"I need to ask you something." Cel's voice came quiet in the mist-shrouded landscape. 53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZXCxk5mPGf
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5275x0kgD
Her masked face tilted slightly, attention focusing with that patient grace she always carried. "Of course, Chosen One."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1XMdpjgnz
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIwNRFCtZUL
The words felt heavy in his throat. Not because they were difficult to speak, but because asking them felt like crossing some invisible line.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhrU6CwCYb
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv6zMOby1oM
"What are the Cursed?"53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvKwYO25aZh
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCN8hz9lHYD
Silence answered him. Not uncomfortable - just present. Selina remained perfectly still, her expression unchanged.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Fp7B7YPUA
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWkjBqE1PI6
When she finally spoke, her voice carried something that might have been regret. "I am sorry Chosen One, that does not lie within my authority."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH4rL3V7mmK
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs97BzOK7DS
Cel's jaw tightened. He'd expected the answer, but disappointment still settled in his chest anyways.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ72R652MkF6
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1YOc9pB9BR
"Fine." He forced his breathing to steady. "Then can you at least tell me this - do they pose a threat? Are the stories true about them being... wrong?"53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvXVWmdAstf
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNy8Ytxkpip
"Some stories hold truth. Others are born from fear and misunderstanding." Selina's gaze remained fixed on him, unreadable behind the mask. "The Cursed are as varied as any other human. Some deserve the exile they receive. Others do not."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXTsTSBRkIG
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrQ5yj9Mp7i
The honesty in those words struck deeper than any evasion would have. Not a judgment. Not a defense. Just simple truth, delivered without embellishment.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZA1DhxtbTa
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUUa423dGAn
"That doesn't help me know which category Raven falls into."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdvxVemNKkR
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTWVoRAouaU
"No," Selina agreed softly. "It does not."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb4mItps9AY
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Cel's fingers curled against his palm. The logic felt wrong somehow - incomplete. If the Cursed were just people, varied like anyone else, then why mark them at all?53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRkbkk2n0Qj
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0T63gv7BQ
"You said some don't deserve exile." The words came carefully, each one weighed. "If the Cursed were just people, varied like anyone else… then why do the gods mark them with corruption? What is that mark, really?"53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWn7JfRbxNV
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiBB28tFgBc
Selina remained silent for a long moment. When she spoke, that same note of regret colored her voice. "I am sorry, Chosen One. That too does not lie within my authority."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQTroNadtk
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMSxp8unEGh
The mist shifted around them, curling through broken earth and small flowers that reached toward moonlight.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZDgGgJGM9v
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqMQ2aDg536
Cel stared at the ground, trying to organize thoughts that refused to settle into anything coherent. Every question led to another, each answer revealing how little he actually understood.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgxcAFHQK7d
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW2cLG6P16g
Selina's voice came gentler now, almost hesitant. "Chosen One..."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgitnaPMx2m
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkLOECJmetH
He looked up.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN1gMzvMi0n
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7W93o67vIe
"Please be careful." The words carried weight that made his skin prickle with instinctive unease - a subtle shift in her posture, an emphasis that suggested something beyond simple caution.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRc0rZBqflb
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmzTGJA9Iy4
His chest tightened. "Of what?"53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzefXPAqCAc
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEIx5FtMpTB
"That is all I can say." Her tone had returned to its usual serenity, but something lingered beneath it. A warning wrapped in silk. "You should rest now. Your body needs sleep."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoE2Y6Y4HAa
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvpEU9yhe0W
The finality in her voice made it clear - this conversation was over.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdSIWr3wYIe
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxpzxPclNQZ
"Alright," he said quietly. Then, after a pause, "Good night, Selina."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Vak4eFDAS
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDy656oejnK
The words felt strange leaving his mouth. He hesitated. "Do... do priests even sleep?"53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM43Jr47Nrn
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFqxMGIn8Zh
A soft sound escaped her - gentle and musical. A chuckle, quiet but genuine.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZwriqeuqdc
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRj5r8eTXry
"We do not need to sleep." Her voice carried warmth now, the tension from before easing. "But I appreciate the kindness nonetheless."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqhquc2MCWw
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNAMGGQosY7
Something in her tone made his chest feel less tight. A small comfort in the midst of unanswered questions.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjG9HXomcO7
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfD6lxyvOmR
“Sleep well, Chosen One.” Her serene smile deepened slightly. “May the Moon Goddess light your path."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4J0CitxkCt
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeKRFNXsvf8
The familiar words wrapped around him as he closed his eyes and reached for the world beyond.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKOND3x3tl6
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjqPEiTV7rZ
Pain greeted his return - dull and persistent, radiating from wounds that Cinderward's manifestation couldn't erase.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84oz1S3nzD
