Cel sat on the bed's edge, staring at nothing.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEf2aTI4mjt
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The room was quiet. Too quiet. No whisper of ash settling. No distant tremors beneath the ground. Just the muffled sounds of the Academy beyond his walls - footsteps in corridors, voices too distant to understand, the creak of old wood settling.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVFpTc2WSDQ
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His fingers traced patterns on his thigh without conscious thought. Small circles that meant nothing.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGtzqHMU4Xk
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPwlAr7AxoR
'The Reckoning.'71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5e8zlFUp08
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The name felt strange in his mind. An organization that hunted corrupt Chosen. That killed those who believed power placed them above consequence.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47GeEl292V
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb0P77hAXdo
Noble work. Necessary work, maybe.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡro47TMi0zN
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡESvc6d7LpU
But killers nonetheless.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlThmpMxSwt
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His jaw tightened.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvfScyyp3qR
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They'd voted on whether he lived or died like it was choosing what to have for dinner. Four votes to kill him. Four to let him join.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1jdTHPy86S
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSfBcfEeuFb
'Would they have done it? If Veyron had sided with Draven?'71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOXcdL6o0F6
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Ca53U0pbX
The answer was obvious. Yes. Without hesitation. Esrin might have stopped them - or she might not have. The vote existed to prevent exactly that kind of conflict.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTCuogga6PW
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His hands curled into fists.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5LY0FyPLuS
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4xD6GpEjO9
He'd joined an organization that had nearly executed him. That operated with the kind of cold pragmatism that reminded him too much of his father.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ44qu2f1r6e
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB94Ldgl3hT
'But they fight people like him.'71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcmTC1FraY2
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYE23stnIkq
The thought arrived with uncomfortable clarity. The Reckoning existed because powerful Chosen abused that power. Because the law failed when divine favor was involved.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdoh81q8fm2
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQzwggZxGwl
His father had beaten him nearly to death. Had sold him to cultists that used him for their twisted experiments. Had done it all knowing his position in the Sun Clan made him untouchable.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡovAFtMm5el
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If the Reckoning had known…71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ78mgA0bFp
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIfimGMcYDx
Cel's breath came harder.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNBCFq0Yj1k
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4xsKHelbsw
Would they have killed him? 71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX2vU0KXlOI
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Ectc4vxc0
The answer should have been obvious. But the question wouldn't settle.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSCE8BZ0Y0
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUC22uGalJ3
He pushed himself off the bed and moved to the window.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmB5EcEhFl
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrPWVRIl7DP
The Academy grounds stretched below. Beyond the walls, the street continued - cobblestones, shops, people moving through their afternoon routines.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1BnSl9aU0C
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4CHF2jTxTc
Normal. Peaceful. Safe.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbUsJhcOyJ
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJFj3BODZ5K
Everything the Hollow Realms wasn't.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ2z1EWGq91
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmivAHPMF4s
His reflection stared back from the glass - white hair, pale skin, eyes that looked older than sixteen had any right to be.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwM817FbQ3C
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbbZxENz5bC
'No Divine Energy.'71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIgKXrdI5JT
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The thought made his stomach twist.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGaLeoRpXGT
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He'd assumed he was simply bad at sensing it. That his talent was so poor he couldn't feel what every other Chosen felt naturally. A limitation. A weakness.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5REuFwBHF5
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡicI3jEMYKj
But the Reckoning had revealed something else.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpDcIS97pjM
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyoMgXB8OtZ
An artifact, they'd assumed. Something suppressing his divine signature so completely that even other Chosen couldn't sense him.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡszQMMkK3zK
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkg2KdG48vC
Except there was no such artifact. 71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnQueJ8iLVw
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYYGJgTXc46
Cel's hand dropped to the windowsill. He focused, reaching for Frostmark the way he always did - through intent alone, bypassing the energy he couldn't sense.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQv6fxQqqA1
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTMoFfKDffY
Frost erupted beneath his touch, spreading across the wood in delicate patterns that branched and crystallized. 71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtp34lVt6N8
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg0WvyUaGPE
Cold bit into his palm. He pulled his hand back, flexing fingers against the ache.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0lxLlfERh0
