Cel stepped through the doorway into warmth and noise.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwf3mKQozk
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The street beyond stretched wide - cobblestones worn smooth by countless feet, buildings rising three and four stories on either side. People moved in constant flow, their voices blending into a hum that felt overwhelming after the Ashlands' silence.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgVUWLunHSm
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The capital. Stella.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkAURBo1pYC
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He'd been here before. When his father had deemed his presence necessary for some royal occasions. But at that time, he only rode carriages with curtained windows, direct routes to the palace, guards ensuring no common rabble came too close.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡONMgXzxBWu
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This was different.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCUJ1aifDhb
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Esrin moved forward without hesitation, her boots clicking against cobblestone with steady rhythm. Cel followed, his gaze tracking across storefronts, street vendors, children darting between adults with laughter that felt alien after everything.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuYCbOnqr8a
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A baker's shop. The scent of fresh bread drifted through an open door, making his stomach clench despite having eaten moss and raw meat for days.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaMGWbMhgYH
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A blacksmith. The ring of hammer on anvil carried over the general din, sparks visible through the doorway.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcS4q8JRIQt
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A woman selling flowers from a cart, their colors so vivid they hurt to look at after endless gray and crimson.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡswXnz2fbBq
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"Make way!"14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5nnsXJH99Y
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A carriage rattled past, forcing pedestrians to press against building walls. Cel stepped aside automatically, but his attention had already moved to a group of street performers. One juggled flaming torches while another played something stringed that produced music he couldn't name.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmVNuxA7X2L
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People dropped coins into a hat at their feet.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrxIqri9uik
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The mundane reality of it felt wrong somehow. This world had continued. While he'd been tortured, while he'd died and been resurrected, while he'd eaten rotting meat and fought creatures that shouldn't exist - life had simply gone on.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk5bsj16OLW
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"Lady Esrin!"14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXO0yaqcC6H
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The call came from somewhere to his right. Cel's head turned.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVmDDfR8Z2G
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A merchant stood in his shop doorway, bowing so low his forehead nearly touched his knees. When he straightened, his expression held something between reverence and barely contained eagerness.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4mxlq30nTs
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Esrin didn't acknowledge him. Just kept walking.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiiPRKZ237B
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More people noticed.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0VvuT5oq5
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Whispers rippled through the crowd like wind through grass. Conversations stopped mid-word. Heads turned.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFY66l29kaI
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntdof6nddv
"Is that really her?"14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ01O5QQUToS
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"The Hallowed herself..."14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwLrj2dkc8m
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"What's she doing here?"14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTgWi6T5bEq
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Cel's gaze tracked between them and Esrin's rigid back. She moved through it all like a blade through water - present but untouchable, commanding respect without asking for it.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsaYPGAIQ2w
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYRhNpkd4Gx
A child ran past, weaving between adults with the kind of reckless joy that came from never having faced real danger. His mother called after him, upset but fond.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQmyPB2vUG
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Cel watched them until they disappeared into the crowd.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8VBF3CRTxT
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The street opened into a square. A fountain dominated the center - carved stone depicting the hero who had founded the Stellarion Empire. Water flowed from raised hands, catching sunlight in ways that made it gleam.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzBBzK6BZe
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Children played near its edge. A couple sat on its rim, speaking in tones too quiet to hear. An old man tossed breadcrumbs to pigeons that swarmed his feet.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEzflDpCJHP
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Normal. All of it utterly, impossibly normal.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡimzk5eBVWO
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Esrin crossed the square without slowing.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwsuskyMZT1
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Cel followed, his attention fragmenting between a dozen different scenes.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQRTIy3A5yH
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Eventually, the Academy rose ahead.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG9tgcpwtRE
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Not suddenly - it had been visible for a while, growing larger as they approached. But only now did Cel truly register it, the structure dominating his vision.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlyTMAKq60O
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Stone walls perhaps four times his height. Iron gates that stood open but looked capable of withstanding siege. Beyond them, buildings sprawled across grounds that seemed to stretch far - dormitories, training halls, structures whose purpose he could only guess.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOb8l1qa6Nc
