Cel stopped before the monolith, grateful for the excuse to focus on something other than the heat still crawling up his neck.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzofKLF7kkZ
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0NR3XZuVbX
The surface rippled like water, runes burning against his vision:291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzsz8p2IIg
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT43voXcRXD
<Name: Celvian> 291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxmpm5Qc8VM
<Paragons: (Heir to the Moon) (White Death)> 291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBbgOh8ATQ8
<Artifacts: (Silent Moon) (Cinderward)> 291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7GZ9pCHHXU
<Insights: (Ledger of Nightmares)> 291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgAImninkGZ
<Achievements: (2)>291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1lYIvTkZF1
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzHK0MxGPNt
He focused on the achievements line.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb3fpaJL2us
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDUXDwYn7KU
<Achievements: (You died) (You entered a new dimension)>291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxGZe9aba5d
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85wf3e1sln
Cel stared at the words.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3oMyVRl54Q
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMMW3roxkt
Crazy. Both of them sounded absolutely insane when laid out like that.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6aZb5TxMuu
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7zBmpy5LRT
The first he'd earned by dying - something that should have ended everything. The second one was new. A record of stepping into the Reckoning's base - that floating island in the crackling violet void.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2oSN9EEBi3
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrI2rkxTn78
His brow furrowed.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6jyuRlGT2R
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAmSKXc1Ci2
Not the Hollow Realms. Not the real world either. 291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrXNx17SwhK
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGF2k1cGZdl
A completely separate dimension.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUUgdxBL3wH
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrPhfHc6j9i
But how?291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdxnvifAAgk
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTYtyM8mrdc
Did the Reckoning find it somehow? Stumble across a rift that led to an empty pocket of reality and claim it?291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkRFmkXzSV7
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzZouCTLJ50
Or had someone created it?291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNlb2BUHe5I
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG44IIpg254
The thought made his stomach twist. Creating an entire dimension seemed impossible - the kind of power that shouldn't exist outside of gods themselves.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHbYqWS5TsJ
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEjjhxYLOhj
But the Reckoning had nine members. Several of them legendary figures - the Mercenary King, the second prince of the Empire, a Hallowed. And Veyron led them all, had welcomed him based solely on Selina's description.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlx0CSSh6nt
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5mltpOYV10
What kind of person could lead such figures? And what kind of power did someone like that possess?291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpV6TqHhdMX
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx06HcvMOYS
Cel's jaw tightened. More questions without answers.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs2m0pk9vv7
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrA9TMZEfdq
His gaze shifted back to his paragons. One of them had received a new trait.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmSwLK6uod
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvn3w3zclBF
He focused on Heir to the Moon first.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxVQbjy2br
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRvEZ7ouVhI
<Paragon: Heir to the Moon> 291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxCa4QAA44k
<Affinity: 1/10> 291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWTNtoIK0mm
<Traits: (Lunar Vigor) (Unbroken Succession) (Eternal Witness)>291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSgYbNPpn2v
<Authorities: />291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXRv13RVwy7
<Enlightment: "The moon is never the same twice, yet she is always herself. Full tonight, crescent tomorrow, vanished the next - but never gone. They call it change. The moon calls it constancy.">291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRErXvT3nM
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSbCVPqpYh2
Three traits now, instead of two.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd8FhgvrVNl
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxu4WH10Nsf
Eternal Witness. The new addition.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyERc5vyRtv
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qq11TiI58
Cel narrowed his focus on it and the runes shifted again.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx0hjnl4lok
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJOajd5ouNf
<Trait: Eternal Witness> 291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1jbRbNLCD6
<Effect: Your body has adapted to the moon's eternal watch. You no longer require sleep.>291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5J0VBZFDE
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeSADPP2gL5
For a moment, he simply stared.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlya9ydqoFr
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡifJmkSMRPF
Then the implication hit him like a physical blow.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4D0sx2niQh
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ34aViPlXEG
No sleep.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrqeQozPlYo
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRij4Sz79Mk
Never again.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTX2JCwIgrl
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSr3Zk7xKfT
Several hours every night that other people lost to unconsciousness - hours he could use however he wanted. Training. Reading. Thinking. Living.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUwKOV36p5d
