"Hurry!" The receptionist was already moving toward the door. "Come on!"218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ244nmZ9v2
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Cel matched her quick stride as they moved through the corridor. She didn't look back to see if he kept pace - just assumed he would.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOH6tqkwnyn
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They reached his door. She stopped, gesturing sharply.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjK216QNsze
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"Uniform. Now. I'll wait."218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxIIeoKxKBc
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Cel pushed inside and crossed to the wardrobe. The dark fabric still sat folded where he'd left it, the silver threading along the collar catching morning light from the window.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEk5Hwrur72
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He stripped off his clothes and pulled on the uniform. The fabric was stiffer than the commoner clothes he'd worn the past ten days, the collar higher. Over his heart, the silver mark of the Moon Goddess stood out against the dark cloth.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsbLKzMj5Un
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When he emerged, the receptionist gave him a quick once-over and nodded.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4nRpcoFiG0
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"Good enough. Let's go."218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlaA8XEGeJp
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She set off at a pace just short of running. Cel matched her stride easily, his divine body making the speed feel natural even as she began breathing harder.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqCoyeXzEpa
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"Everyone's already gathered," she said between breaths. "You were supposed to be there twenty minutes ago. I checked your room three times this morning - where were you?"218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVZggNBcOE
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"Walking."218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmJsGoTQIH5
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She shot him a look but didn't press. They turned a corner and the main hall loomed ahead - massive oak doors standing open, voices spilling out in a dull roar.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6KsybOXCGn
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The receptionist slowed as they approached. "Get in line with the others. Don't make a scene."218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJL1nre7J4u
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Cel slipped through the doors.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCj6cD9Jrxw
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The hall stretched vast and high-ceilinged. Rows of students stood in formation before a raised stage at the far end. Perhaps forty of them, all wearing the same dark uniform with silver threading. All commoners.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡls16R22iDw
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Cel moved along the back of the formation, looking for a gap. The students were packed tight, shoulders nearly touching. He found space near the end of the fourth row and stepped into it.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV8aIXw2s1L
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No one turned. No one acknowledged his late arrival. Every face pointed forward, attention fixed on the empty stage.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYWhTgDCosS
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The boy to his left shifted his weight from foot to foot. His fingers drummed against his thigh in nervous rhythm.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ79xIszapxq
218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbKxZ2yDzeW
"—heard she's really coming," a girl whispered two rows ahead. "The princess herself."218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUSi9tvyNE
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"No way," a boy to her right hissed back. "That's just a rumor. Why would she—"218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHUswCGYqPN
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"My cousin works in the palace kitchens. She said—"218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE9s9IbUmPg
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"Quiet!" someone snapped from the front row.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVxtATKffx9
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The whispers died, but the energy remained - crackling tension that made the air feel charged. Bodies leaned forward slightly, as if the extra inch might let them see better when something finally happened.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBY82dSNkv2
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A door opened at the stage's side and a man emerged - tall, gray-haired, wearing formal robes with the royal crest prominent across his chest. The headmaster. His boots clicked against the wooden platform as he crossed to the podium.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkmiWbqqli
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The silence deepened, every fidget ceasing.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3bpUUhEdIR
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He surveyed the assembled students. His gaze swept the rows without hurry, taking in every face. When he finally spoke, his voice carried easily across the hall.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkfvR9EHDfn
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"Welcome to the Chosen Academy. Before we begin, it is my honor to announce our distinguished guest for this year's opening ceremony."218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJAX1ZU7y8
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He paused. The silence somehow deepened.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtIqW3dMJlQ
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"Her Imperial Highness, Cassandra Stellarion, Princess of the Empire."218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7b1xd5FCvK
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The whispers had been right.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLAenFJzZNI
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Excited murmurs rippled through the formation - quickly suppressed but unmistakable. Bodies straightened. The nervous energy transformed into something sharper, more focused.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR3tooFNsAn
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The side door opened again.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7AsjIqoQHs
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She entered with practiced grace - each step measured, her posture perfect. The princess wore deep purple robes edged in gold, the royal crest embroidered across her chest in intricate detail. Deep purple hair - the same rich shade as her clothes - fell in an elegant arrangement that must have taken hours to achieve. Her features were refined, beautiful in the way that came from centuries of careful bloodline cultivation.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFkEIpqs9gU
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Cel had seen her once before. At the ceremony where the Emperor granted Esrin the title of Hallowed - the highest honor a Chosen could receive. The princess had stood among the other royals behind the throne, present but not prominent.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIxvzHNtVxn
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She looked older now. More composed. Every movement deliberate and controlled.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR4qhOZT4rH
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The whispers started immediately, rippling through the rows in broken fragments.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2FcHMGaEL
218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUY7eyLrgb
"—actually her—"218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8VQkJs8JL5
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"—so beautiful—"218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMZIIn84xkV
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"—can't believe—"218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTGPNoHbMyA
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The princess reached the podium. She let the moment breathe, her deep purple eyes sweeping across the assembled students with the same measured assessment the headmaster had used.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0E7eCRiiX
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Then she smiled.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqjzIETf1ti
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Warm. Genuine. The kind of expression that made people feel seen, valued.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ875Ieh867N
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"Thank you, Headmaster." Her voice carried the same effortless projection, clear without being loud. "And welcome to all of you. This is a significant day - not just for the Academy, but for our Empire."218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpgQaZrM7Ii
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She paused, letting the weight settle.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU8nyebf13I
