Cel jerked his hand back.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMLN5zzNxm5
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgyVaWxOzxz
"I'm sorry. That was—"64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47lqo3Zpjb
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTBByebMTYS
"It's okay." Her voice came distant, distracted. She touched her own head where his hand had been, fingers brushing through dark hair. Her gaze remained unfocused, lost in memory. "My brother used to do that. When I was upset."64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyBofG1g8SB
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The words hung between them like smoke.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoLrbVD4XkZ
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Cel's throat tightened. He needed to change the subject. Needed to steer away from this before she looked too closely, asked too many questions.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5FDkauAbH2
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"You said your mother searched for him," he managed. "Is she..."64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡedz1jq8VJ0
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIwmTcU6Tag
"She divorced him." The words came sharp and final. Lyra's expression hardened. "After everything - after what he did - she couldn't stay. Neither did I."64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkeUl8VDGp1
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsynOavJB4j
Pride flickered through the pain in her voice.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFSTpDfcFn8
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnw25BhcFgV
"My oldest brother stayed with Father. His choice." She shrugged, but the gesture was too tight, too controlled. "Mother and I moved here. To the capital."64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpLIZTE49wt
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‘Too late.’ 64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeoWYIFFwhY
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The thought burned through Cel. His mother had finally found the strength to leave - after he was gone. After a year of torture. After she'd watched Lord Aldric tear the divine mark from his back and done nothing. 64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡICtUjZuOgD
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She'd left when it was safe. When he couldn't be saved anymore. 64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8kChwNryCU
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUT6Dwdsz30
But at least she'd taken Lyra with her. Protected her. Given his little sister the escape he'd never had. 64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ8TszSl95F
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwTr2yzNRPt
The bitterness and relief twisted together in his chest, inseparable.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIB8fAiXlfj
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Bg7oW2wCa
Footsteps echoed from the church entrance - sharp and purposeful against worn stone. Both of them turned.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9c8PxDsLOB
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSvenQNCtCy
A woman in servant's attire stood in the doorway, scanning the interior until her gaze landed on Lyra. Her expression shifted from searching to relieved.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNzMF7zuJv9
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCGU2agGMq
"Lady Lyra," the woman called. "Your mother sent me to find you. It's getting late."64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1lZmcuzUpo
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPXFcL6gBYX
Lyra's shoulders sagged slightly - disappointment mixed with resignation. She rose from the bench, smoothing her dress one final time.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡouz6a3gpRF
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3zjy1d9VQe
"I have to go," she said, turning back to Cel. Something in her expression had changed - softer, warmer. "Thank you. For listening. For... what you said about the Moon Goddess. I really needed that today."64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfVpJF4SztV
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEdQ39SJlZt
She hesitated, then added quietly, "I hope I see you again. It was nice to meet you, Heir to the Moon."64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfLai36tNyQ
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbOrdMbl6s
His name in her voice felt like a knife and a comfort all at once.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd0ey2GdRDE
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGEQxePxiOf
"You too," he said.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2r3M7a0Eff
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6OmgxdZtmY
Lyra offered one last small smile, then followed the servant toward the entrance. Her footsteps faded across stone, then disappeared entirely as the heavy wooden doors swung shut behind her.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvPR6wboJaX
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeVkboL9CPc
Silence rushed back in like water filling a void.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYxmPSjTFz8
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTrslx551wt
Cel remained on the bench, staring at the space where she'd been. His hands gripped his knees hard enough to hurt. 64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAP2fum6RqE
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCAwhNOGZN
She didn't know.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5OmvVfZoS
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0gyKluBekQ
She'd sat beside him, cried about him, talked about him, and never once realized the truth.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzxbvE1NSBo
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC6vek8nkLF
He should feel relieved. Should be grateful she hadn't recognized him - that the secret remained safe.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeK0DZrAxvB
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4uq9vetyRR
Instead, he just felt hollow.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoLGviwVZrS
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡti7jn4X8k4
Slowly, Cel rose from the bench. His legs felt unsteady, disconnected. He moved toward the altar, toward the pale stone mark of the Moon Goddess that watched over this forgotten space.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwEZH214elN
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCVFjpbjWN
The crescent seemed to glow brighter in the fading light - or maybe that was just his imagination. He stood before it, staring up at the symbol that had changed everything.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCcmX8H1nEA
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A carriage accident.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxImxmXHe7
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmryFk827sU
So that was the story his father had told. Clean, tragic, unquestionable. And everyone had accepted it. His mother. His sister. The entire clan.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRKEWnCVWed
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWgmkUDu1BC
No one had looked deeper. No one had questioned what really happened to the disappointment, the failure, the boy marked by the wrong deity.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpWHP3X3nrU
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCa784TEHzQ
They'd moved on. Built new lives. Forgotten.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7Yx0mPgoH
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgS69EuSisN
While he'd rotted in a cell.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHBnJVyVFHA
