"Raven!"96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoHlCufJHLQ
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ869CA8ma1Z
The name echoed down into nothing.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKETTpP4KLa
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmumHSdzVFr
Cel stumbled toward the edge - he could jump, follow them down, there had to be—96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7K6jrW5YI
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuQmeMMJ9oy
Something closed around his throat and the world lurched.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡInLJYLdZqx
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhr3x3o1089
His vision swam, legs dangling in empty air. Fingers clawed at a wrist round his throat—how had—?96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd6u2WzfQ3b
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH84n29tqM5
When it cleared, she stood before him.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC7cDj4Zb72
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8wj4L96Fx
Esrin Tempvolt.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZTEd0mhye
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW1uDaItwPf
No wings now - vanished as if they'd never existed. Just dark armor, ash-white hair and ruby red eyes.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJXZOIH0u7
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsFAsVwzGWp
His gaze darted past her. The volcano stood in the distance, a broken silhouette against the crimson sky. The massive creature lay collapsed in its core, smoke rising from its shattered body.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMP1CnI9OWF
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYc88mi5VZV
His eyes snapped back to her. Not a scratch on her armor. Not a drop of sweat. Her breathing was steady, unhurried - like she'd taken a casual walk rather than fought something that could level mountains.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGhn3DUbINH
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJTShlPIdI
"Who are you?" Her voice was flat, emotionless - a demand, not a question.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMSOS2pP29i
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJXy6lKExKJ
Cel couldn't breathe. His vision tunneled as pressure built.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH3IrTT2OZ0
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWZIuJEYgKL
He forced words through the crushing grip. "Go... away."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvoC6Ul7MQH
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBLzmL970K4
Her expression didn't change.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAMpaO1Q6ul
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIYIBuiH0qy
His hands clawed at her wrist. He reached for Frostmark—96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0fDYTvHTcb
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkj7SkEZL53
Pain.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLZhPCAG7kV
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeiR5Bmn4El
The world became chaos. Stone. Burning ash. Crimson sky. All of it blurred as he flew through the air before slamming into a dune of ignited ash. The second impact drove him sideways. Third. Fourth. Each collision sent him careening in a new direction, his body ragdolling across the wasteland.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoc92o30PIR
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2RWpC9nLXM
Everything went black.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpWTUfuGAr3
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXX3EF87G8I
When awareness returned, he couldn't breathe.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlBRo1O9Vcy
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSvXtQhGxhD
His chest seized. He tried to inhale - nothing. His body refused. Panic flooded through him as his lungs screamed for air that wouldn't come.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAM9COxKGSV
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGVBtaTmCB9
Blood surged up his throat.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOzF3cKm7pH
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmAqDOqcdFA
He rolled onto his side, retching. Hot liquid poured from his mouth, choking him further. His throat worked uselessly, chest heaving in broken rhythm.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRYPnmKXbcR
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Ol5d75lXX
More blood came up. His vision grayed at the edges.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmHkbwg5fjf
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2xZmwRvYGU
He clawed at the ash, fingers digging in as his body convulsed again. Another wave of blood. His chest locked tighter.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlepTCJ3q5g
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrVUHv3OXl5
'Breathe—'96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRUeBI6XLR4
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡICymHSMnr8
Nothing.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8jhCTOzWbJ
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNuzo8SAhk9
'BREATHE—'96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ6n5kmSyeE
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrVTygY9E6B
His lungs finally obeyed.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ91RbzRFJ7E
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE54UnFZq87
Air rushed in - hot, full of ash. But real.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTXGb0NVM7R
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTMX8RtwUlc
He sucked in desperate, ragged gasps between coughs that brought up more blood.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6xisJg2RZn
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNiDM806sgr
Footsteps crunched across burning ash.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRDhpdwSNIs
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWYzy4TbY8
Not hurrying. Just the slow, inevitable advance of something that knew its prey had nowhere to run.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIRdERflqic
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtE0YyE9yMZ
"Use that power on me again and I'll break every bone in your body before you hit the ground."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiyr3llhSXl
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrxVKPcldCO
He sucked in desperate breaths between coughs, blood still hot in his mouth.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcmjsS3h6qq
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiQQfrkbDyp
