silver moon hanging like a jewel in the darkness, the profound silence that had wrapped around him like a cloak.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwV8k5YD3DM
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtHnXqeAl59
But with each detail, the atmosphere shifted. Darian's smile curdled at the edges. Their mother grew pale, her fingers white-knuckled around the table’s edge as she glanced toward her husband. Even Lyra's enthusiasm dimmed, confusion creeping across her young features.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGkoPm4FLgb
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFsfWTzMAFg
Lord Aldric remained perfectly still throughout the telling, his expression carved from granite. Only his eyes moved, narrowing with each word until they resembled the edge of a blade.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8gsFuYM6E
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWMq4sEUBln
"Father?" Cel's voice cracked as the silence stretched. "I know it wasn't the Sun God, but I'm still chosen. I can still—"198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvtYNmnoUII
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8duscoCIxs
"Show me the mark."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8A39eDltRB
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg2Adapvl1X
The words fell like an executioner's blade. No warmth, no pride, no acknowledgment of the miracle Cel had just described. Only a command that tolerated no defiance.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfMSnDmFghB
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHXNwji5uHQ
Cel's excitement withered. His hands moved to the hem of his nightshirt, fingers suddenly clumsy as if the cold from his dream had followed him into the waking world. The fabric stuck to his shoulders with nervous sweat before he managed to pull it free.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡryXbYokCA7
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN3g6G6oJ3t
His mother's sharp intake of breath cut through the morning air. The sound struck him like a physical blow, and he couldn't bring himself to turn toward her.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0KIB2zoLRc
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWgr3CERDVy
The mark sprawled between his shoulder blades, as large as a man's outstretched hand. At its heart, a perfect circle held a crescent moon adorned with the phases of its cycle - waxing and waning crescents dotting its curved form like celestial scars. Sharp, angular rays burst outward from the central orb, each point jagged and precise as silver blades. Below the moon-circle, two great horns swept upward and outward, their curved forms resembling those of some ancient, celestial beast. 198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYpLMuoFfCB
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoIsteyeLm0
It was beautiful. It was divine. It was unmistakably the mark of the Moon Goddess.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2n4rzSjzz
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7lpZj1fSFC
Lord Aldric's fork clattered against his plate. The sound echoed in the sudden silence like a death knell.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9eqrfPjDQz
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK3iaxt3iWf
"Get out."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy0ZxZDq7Zn
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOntzTRnSp
The words were barely a whisper, but they carried the weight of absolute authority. The few servants attending breakfast stopped in their tracks, exchanging uncertain looks. Cel fumbled for his shirt, pulling it back over his head with shaking hands.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0QrCDj3ioe
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9XhyWa39kb
"Father, please—"198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIgTUdQ41xZ
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtcNdFQ7Hki
"GET OUT!"198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfshParlU3P
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl9niJVLCUO
The roar shook the windows in their frames and the servants scattered like startled birds. Even Darian flinched, his usual composure cracking for just an instant.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTo3kL6XLtb
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlWcL0rDxm6
Cel stumbled backward, his chest tight with confusion and dawning horror. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. He was chosen. Marked by divinity itself. Why was his father looking at him like he'd brought plague into their house?198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMOmvJIo89N
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtD9u7R5gEZ
"Aldric," his mother began, her voice quiet and trembling.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkXh0fGgmd8
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡreCkboxssW
"Silence." Lord Aldric's gaze never left his son. "Do you have any idea what you've done? What shame you've brought upon me?"198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgkjpMfsB2
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeQPuZ7eIcd
The words hit like physical blows. Cel shook his head, desperate to understand. "I don't... the Moon Goddess chose me. Isn't that—"198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrBqfOUFwMR
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF1prCVETsj
"The Moon Goddess." Lord Aldric spat the name like a curse. "A forgotten deity with no Noble House, no armies, no power worth claiming. Her Chosen Ones are weak. Barely stronger than common soldiers. In centuries, not one of her marked has achieved anything of note."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjCPiJWujI7
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiuSQNPMXLD
Each word carved away another piece of Cel's newfound hope. He could see it now in his family's faces - not awe or pride, but disappointment. Shame. His mother wouldn't meet his eyes. Lyra stared at her plate as if it held answers to questions she was afraid to ask.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcuzjb1REJp
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgqy7IafEEZ
Only Darian had the courage to watch, though his golden gaze held something that might have been regret.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH4v3Oek0zQ
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaGGrVGgp9m
Silence stretched between them like a blade. When Cel opened his mouth, his father's hand slammed against the table, making every dish jump.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBjAH83ocrs
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQbc7v4tY3T
"Fifteen years," Lord Aldric's voice dropped to a whisper more dangerous than any shout. "I've invested fifteen years in you. Training, tutors, resources..." His chair scraped against marble as he stood, movements controlled but predatory. "And this is how you repay me?"198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJyTahtg3XE
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkpqEM3OpJl
Cel's throat felt dry as sand. "Father, I can still—"198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZnJ341pZX
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK1E9Lx84Sp
"Still what?" The words cracked like a whip. Lord Aldric rounded the table slowly, each step deliberate. "Still embarrass this House? Still drag our name through the mud at every gathering?" His breathing had grown heavier, shoulders rising and falling with barely contained fury.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZulCiMCtm
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPuIWcvTRQc
"Please, just listen—"198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeKUsYbJklu
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMxLe1pB30P