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZrE7aj19JE
The sheer value of that…291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiUq7dZlLIk
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhGa5wjK6UB
And it wasn't just time. Sleep was vulnerability. A period where threats could approach unnoticed, where defenses lowered whether you wanted them to or not.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEwF4c1wFMV
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAr48YDifWY
Now he'd never have to worry about that again.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHZbY1w2CD
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3A2g41Hs5s
His throat felt tight.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡradE3KNjnK
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1eSDWw1xdl
'Thank you.'291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzUGd1y4Z0B
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYsrunJjkz
The thought rose unbidden, directed not at the goddess but at Selina. Her presence. Her rank as a Divine Oracle.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhJryeaeTsq
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYdSorEWlMZ
Because she held that rank, his blessing carried weight it wouldn't have otherwise.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHxP1mQMdC6
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqccEPCXRgS
Other Chosen received abilities suited to survival. Basic enhancements. Modest authorities.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOyvZpo1oqX
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡncRe7RH5jU
He'd been given resurrection. And now even the freedom from one of humanity's most fundamental limitations.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCH7H6kNryR
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHa2jGd3DL8
All because Selina stood as his guide.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxTjkdEFd7o
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Z8bF018IN
'I don't deserve you,' he thought. 'But I'm grateful anyway.'291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeQnfCDa9yg
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNofm7BYq3N
The monolith's light dimmed as his focus withdrew, runes fading back into its surface.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT2SqjOPpqd
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhP2AWzinMo
Cel turned away, finding Selina still standing in the mist nearby, that serene smile in place.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmTMGUE91Fh
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPajhsejSEK
"I’m leaving now," he said quietly.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡziP3oCvQDm
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJMY1UTBYpX
"May the Moon Goddess light your path, Chosen One."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl9guQnuQXW
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8DdGaP9oTH
The blessing settled over him like a gentle weight. Familiar now. Comforting in a way few things were.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdBndVFhoY5
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡevGjk3JYZM
He nodded once, then closed his eyes and reached for the boundary of his soul.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0ikj1fkwO
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8g7dCdOxW
The world shifted.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡli2IMj3eh0
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡECMSBaCfK4
Darkness greeted him.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjBGLeJOITN
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0PoiuYFTh
Cel blinked, momentarily disoriented before realizing that he was still in his room.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyLXgkdFt0q
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡatRgxqV1cS
The night had fallen while he was gone.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7PIZou6xXl
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE6q5mqENpl
He pushed himself up from the bed, joints protesting slightly despite his divinely enhanced body.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZymc583kab
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyShkyPYFDf
The window showed only blackness beyond - no moon visible from this angle. Street sounds had faded to occasional distant footsteps and the creak of settling wood.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8TQLYapK9w
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ZgDw8ea9Q
His body felt... strange. Not tired, exactly. But worn in a way that had nothing to do with physical exhaustion.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbXIIYzkMyi
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKln7cjWi0
Like he'd been running for days and only just realized he could stop.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Jw13b3ojU
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPUbIPYzUkA
Eternal Witness meant he didn't need sleep anymore.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj2TaLdTHko
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS728SSHry2
But that didn't mean he couldn't sleep.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtbSR1R1XVd
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdwiWtY72QC
And right now, despite everything, the thought of lying down and letting unconsciousness take him felt impossibly appealing.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfp6RFKFoDv
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ67m4kE99bZ
Just for a little while.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpoP184dr89
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0i35o3QN5X
Cel moved to the bed and sat on its edge, then swung his legs up and lay back.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡstqnHayeWI
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnmqt9Bzz9X
The mattress was thin. The pillow barely deserved the name.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI6n9bK5S91
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIN4VIFtZHo
But it was soft. Safe.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlKSAssjHWx
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡygNMPk32iQ
He stared at the ceiling, watching shadows shift across wooden beams.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkDPc4qnuC
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ90nyYq9S0H
Ten days until the Academy started.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpixfTu2KCZ
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqXVGMi4eDS