Esrin was ten steps away. Nine.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8L7ZM7s6B4
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG2na5upCX6
Cel's mind raced. He couldn't fight her. Couldn't run. Couldn't use Frostmark without her killing him before he hit the ground.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSXL0bfHx0A
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSnhyObrbDU
But there was something else. Something that might—96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10YVgxtfmA
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLCdYAEQIXz
Eight steps.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSDWNCjn5cv
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ99HK4xzGms
Cel slammed his fist into the burning ash.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3cYy77EmdZ
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡySedBnUCLB
Seven steps.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5hSy7yYAx9
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwMIyDH1lYO
Again.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOUwLLEW7q
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCjCUziJKbp
'Come on.'96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJtJNPlNGo
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ76woLFRmQ5
Six steps.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp7R5u5IxOE
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ06bZPilI2a
Again. Harder.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9M458Jy8Lz
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLFew9h1iHv
'I know you're there!'96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdyDlKj9ocK
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu0V3JIDrVt
Five steps.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG87g7qjdlD
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiN0Cg2aeze
The ground beneath him vanished.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgjdtj4PLfA
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaMuSuFci7M
The Tremorborne erupted in an explosion of ash and stone, its circular maw opening wide as it surged upward with impossible speed.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAp9xhBgFVP
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAtwekJphWK
Cel fell backward into that hungry darkness—96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7grE8qfYuN
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdwaX3uMfPz
And as the maw began to close, as Esrin's expressionless face filled his vision one last time, his lips pulled back from bloodied teeth.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Swef6SYL9
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzscOVzzDc
A smile. Savage and defiant.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzxTBejffrW
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgmLjeKEJ4R
Then the maw snapped shut and darkness swallowed him once more.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFwpgrYPXm
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡotUq6B2wq3
***96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVuvUPFwhfz
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCnWk6jKnd
Esrin's eyes narrowed as the ground sealed itself.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8FPzenwZOF
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCO0eNjwPo
'His divine energy... I can't sense it at all.'96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjdoDxzh5fW
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIuOazIhWda
The observation settled in her mind with uncomfortable weight. She'd encountered Chosen who masked their signatures before - but suppressing one's divine energy required absolute mastery. The kind of control that took decades to develop. But even then, it left traces. Ripples in the fabric of reality that marked where power had been suppressed.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJSI669yxs5
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡChdiaAUTUe
This boy had nothing.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvg7rgMDyYo
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3zpWWJ5Esy
As if he simply... didn't exist in that regard.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbFGUw7Mqn0
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg2qB3xwJ1V
'An artifact?'96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr9cV7cHRb3
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzU19WwplqC
White wings manifested from her back in a cascade of crackling lightning. She rose, ash swirling away from the displacement as she climbed toward the crimson sky.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVJwMiZ6B8b
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2lDYuOsiYD
Her glaive materialized in her grip.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFoFohWUA0r
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1GeSBtbc2L
Lightning crackled across the blade - not the white-black energy of before, but something brighter. Purer. The weapon blazed with contained violence that made the air itself hum.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxnXaRJuRD
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyz1LzO2PFW
She drew back and hurled it.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLNIKgqNvsV
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVyGJwy5sd
The glaive became a streak of blazing white, tearing through the air with a sound like ripping silk.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGcvoW16j9
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYGRKblYeB3
It struck where the Tremorborne had vanished.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE5C7Oh5iTF
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfyRVqph4s
***96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtHE1uHn5Tx
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU4rQ5pBe8D
Light.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcm7zObLBXm
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP03uwZsELY
Blinding, absolute light that turned the darkness into screaming white.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1VVTqcIGAt
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8046DyF9dW
The shockwave hit first - a wall of pressure that compressed the worm's body inward. Then sound that wasn't sound but pure force translated into noise.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcCwEMb3VgI
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpy8sEGSnZn
The Tremorborne's flesh detonated around him.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGF2Kk72Ah4
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FZnVX09u5
