<Insight: (Ledger of Nightmares)>188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6MYE22cYsd
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5UAS9KfoSo
Cel stared at the words, absorbing their meaning.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaT5TbhgD5k
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdVxwk9nVTK
"The Ledger will serve you well," Selina said, her voice carrying quiet approval. "Though I would advise you to examine it when you return to the physical world."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0taCgYF9K7
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhThP1tk0PF
The reminder struck like cold water. He'd been so focused on examining his new gifts that he'd forgotten - his physical form was still slumped in those ruins, bleeding and defenseless.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCNqPy4EhjE
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE6N30j4Rmg
"How long have I been here?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2aPymymBNi
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLgzvHWzqWD
"Minutes only. But minutes can be enough for predators to find prey." Her tone remained gentle, but the warning was clear. "You should return. Examine the Ledger when you are safe - or as safe as one can be in such a place."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzTPxPtQw7F
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJh6zctvg3
Cel nodded, the wisdom obvious once stated. "Thank you."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnohpeSCAeN
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHtMwiQ9tQt
"There is no need for thanks." Selina's smile deepened. "Go now. And may the Moon Goddess light your path."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6tZQKddP4F
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKS05hT7TLa
The familiar words wrapped around him like a benediction as he closed his eyes and reached for the world beyond.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2EGKTFfbpe
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB00RE8ITSt
Pain crashed over him like a wave.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQpoo1ny2T
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyYu9jtH5gc
Cel gasped, his awareness slamming back into his physical body with brutal force. Every wound announced itself at once - the claw marks across his back, the burns on his left arm, the countless smaller injuries that painted his skin in blood and ash.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5qd3xTumFm
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYf6eODiYTq
He was still in the ruins, sitting against the wall where he'd left. The storm had passed completely now, leaving only settling ash that drifted through gaps in the broken stone like gray snow.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTZ2GntXGj
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUYZOARNB68
A sound broke the silence. Soft. Wet. The unmistakable noise of tearing flesh.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡemi0NXdmMt
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdfoqyrIS57
Cel's eyes snapped to the corpse.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKL145RTrXX
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLAUFru7rhX
It lay where he'd left it - serpentine body coiled in death, dark ichor pooled beneath it in the ash.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg2awCDZq21
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJZX15MuOud
Something was perched on its chest.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntrLq75A58
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj94EOTpJgy
A bird.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtp5oZhYTrC
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7XtopSEGX
But calling it a bird felt wrong. Obscene, even.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3xDsBUxnaM
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWzfjmEb0TP
The thing was roughly the size of a craw, but there the resemblance ended. Black feathers covered its body - sleek and dark as obsidian, their tips bleeding to crimson red. The proportions were all wrong - body was too long, legs too thin, neck too flexible, wings that folded at angles wings shouldn't fold. 188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1XwLp3X7sV
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3k307CO6dj
When it tore another strip of flesh from the corpse, Cel glimpsed rows of tiny teeth lining the inside of that beak - serrated, designed for more than just pecking.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZP7nrXFB4
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4PcLeyw7Jz
'That's not a normal bird.'188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡltFInFn9hJ
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhhEbh51SWw
The thought arrived with crystalline clarity. Normal birds didn't exist in the Hollow Realms. Couldn't exist. This place had been dead long before any normal animal could have found its way here.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCDWWMCizwI
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOvcIGCf12b
Which meant this thing, with its blood-dipped feathers, was a rift-creature.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9z4Sfasv7
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMvIyAVctEo
His left hand moved, reaching for the bond with Silent Moon. Pain lanced through his shoulder, his back, his arm - but he ignored it.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy6i5rGxGCY
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLvw55bjCtA
Moonlight threaded through the air as the chokutō materialized in his grip. Six crescents ignited along its length, casting pale radiance across the ruined space.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5JdOwc2xzz
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAHAF8kbWVG
The bird-thing's head snapped toward him - neck bending at an angle that should have broken bone. A single crimson eye fixed on him, unblinking and bright against the black feathers.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcpUcKvO8V0
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjXCHmEKVO
Cinderward came next.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYJvfWxcUJ
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLK5arUmNx
The armor manifested instantly, moonlight wrapping around him in silver threads. The mantle settled across his shoulders, the cloak falling behind him. Weight distributed itself across his body as bracers formed on his forearms and boots encased his legs.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHXApnS32ie
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKzLjYpRU9Q
The transformation took perhaps two heartbeats.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSiWXXTf1QA
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbMnMfqyZUO
When it finished, Cel stood in full divine regalia, blade raised, every muscle coiled despite the exhaustion weighing on him.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfOgV1QdGv9
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ09oYfU4ACk
The bird-thing regarded him for a moment. Then it took another bite of the corpse, tearing away flesh with those serrated teeth hidden in its beak.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLf5fsx55j7