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡridDLN13el
The frost remained, permanent and gleaming.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrpRRdA8HkJ
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRXsAMp7dui
'How?'71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ahHDf3egY
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2SMckSB6OE
How could he be blessed without Divine Energy? How could he use authorities without the fuel to activate them?71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLXvRUPOcMc
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCcvNDttH2o
It made no sense.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW1kLUKzyiZ
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa0N4yvrYsK
A Chosen who couldn't sense Divine Energy shouldn't exist. Much less a Chosen who had none.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgTzZ13yTfc
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO5gk3K67n7
Yet here he stood.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuTMu8QCXj0
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAHeSGdfWTt
Blessed by the Moon Goddess. Able to summon artifacts and authorities. But lacking the energy that should make it all possible.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLcRmB7kLg8
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFTGCsd7yYl
'What the hell am I?' The question hung in the silence.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzBHA36ptxX
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDnMPqmrT3E
Something was wrong with him. Something fundamental that even the goddess's blessing hadn't fixed.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdq6XeD8XZa
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2uTo3hDw0n
Or… hadn't needed to fix.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLPNUttBKB
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdq3TLnXaF9
Maybe it wasn't a flaw to be corrected.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTxng5Czp2n
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkWewZUTGL2
Maybe it was simply... what he was.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwzCKrBb3l
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFHBkzJPVgl
Cel turned from the window, his gaze tracking across the sparse room. Bed. Desk. Wardrobe. Basin.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq9trLGOReL
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His entire world, now.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZhCvfOwPY
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPeUjKfGaS
And Raven…71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG0DecVzdBH
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt2y0L9vbvQ
The name settled in his chest like a stone.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgxSaVl8ASa
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4jHAquDv3t
Raven was the Prince of Death. A prodigy who'd infiltrated the Sun Clan's stronghold and murdered their greatest talent - someone blessed by a Divine Oracle, just like Cel.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡigoGmFjTtv
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpon033k88p
That parallel made his skin prickle.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT79nyXoPus
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfcg6GGipdw
What could drive someone to throw away everything? Title, clan, divine favor, family - all of it abandoned to become Cursed and commit murder.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxDfLeDMSq
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ25RVovLyA1
The expedition to the Western Continent. Something had happened there.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsre8axmMRc
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoX3tQfa3lf
But what?71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwTaVK4ONVa
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ90WDI0RjDw
And why kill the Sun Clan's prodigy specifically? Was it personal? Political? Something else?71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbpS3qhK1eI
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Bo6cP48V1
Cel sank onto the bed's edge, elbows on his knees.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡawQi6MmU9P
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg7nIVGZyR2
Raven had helped him. Protected him from creatures that should have killed them both. Had done it all knowing Cel was Chosen - knowing most Chosen would try to kill him on sight.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5f6AOMAoL
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKpYU08rkZ2
He'd even told Cel to trust Esrin. To seek her protection.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsw3MsphDw0
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCAaN8vMZli
Even knowing she hunted him.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKeRNeCUWf
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF3154DU2k6
That wasn't evil.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIVN0zsigNm
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHrLGu8TDG5
But cold-blooded murder wasn't good either.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmBE8GHNwLN
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAH27PH1o02
The contradiction refused to resolve. Maybe there were no good or bad people - just broken ones making choices that seemed right in the moment.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtywc4FAQ2P
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdb4dpUPjGH
Or maybe Cel was rationalizing because Raven had shown him kindness when no one else had.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5KRBvtgZjB
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUMPXeY9WH6
He pressed his hands against his face.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12QOLNNpVx
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLDkPxA0ftP
If Raven appeared again... if the Reckoning ordered him to help hunt someone who'd saved his life…71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQQ5KlmvvzE
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZSwwuD83M2
What was he supposed to do?71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ465i8MV4zn
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm8RTFwnx7u
The room felt too small suddenly. Confining. Like the walls were pressing in.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKDJ88gnYPv
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQpvgtAW1BQ
He needed answers. Real answers, not speculation or half-formed theories.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWnDHCWhrUJ
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡolwWvOaWwE
And there was only one person who might have them.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4lbgNFYYvN