Ten days to figure out what it meant to live instead of just survive.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡegO2NtnSRs
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvVLSTqmb3L
He still didn't know how.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1E6T1Q9w5w
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmtdoxBQNrb
But Selina believed he could learn.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOLP6SHvtG
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnfEn3JOMVR
That would have to be enough.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXiWfeCPmHm
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3DGLZo3Gu6
His eyes drifted shut.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFTJguommd1
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2HNFERNrCJ
Sleep came easier than it had any right to, pulling him down into darkness.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQW6INADmI2
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLKm8wt9O7Q
The nightmare came like it always did - his father's fists, his mother's silence, the cultists' hands reaching through rusted bars. Familiar horrors cycling through his mind in vivid detail.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUXZ7xNJmE
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeeVqkZzQ22
Cel jerked awake gasping, sweat-soaked and shaking.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCiXdIVCTCl
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc04FpfekVK
Gray light filtered through the window. Dawn approaching.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcXHaUTD5VC
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRZqE6j9pHq
Just a dream.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpYaXWf9lGh
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1AxxbGDqZK
The same dream that appeared every single night.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDVFWP7H0aB
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLpTH0Jw8b4
His breathing slowly steadied as awareness fully returned.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLP2T0vdE6x
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2LZn0AO58F
Except now…291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9beU3XpSL1
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJhm5y8Hjhd
Now it wouldn't.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWkVXw7kYyb
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ckou1j5LV
Thanks to his new trait Eternal Witness, he no longer required sleep, which meant no more nightmares dragging him back through his trauma.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFSFLpNBI4k
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡixWsYHGW4s
Relief hit him so hard it felt physical - a weight lifting from his chest that he hadn't fully realized was there until it vanished.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTMhWK8628H
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy7RJlpOYFY
He could sleep if he wanted to. The trait didn't prevent it. But he'd never need to again. Never be forced to surrender consciousness and hope the nightmares didn't come.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0INpRi7K2Q
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡex3Tdu5c0p
He could just... stay awake. Forever, if he chose.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlV2caaoLas
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTTPl9NzTJr
The freedom in that felt impossible.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXxPommCvaM
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaX0QXO6e6N
Cel sat up slowly, running a hand through sweat-dampened hair. His white hair - still strange to see when he caught glimpses of it. 291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNGn6E9gjO
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDRKRjN7DTM
Sunlight streamed through the window, bright and clean, spilling across the floor in a warm rectangle. The day stretched ahead of him - hours and hours with no structure, no purpose.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvlmOWNGxj9
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRWZwVbM4Cb
What was he supposed to do now?291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw1Y9QrytWk
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4q9aD3ayw1
Selina's advice drifted back to him. ‘Rest. Enjoy the peaceful time you have been given. Do the things that bring you joy.’291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡowqsXpAInu
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9DdZBKU36A
Cel's jaw tightened.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxwZ61ZCy5H
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5oohhvvvFI
He still didn't know what brought him joy. Didn't know how to just... exist without purpose or goal.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9T5Hk0UAAx
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQOnnx2M4xV
Training made sense. Preparing for threats made sense. But wandering around looking for something that made him smile?291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWY9ZzSdi0f
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4oAQ2i1ukU
He didn't even know where to start.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQ9tK4RBlG
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK954y1e2zP
His thoughts circled back to the only moment recently where something close to peace had touched him.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLDlg3YoMRr
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1rbtegNdaX
Talking with Selina.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7VmxjtK2L
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS4BiC5yiFM
Not during the trial. Not when she explained his abilities or warned him about dangers. Just... talking. Her patience. Her gentle certainty. The way she listened without judgment and answered without condescension.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqjZZJ265B
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqBpEcXJdza
The way she smiled…291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWQq86ldCzL
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR5aynIxYsu
Heat crept up his neck at the memory of that radiant expression.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzEwvXn9OLC
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPDd95v511W
He wanted to see that again.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdXpJNn4lDu
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyhX4HbMWsC