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"Each of you has been blessed by the gods. Chosen to stand against the darkness that threatens our world. The rifts that tear reality apart. The creatures that crawl through to destroy everything humanity has built."218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgqKouw6itk
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Her expression shifted - still warm, but underlaid with steel.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Xv66eWJXZ
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"You are humanity's defense. Its hope. And the Academy exists to ensure you become worthy of that sacred duty."218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBip5saa6lH
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The students around Cel leaned forward, drinking in every word. The girl two rows ahead had tears in her eyes. The boy beside Cel had stopped fidgeting entirely, standing rigid with attention.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2muVhWIQFi
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Cel watched the princess's face. The fleeting expressions that flickered beneath the controlled exterior. The calculated pauses that gave her words time to land.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgDFm1rxdL
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This wasn't normal.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKuMQWJxvLP
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Royalty didn't attend academy openings. The Emperor had never spoken at one. The Empress hadn't either. It was beneath their station - a task delegated to the headmaster and instructors.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM1SP4szRwm
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So why was she here?218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQl2i7eJak
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The answer crystallized as she continued speaking.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW8Q77e7ymj
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"The Empire stands at a crossroads. Threats gather both within and beyond our walls. We need strength. Unity. Chosen who understand that their power serves something greater than personal ambition."218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhRTJPTAuWJ
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There it was. Buried in platitudes about duty and service.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV2VcXgiben
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Recruitment.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVpY3yQWZe3
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She was here to secure promising students early. To establish relationships before the nobles arrived and complicated the social dynamics. To position herself - and by extension, whichever faction she supported - as the benefactor who cared about commoner Chosen.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ53A2cvU4Rm
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The question was which faction she supported.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhPpnUOZoLq
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Her father, the Emperor, backed the First Prince. Her mother, the Empress, backed the Second. The princess herself couldn't inherit - only men could ascend to the Stellarion throne, following the precedent set by the First Chosen.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm5jcLGrpXe
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"—know that I will be watching your progress with great interest," the princess was saying. "The Empire's future depends on Chosen like you. Never forget the responsibility you carry."218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwVKc9hMFRl
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She stepped back from the podium. The smile returned, softer now.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYwNAn0aRup
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"May the gods guide your path." 218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgqc5AEjkGB
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Applause erupted - immediate, thunderous. The students clapped with desperate enthusiasm, as if the force of their approval might somehow keep her attention.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk1F2lTAnfW
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The princess inclined her head graciously, then turned and walked toward the side door with the same measured grace she'd entered with.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiElPsIOtPr
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The headmaster returned to the podium as she disappeared.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwSxEsHw8Iw
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"Thank you, Your Highness, for those inspiring words." He waited for the applause to fade before continuing. "Now, to practical matters. You will proceed to the dining hall for your first meal as academy students. Afterward, assemble in the main classroom where your instructor will explain the curriculum and answer questions.”218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5byCPamtt5
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He gestured toward the hall's main exit. "Dismissed."218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7IdXypqcap
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The formation dissolved immediately. Students streamed toward the doors in clusters, voices rising as the enforced silence broke.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsoTaDS3SGA
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"My parents won’t believe—"218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRtquxbXomL
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"—incredible speech, I got chills when she said—"218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvNDBPXMvTo
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"—maybe she'll visit again, do you think—"218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA9frh224cx
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Cel followed the flow through corridors that opened into a large dining hall. Long wooden tables filled the space, already set with plates and cups. The smell of fresh bread and cooked meat filled the air.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxREWD0M1KZ
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Students claimed seats in groups, gravitating toward familiar faces from their home territories or shared deity affiliations. Conversations continued unabated, everyone still buzzing with excitement over the princess's appearance.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0nFQeNehHi
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Cel found an empty table near the back and sat.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlLSKM7F38S
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No one joined him. The surrounding tables filled quickly, but his remained isolated - an island of empty space in a crowded hall.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡndWjQCBBYA
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He didn't mind.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoJqJYhjMET
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Food arrived - brought by kitchen staff who moved efficiently between tables. Bread, still warm. Roasted chicken. Vegetables in some kind of sauce. 218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1eTu21caTX
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Cel ate mechanically, tasting nothing. His mind was elsewhere, still processing the princess's speech and what it meant for the shifting political landscape.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxjBzhQXufV
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Footsteps approached. Hesitant. Uncertain.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv5XDq2uTy7
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Cel looked up.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTgxqt9pMew
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A boy stood at the table's edge, perhaps his age or slightly younger. Wheat blond hair fell across his forehead. Soft blue eyes that rarely made direct contact, currently fixed on a point somewhere past Cel's shoulder. His posture curved inward, shoulders hunched as if trying to occupy as little space as possible.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXzM7myEAP9
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The silver crescent moon over his heart caught the light.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3TLFK3RWMs
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Another Moon Chosen.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA0KONmsCpc
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The boy's hands twisted together. His mouth opened, closed, opened again. Finally, words emerged - quiet, apologetic.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDUNGtexAQA
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"I'm sorry to bother you, but... you're a Moon Chosen too, aren't you? I saw your mark during the ceremony and I thought maybe..."218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpg19oKr6ND
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He trailed off, uncertainty written across every feature.218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDuKsM8mHJM
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"Would it be alright if I sat with you?"1234 copyright protection214ＰＥＮＡＮＡQcr2RB43Ys 尼

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