Cel stopped before the monolith, grateful for the excuse to focus on something other than the heat still crawling up his neck.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNyVCvGNraI
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO77qzpcM6L
The surface rippled like water, runes burning against his vision:15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDHJlUOdiEO
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrnmFx0cA64
<Name: Celvian> 15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW7PdN1wn8S
<Paragons: (Heir to the Moon) (White Death)> 15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDghp3UFOc
<Artifacts: (Silent Moon) (Cinderward)> 15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoX4fPwyrt1
<Insights: (Ledger of Nightmares)> 15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcGVsTluaom
<Achievements: (2)>15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Y4eMMUGEV
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYcba8aRT3c
He focused on the achievements line.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWMogGN26Cy
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2S7KFvv4KX
<Achievements: (You died) (You entered a new dimension)>15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡReNW3h64q6
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGoE5lhmp35
Cel stared at the words.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnkc0BBbu7
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ86kfJEnn3i
Crazy. Both of them sounded absolutely insane when laid out like that.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpHWXlLxz7I
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGVrOmLVB5i
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.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2E2G2MdQDW
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNr6d4WRdzl
His brow furrowed.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡom66PaP4D1
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7K929lpE6i
Not the Hollow Realms. Not the real world either. 15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCPYnSuKLBA
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcHXnmfxYTf
A completely separate dimension.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsCT9YECFXc
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSpfTTSLrOu
But how?15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR6jwYTVhYg
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqNpOvCrAw3
Did the Reckoning find it somehow? Stumble across a rift that led to an empty pocket of reality and claim it?15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKdDqlqW1sA
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS0nphjbdXk
Or had someone created it?15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPj5bjNJ8US
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvgaOluvVJY
The thought made his stomach twist. Creating an entire dimension seemed impossible - the kind of power that shouldn't exist outside of gods themselves.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIGlp9Wp7ki
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhN9ODfhszx
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.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZjlVZt3o5Z
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr9RvxdpTAP
What kind of person could lead such figures? And what kind of power did someone like that possess?15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Vuvm4vZZQ
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxctN13O8kj
Cel's jaw tightened. More questions without answers.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ983GroSOiO
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM5Ns9iAprG
His gaze shifted back to his paragons. One of them had received a new trait.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYHfIRK1Pdq
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYogzDxvpei
He focused on Heir to the Moon first.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImwjBHNw9c
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7CgJqqO8av
<Paragon: Heir to the Moon> 15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Fwo4wW7KC
<Affinity: 1/10> 15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZr4iGil9rO
<Traits: (Lunar Vigor) (Unbroken Succession) (Eternal Witness)>15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiaMorLmV3a
<Authorities: />15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOTTcxUSsZN
<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.">15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBa5NGQG5hB
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq0xfmJ9pUJ
Three traits now, instead of two.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCnDNj0oABB
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPzrV4YelrB
Eternal Witness. The new addition.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2C2X1BcX2a
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiXruUEJLiN
Cel narrowed his focus on it and the runes shifted again.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5mQqJasDZ3
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXE4r93DrUD
<Trait: Eternal Witness> 15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJyuB7DxLFd
<Effect: Your body has adapted to the moon's eternal watch. You no longer require sleep.>15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzm3Ftz3CFr
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuBGETd588Y
For a moment, he simply stared.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOL5EyW5i9g
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWF1yrUjjYf
Then the implication hit him like a physical blow.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW6DHpx7buq
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEoCqGNEzpZ
No sleep.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfvHudt477o
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ771sUkoIn6
Never again.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡik7TkB5GoW
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmgFpFbc2en
Several hours every night that other people lost to unconsciousness - hours he could use however he wanted. Training. Reading. Thinking. Living.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFziGVfjKTd
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrI9EEDZ7Ia
The sheer value of that…15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAu8bg2E8Oy
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCfjiNsMOpp
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.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxB2LBPwdRH
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJDo0jX0QO
Now he'd never have to worry about that again.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTiffMdFoT9
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWfkH1f3e0
His throat felt tight.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKkjbhPLbPA
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0GvzvhaQMo
'Thank you.'15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN1K4o3mUve
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoUphgQaM8d
The thought rose unbidden, directed not at the goddess but at Selina. Her presence. Her rank as a Divine Oracle.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgmBSJRoayp
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPlFtD72nVw
Because she held that rank, his blessing carried weight it wouldn't have otherwise.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIsrAevJZ5M
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ04VPvKc7fn