Chunks of obsidian armor flew outward in all directions. Tissue vaporized. The concentric rings of teeth shattered, fragments spinning away like shrapnel.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfxjWLIY0Du
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqFgrUVdpe
Cel's body tumbled through the expanding destruction, untouched by the devastation but thrown like a leaf in a storm. His vision was nothing but white. His ears rang with a tone so high it felt like silence.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0mPhEfDsIj
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo6FfLQHEol
He hit something solid.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELktPil4YO
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI0iyDHxMdK
The impact drove what little air remained from his lungs. His back slammed into stone, his head whipping back—96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqaJVLXwpdd
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOVwJqXznQq
Then stillness.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCYSf1W9P7P
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡElkstGTk3q
The light faded by degrees. White to gray to the familiar crimson of the Ashlands sky.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTxycUZQMmc
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ15AMsrkJtz
Cel lay at the bottom of a crater.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHiWQyKmzKm
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHgmrdyjcTZ
The walls rose around him in a perfect circle, the stone still smoking from the heat. Ash drifted in the air like snow.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1IaFXw0YXf
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkvBkh5iTjZ
He couldn't move.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm5waQ1EhAq
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmIAn5OjcME
Not from injury - the blast had somehow missed him entirely. But from something deeper. Primal terror that locked every muscle tight, that made breathing feel like an act of will.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrezyPYsRZP
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv8UKBXjwXt
The glaive stood embedded in the ground beside his head.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7tEADD3U3
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD6OVk7l1h5
So close he could see the intricate patterns etched into the blade, the way lightning still danced across its surface in fading arcs. Close enough that moving his head a fraction would bring his temple against its edge.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMjndbdUiXR
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlmcAJDEMK0
A shadow fell across him.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfIL7eIyIJn
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCsqaXU5bc
Esrin descended through the air, wings beating with slow, deliberate grace. Her boots touched down on the scorched stone with barely a whisper, one on either side of his torso.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBn3PQ9U2s
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX3eeVAsoct
The white wings dissolved in a cascade of fading lightning, crackling out of existence as if they'd never been.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRyZCUnNr0Q
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwg79f6wN5F
She stood there for a moment, looking down at him with that same flat expression - as if killing a Defiled-rank creature and obliterating everything in a hundred-step radius was simply routine.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebCjet7U5k
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeuAkgFEzfv
Cel's chest rose and fell in shallow breaths. His eyes were wide, unblinking. Every instinct screamed to run, to flee, to get away—96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt5L7OPEJ6g
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm4sXR5aI5H
But his body refused.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7dBICYtdKA
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ZkXThrWPd
Esrin reached down.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0n3ll1Ctj8
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSHHPc8JnB6
His eyes tracked her hand, his throat already tightening in anticipation— 96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQMq3nGDJtx
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVuyESr8Isq
She grasped the glaive's hilt.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGrg2f3x5Dv
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW4sdfKpXOp
The weapon came free with a soft whisper of steel against stone.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF9wLDiqAlH
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6JblQOKWnj
She held it loosely at her side, the blade still crackling with residual energy.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh4Wr34wUXg
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzEzg5drqHS
"You're wasting my time."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9yc03Jmrv1
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZSrct9Mp2
Cel's jaw worked. Blood coated his teeth, his tongue. When words finally came, they scraped like broken glass.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9S6gDg6wc1
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiDPj1cxpzY
"Then... leave."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUwUBzebKQn
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6iiozDG9u6
Silence answered him.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpDdhLsR2BT
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡILt6Qq44g8
Esrin's gaze remained fixed on him, flat and emotionless. Seconds stretched.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ18MMMSI7HM
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsim5Zvvs45
"What's your name?"96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2oxJ8BtMD
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7LCXPNlnKI
The question came without warning, without context.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡktrVp9T8Qj
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyb8gKDzDqY
"Celvian."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPnMPVrPopv
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyXmfVP5JCe
"Your patron god?"96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN70q6hB05G
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlY54GdQlsN
His throat tightened. "The Moon Goddess."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq5kPakC5Dg
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3CErbXFpd2
Her eyes tracked to his snow-white hair, to his glacial-blue eyes, then to the armor covering his battered form.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1JvGVASmby