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Esrin stopped before the gates.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmT0a3NUe2Y
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Guards flanked the entrance, their armor polished to a shine that caught the afternoon light. They straightened as Esrin approached, recognition clear in their expressions.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw34THsMs12
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"Lady Tempvault." The younger one on the right bowed. "Welcome—"14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWx3ACYIbo2
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Esrin's gaze cut to him. Not sharp, not angry - just present in a way that made the guard's words die mid-sentence.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ982E71zqSB
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwob9gXTnaT
"Lady Esrin," the older guard on the left said quickly, stepping forward with a deeper bow. "Forgive him - he's new to his post. We're honored by your presence."14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSINXmoCt1
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The younger guard had gone pale, his bow deepening until it looked painful.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBkZqMQB8Uq
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Esrin held the moment for a heartbeat longer. Then she gave the older guard the barest nod and walked through.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbNCehYuNKt
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Cel followed, feeling their eyes track him with curiosity that would probably turn to questions the moment he was out of earshot.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQz3zjvaRoN
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The grounds stretched before them - grass trimmed to uniformity, trees placed in patterns that created shade without blocking sight lines. A group of students moved between buildings wearing dark uniforms with colored trim. Most looked his age, maybe older.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDcuzrT84CP
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None of them paid Cel any attention. All eyes fixed on Esrin.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhg81zss2iW
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzpVyAlBA76
The reception building stood near the entrance - a two-story structure with wide windows and a sign that read "Administration" in formal script.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXKsEXU96TD
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Esrin pushed through the door.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlAP9PSXsiR
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The interior was exactly what Cel expected. Polished wood floors. Desks arranged in neat rows. Papers organized in stacks that suggested someone took pride in order.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQcQR1QP2kc
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRRqnPfNoA0
A woman sat behind the nearest desk. She looked up as they entered, her expression shifting from bored routine to sharp attention in the space of a heartbeat.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNPXW1nAvz6
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELOzk2BR3h
"Lady Esrin." She stood, smoothing her uniform. "What can I do for you?"14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHpfkNqwekY
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"I have a Chosen who needs enrollment." Esrin's tone remained flat. Professional.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Ux6b8J8U0
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The woman's gaze shifted to Cel, taking in his armor, his white hair, his obvious exhaustion despite the healing.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7K9xhWMj98
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8WUl9ot6mk
"Of course." She pulled parchment from a drawer, along with an ink pen. "I'll need some information."14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡns3skc1d3Z
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Her pen hovered over the page. "Name?"14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWEFZYu2ToD
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"Celvian."14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTMqDHKVfYb
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She wrote it down. "Place of origin?" 14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7iRONfsuey
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Cel's mind went blank. He couldn't say House Solmar. Couldn't name anywhere in Sun Clan territory without risking someone recognizing the connection. 14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEEaZiNHghY
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"Thornhaven," Esrin stepped in. "Storm Clan territory." 14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIwKje2qcU
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMLvoRBg2CD
The receptionist noted it without looking up. "Patron deity?"14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCrK8MrtHgd
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"The Moon Goddess."14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRODqkkAKEK
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The pen paused. Just for a moment - but long enough that Cel noticed.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQNY3QSN4C
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMcwxG9LhF7
"I see." She continued writing. "And your guide's rank?"14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDyLCy9RdAO
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Cel's jaw tightened. Saying "Divine Oracle" would create exactly the kind of attention he couldn't afford. Not if he wanted to survive long enough to kill his father.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlOPQbCpL2g
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"Forty-seven."14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHsTExNy19
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The woman noted it without reaction. "To verify your divine blessing, I'll need to see your mark."14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgAeBgeHtBX
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Cel's chest constricted.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Id8AxYb4g
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The mark. The one his father had torn away with his bare hands. The one that was now nothing but scar tissue and ruined flesh.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ehoho5k08
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZeZ8mcX6al
"Is that necessary?" The words came too sharp.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5T9cCkbo97
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"It’s protocol." Her tone was apologetic but firm. "For all new students."14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPbK3krvC3n
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡruzipz3xDg