Other Chosen received abilities suited to survival. Basic enhancements. Modest authorities.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpFJhJw4KaG
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jO0aQXbHV
He'd been given resurrection. And now even the freedom from one of humanity's most fundamental limitations.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa5vEXNJTpa
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHn8899zQOP
All because Selina stood as his guide.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkWLTHIswTO
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWVJzo8KusI
'I don't deserve you,' he thought. 'But I'm grateful anyway.'15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVN8WY9g1yj
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmx7c7ZxpXu
The monolith's light dimmed as his focus withdrew, runes fading back into its surface.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡduU8K87eKA
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJCISwpynS6
Cel turned away, finding Selina still standing in the mist nearby, that serene smile in place.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpCRFThjs3L
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmNgAGLAhrZ
"I’m leaving now," he said quietly.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbjI52w9JLm
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ32jtZkyLB1
"May the Moon Goddess light your path, Chosen One."15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPTUUgfmKIR
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ86ah6So8vw
The blessing settled over him like a gentle weight. Familiar now. Comforting in a way few things were.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrspNZ2InyN
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbcVX1nqyTp
He nodded once, then closed his eyes and reached for the boundary of his soul.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh2zljyE1Aa
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk5i3sWprFD
The world shifted.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBe3pkxj7uZ
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqREPSIrhyf
Darkness greeted him.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvl3rxcvna3
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmyHAmYNqX
Cel blinked, momentarily disoriented before realizing that he was still in his room.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOuHMyoVC9L
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡekH6LDnOvW
The night had fallen while he was gone.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW0PaQioTFv
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk0mVITDhtR
He pushed himself up from the bed, joints protesting slightly despite his divinely enhanced body.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkgfsPgejGr
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv6ppbYtvXk
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.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEe4o2dlINm
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWVNRsp5iL2
His body felt... strange. Not tired, exactly. But worn in a way that had nothing to do with physical exhaustion.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrmzuuFokFP
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNeg3mshUx
Like he'd been running for days and only just realized he could stop.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFNxZVhf37r
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡETxvhNBaS8
Eternal Witness meant he didn't need sleep anymore.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyf2B4nRuxQ
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA5MGsrie2k
But that didn't mean he couldn't sleep.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvTRxu3pHC0
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdViXKlPVxp
And right now, despite everything, the thought of lying down and letting unconsciousness take him felt impossibly appealing.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdDVquXv4G5
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQPSU5A27s
Just for a little while.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlGpF0OXfHJ
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW0TzlConLF
Cel moved to the bed and sat on its edge, then swung his legs up and lay back.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYqfk5iCUu
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy4n5vjineW
The mattress was thin. The pillow barely deserved the name.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqt9RuKngDU
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoyRIJjFN7l
But it was soft. Safe.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWHK7Dg8rri
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFygTBGfnOH
He stared at the ceiling, watching shadows shift across wooden beams.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Y2CMILTfU
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4vBbBEkRII
Ten days until the Academy started.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKLsv3Bf0lr
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxhrKQi54vv
Ten days to figure out what it meant to live instead of just survive.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡztxfZ4VR3B
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVde65jI9op
He still didn't know how.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfBStUyWUez
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMKy7R5fNuj
But Selina believed he could learn.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw988LerB9F
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHlvGCX6lYp
That would have to be enough.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtSUS7bMV8o
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlbF4A0BA03
His eyes drifted shut.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGQqlFJ425
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoCqXHS0CDg
Sleep came easier than it had any right to, pulling him down into darkness.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡybM2W5mm50
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQsPuTJUwki
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.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuGbyGGTCzV
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYn3mhq3Hg3
Cel jerked awake gasping, sweat-soaked and shaking.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4sFxAwA2DB
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFKWlF9ceI8
Gray light filtered through the window. Dawn approaching.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6TxQd7teR4
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZG0rWcwO1
Just a dream.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKgA75wQx0P
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUy1e235RkA
The same dream that appeared every single night.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVaBioE1bVT
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwS5Gpwf5uV
His breathing slowly steadied as awareness fully returned.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDgeHkTIJCN
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGTxpwRmHoZ
Except now…15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGUqvyYS2lF
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKEVHW2c8XI
Now it wouldn't.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0uuUC76zrE
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnZzYLr3zfY
Thanks to his new trait Eternal Witness, he no longer required sleep, which meant no more nightmares dragging him back through his trauma.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVYzCaDyNqf