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo5q5JDOtoK
It was... ignoring him?188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIjeGkUXvSu
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEcYSp2l3LQ
Cel's grip tightened on Silent Moon's hilt. The creature showed no aggression, no interest in him at all. Just methodical feeding, as if he were no more threatening than another piece of the landscape.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs6u3zOOWxz
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIVk5rL4RzV
Should he attack? The thing was clearly unnatural, clearly wrong—188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZPBXNvuZt
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEgCImD21ez
Footsteps.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi9JV35p6Mb
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlrMWcE6HGI
The sound came from outside the ruins. Steady. Deliberate. The crunch of boots on ash-covered stone.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeXMV0gIAos
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbqxfTO2LG8
Cel's head tilted toward the entrance gap, every sense suddenly focused on that new sound.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKVYDdecLR
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxlmL3e1EN0
Someone was approaching.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV6DfbW5747
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡouPxzENVUf
The bird-thing didn't react. It simply continued its meal, pecking at exposed organs with clinical precision.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ1gUvVwOvk
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHEv4B2m4UM
The footsteps grew closer. Not running. Not cautious. Just walking with the confidence of someone who knew exactly where they were going - or the carelessness of someone who didn't understand danger at all.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKgaWO86zEy
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeceqVHT6NM
A silhouette appeared in the gap between broken walls.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8FMZZFIVwv
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ak5cuPQMT
Tall. Lean. Moving with a grace that spoke of training and deadly purpose.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmMsBBXQHr1
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIgUPE77qFV
The figure stepped into the dim light filtering through the ruins.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEhk7W7p8wY
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWP07jXmlFh
Cel's breath caught for the second time in as many minutes.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaY65rTdGZN
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ37i0hq5DRj
A young man. Perhaps eighteen, maybe twenty. Dark hair fell across sharp features that carried a weight far beyond their years.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzheHb1I7c
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyMGHCTFXmL
Relief crashed through Cel's chest before he could stop it.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtVZD8ggGEC
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4gd2DXxER
'A human.'188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwok0qe3wWO
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDejRofH5hw
The thought arrived with desperate force. After what felt like eternity alone in this nightmare, fighting for every breath, surrounded by nothing but monsters and ash…188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL93OpPzBX0
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoEW1Ozms5D
Another human being stood before him.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY5vMAK8quO
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7B4npNNEL4
Then the stranger's gaze met his, and the relief shattered like glass.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxZIIlsHyeF
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGEoQlz82z7
Those eyes.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuh8gc1IYNT
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJKQDqWt4M
Crimson iris set against black where white should be, holding depths that seemed to swallow light rather than reflect it.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSakxh8VptP
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJLMy5HdgHY
Wrong. Fundamentally wrong in a way that made his instincts scream.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSJ865O6dCI
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0UaEx0gqBF
'What if it's not human at all?'188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡabq6Ndm8z5
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeBB5xbgyq0
The thought sent ice through his veins. The cult had taught him that appearances meant nothing - that the cruelest monsters often wore the most familiar masks. His own father had smiled while arranging his torture. His mother had looked loving even though she abandoned him in the end.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0wpFPTXoX
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1KD9e2M590
Trust was a weapon that had been used against him too many times. A weakness he couldn't afford.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYIVvJBE9td
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhbIdKxIYfZ
But beneath the fear and suspicion, that desperate hope still pulsed. Weak. Pathetic. The part of him that wanted so badly to believe he wasn't completely alone in this dead world.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6jSKdTsqPx
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFllaeXjGhU
He hated that weakness. But he couldn't quite kill it either.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0AcdPW5xk
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ihG35XMsU
The stranger wore practical clothing in dark tones with blue-grey accents. A cloak draped across his shoulders, shifting with his movement. Everything about him spoke of someone who lived by blade and shadow.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡws9FHPJJKH
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfOIgDonaDw
But it was the way he carried himself that made Cel's instincts scream danger. Not aggressive. Not threatening. Just... present. Like death itself had learned to walk on two legs and dress in mortal clothing.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGoWExw5936
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ05X1K2ZL7N
For a long moment, neither of them moved. The bird-thing continued pecking at the corpse, the only sound in the sudden, heavy silence.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEcbSo1SotG
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvT0K2ydMC5
Cel's grip on Silent Moon remained steady despite the pain lancing through his wounded shoulder. Six crescents pulsed along the blade's length, casting pale light across the ruined space.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBf8pEdWVvX
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTIlz7ZU7h
The young man's gaze swept the ruins in a single, assessing glance. Took in the dead creature, the ash-covered floor, the storm damage.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSDNIf1JxZe
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKawgtlOIP5
