"Would it be alright if I sat with you?"55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKc3P3c5p8S
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRqGHwQTaVL
Cel studied the boy standing at the table's edge. The fidgeting hands. The downcast eyes. The way he held himself like an apology given physical form.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXzbjCPFZXv
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqM8qHFeWNO
"Yes."55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkFL7kEXKRB
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsTkXlPZLoT
The boy's shoulders dropped slightly - relief washing over features that had been braced for rejection. He set his tray down carefully, as if afraid the dishes might shatter, then lowered himself onto the bench.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj2zdZCgShl
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVln2SGYvXr
"Thank you," he said quietly. "I'm sorry to intrude, I just—when I saw your mark during the ceremony, I thought maybe..." He trailed off, fingers twisting together. "I'm Lior. From a farming village near the Ocean-Sun border. I've never been to a city this big before, and the dormitory rooms are so much nicer than I expected, with actual beds and—"55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcIuwHY6lg
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Gi911Orho
He caught himself, shaking his head. "Sorry. I'm talking too much. I do that when I'm nervous. Which is—well, always, really." A self-deprecating laugh that didn't reach his eyes. 55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Ga2qtRClU
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9j5Beq4XkN
"Celvian," Cel said.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Ajtjhf78u
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjugWugO8ql
Lior blinked, then offered a small smile. "That's a nice name. Where are you from?"55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTRBpxKTRa
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWnzNFFZlCx
"Storm Clan territory. A small village."55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWqYHV99O89
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡae7JnMmRkC
"Oh." Lior processed this, his fingers still working at the fabric of his sleeve. "That must be... difficult. Being so close to the Void, I mean."55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ53tigWJuR
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNgwdvsToNH
"It has its challenges."55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo64nwPQmbG
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzCSmQ4rIbH
Lior's gaze dropped to his plate. For a moment, neither of them spoke.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡumdndnwiQd
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq5IYxkU6Sp
Around them, the dining hall buzzed with energy. Students clustered at tables, voices rising and falling in excited bursts. Every conversation seemed to circle back to the same topic - the princess, her speech, the honor of her presence.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOiAgNIh9sD
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOldOzPyFGE
Lior pushed food around his plate without eating, his attention drifting toward the animated discussions nearby. His expression shifted - wistful, almost dreamlike.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqalwHKOds
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg5ZgwuXKNE
"She was incredible, wasn't she?" The words came soft, reverent. "The princess, I mean." He glanced at Cel, then quickly away. “I've never seen anyone like her. When she spoke, I couldn't look away. It was like... I don't know. Like the whole world narrowed down to just her voice.”55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbaiYBplOZ
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVfBNgH1Qnn
He finally took a small bite, chewing slowly before continuing.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4HZ8c1mneZ
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMaifBwepV8
"And her beauty—" Lior's voice dropped lower, almost embarrassed. "Have you ever seen anyone so beautiful?"55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwLeHXmdwRU
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkRxff68Flm
"No," Cel said.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡODGGEE00Qx
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRRn2gUx3k4
The lie came easily. Instinctively.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLrrmPOmyPG
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA2k4VW8boO
Compared to Selina, the princess was just another face. Refined, yes. Attractive by any reasonable measure. But beauty that served political purpose felt hollow.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ70ddthKgtK
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcFsEtgjZvV
‘Why chase a beauty when an even greater beauty already resides in my soul?‘55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNGAgZTyGpl
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNYjndx8dA
Lior's expression brightened at Cel's response, taking it as agreement. "Right? I thought I was being ridiculous, but she's just…stunning."55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlUhJTCunYk
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU5az8RyoD3
He set his fork down, leaning forward slightly. "Do you think... if I joined the Chosen Legion, I might see her again?"55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH56jvnEzH8
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0mHDsLS5g
Cel's attention sharpened. "You want to join the Legion?"55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Z8lfBnicT
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXqcvUXnPC1
"I do." Lior's fingers twisted together. "I mean, they're the only ones who might actually take a Moon Chosen, aren't they? The clans want their own, or the most talented ones..." He trailed off, then pushed forward. "But the Legion judges on merit. They accept anyone the gods chose, regardless of talent or... or how useful our blessings are."55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2nKXK4szD0