"I am done listening." Something shifted in Lord Aldric's eyes - the last trace of paternal restraint crumbling away. His voice rose with each word, building like a volcano. "Done pretending you might somehow become worthy of our bloodline. Done watching you waste every opportunity I've given you."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7SrCLtGOh1
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB44BQq88ba
He was close now, close enough that Cel could see the vein pulsing in his temple, could feel the rage radiating from him like heat from a forge.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoABhpk0IkJ
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAv2MiTdYLl
"But this?" Lord Aldric's hand shot out, grabbing a fistful of Cel's nightshirt where it covered the mark. "You stand there with that mark on your back and dare ask for my acceptance? My pride?"198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKqLVePA4DN
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡybj39iGio3
The shirt tore slightly in his grasp.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ90DFHgrbI
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRlV8lYKgbf
"You are not my son."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxapBkYaHf6
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcmVkhrX82Q
The words hit Cel like a physical blow. He staggered backward, tears welling behind his eyes. "No, father, please… I—"198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCkkWz2vOAM
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6m13889EHF
The fist caught him across the jaw with the force of a war hammer, cutting off his plea mid-word. Cel sprawled across the marble floor, blood filling his mouth. The world tilted sideways, colors bleeding together as his vision swam.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjXo8iWSef2
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu2zzl9lTsI
"You dare bear this disgrace?" His father's voice had dropped to something inhuman, a growl that seemed to rise from the depths of his chest. Each footstep echoed like thunder as he advanced. "This pathetic mark of weakness?"198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaNCH6Z7iIe
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTdQTiQ764M
Cel scrambled backward on his hands and knees, leaving crimson droplets on the pristine floor. "Father, please, I didn't—"198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ09ZLFZtUUt
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbrJpnN61cf
A boot drove into his ribs. The impact drove the air from his lungs with a wet crack, barely audible beneath Lyra's sudden scream. White-hot agony exploded through Cel's chest, stealing his breath, doubling him over as he gasped like a drowning man.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg9Z7fXM7cw
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkf7IZqWZ8M
"Weak!" Another kick, this one to his shoulder, rolling him across the floor. "Useless!" A third strike caught his back, right over the divine mark. "You were meant to carry the Sun God's blessing!"198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6pMWop9j8x
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp1uGI6u8Mm
Through the haze of pain, Cel caught glimpses of his family. Lyra had buried her face in their mother's robes, her small body shaking with sobs. Their mother stood rigid as stone, one arm wrapped protectively around Lyra while her free hand pressed against her mouth. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she might as well have been carved from marble for all the help she offered.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8LIPwF7oY
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxTYe7fZhy5
Darian remained in the doorway, his golden features pale. His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides, jaw working as if he might speak, might act. But he stayed frozen, the perfect son unwilling to defy their father's wrath.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCLim1EC8AI
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu1v8irFhMX
'Why won't anyone help me?' The thought crashed through his mind between waves of agony. 'Mom... it hurts… it hurts… it hurts…!'198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq65a9yFEhT
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlrx9D51QcD
But she wouldn't meet his eyes.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrke2ZXNWVc
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbXxT8pc7Ek
Lord Aldric hauled him upright by his hair, only to slam him against the wall hard enough to crack the stone. Cel's vision exploded into stars, blood staining his nightshirt crimson.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj1LwytQ8wI
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWeJLeu3Ov6
"I will not have a failure like you destroy everything I've built!" His father's spittle flecked Cel's face as he snarled. "Do you understand what you've cost me? What alliances will crumble because of your weakness?"198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVlgPnhdtwq
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvogndWBSdn
Before Cel could answer - before he could even draw breath - his father spun him around, pressing his face against the cold wall. Fingernails raked across his back as Lord Aldric tore away the bloodied nightshirt.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3zjlely37B
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtELDZ6qTy6
The divine mark lay exposed, silver light pulsing weakly beneath the torn skin.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡevmbBJyQ8R
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUIwWOQHJ07
"Please..." Cel's voice came out as barely a whisper. "Please, no..."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfBNztEBLmy
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3aioaWJAF
But his father's fingers were already digging into the flesh around the mark, nails carving furrows as he tried to tear away the divine blessing itself. As if he could rip the moon from Cel's body and cast it aside like an unwanted tumor.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPqLgU3ntHm
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaZ1iRuO4UQ
The scream that tore from Cel's throat was inhuman - raw, broken, and endless. It echoed off the dining hall's vaulted ceiling, seeming to shake the very foundations of their home. His body convulsed against the wall as fingernails gouged deeper, blood flowing in streams down his spine.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTbSSsPxtuA
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Still, no one moved. Darian turned away entirely, unable to watch. Their mother pressed Lyra's face deeper into her robes, muffling the child's sobs while her own tears fell like rain.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0jjiTCAeEl
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL85j5EZ2eA
'Help!' The word was barely a thought, lost in the screaming. But his mother wasn't moving. None of them were. 'Why... why won't...'198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHBL9nBdJ2g
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvhhb4YsBy2
The pain became everything - a white-hot pain that burned away thought, breath, and hope. His own screams grew distant, as if coming from someone else entirely. His legs gave out, but his father's grip kept him pinned against the bloodstained wall.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB5HYdNnnw3
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJKCNKRD7I
Darkness crept in from the edges of his vision, merciful and complete. The last thing Cel saw before consciousness fled was his mother's frozen face, tears streaming down her cheeks as she watched but did nothing.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcHpeD2YPh
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5yheRrdNM6
Then, oblivion claimed him.1234 copyright protection194ＰＥＮＡＮＡOQMHaQHKGf 尼

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