"Well, that isn't a no," the voice hummed, as if pleased by his answer.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfERRJMaRyz
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"And it isn't a yes," Cel shot back, anger bleeding through his words.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5P4ekyvSeH
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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—193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPeP19uRr5x
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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.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxb1sl65BB
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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.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡptHjTGaulT
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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.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuaj5bl6CqH
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A figure emerged from the mist, causing Cel's breath to catch in his throat.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYrq2l9OTXj
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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.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7IzdWivs3z
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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)193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1XEl8ubM4
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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.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg6o2NHqvhS
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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.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJAvVApuMND
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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."193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxlSlrlH25T
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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.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCmyQa12Pa
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When had he last spoken to another person? Months ago, when Ren had simply... disappeared from the neighboring cell.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt9knHE3heX
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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."193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxT8Cl7l5t
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"Yes, I do." The smile that curved her rose-colored lips held secrets he couldn't begin to fathom.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡldM4xFzLR0
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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.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ6JLG4UMuB
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Something far more personal than divine duty.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKGGsfam4qu
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"I have a question, my Lady," he began, the words catching in his throat.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkdPmivyIwO
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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."193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCvtw1X4ZDo
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The correction sent heat crawling up his neck again. He cursed silently at his own awkwardness.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDVboeJMp1J
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"I-I see..." He swallowed hard. "Can you tell me where exactly we are?"193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02wyt6CYLx
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"Of course. We are currently inside your soul."193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGRjJVh3Ypv
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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."193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkLijokStf2
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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?193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG3DS7vg5dA
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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?'193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvxSjUpMN9G
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"Fear not, Chosen One."193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkZdq4qPgdb
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Cel's head snapped toward her, eyes wide. Could she—?193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqUimXV3am
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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."193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJUQTFdfXY
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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—'193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFBayWciXtk
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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. 193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡANI5Cn9qW6
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"Are you alright, Chosen One?"193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi03ipr5myZ
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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."193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaZI1XNklcj
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Her smile returned, radiant and untouchable.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiIsW5U7g9y
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"Yes, your body is dying. Even as we speak, time continues outside your soul."193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAXNmzU1mda
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'Why are you smiling while saying that?' Cel's eye twitched. 'I could cry...'193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlhgeMJRo1A
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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."193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC1tuNTD7xs
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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.'193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMnM6pVHse7
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"How exactly do I receive this blessing?"193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCaaW7WIgAf
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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.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfo5j6Zy4Qf
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"You must first pass a trial to demonstrate that you are worthy of the goddess's favor."193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwUzqvu7eb
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"A trial?" The word came out sharper than intended.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqeqG5gZHN7
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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.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl7ve9pmg6n
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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.'193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL9cQSTbRMJ
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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.'193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlWnXARE13n
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He forced his voice to stay steady. "Can you tell me anything about this trial?"193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCdBYkqnNj
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"I am sorry, but that does not lie within my authority."193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXSbVEdqnO
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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.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39lyRdI4F8
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"Will you challenge the trial, Chosen One?" Her gentle tone carried quiet gravity beneath the silk.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqWyzlPsTLD
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Cel looked around at the empty fog, then back at her serene, untouchable beauty. His shoulders sagged with resignation.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpmnrDZ6oW
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"Yes. I don't have much of a choice if I want to survive, do I?"193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5E8U6bo3jQ
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The words hung in the misty air between them. Cel straightened, something hardening in his expression.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHmGALMrGq4
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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?"193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3AcFn2OZkv
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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.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCTLg74fG7f
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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.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsY6iwj2ruh
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But the fury had cooled over months of suffering, replaced by something sharper. Something clearer.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGnZqQOpNk
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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.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYybDXjf4VW
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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. 193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0vX62W7Jqn
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'How pathetic I was.'193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxHz5aGaRQ7
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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.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZc3plHle0h
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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.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjiDq7X5k7i
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"I am sorry, but that does not lie within my authority."193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡctIowartB3
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Cel bit back a bitter laugh. The gods' favorite deflection. "I figured as much."193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPc1tNn9DuI
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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.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡguMbH5UgFY
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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."193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH08O3JSHDB
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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.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw42FezgGwg
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"May the Moon Goddess light your path."193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSIlEcoRvql
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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.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0gzYaTSzQ
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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.193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHrs742r8ip
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<Your trial begins: Find the moon.>1234 copyright protection189ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgtXSo3cD4 尼

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