<Insight: (Ledger of Nightmares)>18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj1kUpLqAfG
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfGunyo0pZq
Cel stared at the words, absorbing their meaning.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb6CB9mWB3G
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmycSnmLVFD
"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."18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1GrGf8gj5
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLa4Isnuu0D
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.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp7Ib7HGV1Y
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbufjJxFEf
"How long have I been here?"18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnmWwrQrJBI
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv2se6BVH2K
"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."18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ7qF4IopIL
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuvf8RWphUB
Cel nodded, the wisdom obvious once stated. "Thank you."18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDjPeODoBXx
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ndjIMjATx
"There is no need for thanks." Selina's smile deepened. "Go now. And may the Moon Goddess light your path."18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbCgHABHTtj
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7huasHj0vI
The familiar words wrapped around him like a benediction as he closed his eyes and reached for the world beyond.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7OMUU6vBjc
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGLcTMIaOGQ
Pain crashed over him like a wave.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡohXcAs7dI2
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxCFbrtjqb
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.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqOp9zgAuZ2
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu07lkXIBNm
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.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs39HZRLPKi
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2CBltu5xe5
A sound broke the silence. Soft. Wet. The unmistakable noise of tearing flesh.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡulRPhvW99r
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEIbbCVvLUW
Cel's eyes snapped to the corpse.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM8RK5Nngkg
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMXTiDDDLkJ
It lay where he'd left it - serpentine body coiled in death, dark ichor pooled beneath it in the ash.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSsKdBuc41
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcV70JfEZ5o
Something was perched on its chest.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTwvRa9t7Q8
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9GibXVkQLT
A bird.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdFzgLOpYmJ
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe6BSNSSCVw
But calling it a bird felt wrong. Obscene, even.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡufplGt1grg
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8yGI5KEF1n
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. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjCRbOduDEt
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV4G6HSaaj5
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.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD7OHQbiL1D
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzAkSSjRUh
'That's not a normal bird.'18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJkP0K5DzWO
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPaKBhbzPRV
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.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡncJ6ao7sgW
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZYmzWrs35F
Which meant this thing, with its blood-dipped feathers, was a rift-creature.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsG3oqJUq2e
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK0QjwJEvZr
His left hand moved, reaching for the bond with Silent Moon. Pain lanced through his shoulder, his back, his arm - but he ignored it.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0pYb4pS8w
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpM3dbjp784
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.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡESRIbXf4si
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ22Cbxfuskv
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.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIWQhKsdEey
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrVvZMEJNiY
Cinderward came next.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7EJXYIzqio
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokv18V0pfv
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.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0JDHAgAoQ2
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpDsiuSmJNH
The transformation took perhaps two heartbeats.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJN8W91Pccd
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8muvjjVYvN
When it finished, Cel stood in full divine regalia, blade raised, every muscle coiled despite the exhaustion weighing on him.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfrgahaHg66
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfOuFYCClTp
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.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUO1bF7ogsU
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrEWcksrNj
It was... ignoring him?18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5o0BwRxq3y
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0YY6OYurSb
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.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2nl1yRgWbQ
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbtxfeedN30
Should he attack? The thing was clearly unnatural, clearly wrong—18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF2ySqPC4xF
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs4MjSaVcAa
Footsteps.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv7y7c0gjpl
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo8eYyTf5kD
The sound came from outside the ruins. Steady. Deliberate. The crunch of boots on ash-covered stone.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm6ZJCe6WZv
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPct7Ur1QNC
Cel's head tilted toward the entrance gap, every sense suddenly focused on that new sound.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkiCHzIDFkB
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy7YNshw8Od
Someone was approaching.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEHyOvNJv24
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrpWMpP7Az2
The bird-thing didn't react. It simply continued its meal, pecking at exposed organs with clinical precision.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzMxhlvrw2a
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTgrVr4iAxw
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.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadDC9DLhk0
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ86q138wSOa
A silhouette appeared in the gap between broken walls.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuX6S5lITvP
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡarI1XkA5qY
Tall. Lean. Moving with a grace that spoke of training and deadly purpose.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIjuXEnQypg
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQhmDBibzLg
The figure stepped into the dim light filtering through the ruins.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXiJxMitA1p
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1mAwn8ah92
Cel's breath caught for the second time in as many minutes.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadZVY5lHP8
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNsl3i9YAwz
A young man. Perhaps eighteen, maybe twenty. Dark hair fell across sharp features that carried a weight far beyond their years.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0H427hCQL
