The hallway was empty when Cel stepped out of his room. Early enough that most students were still sleeping, late enough that morning light filtered through tall windows and painted the wooden floors gold.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk2QIDhvtjD
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNBCkV0xcHY
He stepped into the hallway and started walking. 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhoFgs3f13r
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4DbpCOORi5
The dormitory corridors eventually gave way to the main building's wider passages, and he found himself at the Academy's front entrance - massive oak doors carved with marks of the seven deities.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡti3ubuydZl
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHB0YGZUPrn
Cel walked through and past the iron gates. The guards who'd straightened so sharply for Esrin yesterday barely glanced at him now - just another student leaving the grounds.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJdB1TDSMCN
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC3Sb32e5Fw
The city spread before him.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEtXBGf0KFN
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgGcwv4NnNj
He'd walked these streets with Esrin, taking in the shops, the crowds, the constant flow of normal life. But there had been direction then. A destination. Following her steady pace through streets that parted for a Hallowed.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjhGRp9swN2
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBq2LG7EhGg
Now there was no destination. No goal. No one to follow. 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr2q7T6zsT6
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0C7oaGIFu
The street stretched wide and level. Cobblestones fitted together in patterns that would've taken months to lay. Buildings rose on either side - stone and timber construction, three and four stories tall, with shop fronts on the ground level and living quarters above.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuxKllA8eNg
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkeGFbwGhxY
People were already out. A woman swept the steps of what looked like a bakery, the smell of fresh bread drifting across the street. Two men carried a heavy crate between them, grunting with effort as they maneuvered it through a narrow doorway. A child ran past chasing a leather ball, laughter trailing behind.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRd0tGKGGpC
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3g0nJ1140L
Normal. All of it completely, impossibly normal.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMvA9QQb0jk
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0pWVuR2rZM
Cel moved along the street.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcU55n2Ov09
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw5GmqkBi68
His armored boots clicked against cobblestones. The sound felt too loud. Too present. In the Ashlands, his footsteps had been nothing but soft crunching through ash. Every other sound had been a potential threat, something to track or hide from. Here the sound just... existed. Meant nothing. Threatened nothing.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNmXu4eaXTh
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1CDh9SDKOz
The morning air carried a dozen scents. Bread, yes, but also horse manure from somewhere nearby. Woodsmoke from breakfast fires. Something sweet and floral from a cart selling flowers at the corner.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcyeGqDbNvP
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKgzo36Wdmx
He passed the flower cart and the vendor - an older woman with weathered hands - smiled at him.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgTih1namk
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGD4wUj3pWy
"Morning, young master!"7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDXSniq8Xde
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN8SRn8PIHf
Cel nodded once and kept walking.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBia3hxWBit
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCK0BMvirpL
Young master…7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTwhEvnGdYb
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSEUsFP6Hzx
He glanced down at himself. Cinderward covered him in practical brown and gray - simple by artifact standards, but still unmistakably an artifact. Anyone who looked would know immediately what he was.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUZhuyjxJYL
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs7ryVFzFeo
A Chosen.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2DaksyiEJZ
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAdKru0DZfQ
And his snow white hair didn't help. It marked him as clearly as the armor - unnatural, distinctive, impossible to miss.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM3eL0voZ8v
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVdkzLadfai
The realization settled uneasily in his chest.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpkKzJUjD5R
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkY5gzYp4pk
More people appeared as he descended further into the city. The street widened into a broader avenue lined with shops. Merchants were opening shutters and arranging displays. Customers browsed early selections. Conversations hummed in the air - dozens of voices blending together into a constant murmur.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmsmpHzAsEm
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCAb4KsUq9P
And eyes found him. 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1qdHUnqPa
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMP1MGOGzTq
Not everyone. Not constant staring. But enough that he noticed.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGOgHsl8MXe
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZu8Q6NCDcV
A merchant glanced up from arranging pottery and held his gaze a moment too long. Two women walking together turned their heads as he passed, whispering something he couldn't hear. A group of young men near a tavern entrance went quiet when he approached, resuming their conversation only after he'd moved on. 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MewY4tpqv
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBr1ixatN8K
Yesterday, with Esrin, all eyes had been on her. The famous Hallowed commanded attention simply by existing. He'd been background noise in her presence - forgettable, invisible.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTPOlYTm3Xs
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq9410DpsUs
Without her, he stood out.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFjvMuvYmOw