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKfszLitb1f
Cel closed his eyes and reached inward.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡex9eUhNtt2
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpUDZPC2WB7
The world shifted.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ax7RibkPs
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDK87qoulOZ
Cracked earth materialized beneath his feet. Mist swirled in gentle currents around his legs. Small flowers with bluish-white petals bloomed from small fissures, reaching toward the full moon that hung above.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMl6t5WUxwT
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Footsteps approached through the mist.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtOIHeeLECy
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJDCeFfrVf
Selina emerged with that same graceful certainty, white robes trailing through the haze. Her silver mask caught moonlight, reflecting it in pale crescents. Below, her lips curved in a serene smile.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi4OUEQLJP8
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWHXbONGaMM
"Welcome back, Chosen One."71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt4q2NI4vj1
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb4zhHLUE1t
The greeting was gentle. Patient. A small anchor of certainty in everything that felt chaotic.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWpn1ocVSG5
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡauEywD028n
Cel's throat worked. Where to even start?71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2VCWdUnGf3
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0e4a4n42q
"I need to ask you something." The words came rougher than intended. 71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHczdWLvyrt
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"Of course," Selina said simply.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJNsn9DFgIE
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVxzQOlOMLp
"About the Reckoning. Are they..." He paused, searching for the right question. "They hunt corrupt Chosen. Kill them when the law fails. Is that justice? Or just violence?"71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MK4Y6CFYD
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlOn4v0kuSC
Selina tilted her head slightly, already understanding where his thoughts had taken him. "An interesting question. But perhaps the wrong one."71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe8YSoXEolB
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1KaTJeiiZr
Cel blinked.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7280KZPgel
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9CaY7nKgII
"What do you mean?"71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa2I5ZLSrgX
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnLg6m8idRA
"Organizations are not inherently good or evil, Chosen One. They are simply structures. Frameworks built by people to achieve certain ends." She gestured gracefully with one hand. "What defines them - what truly matters - are the individuals who comprise them. Their intentions. Their values. Their choices."71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpv9GpmYOm7
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5SLaY2ShSC
Cel's shoulders drew back. "So you're saying I should judge them by their members, not their stated purpose?"71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAzRrMK05p6
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRuXpgd6t3z
"I am saying that the Reckoning is what its people make it." Her tone remained gentle but carried weight. "Some may be driven by genuine desire for justice. Others by vengeance. Still others by the simple thrill of power over those who once held power over them." She paused. "Judge each person for themselves. Not the banner they stand beneath."71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR1oRmgzbkH
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxYsaLMhq6l
The answer settled in his chest, heavy and uncomfortable.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBUCRFq5EjP
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It meant he couldn't just accept or reject the Reckoning wholesale. Couldn't trust them or dismiss them as a group.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgHPMllheA0
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjQ3O22DiCd
He'd have to evaluate each member individually. Decide who deserved his trust and who didn't.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmzagJt6xkU
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2dEYmx9VRV
Exhausting.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa01DZDjvOp
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2qt70MAJgG
But probably wise.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcSUqEY3e50
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"I have another question," he said finally. "About my… condition."71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIAbMRRBjc9
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvCuuvG2tA
Selina's attention shifted, becoming more focused.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOcgvHxVrv2
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgw8yB4z7vx
"The Reckoning said I have no Divine Energy." The words felt strange in his mouth. Wrong. "Not suppressed. Not hidden. Just... absent." He met her masked gaze. "How is that possible? How can I manifest abilities without the power to fuel them?"71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4CRkEItNQ8
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq6plbjPTyt
Silence answered him71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbVqTKMlgak
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMA7rd0I66P
When Selina finally spoke, that familiar note of regret colored her voice. "I am sorry, Chosen One. That does not lie within my authority."71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq1nDGKg0nC
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeS1s5xBdff
Cel's hands clenched into fists. "So I'm just supposed to figure it out myself? Stumble around blind until I happen to understand why I'm—why I'm broken?"71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaxFISjeAdO
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEIKdU7lDCu
"You are not broken."71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtK9XQu9shW
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXl4F8YoGmr
The certainty in her voice stopped him cold.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq2QWDbb6j5
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGzKaHFFPpY
Selina took a step closer, silver mask tilted toward him with what felt like infinite patience.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaonnz03293
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaUcHxV766z