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJMLncRxIWH
"How old are you?"96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNtwEEvyn6o
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGGcpQX4AQr
"Sixteen."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTdetSrgZ8B
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb2QlUMGdfk
For a single heartbeat, the cold assessment in her eyes softened. Not to warmth - but to something that looked like she'd just confirmed a suspicion she'd hoped was wrong.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk0dIIFeuxc
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXbTfMW4UYl
"How did a sixteen-year-old Moon Chosen end up in the Hollow Realms?"96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzKgVsVliff
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMdn0R7bEmK
Cel's fingers dug into scorched stone. The truth would reveal too much - his origin as a noble, his father's betrayal, his year of torture. All of it weakness she could exploit.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEoq0NaqPZe
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPFpIEpzUsB
His jaw clenched as rage flared hot in his chest.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdvdskVgrPq
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiARyAVquJa
They were his to kill. His vengeance. His blood to spill when he grew strong enough to make them scream.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ13lXLQYs8f
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6eLpiXrFFy
But if he could set a Hallowed on them first? Watch them scramble like rats as Esrin Tempvolt tore through their compound? See them taste fear before he came for what remained?96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡURQgsFc5RR
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsTbgXT1UQz
The thought settled in his chest like cold satisfaction.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxE557rTUY8
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IwMLew8f0
"The Children of the Voidmother." His voice came raw. "They threw me through a rift. To seal it."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZIqBlkPdvW
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ03cLNstKsc
Esrin's expression hardened - the only real emotion he'd seen from her. Her jaw set in a way that suggested this information mattered.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwwVM6zmtT9
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcH1AK0DKWP
"The cult." Not a question. A statement laced with something cold.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyl17oXq3Da
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOHtP6Q0Fcq
He nodded.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs9FZO4kAVn
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPAzAIKnAYj
Silence stretched again. Esrin remained perfectly still, gaze fixed on him with that same calculating intensity. Weighing. Deciding.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTHtD3ETRts
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz4OILVxx2o
Cel kept his mouth shut. Every instinct told him that speaking now - saying anything more - would be a mistake. One wrong word and she'd start asking questions he had no safe answers for.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWgXQog3zun
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He couldn't risk that.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfxsRSmcb1D
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So he stayed silent, even as his body screamed in pain, even as blood continued to drip from his mouth. Waiting for her verdict.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrcPKyKAXhj
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7bDGL3S8f
Finally, something in her posture shifted - subtle as a blade finding its sheath.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBLiaKkFHbz
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhyUYcek24k
"You're not what I came here for." She dismissed her glaive, lightning crackling once before the weapon dissolved. "But leaving a Chosen to die in the Ashlands serves no purpose."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvXJTmErSGI
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmlic2rSIfd
The clinical assessment in her tone made it clear this wasn't mercy. Just... efficiency. A waste of resources to let him rot here.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcM3kpVIdMR
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQbLFumSbmI
"I'm taking you out of here."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVxzEojqvna
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8hwgZ8gdy
Cel's body went rigid. "I can leave on my own."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy7AmUsHuAb
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeAkCUeb6Mv
He braced his hands against the scorched stone. Every muscle screamed in protest as he forced himself up. His arms shook. His legs threatened to buckle. But he made it - swaying on unsteady feet, refusing to fall.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWwvmWrWbdQ
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBgCwJcaLMM
"Can you?" Her gaze swept across his bloodied form. "You can barely stand."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNacldnLStF
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4kdNxTIF1f
"And whose fault is that?"96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7U4VvGkq8b
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzbFNZYiQZj
The words came sharper than intended, edged with pain and defiance.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCXNoXmjpT
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSX8Xn80fHv
Esrin's expression didn't change. No flicker of guilt, no acknowledgment of what she'd done to him. Just that same flat assessment.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3MrtWzaIUb
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWlRuNDgzye
"Mine." The admission came without hesitation or apology - a simple statement of fact. "Which is why I'm not leaving you here to die from it."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbpqYf5nbjX
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrVjURU8AmY
Her hand moved to a pouch at her belt before he could respond. When she withdrew it, something rested in her palm - a flat stone perhaps the size of a coin, covered in symbols that writhed when looked at directly.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9AF1R7rWvk
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdEWyAOR8uH
Her fingers closed around it.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFrn48vuI0W
