"Well, that isn't a no," the voice hummed, as if pleased by his answer.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQBsKn2TYBE
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"And it isn't a yes," Cel shot back, anger bleeding through his words.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHF6GSyZddn
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The retort left his lips before he could stop it. But how was that even possible? His throat should have been clogged with blood, his lungs pierced and failing. He should be—134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoreYYg23lc
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His hands flew to his chest, fingers probing desperately where claws had torn through flesh and bone. Nothing. Smooth skin met his touch, unmarked and whole. His heart hammered steadily beneath his ribs, strong and alive.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU0LIDUHsmV
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The memories crashed over him - the creature's amber eyes, the crushing impact of claws, the taste of his own blood as he tumbled into darkness. Yet here he was, breathing, his body responding to every command.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ75bbOKXmT1
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Cel pushed himself to his feet, legs steady beneath him. The ravine, the obsidian stones, the ash-covered wasteland - all of it had vanished. In its place stretched an endless expanse shrouded in pearl-white mist. The fog coiled around his ankles like a living thing, thick enough to hide whatever solid surface lay beneath his feet. Above, that same pale moon watched with cold indifference, its light filtering through the haze in silver streams.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡioQYAs5rYD
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A figure emerged from the mist, causing Cel's breath to catch in his throat.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnWCbmcCQ9V
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She moved like moonlight given form, each step sending ripples through the fog at her feet. Silver hair flowed down her back in long, straight strands that seemed to shimmer with ethereal light. An ornate mask covered the upper half of her face - flowing, curved patterns in gleaming silver adorned with golden gems that sparkled in the lunar glow.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5p9iCw7d7z
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Her pale robe flowed around her like liquid light, the fabric so fine it appeared translucent in the moonlight. Patterns of constellations and lunar phases danced across the material, shifting and glimmering with each movement. (Necklace)134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2dTku28wQ4
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She was tall - taller than most women he'd known - with an otherworldly grace that made her seem untouchable. Beautiful, yes, but in the way distant stars were beautiful. Remote. Divine.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoF91u6ARWE
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Cel found himself staring, his mind struggling to process what stood before him. After a year of seeing nothing but rotting walls and purple-robed torturers, the sight of her was almost too much to comprehend.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDxqMrJbSn
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"Welcome, Chosen One." Her voice drifted through the mist like a lullaby, each word perfectly measured. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I am Selina, a priestess of the Moon Goddess."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpgZWTk22wv
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The formal introduction snapped him back to awareness. He was gawking like a fool, mouth half-open in wonder. His face flushed with heat as he realized how he must look - wild-haired, probably reeking of the cell despite his miraculous healing, stumbling over his own tongue.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFJLREiTOrQ
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When had he last spoken to another person? Months ago, when Ren had simply... disappeared from the neighboring cell.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZQGoLWga5
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The words felt rusty in his throat. He cleared it twice, then managed a clumsy bow. "It... It is my pleasure, Lady Selina. I'm Celvian. Though, I suppose you already know that."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr5H5QOZDJp
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"Yes, I do." The smile that curved her rose-colored lips held secrets he couldn't begin to fathom.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYT24PKqdHa
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Priests served as intermediaries, he knew that much. Divine messengers who guided the Chosen Ones through their journey. But standing here in this impossible place, watching the way moonlight seemed to bend around her like she commanded it, Cel couldn't shake the feeling that this encounter was something else entirely.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ46pOQTmzQY
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Something far more personal than divine duty.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHrRKg4KN2L
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"I have a question, my Lady," he began, the words catching in his throat.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKz5od3qdAY
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"Ask whatever you wish. I will answer to the best of my abilities." Her voice carried the same ethereal quality, but something warmer crept into it. "Also, there is no need for such formality. I serve the goddess, but I am also here to serve you, Chosen One."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYqCFyXCYbT
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The correction sent heat crawling up his neck again. He cursed silently at his own awkwardness.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZop4FCEZ1C