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkVI2Lkadi4
Cel's chest tightened. 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv9i02R1slS
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdopdBLdqrZ
He needed different clothing.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC2q7pJIp5Y
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGtGTkoswmX
A shop ahead had fabric bolts displayed in the window - simple woolens and linens in earth tones. No fine silks or elaborate patterns. The kind of place that served commoners and lower merchants.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJvWOM4zga7
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEzuOKBiUXm
Perfect.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnWcojTuPE8
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ5Zwd6Sarn
The door opened with a soft chime. Inside, the space was narrow but deep, with shelves lining both walls holding folded garments and stacked fabric. An elderly man stood behind a counter at the back, squinting at a ledger.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRn2puCIVPB
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPcfU2PXsuq
He looked up when Cel entered. His gaze dropped to the armor, lingered a moment, then rose back to Cel's face.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxPIkguhhrv
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGLhK8IMCuy
"How may I help you, young master?"7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJQEC9yQKkk
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXxcYZkCs2D
There it was again. That assumption.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9n8DpoqNdN
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZJjeF2qhv
"Clothes," Cel said. "Nothing formal. Just normal wear for the city."7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKgOFhu9yi3
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCysMGmMgs3
The shopkeeper studied him a moment - assessing size and build with an experienced eye. "Of course. Simple tunic and trousers? We have several styles..."7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPMDc6lmFuB
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZIRN1Zxvv
He moved along the shelves, pulling items and laying them on the counter. Brown linen tunic. Dark gray trousers. A simple belt. All well-made but unremarkable.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxXUEheDMu
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMgmeVTFE6m
"And a cloak," Cel added. "Something with a hood."7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxk2l2qDIS
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAtrZ6wobEi
The man nodded and retrieved a dark brown traveling cloak from a peg. The fabric was thick enough to ward off rain but not so heavy it would be uncomfortable in warm weather.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE0POT4pQIm
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTyNDKrVMOv
"Will you be wearing them now, or shall I wrap them?"7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDvhQ407dU
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIPsAYEVdch
"Now."7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwmPpFbg5f5
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡydScejcANj
The shopkeeper gestured toward a small changing area curtained off in the corner. Cel took the bundle and stepped behind the fabric.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKvwUTfFOoL
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4pxaQFCALZ
Cinderward dismissed at a thought, dissolving into nothing as it returned to wherever artifacts went when unsummoned. 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXi4Sunmchk
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9EFADhjZ3o
He pulled on the new clothes. The linen tunic was rougher than Cinderward's smooth fabric but not uncomfortable. The trousers fit well enough. The belt cinched everything in place.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡamBU6uwfkd
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG1ELa9VBk5
When he emerged, the shopkeeper nodded approvingly. "A good fit. Will there be anything else?"7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO3U5EieKdk
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6bxn0Ngg0x
"No."7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6yciZd22wf
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtaYv7LYAbo
Cel pulled coins from the pouch he had received and counted out the price the man named. The shopkeeper accepted the payment with a small bow.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU1kePbGEB0
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVN4LbuELgG
"Thank you for your patronage, young master. May the gods watch over you."7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrYcj3UZ2Ju
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPHk1uw6CVo
Cel pulled the hood up as he stepped back onto the street.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0pbjYc42Y
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDVpad32c7i
Better.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQRBEHXHwgy
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsb98KY0Mbp
The attention didn't disappear completely - a hooded figure still drew some notice - but the weight of eyes lessened. People glanced and looked away. Normal wariness of a stranger rather than recognition of a Chosen.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAgreRACbaS
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCxt8Ro7sRa
He could breathe easier.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaPXIc4biRF
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEGY3bPdzWn
The street continued downward, opening into what looked like a market square. Stalls clustered around a central fountain where water bubbled over carved stone. Vendors called out their wares - fresh fish, vegetables, leather goods, tools, trinkets.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5MYrDZZwn
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ62oR5bEHL
Cel drifted through it all without direction.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLxBQ8jdB4
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFjUkX4CzWB
A weapons stall caught his eye briefly. Well-made steel displayed on cloth - daggers, short swords, a few longer blades. Nothing compared to Silent Moon, but quality work. The merchant noticed his interest and started to approach, but Cel moved on before the man could speak.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4V3X3JnDaL
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHNiQGBbBJg
Food stalls next. Roasted meat on skewers sending up fragrant smoke. Pastries glazed with honey. Some kind of soup being ladled into wooden bowls for customers who ate standing at rough tables.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnBIfWhrOmJ
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYAW2ePjsjq
His stomach didn't react. He'd eaten the dried meat from the Hollow Realms recently enough that hunger hadn't returned yet. But he watched the people - how they ordered, how they paid, how they ate while talking with friends or standing alone.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUTtne6NSOC
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ47xhxxYiv
Normal human behavior that felt foreign.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaLZ0WLwzz3
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRp63ZNnHrf
He moved through the crowd, letting the flow of bodies guide him. A woman argued with a fishmonger about prices. Two children darted between stalls playing some kind of game. An old man sat on a bench eating bread from a cloth-wrapped bundle.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡedSpC0cJas
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGVjJD7btiP
Then voices rose above the general market noise - clear and distinct despite the surrounding chatter.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRqULnGj7GM
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP3c7ntFsvC
"—and the merchant swore it's a genuine relic! From an actual hero of the old wars!" The speaker's tone carried pure enthusiasm. "Can you imagine?"7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCG7yiSdbYy
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡANvdpoukF9
Cel's gaze tracked toward the sound.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ07I8j3MYnK
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHil1LyJRJR
A young man with brown hair stood before a fabric merchant's stall, holding up a cloak. Well-tailored clothing marked him as nobility. The fabric practically glowed even in daylight. His whole posture radiated earnest excitement as he examined the crimson cloth with golden clasps.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡssww8Om14Y
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7s6S9u396Y
The young woman beside him wore elegant green that identified her as Life Clan. Her posture was perfect - back straight, shoulders set, every movement controlled and precise. Light green hair fell in a practical braid down her shoulder.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5W8DGhGT0y
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0lNReQyVre
She looked... tired. Patient, but exhausted in a way that had nothing to do with physical fatigue.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4m22d7Uqf4
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3V17lV9sjR
"Theron." Her voice was quiet but firm. "That's what the last four merchants told you."7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ9pV8Ka5gH
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTwa3sDJg6K
Several nearby shoppers had noticed the nobles in their midst. Some stared openly. Others whispered to companions while glancing over. The fabric merchant himself looked simultaneously nervous and opportunistic - aware that nobles shopping in a commoner market was unusual, but not about to miss a potential sale.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAZJKe3V8Hn
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6BnZ2I0hp0
The young man - Theron - barely seemed to notice the attention. "But this one seems different! The craftsmanship is—"7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuzkzi4NSbg
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTgvXjKq5a
"Do you honestly believe," the woman interrupted, "that a genuine relic would be sold at a market stall?"7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6h8d4xUMP
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcHhN2Sz6Sp
Theron paused. His expression shifted through several emotions - confusion, consideration, then reluctant acknowledgment. "I... suppose that would be unlikely."7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkoxbWKYCpy
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhfedSGIFKh
"It would be impossible." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "If it were real, it would be in a noble house vault."7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwfTWsLq7J
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsgTSmswpsS
The merchant's face fell slightly but he maintained his smile. Theron looked at the cloak again, then carefully returned it to the display.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qWLNsE7ER
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN0lwXgJb4w
"You're absolutely right," he said brightly. "A true hero wouldn't need relics to prove himself anyway! The heart matters, not—"7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTIjWwXUkwQ
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm7B76fgIWa
Cel stopped listening and walked away.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJxYEzUmBzi
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXQa5UXwYFr
None of his business. Two nobles shopping where they didn't belong. 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJ3X0kdjfl
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVehHruZUWs
He continued through the market until a shop selling books and parchment caught his eye at the square's edge. 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBUCaRg5okB
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgRNZV7qRGi
Cel pushed inside, grateful for the quieter atmosphere.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1lQ4ScHBCZ
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdKeZSS8uOx
Shelves stretched toward the ceiling packed with bound volumes. The smell of leather, ink and old paper filled the space. A few customers browsed - a young woman reading the first pages of what looked like a romance, an older man examining what might have been a religious text.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3IkHvdFkGe
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLZwOrFnaGz
Cel moved along the shelves without touching anything. Titles he could read thanks to his basic education. Histories. Philosophical treatises. Collections of poetry. Technical manuals about everything from farming to architecture.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrqnk4TbOBl
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqkfopB1AMc
"Can I help you find something?"7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYHTTnDNHAM
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsljcst1Tzn
The voice came from behind. Cel turned to find a middle-aged woman in a simple dress - probably the shop owner - watching him with polite interest.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyXVvn1T3Bt
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡITZqosvkLC
"Just looking."7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJorCJ0cGqT