"You are different, Chosen One. That is not the same as flawed. The goddess chose you knowing exactly what you are. She blessed you not despite your nature, but because of it. Whatever answer you seek regarding your condition, you will find it when the time is right. Not before."71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyk7lbe6GNa
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxh39FaqXtg
The frustration burning in his chest didn't dissipate, but something about her tone made him swallow the angry response forming on his tongue.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhEJnyMsY9J
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuzSCzmbd79
She was right.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcf3B39pSjK
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpYKo0NrKd
He didn't like it. Hated it, actually.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDaa00eADxK
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQgeXQBNHhP
But she was right.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlDDKCK3AXN
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaxsiqajtzv
"Fine." The word came out clipped. "Then what about Raven?"71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKtNA5LmlMr
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDpk43rBQTr
Selina's posture shifted subtly. Still graceful, still poised, but... guarded in a way she'd never been before.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmI3PESTGw3
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrvPtVpL5ds
"You told me to be careful," Cel pressed. "What did you mean? Should I trust him? Avoid him?"71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzPcuofo1md
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8CBq64mZGw
The mist curled around their feet, moving in slow spirals across cracked earth.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgtlQUdJjlv
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg7OXgs10uL
"I cannot share more than I have already told you, Chosen One." Her tone carried genuine regret. "Raven's path is his own, and the choices he has made - the reasons behind them - are not mine to reveal." She paused. "What I can tell you is this: the young man you met in the Ashlands is dangerous. Not because he wishes you harm, but because the forces surrounding him are complex. Volatile."71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd8WVSaI2XT
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The implication made his stomach twist.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXEHmSafigW
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"Dangerous how? To me? To others?"71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTByxowUs3n
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"I think," Selina said carefully, "that you should stay away from him if your paths cross again."71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIMLR0SHA2E
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The advice settled over him like cold water.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJRAzEai65
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Cel turned away, his gaze tracking across the cracked earth. Flowers swayed in wind that shouldn't exist here, their petals catching moonlight.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO26SXRr3AN
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Behind him, Selina's posture relaxed slightly, the guardedness fading back into her usual gentle presence.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6LMVTPtNdc
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"Is there anything else, Chosen One?"71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ70uMMAwWSm
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Cel was silent for a long moment, his gaze fixed on the cracked earth at his feet.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnMg53PyWox
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"What am I supposed to do?" The words came out quieter than he'd intended. Almost vulnerable.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZmoJ06PCEC
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For a heartbeat, Selina simply watched him, her presence calm and unhurried.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡye4VOSnO73
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When she finally spoke, her voice carried an almost playful tone. "Nothing at all."71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCKRK8VZdxW
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Cel blinked, momentarily thrown off balance. 71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0MWqGsqpi
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"Rest, Chosen One. Enjoy the peaceful time you have been given. Do the things that bring you joy, or that you have always wished to try."71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgY78HbD5cx
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUXUWBdOGRf
Cel stared at her, confusion written across his face. "I don't—what?"71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQhQjG9wryi
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"You have fought enough. Survived enough. Bled enough." She leaned closer, her voice dropping to something softer. "Learn to live too."71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhpqSrQR2lc
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The words landed like something foreign. Incomprehensible.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSFH41NBSkS
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXskMyJAh5a
Live.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1DJE4Hvjax
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Not fight. Not survive. Not train or prepare or become stronger.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTE56tUlcps
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Just... live.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM5L5iK9aLF
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"I don't understand," Cel said slowly. "The Academy starts in ten days. I need to master my abilities. Learn to control my strength. Figure out how to—"71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQQxOpO5bFI
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"You need," Selina interrupted gently, "to remember what it feels like to be human. Not just a weapon. Not just a survivor." She paused. "When was the last time you did something simply because it brought you joy?"71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWHY05W1ot
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The question stopped him cold.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi7gr7Kjow2
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When? Before the beating? Before his Divine Calling?71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2hTHAkmbgd