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"I-I see..." He swallowed hard. "Can you tell me where exactly we are?"134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJq1lI6e23W
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"Of course. We are currently inside your soul."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK8KnGqQSYT
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Cel's mouth opened, then closed. He turned in a slow circle, taking in the endless fog and empty space. "My soul? But here's… nothing. Absolutely nothing."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26z8dm9Idd
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Every child knew the stories. Chosen Ones could enter their souls - vast forests that sang with life, golden palaces that stretched beyond sight, coral reefs that shimmered with ancient power. But this barren expanse?134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqerMyCP6h
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His hands clenched at his sides. 'Should I be worried? Maybe a year of torture broke more than just my body. Great - assuming I survive this, I'll need a healer for my soul.' The thought brought another wave of uncertainty. 'Wait, am I even alive? Or is this some kind of afterlife?'134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNDrk1G0IUZ
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"Fear not, Chosen One."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ08zQGHbDlv
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Cel's head snapped toward her, eyes wide. Could she—?134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiM6qY0Ghpm
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"Your soul will evolve and grow with you," Selina continued, her tone reassuring. "What you see now is only the beginning."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEMJCwzgJfS
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Relief flooded through him, followed immediately by embarrassment. 'Right. She was talking about my soul, not reading my mind like some omniscient—'134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpYUao42oZ9
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For the first time, her serene smile wavered. Though the mask hid her eyes, he felt the weight of her gaze as she leaned closer. 134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUEXjuY7UmY
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"Are you alright, Chosen One?"134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaNUCeMJIvo
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Cel took a step back, heat flaring in his cheeks. "Yes, I'm fine. Or... am I fine? I don't know." The words tumbled out faster. "Can you tell me what's happening to me? I'm pretty sure I was... dying."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡegTvOCjoXU
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Her smile returned, radiant and untouchable.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLWVfGbalwA
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"Yes, your body is dying. Even as we speak, time continues outside your soul."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHyiH4D4IDq
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'Why are you smiling while saying that?' Cel's eye twitched. 'I could cry...'134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPuQuCIdFpG
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"The goddess called you here to bless you," Selina continued. "Through her blessing, you will be granted the physique of a Chosen One. Your body will be transformed, and you will survive."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvK9R54141F
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Cel stared at her. Just like that? After everything - the torture, the starvation, bleeding out in some cursed wasteland - it all came down to divine timing? 'Happy birthday to me, I guess.'134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡewoIqRxogX
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"How exactly do I receive this blessing?"134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebsGLyXgCt
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He knew the basics, of course. Every god had their own method, but it was typically straightforward. At the age of sixteen, you enter your soul, get blessed, become a Chosen One. Simple. Though he'd never bothered learning the specifics about the Moon Goddess - why would he? She was weak, irrelevant, barely worth acknowledging among the seven gods.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJhDM4Qjdnk
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"You must first pass a trial to demonstrate that you are worthy of the goddess's favor."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2PAs8nDzfy
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"A trial?" The word came out sharper than intended.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4xgoXQ5vlA
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That wasn't how it worked. Most Chosen Ones met their priest, received their blessing, and emerged transformed. No tests. No trials. Just divine power handed down like a birthright.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq4L6WE9MHn
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Understanding dawned like a cold sunrise. 'Is this why so few serve the Moon Goddess? They don't just fail to receive her blessing - they die trying.' His jaw clenched. 'And here I am, about to join their ranks. Wonderful.'134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWg49eRfvT
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Bitterness rose in his throat like bile. All those years dismissing the Moon Goddess as beneath his notice, secure in his position as part of a Noble House. Destined for greatness, never needing to concern himself with the lowest deity. 'Look how well that turned out.'134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9HSdsnIBG9
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He forced his voice to stay steady. "Can you tell me anything about this trial?"134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNLHT3sXxqZ
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"I am sorry, but that does not lie within my authority."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqMifxL69Mt