Then those crimson eyes fell back to Cel's face.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf1GredfPp7
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZFxanSjQfG
"You're human." The words came flat, carrying neither surprise nor emotion. 188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUir8Y2j3w
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM2yvGdzGGY
"So are you." Cel's response was equally neutral, though his mind raced in disbelief. 'A human. In the Hollow Realms. How—?'188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡalk46oz69n
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkp2owScNPN
The stranger's gaze swept over him again - lingering briefly on the blood seeping through the new armor's fabric, the way Cel's right arm hung slightly wrong at his side.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGrV5ngBezD
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwbB40VAPK1
"You're injured." Still that same flat tone, neither offering help nor threatening attack.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM40BzBTEXN
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPPAeNcJHLo
"I'll live."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxbVMzt2b4q
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMdg31ErRaw
A slight tilt of the head. "Will you?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC1dkf9m5FF
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzuWcEx4Xf7
The question held no malice. Just genuine curiosity, as if the stranger were genuinely uncertain whether Cel would survive his wounds.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡymEiUCKR4Y
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKUwtcV5qFG
Cel's jaw tightened. "Long enough."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFJn2eYYi1r
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDtffEc927H
Something flickered in those red eyes - not quite amusement, but close. "Confident."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQwJvpdB56
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxDPF0CLNRv
The bird-thing chose that moment to tear away another strip of flesh, the wet sound obscenely loud in the tense quiet. Neither of them looked at it. Neither dared break eye contact.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKzwRt6Sn0
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLtcDHbmIHr
The stranger moved.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQE5ce933dz
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJBe2JojRhS
Cel's entire body tensed - but the motion was just a step to the side, away from the entrance, giving himself a better angle to observe both Cel and the feeding creature.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ72z0HtullF
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhTdgzv6HOV
Not aggressive. But not careless either.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcFoM9UnxTM
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbrF98cxcJC
"That yours?" The stranger gestured toward the corpse with a slight nod.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSGkMJnIin
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXxbEnst4pv
"I killed it."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7dqMUCZU8w
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqC1o7wvzDy
"Hmm." The sound carried something that might have been approval. "Ash-crawler. Nasty when cornered."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOVwUG48bKZ
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxMKZJ8GOmL
The casual knowledge in those words made Cel's instincts scream. 'He knows what it is. That means he'd encountered them before. At least once.'188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ3glo0JdA8
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1meNd4vSXQ
"How long?" Cel asked before he could stop himself.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYATAQHfWDh
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdYKcJ0RapC
The stranger's gaze narrowed slightly. "How long what?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkS4jAppv8s
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDrVXDRZmZ
"How long have you been trapped here?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqVU6SNiF0U
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYpD4MU14Fs
For the first time, something resembling emotion crossed that pale face. Not quite a smile, but a subtle shift at the corner of his mouth that suggested bitter humor.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1pYQNZb2Xa
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCGmdN9OboS
"Trapped." The word hung between them. “Seems like that.”188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcLOhpVOIJY
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43X47RlGAH
Cel waited, watching the stranger's posture. Relaxed but ready - the stance of someone who'd learned to be comfortable with danger.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT6k0dZuEWg
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwBjWhqg9cI
The silence stretched again. The bird-thing pecked at exposed organs with clinical precision.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnRfj00v0Lh
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5k4Ro3kyNE
"What's your name?" Cel finally asked.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDOvxH7P10
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrLKBYTFOBw
Those crimson eyes studied him with unsettling intensity. As if the stranger were looking through him rather than at him, measuring something Cel couldn't identify.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5z3gg9Ajm
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ81xQ7zgIH2
"Raven."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCGzEWIddYI
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaY6PwqDc5D
Raven's gaze remained fixed on him, expectant. 188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSszEPhMJPA
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKbK9n5Rb3X
"And yours?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVkO6QUBFoj
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6gyDIpdJHx
Cel hesitated. The question was simple enough, but his mind raced. 'How did he get here? Why is he here?' 188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡADfvR4NUHf
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyzVYLRtXE6
His father's face flashed through his mind. If Lord Aldric  had somehow learned he survived, then the Children of the Voidmother would come for him again. This stranger could be one of them.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhXo5GzjC3D
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEY3sVjwuoe
But refusing would accomplish nothing. If Raven meant him harm, a name wouldn't change that. And if he didn't... Cel might need an ally more than he needed secrets right now.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQCxEqSbRD
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxPm7JYTSxA
"Celvian," he said finally.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxpSUglHz4w
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDzvUn5E8aB
"Celvian." Raven repeated the name once, testing it. Then his attention shifted - quick as mercury - to the entrance gap. "You alone?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwtG4rqCLsM