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Had he ever?71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi7snksMnSR
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His throat felt tight. "I don't know how."71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx2zhhACaqp
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"Then now is the perfect time to learn." There was no judgment in her tone. Only understanding. "Ten days, Chosen One. Ten days to discover what brings you peace. What makes you smile. What reminds you that you are more than the trials you have survived."71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPRu6orAk14
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"Like what?" The question came out helpless.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtkfrqaSEdt
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"Start small." Selina's hand lifted, gesturing toward the moon above. "Watch the moon. Walk through the city without searching for threats. Speak with someone because you want to, not because you need something from them." She lowered her hand. "Let yourself be bored. Let yourself be curious."71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn2QI80urCL
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The suggestions felt absurd. Frivolous.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgQkAwrc5Xf
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Dangerous, even.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNjuLjbZqH
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But something in his chest loosened at the thought.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqUHghM1idq
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"I don't know if I can," he admitted.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡypijP9aVdQ
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"You can." Selina's certainty was absolute. "You simply need to give yourself permission."71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVKx33XK4A7
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Silence stretched between them, broken only by the soft rustle of flowers swaying in the mist.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsDe1LLjQBF
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Eventually, Cel nodded once. Not agreement, exactly. Just acknowledgement that he'd heard her.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmEG6jQsK2j
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"Thank you," he said quietly.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLiE3i71ES6
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"You are welcome, Chosen One."71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3x4CqbFGL9
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Selina's smile brightened - genuine warmth transforming her serene expression into something radiant. The moonlight seemed to gather around her, highlighting the elegant curve of her mask, the graceful line of her throat, the way her white robes moved like water with each small shift of her posture.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDkxw30AL5Z
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It was…71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlysHosvTMg
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Beautiful. She was beautiful.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfCAMx9JZZT
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He'd known that, objectively. But knowing something and truly seeing it were different things entirely.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSeixzxW6ZY
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Heat crawled up his neck, sudden and unwelcome.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmTihdG35Sr
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"Chosen One?" Selina tilted her head slightly, that radiant smile still in place. "Is something wrong?"71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa1G3PqFEj8
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"No," he said too quickly. "Nothing.” 71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ980eGbBQ6e
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Cel's gaze jerked away, desperate for somewhere - anywhere - else to look.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIlehzjy2fi
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His eyes landed on the divine monolith standing behind her, its surface gleaming with pale light.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrrV9uzTl3g
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Right. The achievement. He'd heard the Divine Voice earlier, hadn't he? When Esrin brought him through that rift.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRacem2yKxn
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Perfect.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHppwyN3ZCi
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"Actually—" Cel gestured toward the monolith, seizing the excuse like a lifeline. "I just remembered. New achievement. I should probably check that before I go."71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR6IUXD4XyF
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"Of course," Selina said, and was it his imagination, or did her tone carry a hint of amusement?71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIcokCMFTnV
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Cel didn't look back to check. He was already moving toward the monolith, his steps perhaps a bit quicker than necessary.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5XRuwW48hv
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Behind him, he could have sworn he heard the softest sound - barely audible.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTt3USI59XW
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A quiet chuckle.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuXoBzrMokF
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His face burned hotter.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcOFhAYEdZk
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The monolith's surface rippled as he approached, text forming in that familiar script:71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGr1ohTOYdL
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQr5kyKWylI
<Name: Celvian>71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLC2hdHQMvM
<Paragons: (Heir to the Moon) (White Death)>71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlrsZHwTjEv
<Artifacts: (Silent Moon) (Cinderward)>71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9TXXPmvzwh
<Insights: (Ledger of Nightmares)>71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnntfA2C2Nh
<Achievements: (2)>1234 copyright protection67ＰＥＮＡＮＡiLUrm3tHmO 尼

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