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZCOF93sJRf
Cel opened his eyes to broken stone ceiling, moonlight filtering through gaps where the structure had crumbled. 53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOWxQaHev6T
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSqyYDAmrjq
Raven's silhouette remained near the entrance, back turned, surveying the wasteland beyond with that same careful vigilance.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvUDHlOCwoo
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe7EVWnVpNe
Cel's mind wanted to churn through everything Selina had said - and more importantly, what she hadn't said. But his body overruled him, dragging him down into sleep before he could form another coherent thought.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeTZioSjZ6y
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtpGUBI1TsL
The nightmare came as it always did. Golden light. His father's rage. Blows that fell like judgment while his family did nothing to help him.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG3dnLK3Ym4
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Cel gasped awake.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡngEpwuIJK7
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCpRNxzYID1
His hands clawed at the ground beneath him, fingers finding only ash-covered stone. Sweat coated his skin despite the morning chill seeping through gaps in the walls.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRfueex9sbK
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHBSrKYnm5Z
The nightmare clung to him like oil, coating his thoughts with remembered pain that felt more real than the broken ruins surrounding him.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡunGZRthRXl
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAZrbe3w2ZW
His breathing gradually slowed. Steadied.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3IR6B9XE4T
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Movement drew his attention.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHkgXhAIu0g
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGD493jipnY
Raven stood near the entrance, silhouette dark against the crimson light filtering through crumbled stone. He wasn't looking at Cel - just standing there, keeping watch as he had been all night.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8BwLVgb6X
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Aware, but not intruding.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLlItV730Py
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhvqAxeZyo3
Cel pushed himself upright, testing his balance. His hands were steadier now, the nightmare's grip loosening with each deliberate breath.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVrkSyC0qP
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfIDa2NiBeK
Raven glanced back at him, expression unreadable.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRSFUQuD0II
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMwIhoaVR0P
"For your notice," Cel said quietly, "you also mumble in your sleep."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoY7vJ6bHi1
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJrCMPcs4wF
The words came out more defensive than he'd intended - a justification for weakness he shouldn't need to explain.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoigeWpsh6W
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrxaqILNjS9
Raven's lips quirked slightly. "I know."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvLCdtKTl9I
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlDfByTy98l
The simple acknowledgment settled something in Cel's chest. No questions. No pity. Just mutual understanding between two people haunted by things they couldn't escape.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSj7VNhki8
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsJbXft2p9G
"Ready?" Raven asked.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGFN2ELAEx
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLCJIHYkDFl
Cel flexed his right hand experimentally. The fingers responded - not perfectly, but better than yesterday. Sensation was returning in slow increments, the frostbite damage gradually receding.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ufSIEAN9l
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHm3mdw3HfN
"Yes."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmzpAQzhTu6
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Raven nodded once, then moved through the archway without further discussion.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHQJ3pFNm6N
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxEA6Zg8351
Cel followed, emerging into crimson morning light that painted the wasteland in red tones. The mountain rose larger on the horizon now.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhqIEqTae8T
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYwSdk7lcC
Perhaps another day of walking. Maybe less.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKDECWHaGsv
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpbSssXIQtb
They fell into rhythm - boots crunching against ash-covered earth, silence pressing in from all sides. The same endless landscape stretched before them, broken only by scattered obsidian, ruins and the distant mountain.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj7HLudgW8N
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8QMVZV8Len
Selina's warning circled Cel's thoughts, refusing to settle.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWz02aly0XG
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj10oxPfGp9
‘Please be careful.’53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡteVT5y3ZNX
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIZqS9gzR8r
Careful of what? The Cursed in general? Raven specifically? Something else entirely that he was too ignorant to recognize?53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Rq61DU4im
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcoTXRVmKqo
The ambiguity gnawed at him. But dwelling on unknowns wouldn't help. Not now.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkLt6iNuXph
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWOJfFva6W1
His gaze tracked to Raven's back - the confident stride, the way he moved through this dead world like danger was an old acquaintance rather than a constant threat.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejxvZweKZc
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaL3DxuCHkX
Whatever secrets Raven carried, whatever had earned him that mark of corruption, Cel would learn eventually.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZaOKjmIsD
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbmmMknILhH
Or he wouldn't.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwPu0Ux1QXO
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Either way, the mountain awaited. And with it, the slim hope of finding a rift that led back to their world.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXcMYhUlxcv
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW7DhkBWzWC
Time passed in silence, marked only by the rhythm of their footsteps. The crimson sun remained fixed on the horizon, unchanging53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBmiA6NHVJa
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0PGWUrqnUO