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The familiar burn of rage tried to surface - hot and bitter. But it couldn't quite catch hold. Not after hearing the pain in Lyra's voice. Not after seeing how much she still carried his memory.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnAQHZXBTu3
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Cel's forced himself to breathe.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3yS2NzPcle
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIlGB1zpHEg
He'd been gone for a year. Dead, as far as the world knew. In that time, everything had shifted - families had fractured, alliances had changed, stories had been written and believed.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRXwFQN5iW3
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhalBSkwr5I
He needed to know what else had happened. 64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJbbAKLlj3F
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6OhjWaLp6j
Cel left the church, the heavy wooden doors closing softly behind him.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjXDzBbvxoc
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLg4yme6ZF
Evening had settled over the capital. The sky had deepened to purple-gray, and lamplighters were making their rounds through the streets. Warm light bloomed in windows as shops closed for the night and families gathered for dinner.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8UwnJtDb2P
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His feet carried him without conscious direction, following the flow of people still moving through the city. Workers heading home. Late shoppers finishing errands. Groups of friends laughing together as they moved between taverns.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡODmJaivUft
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZMshjuc8H4
A tavern.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdwkHexnvwF
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The thought surfaced with sudden clarity. Places where people gathered. Where tongues loosened with drink. Where information flowed as freely as ale.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7En56NKzf6
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXPjoYQCTIa
He'd never been to one before. His father had deemed such establishments beneath noble dignity - places for commoners and lesser merchants, not for nobles like him.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY3IAoQx28H
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxyldoH5Unw
But he was no longer a Solmar.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsoLYtIhzvv
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3eLxLiR96V
A sign caught his eye - faded wood with a painted barrel and wheat sheaf. “The Golden Hart.”64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwKHJUYOd3
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2rczTtaWXc
Cel pushed through the door.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqebTXVPy9
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb7HTENequO
Warmth hit him immediately - body heat and cooking fires, the scent of roasted meat and spilled ale. The space was larger than it looked from outside, with rough wooden tables scattered across the floor and a long bar dominating one wall. Perhaps thirty people filled the room, their conversations creating a steady hum that washed over everything.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtTqQtDIuKK
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No one looked up when he entered. Just another hooded figure seeking a drink.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiyPj93QgU4
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Perfect.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJoApkPGEXR
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He moved to the bar and slid onto an empty stool. The bartender - a broad man in his fifties, with the kind of shoulders that settled arguments without words - glanced over.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPwqMHJZrwO
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPemS6AcD2m
"What'll it be?"64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLlkibz6OLQ
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBF2qcgV25c
Cel hesitated. He had no idea what to order. The extent of his knowledge about alcohol was that nobles drank wine and spirits, while commoners drank ale.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPbfVZHT0wl
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUnW7BB3hJn
"Ale," he said.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy8iOeNwzEM
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEWdMgMHKpP
The bartender nodded and turned away, pulling a tankard from beneath the bar and filling it from one of the barrels along the wall. He set it in front of Cel with a soft thunk.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7dlkTb1eO
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1LvjXluOHs
Cel placed coins on the bar. The bartender swept them up and moved to serve another customer.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0KnK2mUVvC
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlYZvV0AZs1
The tankard sat before him, amber liquid catching the lamplight. Cel lifted it and took a sip.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3yCKgIvNh
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVNFFx0EDSU
Nothing. No taste registered - just liquid sliding down his throat, neither pleasant nor unpleasant.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL4DL1yuoKA
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcEZU4TXf9E
He drank more, watching the level drop. Around him, conversations continued - complaints about work, gossip about neighbors, plans for tomorrow. The normal rhythm of lives that hadn't been shattered and rebuilt.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWPsYgxH1uz
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrYbd9Mm5Yj
The bartender returned after a few minutes. "How is it?"64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZNowzk5pSr
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Cel glanced at his half-empty tankard. "Fine."64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt0A97Hwrz2
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMpAzEgNJ4O
"First time drinking?"64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkI4bYz0pyt
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"Yes."64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8XRqBeSWle
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbXV9RVMeja
The bartender's eyebrows rose slightly. "You're handling it well. Most people make a face." He studied Cel with mild curiosity. "New to the city?" 64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZOEskotppH
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHsaYj9Muk4
"Recently arrived. I'm enrolled at the Academy."64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQHzLMoFGcO
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlvFnwQggME
The bartender nodded to himself. "Thought so. You've got that look - like you're still taking it all in. We get a few of you in here from time to time. Though most stick to the fancier places near the palace."64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSRVRPBRgWT
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRAWlqVlAig
"I prefer this."64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg3GmCxefeD
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjEgtsheSjV
The bartender's expression warmed slightly. "Good answer." He moved to refill another customer's drink, then returned. "What clan?"64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyea88IS54p
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKlIRgLAGb