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnc6HPwu1d6
Relief crashed through Cel's chest before he could stop it.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJlpN7hS5Is
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVOkVCRYmnX
'A human.'18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZIxp5MBOR
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2G1tBEwiO
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…18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3lpfIK3yw
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAy5kBU76hb
Another human being stood before him.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjxHtehEKl8
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcaddKeVliX
Then the stranger's gaze met his, and the relief shattered like glass.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLBKnoETuI7
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqiE71oDbjY
Those eyes.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5JqbFpxFzx
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ56nnBWzRyw
Crimson iris set against black where white should be, holding depths that seemed to swallow light rather than reflect it.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡehu1sOzQrX
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9zKUZZvQpV
Wrong. Fundamentally wrong in a way that made his instincts scream.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbAEHVoiMq
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtX4u9niRpO
'What if it's not human at all?'18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaOsAheBk0C
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgMklipLWVn
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.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt5xEYqOQYm
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuvOuOMfYQp
Trust was a weapon that had been used against him too many times. A weakness he couldn't afford.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQgobARdW1
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMFzHpoYUO2
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.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeYg8oCd0G1
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW9qWLohkr3
He hated that weakness. But he couldn't quite kill it either.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf2CLBBn1hE
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIxRYcCv2Ui
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.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLkWAsFSB1d
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2WReUjfBKf
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.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXMtr5ImgwX
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡty4KyMm3Tu
For a long moment, neither of them moved. The bird-thing continued pecking at the corpse, the only sound in the sudden, heavy silence.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL0s9AgItqC
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw5qx50qmrK
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.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF9tffn3NV6
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8KFDr5BgfY
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.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqTD1eHEmXO
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGODBIS1dRQ
Then those crimson eyes fell back to Cel's face.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8g8y9FiRGh
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoHvJnTvP2K
"You're human." The words came flat, carrying neither surprise nor emotion. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5PTHPbChWi
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8qDHi3sLrO
"So are you." Cel's response was equally neutral, though his mind raced in disbelief. 'A human. In the Hollow Realms. How—?'18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbIQrTMSwhw
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGPcNmLaRj1
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.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSVDr5aXBMz
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXtDMnK4diD
"You're injured." Still that same flat tone, neither offering help nor threatening attack.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoOYHjizJ1H
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVDLk1rhvAI
"I'll live."18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBwF234HKcC
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBBIaM1wg9N
A slight tilt of the head. "Will you?"18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2kIbYnnbxg
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡECKWyArDzE
The question held no malice. Just genuine curiosity, as if the stranger were genuinely uncertain whether Cel would survive his wounds.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdpQGdDVbTx
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXbxE5XPIwU
Cel's jaw tightened. "Long enough."18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUnSm4cpxbj
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTsswIW6mI7
Something flickered in those red eyes - not quite amusement, but close. "Confident."18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡypFRRRpM96
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjvq81NPrqW
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.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdM8i0394Lp
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2I5cGjsFNv
The stranger moved.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1VeZk0Ng5h
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKyV8xlj7KC
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.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUynSArfXJ0
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA67w6gmUL7
Not aggressive. But not careless either.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8PfUEpcRMr
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvptL74wQvC
"That yours?" The stranger gestured toward the corpse with a slight nod.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQReglfo6O
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQMCSeidMo0
"I killed it."18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIcGM8EqvV6
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1moRU8MlOO
"Hmm." The sound carried something that might have been approval. "Ash-crawler. Nasty when cornered."18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jehZxhA4g
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi4wLYpJF2x
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.'18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡftlQQz3Ai6
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOCzp76yVO
"How long?" Cel asked before he could stop himself.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUwGvme0YRL
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQfq95pRFgq
The stranger's gaze narrowed slightly. "How long what?"18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjI47B23Lvt
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8mEtNirsF6
"How long have you been trapped here?"18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4BvJNinBH1
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlbV2Qi6rx5
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.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡauwBXmCes3
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW30IDDf18F
"Trapped." The word hung between them. “Seems like that.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6mhgWyoAyr
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnAAlGx8uHQ
Cel waited, watching the stranger's posture. Relaxed but ready - the stance of someone who'd learned to be comfortable with danger.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKadfph0K0
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFADuAWzMY
The silence stretched again. The bird-thing pecked at exposed organs with clinical precision.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7EhdhVukPC
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeD3qmQ1DQP
"What's your name?" Cel finally asked.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUipXeojB3e