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdgKi28YQWQ
The Chosen Legion. The Royal House's personal military force. The largest faction in the empire, surpassing even the Great Clans' strength. Unlike the imperial army that fielded common soldiers, the Legion recruited only Chosen. Elite warriors bound directly to the throne.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWjCYCKYreg
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIx9TnTyhJy
And at the top of them stood Esrin - the Hallowed who'd nearly killed him.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHviiZgYXO
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDcmuVmmbM8
"What about the Mercenary Guild?" Cel asked.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCx3rB6aHGb
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9gew1TIS3Z
"I thought about it." Lior's expression flickered with uncertainty. "But I've heard it's... rough. Really rough. The kind of place where they don't care if you survive as long as the contract gets fulfilled.”55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0AJ593YAJC
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBmHnFKs3n6
"The Legion's different," he continued, voice firming slightly. "They train you properly. Give you support. Structure." He paused, then added more quietly, "A place to belong, maybe."55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPUdWm2K0tW
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi4yBJvJDIm
Lior smiled - genuine warmth breaking through the nervous energy. He finally began eating properly, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. "What about you? Have you thought about where you'll go after graduation?"55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnEBdxniv5l
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡASaQMUEGR6
"No."55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAY31lmU0qg
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi1MHfirLhk
The honest answer. He hadn't thought beyond surviving each day. The future felt distant, abstract.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRufJ59ENEy
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA9xSyKABBL
They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes. Around them, the dining hall's energy remained high - students still riding the excitement of the opening ceremony.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZn62Rdoxh
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOB2XPhO8Hu
Then footsteps echoed from the entrance. Sharp. Purposeful.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjGZ5rrHjQ9
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY26iNfZrfF
Conversations died in ripples spreading outward from the doorway. Heads turned.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4cHxYY8a5y
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUriSQGF7d
An instructor stood at the threshold - a woman in her thirties wearing deep blue robes marked with the Royal House crest. Her gaze swept the room with practiced authority.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ0mRymOKBH
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWd4qFewwbt
"All students," her voice carried easily across the sudden quiet, "proceed to the main classroom immediately. Leave your trays - staff will handle them."55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6yVXSa6yOy
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMpypc8nvNa
Benches scraped against stone as students rose, forming loose groups as they moved toward the exit.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1guymst2xt
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4o6EXIq9b1
Cel stood, Lior following suit.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1tIGSFpCnE
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIgg7bSOm6s
They joined the flow through corridors that opened into a different wing of the academy. The main classroom rose ahead - a large structure with high windows and double doors standing open.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFq7xEjxqG0
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrWhcFUdC7m
Inside, tiered seating stretched upward in semi-circular rows. Each level of benches sat perhaps two feet higher than the one before it, creating clear sightlines to the instructor's podium at the room's base. The benches themselves were simple wood, sized for two students each.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2bJYMRzP1H
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGN5VYcDEr
Students filtered in, claiming seats without obvious organization. Some gravitated toward friends from the dining hall. Others chose spots near windows or walls.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Y8WOBciMH
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN4wNU8zCz5
The first three rows sat empty - benches crafted from polished wood with cushioned backs, noticeably finer than the plain wooden seats filling the rest of the tiered classroom. No one moved toward them.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ61HJuHTASR
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡznIjdt28tS
An older student near the door noticed a younger boy eyeing the empty cushioned seats. "Those are for nobles," he said quietly. "Don't sit there."55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQk7spm9bEO
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgaFl9DKv0O
The boy retreated quickly to the upper rows.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡifh2r0epyt
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgjQDeiE2U
Lior glanced at Cel, uncertainty crossing his features. "Would you... I mean, if you don't mind..."55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7KtgOtVoT8
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJxhNVVT1w
"Middle section," Cel said, already moving.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYwFHQicdJw
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0mraQpBxn7