Cel's throat had grown tight over the past hour, each swallow requiring conscious effort. His tongue felt thick, papery. The black medicine coating his wounds seemed to pull moisture from his skin, leaving him parched in a way that went beyond simple thirst.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEmQqZ1mWOA
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He'd been ignoring it. Pushing through the discomfort the same way he'd learned to push through everything else.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeFwMJhbe9v
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaltfg1g4eC
But when Raven slowed ahead of him, then stopped entirely, Cel knew the issue had become unavoidable.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQIDsy8RHO
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy0DUj0EV4i
"We need water," Raven said, not looking back. His voice carried that same flat pragmatism it always did, but something in his posture suggested urgency beneath the calm.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCVc6jocGNL
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjGJlF5G9dA
Cel came to a stop beside him, scanning the wasteland. Ash. Stone. Nothing that even hinted at water.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlSLNWKkczs
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMN3GdhoAxq
"There are fissures," Raven continued, his crimson eyes tracking across the landscape with practiced assessment. "Cracks deep enough to reach underground waterways. Rare, but they exist."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZdXKtXwLkF
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV799fUrSwL
Cel weighed his options in silence. He'd kept Frostmark hidden deliberately - Selina's warning still echoed in his thoughts, cautioning him to be careful. Revealing his abilities felt like showing his hand to someone he didn't fully understand.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Q2t5s3ug4
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxDAPW20g1
But searching for water in this endless wasteland was uncertain at best. They could wander for days and still find nothing. 53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt9zZB84GfY
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4siFkSN4QV
The risk of revealing his gift was smaller than the certainty timewaste.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtBhPAlVoEU
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhv6b03P6Q
"I have another source," Cel said finally. 53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTdgUlU6OUy
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Raven's attention shifted to him, question implicit in the tilt of his head. "What do you mean?"53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGh8tiXluLv
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQOIrH6rnMc
Rather than explain, Cel knelt and pressed his left palm flat against the ash-covered ground.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5bvPzUo8zr
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf77dt23zo0
Cold erupted beneath his hand.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr9icLQy7FZ
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD2IMjbToBU
The familiar burning sensation - vicious and sharp - raced up his arm as frost spiraled outward in delicate patterns. The ash beneath crystallized instantly, forming a perfect circle of ice that shimmered with pale blue light.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnh51tgy0cF
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4zBR5Ws4e
Raven went still, his gaze fixed on the frost circle.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvRljKPQUNV
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxfT93lqqyh
Cel pulled his hand away, fingers aching from the cold. The frost remained, etched into the ground like divine scripture written in winter.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTbN66AS3FM
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5JTPfh1Kx4
He reached down and broke off a chunk. It came away with a sharp crack, the fragment glittering in his palm.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlXMSNH7n1x
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjBY3vproGr
Then he brought it to his mouth and bit down.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNbucudQNlt
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5QnAylbvJY
The crunch echoed across the silent wasteland. Cel chewed methodically, breaking the ice into smaller pieces before swallowing. The cold traced a path down his throat, settling in his stomach with surprising weight.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtZgO3k9r0b
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgmKbogXSaP
When he finished, he looked up at Raven.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqkiyMVcUzd
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡab31pZFD0x
The young man stood frozen, staring at the frost circle with an expression Cel couldn't quite identify. Not disgust - not the revulsion he'd shown when Cel had eaten raw meat. Something else. Something that looked almost like... wonder?53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqRVrJQ6I3S
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntxOimTqKM
"You can create water," Raven said finally.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ2zRxJzGLQ
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIqUMJ9hTSE
"Ice." Cel gestured at the remaining frost. "But yes."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2pZrW0tK4Z
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5bW4U46tPZ
Silence stretched between them.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsH4hIGcNNG
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlj8YKFxBGM
Then Raven moved - slow, careful, like approaching something that might vanish if startled. He knelt beside the frost circle, one hand extending toward it.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQdkLODnecL
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJfQVP2abm9
His fingers hovered just above the surface for a heartbeat. 53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKRbM5mNEVq
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqwdluNI4K
The moment his skin made contact, Raven flinched - a subtle jerk of his hand.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQArdCwu5U5
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX9a8BwaiWi
"Cold," he said flatly.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxnbdV2IZVg
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Raven lifted the ice to his mouth. His teeth closed around it—53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJIXovNOTzU
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRIiXinHIR
And nothing happened.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡToLxOiniDs
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He tried again, biting harder. The ice held firm, refusing to crack under the pressure. His jaw muscles flexed with effort, but the fragment remained stubbornly whole.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj2jQkY5Ypt
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrLL1NsJb2G
Frustration flickered across his features. He pulled the ice away, staring at it like it had personally offended him.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5k1OyZRxaR