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsL3YPSVMnp
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.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdim1YMtMlZ
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9lqwpDjZRf
"Raven."18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7lPNPZpvZr
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcMajruDqaw
Raven's gaze remained fixed on him, expectant. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt46lrKzH1Z
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdn6JSLyPdJ
"And yours?"18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqIdf18Z1OL
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Fu0VuvgDC
Cel hesitated. The question was simple enough, but his mind raced. 'How did he get here? Why is he here?' 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJ2MUFRJLy
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7BqHryI2Gs
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.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDiUMF8OUYL
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYXDJyM4pJ4
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.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSHeONB4PRr
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMAnOpzv2Y
"Celvian," he said finally.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRZEQO7wp0Q
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbus5SDqmLk
"Celvian." Raven repeated the name once, testing it. Then his attention shifted - quick as mercury - to the entrance gap. "You alone?"18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2yiGQue6MO
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wfJEd1zSV
"Yes."18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRvEVXbW898
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCajAaXF8E
"No companions? No escort?"18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwcGyCxsOZi
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWGO0TGPXEI
"I said I'm alone."18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzecucFSUfq
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWQhn7mtAmc
Raven's eyes came back to him, sharp and assessing. "Moon Chosen."18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj3Y33QGfzE
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9NoBfBGbj
It wasn't a question. Cel's hand tightened on Silent Moon's hilt.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbuhERFPeXq
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡReHgK1MGuE
"How did you—"18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtq5sRKinwC
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Rx4arPJ5m
"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."18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXdxkx7aU0Q
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcgeoLlJAZd
Cel's chest tightened. He'd thought his divine gifts were his own secret, his own advantage. To have them identified so casually—18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡunemZUwadM
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjOi8nBjaW
"Don't worry." Raven's tone remained neutral. "I'm not here to fight you."18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWiwaCjOGVH
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ZmEBMyRTn
"Then why are you here?"18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1RVcLiuY8A
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ95PRdAbSit
Those red eyes held his for a long moment. When Raven spoke again, his voice carried something that might have been weariness.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0gpSfemI1n
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2CwEaz6bse
"Does it matter how I got here?" A slight pause. "I'm here. That's what counts."18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFkPRuAvU6Z
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj00eFdk4PS
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.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhg7RQbd1dE
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTwxYi9Rdc3
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.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP82MX9MFcU
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGA9cI4sTx
"Fine.” Cel resigned. “But you didn't answer my other question. How long have you been here?"18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMa4ybWqkQs
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQ4gCP9Xpk
This time, Raven actually answered.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8zZFH5pXjP
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf8AjGdaejg
"Long enough." His eyes grew distant. "Maybe a year."18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGKCOLF2VUw
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡny4Hq1Qqpc
The number hit like a physical blow. 'A whole year. Alone. In this place.'18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkshSesnsls
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDyxK9J4EH8
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.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgB75QfYmg
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe12zcnW33r
"How?" The word escaped before Cel could stop it. "How did you survive that long?"18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJPGuBkbMXb
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiQ4OozyzlT
Something flickered across Raven's face - there and gone so quickly Cel almost missed it. Pain, perhaps. Or memory.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJkOo0N9onO
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCdcp6g3aOq
"You learn." The words came quiet, distant. "Or you die."18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH5ZuQXWJi4
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM58k1WrHYP
The bird-thing's cry echoed from somewhere outside, harsh and alien.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGuVd0Y0Ge8
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWEDPJInN7C
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.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDo4HnVmu9C
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuyeqgCCGLu
"Your wounds. They'll fester in this place. Faster than you'd expect." The statement came flat, matter-of-fact. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJdVhIG0Xv6
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokfvHR9Vyd
Cel's fingers tightened on Silent Moon's hilt. "I'll manage."18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqjcrxJrTMh
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ykq5dbOln
"With what?" Raven's tone didn't change, but something sharp entered it. "Ash and hope?"18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4WZjZVr8oY
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJcHmtrFyKa
The question hung in the air between them.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW8GKuiFwmf
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlyhT9QUbQj
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.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdA03EFhJ2A
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtSbzB5Ku3u
Raven seemed to read his silence accurately, eyes narrowing.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDEsdFJoWYQ
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYMqk1HrJv6
"Stay here." Not a suggestion. A command, delivered with the casual authority of someone used to being obeyed. "Don't leave this ruin."18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEDGKA3Q7Ll
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZdCRIz77J6
Cel blinked. "What?"18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgtt2UKLFDQ
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT6UkLXTojn
"I'll be back." Raven was already moving through the gap.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQSF7I8Frj
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgLBcX3RMZw
"Wait—where are you—"18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ19wl3P2iXC
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6dnjNab1mV
But Raven had already vanished into the ash-covered wasteland, his dark form swallowed by gray and shadow.1234 copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡLtFSvsATpl 尼

216.73.216.33