Esrin said nothing. Just stood there with that same impassive expression, offering no help this time.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlwz5dnLoRs
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Cel's hands moved to his armor.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNPu4QzpDNM
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Cinderward dissolved at his command - moonlight threads unraveling from his shoulders, chest, and arms until they vanished entirely, leaving him bare from the waist up.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMivB9R3Orr
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Then he turned.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9IBxrWhq7G
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The air in the room changed subtly. Not dramatically - just a slight shift that suggested both women were looking at what he'd revealed.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqyihnZh1dy
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Sen8mDVI3
"Thank you." The receptionist's voice came measured. "That confirms it."14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2kL3ZhVMuO
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Cel blinked.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8giUkV7dEG
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'What?'14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMA4HQZYWyV
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His hand shot to his back, fingers searching for the familiar texture of scar tissue.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGHHEBZKW0Y
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Smooth skin met his touch.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4iED1gj1m
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He pressed harder, following the curve of his spine between shoulder blades. Nothing. No raised edges. No torn flesh. No evidence of what his father had done.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuWy1N5Fl2d
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The receptionist cleared her throat softly. Esrin's expression didn't change, but her gaze tracked his movements with clinical interest - as if watching someone discover something both obvious and inexplicable.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi2r6rnYWCA
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Understanding crashed through him.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlvwU9gyHoP
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The Moon Goddess had given him a new body. One that had never been beaten, never been tortured, never carried his father's rage.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGxIesvxW4
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The mark was there. Whole. Unmarred.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5mWm8OyX5M
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"I'll show you to your quarters." The receptionist was already moving toward a door at the room's far end. "If you'll follow me?"14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCUUHsfLwif
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Cel summoned Cinderward back on. The armor manifested around his upper body in seconds, settling into place with familiar weight.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡASUTyjQO3K
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPQR3Uj2A5T
Esrin hadn't moved, her ruby eyes tracking him with that same calculating intensity.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsA2huUDDd7
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"Thank you," Cel said quietly. "For bringing me here."14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq89zxOWNc2
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She nodded once. Then she turned and walked out without another word.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOwiWRYcn0k
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The door closed behind her with soft finality.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrrf8hgMhYX
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"This way." The receptionist gestured.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvRRHp3TwBO
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They left through a side door, stepping back into the afternoon light. The path led east, away from the main building toward a separate structure - simpler than the administration building, its stone less ornate.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiUz7YDbsxM
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She pushed through the entrance without ceremony. A corridor stretched ahead, lined with identical wooden doors. The floor was clean but worn, the walls bare except for numbered plaques.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡanYqkMDzwf
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She stopped at a door near the middle, producing a key from her pocket.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdMYoDDaHmY
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The lock clicked and the door swung open.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAaahKxrgwv
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"This is your room." She handed him the key. "Meals are served in the main hall three times daily. Classes begin in ten days. Someone will brief you on your schedule before then."14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCEbRkIarXX
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She left before he could respond.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpsdmwPUNI6
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Cel stood in the doorway, taking in what would apparently be home.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwtDVSSLJoy
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Small. A bed against one wall, narrow but clean. A desk beneath the window with a single chair. A wardrobe that looked barely large enough for the few possessions he didn't have. A basin and pitcher for washing.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcJJajOR4y
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Commoner quarters. The kind of room he would have been ashamed to enter back when his father's opinion still mattered to him.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcz3S9Zl1PY
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He stepped inside and closed the door.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoKu9muOxNn
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Silence crashed down.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5iyVVnnxKV
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Not the oppressive silence of the Ashlands. Just... quiet. Normal quiet, where he could hear his own breathing without scanning for threats.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡorJKODqlnO
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A mirror hung on the wall near the wardrobe.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj6qYJcefR3
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Cel moved toward it, his reflection emerging with each step. White hair that caught the light filtering through the window. Pale skin that looked like it had never seen sun. Eyes the color of winter sky.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3EnNaJ6p0w