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ5LZMVMzPt
"It won't—" He tried once more, applying enough force that Cel could see the strain in his neck. "—break."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9UrvPJR80H
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw8G2dLaxi4
Something twitched at the corner of Cel's mouth. The sight of Raven - the same person who'd faced a Defiled-rank creature without flinching barely a day ago - now locked in a battle of wills with a piece of ice, was absurd enough that a laugh threatened to break free.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz4KjuuDFdt
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf2UMdm4cLB
He swallowed it down.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoyYJFl8MmN
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUtG0tSpLwm
"Here." Cel reached over and plucked the ice from Raven's hand.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8hgim9RJJp
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo22Jqm2EWb
He closed his fist around it.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡArlnnbjHUD
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyBTbH7FdQN
The ice shattered instantly with a sharp crack, fragments spilling between his fingers. He opened his palm, revealing a dozen glittering pieces small enough to swallow safely, and held them out.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4UKnCr9vS7
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9NpQIaFkQj
Raven stared at the crushed ice in Cel's hand, then up at his face, then back to the fragments.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0qc7elxQFP
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7LOCkIGM7K
"That's..." He paused, seeming to search for words. "You didn't even try."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ96csMBPLUg
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD4TKIWWnyZ
Cel looked down at his own hand - at the fragments resting in his palm, at the ease with which he'd destroyed something Raven couldn't even crack.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqj1B6bEDix
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi2xMob8KQU
His assessment had been wrong.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZinWMWi4RT
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvRNYa76jVS
The thought arrived with uncomfortable clarity. When he'd tested Frostmark's durability, when that single punch had shattered the frost, he dismissed the ability as fragile.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUjVMfbp2Ge
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But it hadn't been the frost that was too weak.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCU4v7eoLyE
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It had been him that was too strong.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiFJ3YokJrt
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The Moon Goddess had forged him a body whose strength outstripped his ability to control it. A body that made even simple movements violent.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjnE9VVQI0
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And he'd used that strength to judge divine ice, never considering that the flaw lay in his perception rather than the gift itself.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIUqZ6WWfYw
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Shame flickered through his chest. Another failure of understanding. Another moment where his ignorance had led him to undervalue something precious.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwJOXxSCH12
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Raven was already eating the crushed fragments, his movements careful as he swallowed the smaller pieces. When he swallowed, something in his posture relaxed slightly - the tension of dehydration easing.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIN63wstUm
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"Make more," Raven said quietly.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwEWmD7tnb7
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Cel pressed his palm to the ground again.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnmOaaJ0XaX
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Frost bloomed outward in spiraling patterns, beautiful and intricate. He broke off chunks and crushed them methodically, creating piles of fragments that Raven gathered with cupped hands.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7IyfxGBbdA
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They ate in silence - the crunch of ice against teeth the only sound in the vast emptiness surrounding them.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0uGw0VZdGp
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When they finished, Cel's throat no longer felt like sandpaper. The tightness in his chest had eased. Even the throbbing of his wounds seemed less insistent.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7lRzC2kXW
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Raven stood, wiping frost residue from his hands onto his dark clothing.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLncbQXCoLP
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"That changes things," he said, gaze tracking toward the distant mountain. "We can go straight."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj7TO3QRtR4
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Cel pushed himself upright, testing his balance. His left hand flexed experimentally - the cold from creating frost had left it stiff, but nothing worse.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDyVbu7BOoa
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They fell into step together, boots crunching against ash-covered earth.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOeYHBoHTa
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Raven walked in silence for a long moment, his expression thoughtful in a way Cel hadn't seen before.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3uFgPmL406
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"A useful gift." He glanced back at Cel. "Your goddess must favor you highly."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5c9Ey3lewU
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"The Moon Goddess chose me," Cel said carefully. "I don't know about favor."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXEt94chN5a
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"Still." Raven's pace slowed. "To grant such a gift... your priest must be no ordinary guide.”53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAEP40IICd8
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Raven's hand landed on his shoulder.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLODlgvJSXr
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The contact was light, almost casual - but something in the timing made Cel's attention sharpen.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsKEscWd02l
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"What rank does he hold?" Raven asked, his crimson eyes fixed on Cel's face.1234 copyright protection49ＰＥＮＡＮＡxNoBr5dNWz 尼

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