"Well, that isn't a no," the voice hummed, as if pleased by his answer.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1esUZPEJJX
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"And it isn't a yes," Cel shot back, anger bleeding through his words.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaSkBOkpYSa
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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—239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4gBxzyVns1
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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.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNmkxVldwlh
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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.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRNKk3Md5WJ
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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.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbinprSlC9y
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A figure emerged from the mist, causing Cel's breath to catch in his throat.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtsdQ1mFr8l
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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.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNWwUn0fM5S
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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)239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfiEVZt80o
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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.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwNIxPMqMIG
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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.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4JNY5fQ7Eu
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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."239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡISR7ikl45j
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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.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2vvi1cOa9J
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When had he last spoken to another person? Months ago, when Ren had simply... disappeared from the neighboring cell.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0F0C7DDhEX
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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."239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqA4IyFcarn
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"Yes, I do." The smile that curved her rose-colored lips held secrets he couldn't begin to fathom.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi2FupgBv45
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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.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNlKCPigqkA
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Something far more personal than divine duty.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ80DSdNlekK
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"I have a question, my Lady," he began, the words catching in his throat.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Jzr5fjeit
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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."239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVd6yECWBSx
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The correction sent heat crawling up his neck again. He cursed silently at his own awkwardness.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbVXm4lCI7u
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"I-I see..." He swallowed hard. "Can you tell me where exactly we are?"239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd0bcOrncpv
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"Of course. We are currently inside your soul."239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDPdxkQ5exf
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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."239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadtb65u9Kb
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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?239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWVqIt4LJla
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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?'239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyVyyLkOisZ
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"Fear not, Chosen One."239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZpYzbe8Kb
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Cel's head snapped toward her, eyes wide. Could she—?239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ157J9Effgf
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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."239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5N69haWHvq
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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—'239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJekoznZknP
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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. 239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoFOFoHQA8w
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"Are you alright, Chosen One?"239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5neG7VlX25
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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."239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4BbREMuHUM
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Her smile returned, radiant and untouchable.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvoS4yVliiQ
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"Yes, your body is dying. Even as we speak, time continues outside your soul."239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjjL9iHKHFV
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'Why are you smiling while saying that?' Cel's eye twitched. 'I could cry...'239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWlkVKKA1qK
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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."239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOwH7xdzGNN
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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.'239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSynRBnYUm3
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"How exactly do I receive this blessing?"239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0BsjCemTiF
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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.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQlKwtIsnza
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"You must first pass a trial to demonstrate that you are worthy of the goddess's favor."239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMA1NyF5rnN
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"A trial?" The word came out sharper than intended.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPjJH8IUq5A
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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.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM5yXkIE1cm
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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.'239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFG5qCew58G
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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.'239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhu8qhF0lj
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He forced his voice to stay steady. "Can you tell me anything about this trial?"239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzuUM0tjPm
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"I am sorry, but that does not lie within my authority."239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡev46w0EOYO
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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.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIkGvkI23z3
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"Will you challenge the trial, Chosen One?" Her gentle tone carried quiet gravity beneath the silk.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiV9RgbuoMe
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Cel looked around at the empty fog, then back at her serene, untouchable beauty. His shoulders sagged with resignation.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpQhDH5QHGa
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"Yes. I don't have much of a choice if I want to survive, do I?"239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrtFWDRNZeg
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The words hung in the misty air between them. Cel straightened, something hardening in his expression.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXOjQfyrqf
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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?"239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc5YJxl7hrw
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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.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwrvWVxBhG
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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.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEO3F3XkvnZ
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But the fury had cooled over months of suffering, replaced by something sharper. Something clearer.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFGlYi3uTSp
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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.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCpQU8tVtYY
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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. 239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCjxgMdfXGj
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'How pathetic I was.'239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKqkfUuqmlI
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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.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkrut2k7kyn
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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.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVobxC8bAXo
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"I am sorry, but that does not lie within my authority."239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZCb8n0eqpc
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Cel bit back a bitter laugh. The gods' favorite deflection. "I figured as much."239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGDUs9CmjbH
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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.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8nquNCLKQ8
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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."239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGmHBU2tL82
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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.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHzQrGk8zhx
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"May the Moon Goddess light your path."239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtb2qLBzbTr
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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.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ24nGi3kKsz
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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.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZhfvXKdlXI
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<Your trial begins: Find the moon.>1234 copyright protection235ＰＥＮＡＮＡZvObjBmYmY 尼

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