It took Cel a moment to realize the question wasn't about his affiliation, but his origin. 64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg2Ad3pxNT7
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhvfN4miRW
"Storm Clan territory," he said, using the lie Esrin had provided.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPUVeC3xpWw
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPbQKsYoKL
"Rough up there, I hear. With the Void and all." The bartender shook his head. "Can't imagine living that close to nothing."64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfdXCQ3oW1
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjCTiVKvoR
"It has its challenges."64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Wjn07a04H
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPUrX1xHAcb
The conversation lapsed. Cel finished his first tankard and the bartender replaced it without being asked.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ300PLv2VfA
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1q1EyUmPO7
"So what brings you to the capital?" The question came casual, the easy interest of someone used to making small talk. "Besides the Academy."64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ46cZvhBkdp
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqHvwn3I9xk
"Wanted to see it." Not quite true, but not quite false either.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFDy3B2DSpp
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9aMV2hCiIe
The bartender leaned against the bar, wiping down a glass. "Tense time to arrive. All the succession talk has everyone on edge."64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm6ccGop4L6
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMJR6z1a69t
Cel's attention sharpened. Succession had been a topic before he'd been taken - the aging Emperor, whispers of which prince would inherit the throne - but it had never been described as tense. "Succession? I thought that was settled. The First Prince—" 64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmCre4QANMw
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyTEJ4UXipm
“Was the favorite, yeah. But not anymore." The bartender glanced around, lowering his voice slightly - not from fear, just habit. "First Prince still has the Emperor's support, but the Second Prince has the Empress backing him now - she's been pushing hard. And then there's the All-Blessed." 64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvGVcCZuQo8
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZn1Z06kzzL
Cel went still. As far as he knew, there were only two princes.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ62LviaOwEy
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBdIrmNwqf
"The All-Blessed?" he asked carefully.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Z8sB76Oms
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCA21vOQjk
"You haven't heard?" The bartender's eyebrows rose. "A kid blessed by all seven gods."64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK1ggwv9PM1
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCcPwkO5c8
‘What?’ Cel nearly blurted out his disbelief.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ32k2rLrDIg
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl0iFrTGltZ
Being blessed by all seven deities was impossible. 64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbvrUcoP1PA
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL9v3tYFZF4
Only the royal bloodline could be chosen by multiple gods - it was their defining feature, the foundation of their right to rule. Commoners, nobles, even the highest clan lords could not be chosen by more than one deity.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbTv7SXiKcL
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEcefoCTakB
But all seven? That had happened only once in history - the world’s first Chosen who founded the Stellarion Empire.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWDvSoXhXJQ
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzItUFcKDmO
"An illegitimate child," Cel said. Not a question. 64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcUZXoaFq80
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgD3xmwplyJ
"That's what everyone assumes. Has to be, right?” The bartender set down the tankard and picked up another. "But here's the thing - the Emperor hasn't acknowledged him as a prince yet. No title, no imperial name, nothing. Just... silence." 64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQoUObGewCP
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMCdLLxoKXX
"Then how—" 64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvj8hXH8KdB
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgjluFhiEH1
"Life Clan took him in. Raised him, trained him, presented him at court." The bartender's tone carried a note of fascination. "They say he's the next Emperor whether the current one admits it or not. Ocean Clan's starting to agree. They figure if all seven gods chose him, that's authority enough."64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0BS6IvxY5
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOOjIeYwlkw
Cel's mind raced. An illegitimate child. It was the only explanation. The Emperor had fathered a bastard, and somehow that child had received the impossible - blessings from every deity.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡioBYX8T9Bg
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"What about the other clans?"64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ66f7DgOs6b
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"Sun Clan's with the First Prince - they always back whoever the Emperor wants. Mountain Clan's with the Second because of the Empress. Storm Clan will probably follow Mountain, since Mountain's been keeping them alive." He paused. "Death Clan's a mess. No one knows what they'll do."64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡosTMlHumE6
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"Why?"64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaGnogjNgXX
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The bartender's expression shifted - not quite uncomfortable, but aware he was touching on sensitive topics. "You haven't heard about the Death Clan situation either?"64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM5NUnmwumZ
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMo6qu3S9FA
"Only vaguely. My village was small - news didn't reach us quickly." Cel kept his tone neutral. "Something about their heir?"64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbd0O15lYlX
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIHoUQuZh0e
"Right. Well." The bartender refilled Cel's tankard for the third time. "Their heir - the Prince of Death - came back from some expedition as one of the Cursed. Then he killed the Sun Clan's greatest prodigy and vanished. Death Clan's been in chaos ever since. Even some of their own houses are talking about replacing the leading house entirely.”64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJOqbZnSFUA
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Raven. The bartender was talking about Raven.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡola53vXgEk
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3NcviiXclI
But Cel forced himself not to react, just nodded slowly and drank more.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡelpDqI0tdb
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7aIfP2WyFi
"The Sun Clan must be furious," he said.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDDDl9149nn
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLRqrbpwu1P
"Furious doesn't cover it. They went on complete lockdown for months. Only recently started opening back up." The bartender shook his head. "The prodigy they lost - he had a Divine Oracle as his guide. Do you know how rare that is? And some Cursed just waltzed in and murdered him."64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYVqy8Fc2Ab