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI9fz2ksoOv
She nodded and retreated to her counter, leaving him to browse.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLNJyxuqLvw
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHVPruCg9LZ
He stayed a few more minutes before the enclosed space began to feel confining. Too many shelves. Too many words pressing in from all sides. 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqAokwU9Obg
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOI3lwhQC5R
Back on the street, his feet carried him onward. More shops. More faces. More normal life happening around him while he drifted through it like a ghost.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAGWiEYvY0Q
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC6O9U6U7T8
What was he even doing?7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhHNXsiPXop
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz9wpRYDI2q
He still didn't know what brought him joy. Watching strangers shop for cloaks wasn't it. Neither was browsing books he'd never read or staring at weapons he didn't need.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡttNYa50mwl
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeJAXLGqBd0
Maybe joy wasn't something he could find. Maybe—7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMAevZruuV3
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1JaxT0f0J0
A symbol caught his eye.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGpi72RODkH
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkENklDFkqr
Silver against dark stone. Carved into the wall of a building down the street.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjMTapl0EJm
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgj2J6tvtYb
A crescent moon cradling a perfect circle, with star-like points radiating outward and wing-like curves at the base.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSVQu8l7LzS
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQG3L4qmo9J
The Moon Goddess's mark.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡivQYKn1I3b
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfW6pYC8QYM
Cel stopped walking.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGiW6kmGpkl
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY82z7XOTLp
The building was modest compared to some of the grand structures he'd passed - two stories of gray stone with narrow windows. But the mark was prominent, positioned above heavy wooden doors that stood partially open.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOyD2NYM1ZG
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM135vexoXp
A church.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3HLhsOjAHo
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUyQzNJCeFQ
Understanding clicked into place.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuzqKDDsj6P
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLd9vNDvp5R
The capital city. Seat of the Stellarion Empire. Neutral ground where no deity was worshipped above the others.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQGHdEcrMw
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNGsLjGyWVn
And because this was neutral ground, all seven deities had churches here. Even the Moon Goddess.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhANmKrePYh
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy9wGK3cquG
This might be the only church devoted to her on the entire continent.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMzsRH6hwC
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ12MEtmoza
His feet moved before he made a conscious decision.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvVhWc6oIcH
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB9b6CRXWP8
The wooden doors were old but well-maintained. Someone cared for this place even if few visited. Cel pushed through and stepped inside.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSNu17S6DnQ
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuuBQPkMTPV
The interior was simple. Stone walls without elaborate decoration. Rows of wooden benches facing toward the far end where a raised platform held a single statue.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAxtRSddUjn
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ86Mqi1lYO7
The Moon Goddess's mark again - this time rendered in pale stone that seemed to glow faintly in the dim light filtering through high windows. It stood taller than a person, carved with such devotion that every detail was perfect.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡubdhVQ94ko
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOZnut19DQ
The space was quiet. Empty except for—7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk01bzguoro
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH3n4KHvxpt
Except for the single figure kneeling before the statue.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLx5Wtpi1UW
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A young woman in a simple blue dress. Bluish-black hair fell past her shoulders as her head bowed in prayer. Hands clasped before her. Shoulders curved in a posture that spoke of genuine devotion rather than ceremonial duty.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeuN4f3yoAM
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She knelt perfectly still. Silent. Lost in whatever words she offered to the goddess.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv6oAxXwU2H
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Something about the shape of her shoulders, the way her hair fell, the angle of her head felt… familiar.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5JWysQUNJd
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Cel's breath stopped.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4bmvgmFn8A
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No.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYaxsxSNv9K
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It couldn't be.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwtMr9oFdx3
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The woman shifted slightly, adjusting her position. Her profile came into view for just a moment - delicate features, pale skin, a face he'd seen every day for the first fifteen years of his life before everything shattered.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnOv95Y20xz
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Lyra.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDVrFBB7ZKv
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His little sister.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGWwdOX7V6
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----7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntaLQbCD2N
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