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRzTF53ttzB
The stone shattered.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDGFbmyUp8
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Not cracked - pulverized. Fragments turned to dust that slipped between her fingers, dissolving before hitting the ground.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIdA7LHPKaH
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡblzWmv1N59
Violet light erupted from where the stone had been.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH0Ws6aXxqS
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJzZ919sH2t
Cel's eyes widened.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN1fJnblHuf
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNlHrgmXoZ5
A rift tore itself into existence - but wrong. All wrong.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡItPlWp4AFT
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3cwDf6W3p
The edges didn't shimmer. They crackled - sharp, violent bursts of energy that fought against their own existence. The violet light bleeding through wasn't steady. It pulsed, writhed, twisted back on itself in patterns that made his eyes water.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWga6QRvorG
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡifWOEgPSqn
'That's not possible.'96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWQemVzXLWt
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTCeyUXTqFZ
Creating rifts was impossible. Even for the Hallowed. Rifts were tears in reality that formed naturally, that could only be found and sealed, never created.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZJwckkQMhG
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGwVCzuDtNi
Yet here it stood, crackling with violent energy, defying every law he'd been taught.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3yP9VF3ARR
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQrnkKxkVSz
'She just... she just created a rift.' The thought repeated itself, unable to find purchase against the impossibility before him.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN9Kso6Cz1U
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJppo7kwuK
Raven's voice echoed in his memory: 'You can trust her. She will protect you.'96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRiqLDx1ojQ
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj4uBU9nPxD
Esrin Tempvolt. The woman every noble child had been taught to admire - proof that strength and honor could coexist. The pinnacle of grace and power that young ladies aspired to emulate. 96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpxbPTq8mv5
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIjfRFRnBj0
And Raven had been certain. Even knowing she hunted him, he'd told Cel to trust her.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdntK57N2en
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLbk6w4Xy1U
Esrin stepped toward the impossible rift, then glanced back. "Stay close. The passage is disorienting."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2TYHLTPrrm
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfweBs2uwp4
Cel stared at her extended hand.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3t3RyBwQFk
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNzuZwh12KL
She'd nearly killed him. Had thrown him across the wasteland like garbage. Had threatened to break every bone in his body.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFzy6YuNm4z
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnYTgzOCns5
But everything Cel had ever learned said the Hallowed were humanity's greatest protectors. That Esrin Tempvolt was someone worth believing in.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNlkqdldouT
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXv9uIXkmA9
His fingers closed around hers.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzJI0rDcY82
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY59QnCVhNJ
He had no choice. Fighting Esrin was suicide. Running was impossible. And if Raven had been right about trusting her…96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTFkWEfLQEU
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU3uC0YAncu
'I'm sorry, Raven.'96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvJwrVEg94b
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNIBKH9Te4e
The thought was brief, nearly drowned by everything else screaming through his mind. But it was there.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5yJ4SxhFd
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBS60gdL3V
She pulled him forward without hesitation, her grip firm but not painful. They stepped through together.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOMQr5aU9Sj
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKbiKkrru4G
The world inverted.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK0VDJr06lc
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Violet light swallowed everything. Up became down became sideways became nothing. Cel's stomach lurched as gravity lost meaning. The only constant was Esrin's hand, anchoring him while reality twisted around them.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhNWL8qmIT
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvZKm9AFtzT
Then it stopped.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1rQaYOR9SH
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Solid ground materialized beneath his feet.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxS4sSrvfBK
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Cel's vision cleared by degrees.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡETQkIzGZjV
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They stood on an island of land suspended in—what exactly?96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIzdOlS4sBs
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBYOG2I8YeH
Violet void stretched in every direction - not empty, but crackling with that same violent energy. Lightning arced through the emptiness in branching patterns, illuminating depths that had no bottom.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf4lWurdcLR
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyKZfudympZ
And in the center of the floating land stood a manor.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEW9oud6rMX
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡijTckjT5Yo
<You have achieved something extraordinary: You entered a new dimension.>96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv2e7Js9zP4
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBDfDxk64Fl
'Huh?'1234 copyright protection92ＰＥＮＡＮＡnl6DiryJ2F 尼

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