Wanted to talk with her more. Ask her questions that had nothing to do with survival or power. Learn what she thought about things. Hear her voice without the weight of divine guidance hanging over every word.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0biRQ6vEeu
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9oocDy6p03
The desire settled in his chest, warm and uncomfortable.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcwDshG07Xr
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo10biOdQV8
But she was a Divine Oracle. The highest authority beneath the gods themselves.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMihvKLfCtz
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZjciu0fWxB
Why would she want to spend time with someone like him?291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIgul7h8o2
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIImhOShfLY
She guided him because it was her duty. Her role. Not because she enjoyed his company or found him interesting.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCCf9Txq1Jh
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVNMl3dE4Ac
Expecting anything else was just…291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ThV4rzTlc
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfi4FTN1xyt
Delusional.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo6HT6Uc4QQ
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjnRcpi7R7
Cel pushed himself off the bed, suddenly restless. The room felt too small again. Confining.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcDmz0hSi9L
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGYWFWypsIe
Maybe he should go outside. Walk through the Academy grounds. Get familiar with the place before classes started.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEAWA0bfXVg
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGxWid5NzeE
Or maybe he should practice with Silent Moon. Test how Empathic Steel responded to different emotional states.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTKyutN24eW
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLjtuholjSG
Or—291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv9VFK4swUm
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIyns5g5RrP
Three sharp knocks echoed through the small room.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuQHrREYLzA
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJKyfSkv7pO
Cel froze.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuIKMbnf26U
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3f1jFABPGR
Every muscle in his body went rigid. His hand moved instinctively toward where Silent Moon would materialize if he called it.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiFsCT5tJce
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrUUXweCjPM
No one knew he was here. No one except the Reckoning and the receptionist who'd enrolled him.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRVgHXLqxEr
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMuwvJRMDZr
The knocks came again.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkYESTm4jfd
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP4d9GXtd3T
Cel moved to the door silently and stopped, listening.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoRBdwnp03M
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXHCVOozvAB
Breathing on the other side. Steady. Calm.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Q4fc1VQ6J
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Not threatening, then. Or very good at pretending not to be.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtT3RCZZKph
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He reached for the handle and pulled the door open.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUrreiztmUf
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The receptionist stood in the hallway, holding a neatly folded bundle of dark fabric. Her expression was professional but tired - like this was just another task in a long shift.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeGKdT7XOuJ
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"Apologies for the early hour," she said without preamble. "I meant to deliver these yesterday, but the paperwork took longer than expected." She held out the bundle. "Your Academy uniform and monthly allowance."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgRFz8eAwNa
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Cel stared at the offered items, his hand still hovering near where Silent Moon would appear.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJQBZV70Aw
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The woman's gaze tracked the motion, then returned to his face without comment. 291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvElQ6KJVYG
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"The uniform is required for classes and official Academy functions," she continued when he didn't immediately take it. "You're free to wear whatever you like otherwise." She shifted the bundle slightly. "The allowance is standard for commoner students - it should cover your needs."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBBEVhYndBC
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Cel finally reached out and took the bundle.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSc77k1VpIq
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"The Library is open from dawn to midnight. Same goes for the training grounds. Curfew's at midnight for commoner dorms."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUTMAp9smeX
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She paused, watching him with that same tired professionalism.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTdDM2oCosf
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“Any questions?"291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSYyrIFVwpk
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Cel's throat worked. Too many questions, actually. But none that she could answer.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa5JWQrR6qD
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"No."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOBwHSCV2y6
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The woman nodded once. "Then I'll leave you to settle in. Welcome to the Chosen Academy."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkh8v1fszIG
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She turned and walked away down the dim hallway, footsteps fading into silence.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgc1wcZmDGU
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Cel stood in the doorway for a moment longer, then stepped back inside.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJovFwwGuZ6