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcavxphdHzo
"Yes."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ82M6Wef9zM
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdDo2jkkiEq
"No companions? No escort?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvy5TwMP8rD
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Pm33szf5h
"I said I'm alone."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF7aYCJt8FV
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb7ZBV8Wqs9
Raven's eyes came back to him, sharp and assessing. "Moon Chosen."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPzrv30tzt9
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJCrGKoIjK2
It wasn't a question. Cel's hand tightened on Silent Moon's hilt.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj8CzCOKXtI
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8G3MrtPsH7
"How did you—"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWKW9FykK6y
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGXAOoE9SPv
"Your weapon." Raven's gaze flicked to the chokutō. "Moon phases etched in the blade. And the way moonlight clings to you even when you're not manifesting power." A slight pause. "Distinctive."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1uHpdfDNL1
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHd8mihhhIl
Cel's chest tightened. He'd thought his divine gifts were his own secret, his own advantage. To have them identified so casually—188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4p8yEOWjcy
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMZx38QIQ0P
"Don't worry." Raven's tone remained neutral. "I'm not here to fight you."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtW7XeEZfyr
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELVmeDOnoZ
"Then why are you here?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGPip7jpk1J
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgGrDEXjDkm
Those red eyes held his for a long moment. When Raven spoke again, his voice carried something that might have been weariness.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqJzGqyOc7
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi72PgOwAzC
"Does it matter how I got here?" A slight pause. "I'm here. That's what counts."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeLVvMp7vNt
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡykqcm1teBi
The statement hung in the air between them. Two humans, standing in the ruins of a dead world, both wary, both armed, both trying to decide if the other was threat or friend.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡje7U2c4O5a
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNaWDEmASho
The bird-thing finished its meal and took flight - wings unfolding at wrong angles before it vanished through a gap in the ceiling. Neither Cel nor Raven tracked its departure.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvKZUc7tXtq
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA3TPv9I0hN
"Fine.” Cel resigned. “But you didn't answer my other question. How long have you been here?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqwVsshsGk
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhjLNm5Npff
This time, Raven actually answered.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNpQ7l67ygx
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJxeSUH2yK
"Long enough." His eyes grew distant. "Maybe a year."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyvjmYMzdAq
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPz7KY8pibW
The number hit like a physical blow. 'A whole year. Alone. In this place.'188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡabELsUAqhS
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxRv5oAEuQw
Cel stared at the young man before him, truly seeing him now. The dark circles under his eyes. The weight in his posture. The way he moved like danger had become as natural as breathing.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡITf5dI49Kn
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlbmycftfCv
"How?" The word escaped before Cel could stop it. "How did you survive that long?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvfMKMUPIYT
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKULZoGX2SN
Something flickered across Raven's face - there and gone so quickly Cel almost missed it. Pain, perhaps. Or memory.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUXzFRBVYAW
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtkCktIL58N
"You learn." The words came quiet, distant. "Or you die."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJC6kMwqfn
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTvn4ndtJlD
The bird-thing's cry echoed from somewhere outside, harsh and alien.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZUKASRP7fE
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0MgD3c9OpP
Raven's head tilted slightly, tracking the sound with practiced ease. When his attention returned to Cel, those crimson eyes carried a weight that made Cel's chest constrict.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcLUktQjPB
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡef3xrM8VBc
"Your wounds. They'll fester in this place. Faster than you'd expect." The statement came flat, matter-of-fact. 188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCE7wOarH60
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfyG2gZENDr
Cel's fingers tightened on Silent Moon's hilt. "I'll manage."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqoBSZgRc8W
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLMI5T6vXCQ
"With what?" Raven's tone didn't change, but something sharp entered it. "Ash and hope?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmNRoRFE7XQ
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9VYUg8UNE
The question hung in the air between them.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe8ZXkN8HPK
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz0Kv1bRWMP
Cel had no answer. His divine gifts could create ice, could grant him strength under moonlight, could even bring him back from death under the right circumstances. But healing? He had nothing for that.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqaQF94V0Ox
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXu7cppW0Q
Raven seemed to read his silence accurately, eyes narrowing.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdDBgbZqyIN
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXqm4icJY06
"Stay here." Not a suggestion. A command, delivered with the casual authority of someone used to being obeyed. "Don't leave this ruin."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZLkg8mOYQ
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtiMfE78umr
Cel blinked. "What?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1LyiD3leuU
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNXcmyeKjeS
"I'll be back." Raven was already moving through the gap.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz9N5P4dVtr
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1swqYg0fEZ
"Wait—where are you—"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCVva63Cmnj
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUWvPGQH5zp
But Raven had already vanished into the ash-covered wasteland, his dark form swallowed by gray and shadow.1234 copyright protection184ＰＥＮＡＮＡkMC6Oz1PJN 尼

216.73.216.176