They climbed the steps to the seventh row - roughly centered in the room's vertical arrangement. Cel took the seat closer to the aisle. Lior settled beside him, adjusting his position several times before finally going still.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA7tSC8U9oY
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4vfltgeFOp
The room filled gradually. By the time the last students entered, perhaps fifty of them occupied the tiered space.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8QlLsvbnon
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGPUdTXo5G
The instructor from the dining hall entered and closed the doors behind her with deliberate finality. The sound echoed in the sudden quiet.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPEAIqz2Vz
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmPott0T47
She crossed to the podium with measured steps, her boots clicking against polished stone. When she turned to face them, her expression was professionally neutral.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhSpm1BIunZ
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡajqmi0T8vd
"I am Instructor Saren," she said, her voice carrying the same easy projection as before. "For the next four months, I will be responsible for your theoretical education and ensuring you survive long enough to become functional Chosen."55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9cWF9dTdp0
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiwNub1wzjG
A few nervous laughs rippled through the seats. Instructor Saren’s expression didn't change.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ22Wjx0e26n
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzr3Tr0oq3B
"You are commoners," she continued. "Which means you enter this academy with significant disadvantages compared to the noble students who will join you in four months' time. They have been trained since childhood in combat, politics, etiquette, and the proper use of their blessings. You have not."55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjjLct8DX1A
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJyrwqyQ9Z1
Her gaze swept the tiers.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxVME1pAgqO
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJyfk5Km1ZZ
"The next four months exist to correct that deficit. To transform you from farmers, merchants' children, and laborers into something resembling proper Chosen. The curriculum is intensive. The expectations are high. Many of you will struggle."55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54al5NHg0q
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKfv4Dk1uQL
She paused, letting the weight settle.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB5qeAGJETG
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTSlIwqgggb
"Your daily schedule begins at dawn with physical conditioning. Breakfast follows. Morning sessions cover theoretical knowledge - creature classifications, Hollow Realm geography, divine blessing mechanics, imperial history. Lunch. Afternoon sessions focus on combat training - weapons practice, Authority usage, Divine Energy control. Evening meals. Then additional lessons in literacy, numeracy, and etiquette for those who require them."55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTsNVJsffpe
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡca7KwAmCK8
Lior's hand had moved to his sleeve, fingers worrying the fabric. Around the room, other students shifted in their seats.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2M0EcBXl4P
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ68MS3YzzMf
"You will learn to read and write if you cannot already. You will learn mathematics sufficient to manage resources and calculate odds. You will learn how to address nobility without embarrassing yourselves or insulting powerful houses. You will learn to dance, because court functions require it. You will learn which fork to use at formal dinners, how to bow properly, when to speak and when silence is expected."55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV8lun5u8ap
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5HlYbhvMtX
Her tone remained matter-of-fact, but something in the words carried an edge.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMgoEp7sArg
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ZtiFoUHGR
"When the noble students arrive in four months, you will be expected to know your place in the hierarchy. To show proper deference without needing to be reminded."55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqYpyje5sl
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5SnPfIRPG
The room had gone very quiet. Even the fidgeting had stopped.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmrWRFSWxp
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjpAQkLuA7J
"However," Instructor Saren continued, "you are still Chosen. The gods selected you despite your common birth. That blessing carries responsibility. You will be trained to fulfill that responsibility - to stand between humanity and the creatures that crawl through rifts into our world. To protect those who cannot protect themselves. To serve the Empire and its people."55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4cg6RweqU
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh6TD6sOlI6
She moved from behind the podium, her posture relaxing slightly.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8mdaJIZTTV
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdkevAZ9vqT
"Your final examination will take place in the twelfth month," Instructor Saren said. "A month-long patrol through rural territories where you will hunt creatures, assist villages, and prove you deserve the title of Chosen. Instructors will supervise, but you will be expected to handle most situations independently. Injuries are common. Deaths, while rare, do occur."55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5sxgw4v5gf
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyyQKOh73Sg
She let that sink in before continuing.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjQVLPWVpV5
55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnJIJXKDvwb
"Questions?"1234 copyright protection51ＰＥＮＡＮＡEOeKUPL2D3 尼

216.73.216.217