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He moved to the bed, set the bundle down and carefully unfolded it.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTeLho3bVir
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The uniform spilled out first - dark fabric that looked almost black, with silver threading along the collar and cuffs. Well-made. Practical. 291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUqnslk8URv
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Over the heart, embroidered in that same silver thread, was the crescent moon symbol of the Moon Goddess.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7m3Sm8jnde
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Cel's fingers traced over it slowly.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKkq47M1gnf
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The uniform was stiff. Formal. The kind of thing that would announce what he was to everyone who saw him.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡesTnEXhPHv
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Moon Chosen. Academy student. Commoner.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdu3ff07Gna
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His fingers pulled away from the silver crescent.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgOtkBTXIWQ
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The cloth pouch filled with silver coins came next. More money than he'd imagined. Enough to live on for a month, apparently.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTMKJwKHIJd
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He weighed the pouch in his palm. Heavy. Solid. Real.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjvbQPNpRlG
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Wealth he'd earned simply by existing. By being Chosen.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLMA3U5Y0rN
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The thought sat strangely in his chest.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZhDO01XfK
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Cel set the coins down and picked up the uniform again. He already had something to wear. Cinderward - an artifact of the blessed grace that protected without restricting, felt right in a way this stiff formal uniform never would.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIaSVNBCtNt
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He folded the uniform carefully and set it in the wardrobe. 291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQepdVPkwKW
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The sky was brightening properly now through the window - dawn breaking across the city in shades of gold and pale blue.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMJuA8FW9Dv
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Hours stretching ahead with nothing to do and no idea how to fill them.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2EWzuYKiwQ
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‘Do the things that bring you joy.’ Selina's advice echoed again, gentle and impossible.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPcBV1jVjQ
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Cel's fingers drummed against his thigh as he considered his options.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡukhGUIYHHj
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His gaze tracked to the door.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr4WEkZKnBh
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Outside was a city. Stella - the capital. Streets he'd barely seen while Esrin marched him to the Academy. People living normal lives, doing normal things.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMnv5SJqmMf
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When was the last time he'd walked somewhere without a destination?291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqIhyrJ9wx6
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Never, probably.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZ7CAWahbJ
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Maybe that was where he should start. With just... walking.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8iZmKLKDIj
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Seeing what was out there.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUrEtHw67i0
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The idea felt foreign and slightly terrifying.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjYjSQ8mVoX
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But Selina believed he could do it.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfpVVNyV9Uw
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And right now, that was enough.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNA0G4OeBBV
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Cel moved to the door, pulled it open, and stepped into the hallway.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Y9VxBzpKt
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----------291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp55KozNYer
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​​​​​​​Heyho, Author here^^291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbI89CNDzx8
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I just wanted to give you a short reminder that you can read up to 5 Chapters ahead on my page: https://celastos-shop.fourthwall.com/supporters291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRUH8BCoagJ
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Also, now that the first arc of Lunar Legacy has come to an end, I'd love to gather some interesting statistics to share with you all later! To start things off, I've created a poll where you can vote for your top 5 favorite characters from the first arc and rank them in order of preference.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPvC6VObif
Vote here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc2fHPnPWhv7kOVpEW-7_9dVZ-R58KrdhO0hxVfGrV_dHmMIA/viewform?usp=header291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3wDuZbyQy
(it is anonymous - so please vote only one time to get a correct result)291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbTXtFPKwin
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Would love to see your picks! Thanks for participating^^291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv7w81teZOv
1234 copyright protection287ＰＥＮＡＮＡGTmLf2kq3L 尼

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