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCOh79xpfR
Not the gaunt, broken thing from the cell. Not the boy his father had beaten nearly to death.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0tk76uCtXJ
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Someone else. Someone new.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1seCpMfGE9
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He turned, presenting his back to the mirror, then dismissed Cinderward. Moonlight threads unraveled from his torso, leaving him bare. He craned his neck, trying to see what he knew was there but needed to confirm.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ65e67c2YWD
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpreewxCK7I
The mark gleamed in reflected light. Silver against pale skin. At its heart, a crescent moon cradled a perfect circle, phases etched along its inner curve. Sharp, star-like points radiated outward in alternating lengths. Two sweeping, wing-like curves underlined the design, studded with pointed projections like frost fragments.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAfal3MjfQ6
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Beautiful. Whole. Unbroken.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ocICRWMwo
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His fingers found it again, tracing lines his father had tried to destroy. The skin was smooth. Perfect. As if violence had never touched it.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA0p01oisH6
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Cel stared at his reflection for a long time.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkN87jFj8fn
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Then he turned away and sat on the bed's edge, feeling the mattress give slightly under his weight.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqU0tlqmTRM
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Ten days until classes began. Ten days to master enough control that he wouldn't reveal how little he understood his own power. Ten days to figure out how to survive in a place that would judge him by the Moon Goddess's weak reputation, not by what he'd endured to earn her blessing.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKQRZv3Ygpv
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His gaze tracked back to the mirror, to the glimpse of white hair visible in its reflection.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1rkSt6Rao
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‘White Death.’14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡATSWusEy0J
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The codename settled in his chest with quiet certainty.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVOayg60EZ
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Yes. That's what he would become.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFHDlT7mfOh
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Not the broken boy his father had thrown away. Not the prisoner who'd eaten maggots to survive.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDHvcldWEEJ
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Something colder. Something absolute.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlQYjecp53m
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Something that they would never see coming.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcaNGyW8WYg
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Author's Note
And that's it! The end of Arc 1: "Shattered Moon Rising"!14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKr5514v0GU
Thank you all so much for sticking with me through this first arc. It's been an incredible journey, and I'm excited about what's coming next.
Now, some important updates:
We're back to our regular schedule!14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvKoX9M3CIh
Two chapters per week:14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1G8xOD7CQ5
- Wednesdays14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzuz51r34sf
- Saturdays
New Tier System is Live!14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtZEGkWkiOK
You now have the option to read chapters in advance on my page with a monthly subscription. To make sure you only pay what you can afford, I divided it into different tiers:
- Tier 1: Read 1 chapter ahead14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDmoH9424Ly
- Tier 2: Read 2 chapters ahead14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBOIldUHorQ
- Tier 3: Read 3 chapters ahead14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFe8Cxmb2c
- Tier 4: Read 4 chapters ahead14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHZKDy6R2TN
- Tier 5: Read 5 chapters ahead
And for those that are highly invested in the story, I developed a new special format:14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZVFBe0rv7L
- Tier 6 (Special): Read 5 chapters ahead + Meet a character of your choice
What's "Meet a character of your choice"?14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYI7eSQyr2g
You can choose a character and say something to them - one thing per special. Here are some examples:14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39tEgzQMg6
- Ask them a personal question14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOtpP5SqEHu
- Ask about something story-related you're curious about14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWBGepVU6c
- Ask what they think about another character14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnVQ9KveNa
- Simply say something to the character and get their reaction14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8WwIpzm2bc
Then I am going to write a special chapter.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwyC9e8c4XG
These specials will look similar to the Christmas specials I did before.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhqMG0e7Hth
Note: I would recommend you write me before you choose that option. Because some things might not be possible (maybe if it's inappropriate or if the result would not be satisfactory)14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrU1lHlibGk
General bonus features of my page:14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlnEubOCG4w
- As a subscriber, you get a badge visible next to your name when you comment anywhere on my page^^14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBxXntF9JF6
- You can even download my page as an app :grin:
Link to my page: https://celastos-shop.fourthwall.com/
Join the Official Lunar Legacy Discord!14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSAYFy6Jv0x
You can also expect some fun new things like polls about different story elements and more community interaction!14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ51s1XNUSjx
Discord Link: https://discord.gg/Uduxc48wfm
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Turns out I only took half a month off because I was busy setting all this up xD14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLttdWcwYzh
Thank you again for your patience during my exam break. Arc 2 is going to be amazing, and I can't wait to share it with you!
and then Add to home screen.