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9d666YgA2T
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.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrEeC8Oe7ER
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXjA3fs6a8
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.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2m36BDuZc4
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqhbIqwK9zJ
He could just... stay awake. Forever, if he chose.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFy5xjnFK0y
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLPnmYdxrTd
The freedom in that felt impossible.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHUiOsSNRFS
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbR9oIIQBJ1
Cel sat up slowly, running a hand through sweat-dampened hair. His white hair - still strange to see when he caught glimpses of it. 15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDMZFREKGse
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6YPpKKwC23
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.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ86lymKs39H
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZntfONYQfS
What was he supposed to do now?15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLNUvxL32UL
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ7D8fxOjQm
Selina's advice drifted back to him. ‘Rest. Enjoy the peaceful time you have been given. Do the things that bring you joy.’15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLgp0eYDl1g
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhE2wwrhdRt
Cel's jaw tightened.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1rujHTf2RA
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtCe3jhnBYZ
He still didn't know what brought him joy. Didn't know how to just... exist without purpose or goal.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYeqpIteepG
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbRnROhpidY
Training made sense. Preparing for threats made sense. But wandering around looking for something that made him smile?15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM6mSCbTdJf
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghgi9A1iaY
He didn't even know where to start.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg0LBhF3z6x
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCqNeWAVlut
His thoughts circled back to the only moment recently where something close to peace had touched him.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7SaqkWNjs3
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbBmRfpOw5
Talking with Selina.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBd9ueYMuLJ
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNn4eF0ZTNh
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.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡawyjWvHtBb
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYj1K17oxex
The way she smiled…15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN17N7JA4RG
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrtGpTxbLIr
Heat crept up his neck at the memory of that radiant expression.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLMuU3RMpJK
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOFOjtdxJKP
He wanted to see that again.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Lq5YUgAff
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNlnmMPpdOC
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.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Q0A7WS9Kg
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0wIVXkcJwI
The desire settled in his chest, warm and uncomfortable.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo5rF9DbgcJ
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm5dPB6MONp
But she was a Divine Oracle. The highest authority beneath the gods themselves.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQA12qtNl3W
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRyqNkuaX4s
Why would she want to spend time with someone like him?15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMnT8BHUHM5
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRIurTcJOJR
She guided him because it was her duty. Her role. Not because she enjoyed his company or found him interesting.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88lYztOqAs
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyrTGj3oLdp
Expecting anything else was just…15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeQCMCizwZO
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXdFR8788nj
Delusional.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVMquFLuSVr
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7TpZ8CShIf
Cel pushed himself off the bed, suddenly restless. The room felt too small again. Confining.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnqUI48Xprk
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZTrekH9Oo
Maybe he should go outside. Walk through the Academy grounds. Get familiar with the place before classes started.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0AnSfOuZBM
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgJlrncLdN
Or maybe he should practice with Silent Moon. Test how Empathic Steel responded to different emotional states.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlFDBE7NrPJ
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4bdnL2Xf8P
Or—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTiJv7PQPjR
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqn2tPUD059
Three sharp knocks echoed through the small room.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpRCsGMxShS
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpQo4mSFRPw
Cel froze.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvFgZsU0gD6
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHeXRKYigbV
Every muscle in his body went rigid. His hand moved instinctively toward where Silent Moon would materialize if he called it.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCBu96YfjFH
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhpqmOrAp8y
No one knew he was here. No one except the Reckoning and the receptionist who'd enrolled him.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbD4SJXUfs8
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8MaqO5sADl
The knocks came again.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZAYgkcbWOD
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaqIUhQdZ2E
Cel moved to the door silently and stopped, listening.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV2hmh0d8Jc
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Breathing on the other side. Steady. Calm.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhlELPHGadq
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Not threatening, then. Or very good at pretending not to be.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn5bMhILwhG
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He reached for the handle and pulled the door open.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1iubDBvJh2
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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.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvXOesFimAF
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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."15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4yZenURVAQ
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Cel stared at the offered items, his hand still hovering near where Silent Moon would appear.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv4e3aSRMvR