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'Of course it doesn't.' Cel sighed, the familiar frustration of dealing with divine knowledge settling over him like an old coat.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOs3uCg0KZE
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"Will you challenge the trial, Chosen One?" Her gentle tone carried quiet gravity beneath the silk.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGa2fCWBXVB
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Cel looked around at the empty fog, then back at her serene, untouchable beauty. His shoulders sagged with resignation.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCj4owPjDv
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"Yes. I don't have much of a choice if I want to survive, do I?"134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDXziVGGFIL
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The words hung in the misty air between them. Cel straightened, something hardening in his expression.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVwCprVTIkr
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"But before I begin this trial, I have one last question.” The words came slower now, heavy with meaning. “Why me? Why did the Moon Goddess choose me?"134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFH2K7d0q1
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The irony still burned. Every child of the Sun Clan grew up hearing the same stories - glorious warriors blessed by solar fire, leaders who commanded respect wherever they walked. Cel had been groomed for that destiny from birth, shaped to follow in those golden footsteps. Instead, he'd been marked by silver light.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2me2tPR0S0
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Once, he'd raged against that cruel fate. The Moon Goddess had destroyed everything - his place in the Clan, his father's approval, his future. If she'd simply left him alone, maybe the Sun God would have chosen him eventually. Or the Ocean Goddess, according to his mother's bloodline. Perhaps no Divine Calling at all would have been kinder than this.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ifpSwq5T9
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But the fury had cooled over months of suffering, replaced by something sharper. Something clearer.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPkmw6EdfxK
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'Without her, I'd still be chasing after that bastard's scraps of approval.' The thought made his stomach turn. That naive boy who'd hungered for his father's praise, who couldn't see the poison beneath every word - Cel wanted to strangle him.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWErP2znoz5
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His father had cast him aside the instant he proved useless to his ambitions. One blessing from an unwanted deity, and fifteen years of calculated investment had been written off like a failed business venture. 134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPg9dsuFc7D
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'How pathetic I was.'134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUJBhdsgPeh
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The Moon Goddess hadn't ruined his life - she'd ripped away the blindfold. Shown him exactly how little his father had ever cared for him. The Sun God's rejection wasn't a punishment - it was mercy. Better to serve a deity who wanted him than beg for scraps from one who found him worthless.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6V9774sbmY
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Pain had been his teacher, and its lessons were carved deep. He wouldn't trade this harsh clarity for all the false comfort in the world.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8fQo12SEUt
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"I am sorry, but that does not lie within my authority."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyoUXyyUyHb
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Cel bit back a bitter laugh. The gods' favorite deflection. "I figured as much."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs5o2BzQBYr
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The silence stretched between them. Well, what had he expected? Divine revelations handed out like coins at a charity gathering? He'd learned enough hard lessons to know better.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdtN6284Y2
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"Then let's get on with it." He rolled his shoulders, working out the tension. "I'm ready for the trial."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZMKak8FN2z
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Selina's silver hair caught the moonlight as she nodded, her serene expression brightening with unmistakable pleasure. Her shoulders lifted slightly, as if a weight had been removed.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJU5jEVSek
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"May the Moon Goddess light your path."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8VROzwKmFz
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The words carried weight beyond their simple meaning, final as the turning of a key. Cel's eyelids suddenly felt like stone, his limbs turning to lead as drowsiness crashed over him in waves. The fog around them seemed to thicken, pressing against his consciousness like a physical thing.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdQXrTXNXoy
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He fought to keep his eyes open, to stay alert, but the pull was irresistible. As darkness claimed the edges of his vision, a voice that wasn't Selina's resonated through his mind - ancient, vast, carrying the overwhelming weight of divine will.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsyVewvd702
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<Your trial begins: Find the moon.>1234 copyright protection130ＰＥＮＡＮＡeQI2ijvMmp 尼

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