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbbNRTtgrqf
Cel almost laughed. The Sun Clan had lost their greatest prodigy. And here he sat, their greatest failure, carrying a Divine Oracle in his soul.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqyls9K5C5z
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0CMTobc5pn
"Do they know why?" Cel asked, keeping his voice level.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeVAo3Bj3tu
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"Why does anyone do anything?" The bartender's tone carried the same casual dismissal as before. "Revenge, madness, corruption - who knows? The Cursed aren't right in the head."64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkZthnYBsZI
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Cel's fingers tightened around his tankard, but he said nothing. Just drank.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh8mlyj0PSe
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The fourth tankard appeared. Then the fifth.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDPOCrAquX
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The bartender had been watching him with growing fascination.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRraPga8Fyc
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"You're putting it away pretty steady for someone who's never touched the stuff."64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhHXI6k2ib1
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Cel glanced at his latest drink. He'd lost count. The liquid went down as easily as water, with just as little effect.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1nNnR6M0Bo
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"I don't feel anything," he admitted.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUeUAHZqhcb
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"Nothing?" The bartender refilled the tankard, looking genuinely curious now. 64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVlnnPUDkn8
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"You either have a hell of a constitution or you’re lying to me." A pause. "But you don't seem like a liar." 64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzStRIoLD8U
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Cel said nothing. Just drank.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyhvOYOifIB
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The tavern's warmth had seeped into his shoulders, loosening muscles that had been tight since the church. Not from the alcohol - just from being somewhere anonymous. Somewhere no one knew what he was or what he'd survived.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ48vkD7XbiG
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"The succession's going to get messy," the bartender continued, returning to the earlier topic. "Three factions, and none of them willing to back down."64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4TbkS4QCxT
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Cel drank more. The seventh - or was it eighth?64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSrYKJjYENm
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"Sounds complicated," he said.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdkwA1q8cWs
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"It is. And it's only going to get worse." The bartender leaned closer, voice dropping. "Rumor is the Emperor and Empress are barely speaking. He wants the First Prince. She wants the Second. And neither of them is backing down."64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTde0JSjXcf
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"What happens if they can't agree?"64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6iXOxQweJO
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"That's the question everyone's asking." The bartender straightened. "Best case? One of them concedes and the succession goes smoothly. Worst case?" He shook his head. "Civil war. The whole Empire tears itself apart."64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRxiON63yR8
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The words settled over Cel like a weight.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm06rhEhfgQ
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A year ago, he would have cared deeply about clan politics. Would have analyzed every alliance, every potential outcome, trying to understand how it affected House Solmar's position.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvUNDryeHaL
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Now it all felt distant. Abstract.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWoavCdvyJy
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Let them fight over succession. Let the clans tear each other apart. None of it mattered.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUjfQwE3HNZ
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He finished another tankard.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyTuu1qwwtG
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The bartender was watching him now with undisguised interest. "You're on your ninth. Most people would be under the table by now."64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwlQ5BEjAfg
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"I'm not."64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡslROQILQOV
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"I can see that." A pause. "You sure you're alright?"64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡal7zk7riBO
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"Yes."64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuTP8XQL1AG
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Not quite. But close enough.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGNyVnUc9j
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The bartender studied him for a long moment, then seemed to come to some decision. "Look, I'll keep pouring if you keep paying. But I've got to ask - what are you looking for here? Because if it's information, I've told you what I know. If it's oblivion..." He gestured at the empty tankards. "Well, doesn't seem like that's working."64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwCwtwWNEaS
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Cel stared at the amber liquid in his current drink.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuBQGjgT3AX
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What was he looking for?64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYuw75KTLcL
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Not oblivion. His divine body didn't seem capable of granting him that mercy.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQmhJ1Aozhc
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He'd come for information. He'd gotten it - the clans were fracturing, succession looming, his family scattered. All the facts he'd needed. 64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCy7A7sdMC9
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The world had kept turning while he died and came back. Everyone else knew their place in it. 64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgHLTGmtHrc
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He was still trying to remember what it felt like to have one. 64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfUBITxDrhM
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"Just trying to figure out where I fit," Cel said finally.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7sleDh1q4
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Want to read up to 6 Chapter ahead of othere?64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5rN0Z4IRyD
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