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The woman's gaze tracked the motion, then returned to his face without comment. 15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonrnlazgd8
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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."15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2M04Gbi6RN
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Cel finally reached out and took the bundle.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBQoTvwyhjL
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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."15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOpZyyGNgbl
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She paused, watching him with that same tired professionalism.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzdoWXOVJY1
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“Any questions?"15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAeOiQMFZz3
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Cel's throat worked. Too many questions, actually. But none that she could answer.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXsfYBLj2Y
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"No."15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVEnjg1J6cJ
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The woman nodded once. "Then I'll leave you to settle in. Welcome to the Chosen Academy."15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQdtnYCtNRx
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She turned and walked away down the dim hallway, footsteps fading into silence.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqO4HqRB5t
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Cel stood in the doorway for a moment longer, then stepped back inside.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjr19o0o80K
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He moved to the bed, set the bundle down and carefully unfolded it.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZaDoq9k5pw
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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. 15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdLNImDUHRM
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Over the heart, embroidered in that same silver thread, was the crescent moon symbol of the Moon Goddess.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9kmZSUbnXM
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Cel's fingers traced over it slowly.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFViLiuP8wM
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The uniform was stiff. Formal. The kind of thing that would announce what he was to everyone who saw him.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW88YN9JabU
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Moon Chosen. Academy student. Commoner.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaytn6aiNW8
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His fingers pulled away from the silver crescent.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjTZEEokEIA
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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.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrzi7UFp1PT
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He weighed the pouch in his palm. Heavy. Solid. Real.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiLjeZtJaAi
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Wealth he'd earned simply by existing. By being Chosen.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaaV2CdEmH3
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The thought sat strangely in his chest.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlpOuMDoomI
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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.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ35XTwkG3ag
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He folded the uniform carefully and set it in the wardrobe. 15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLSz2s60KJ
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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.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaO1KY0HmYu
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Hours stretching ahead with nothing to do and no idea how to fill them.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEj8bwZBelx
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‘Do the things that bring you joy.’ Selina's advice echoed again, gentle and impossible.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGk5HDWwdaZ
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Cel's fingers drummed against his thigh as he considered his options.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsgr7uiHSZw
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His gaze tracked to the door.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAZHOspQ9iO
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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.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDKnI2E1nW
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When was the last time he'd walked somewhere without a destination?15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQfqRA63ZRT
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Never, probably.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4HLP3uHHdM
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Maybe that was where he should start. With just... walking.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1uJfZIjnI
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Seeing what was out there.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHD2fYj4Ys8
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The idea felt foreign and slightly terrifying.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT7eO78v3ZV
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But Selina believed he could do it.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSUXUuPjfa9
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And right now, that was enough.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjLyp8kFbO0
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Cel moved to the door, pulled it open, and stepped into the hallway.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Dfw6N0YpT
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​​​​​​​Heyho, Author here^^15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoB5kN2atVe
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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/supporters15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4vsJBBxWE
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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.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡurmgRtrp5h
Vote here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc2fHPnPWhv7kOVpEW-7_9dVZ-R58KrdhO0hxVfGrV_dHmMIA/viewform?usp=header15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAFXYYMAXyQ
(it is anonymous - so please vote only one time to get a correct result)15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ2SGdR6Pkl
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Would love to see your picks! Thanks for participating^^15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxAsGviYwN4
1234 copyright protection11ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7gwv2qgCN 尼

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