The silence in his room pressed down on him, suddenly oppressive. The evening light filtering through his window felt wrong somehow - too dim, too uncertain.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwhbVcmXA6v
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Cel closed the Ledger with deliberate care. The moment his grip loosened, it dissolved into faint motes of light that faded into nothingness.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhWkAVJeQlC
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He needed answers.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXMUPThgjei
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He closed his eyes and reached inward.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiVEmx1eWRq
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The cracked earth materialized beneath his feet. Mist curled around his ankles in familiar patterns. Small flowers with bluish-white petals swayed despite the absence of wind, their blooms catching moonlight.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡptvdaVbPgq
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Footsteps approached through the haze.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH47dhrhzGb
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Selina emerged, her white robes drifting through the mist. Her silver mask caught the moon's radiance, and below it, her lips curved in a serene smile.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs2twRJowED
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"Welcome back, Chosen One."123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXCtikGZ357
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Cel didn't waste time on pleasantries. "The trial. Was it real?"123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw0i6d2bg84
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Her expression didn't change, but something in her posture suggested she'd been expecting the question.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47LpOl42T5
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"Yes and no," she said simply.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdo0PFnmGhK
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The answer settled over him like fog - present but impossible to grasp.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡehNBNnR69a
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"What does that mean?"123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyDUwIIvdjt
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Selina's hands folded at her waist. Silence stretched between them, broken only by the soft rustle of flowers swaying in the mist.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5B33rubwsY
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When she finally spoke, her tone carried quiet finality. "I am sorry, Chosen One. That does not lie within my authority."123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpcnscqysTZ
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Cel's jaw tightened. The same answer she always gave when questions pressed too close to divine truth.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFJMYCFGHd
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He tried another approach. "The Crystal Monarch. Was that a real drake?"123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT8TJRQRY0n
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"It was."123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxODRORIvbG
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"And the Moon Goddess killed it?"123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPKmr3yZkBK
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"She did."123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv5d78XNL2U
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Something shifted in Selina's expression as she spoke - subtle, almost imperceptible. But it was there. Her shoulders straightened slightly. Her chin lifted. The serene smile deepened into something warmer, more genuine.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPfxIm0kzn6
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Pride.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAD83jX8Qku
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Not the cold satisfaction of victory, but something fiercer. More personal. The kind of pride that came from absolute faith in someone you served.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonyMf5Szfy
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It was the first time Cel had seen that particular emotion from her. Selina, who maintained perfect composure through every conversation, who guided him with patient certainty - she was proud of her goddess in a way that went beyond duty or devotion.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuiLSi7Mv5L
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The realization settled in his chest with unexpected weight.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEc54JsppL7
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The simple confirmations felt inadequate. But when Selina said nothing more, Cel realized he wouldn't get detailed explanations. Not about why the goddess had intervened personally, not about what the drake's final creation had been, not about any of the mysteries the legacy had raised.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz3yhR4KFFq
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He forced himself to move past it.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7CAeRPWNG2
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"What do I do now?" The words came out rougher than intended. “Now that the ten days are over."123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAHt8ZLpCwy
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Selina's expression softened, the pride fading back into gentle patience. "Did you find something you enjoy? Something that brings you peace?"123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa9rfnukGwM
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The question pulled at memories from the past ten days. Wandering the city. The church. The tavern.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNvW1DMs2GT
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His sister's face surfaced first - the way she'd smiled when he'd told her about the Moon Goddess. The genuine warmth in her voice when she'd said she hoped to see him again. Those brief conversations where he could pretend, just for a few minutes, that they were simply two believers sharing faith rather than siblings separated by death and resurrection.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ04DwVDbkjW
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"I like talking to my sister," he said quietly.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcZXodpUGEt
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"And the tavern." Cel continued. "It's... comfortable there.."123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡub7tPqphF1
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He left out the third thing. 123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3XWGdHRDKy
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Talking to Selina herself. The way she listened without judgment, offered guidance without condescension, existed as a point of certainty in a world that made no sense.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ36ZgsGkMVF
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"I'm sorry," he added after a moment. "That's all I found. Just two things."123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡStbxXOlL3w
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Selina's smile deepened - genuine warmth transforming her serene expression into something radiant.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9mwiI5qaZL
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"Even one thing would be more than enough, Chosen One."123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ3NKs7yyv5
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Her voice carried absolute sincerity.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoHCXcCFrXI
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"The goal is not to accumulate pleasures like coins in a purse. It's simply to experience joy at all. To allow yourself moments of peace without guilt or justification."123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpP1BXi3g7
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The words settled in his chest with unexpected weight. He'd been bracing for disappointment - for her to tell him he should have tried harder, found more, done better. Instead, she seemed pleased.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMuJo7Db3az
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"What's next, then?" Cel asked. 123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBwJV6TWWgN
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Selina was quiet for a moment, as if considering her response carefully.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Nsk1j343f
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"The next step is to find out who you are."123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Q5BN2PPTK
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Cel blinked.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZvQZE2Ft2r
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"I..." He started, then stopped. The answer seemed obvious. Almost insultingly simple. "I'm an abandoned noble child. A Moon Chosen. That's—"123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQneiUKDDbr
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"Chosen One." Selina's voice remained gentle, but carried enough weight to stop him mid-sentence. She stepped closer, moonlight seeming to gather around her. "You don't need to give me an answer."123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGumJ9C8Cv
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His mouth closed.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MtqHGLpvz
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"The task is not to deliver a satisfying response that I can acknowledge and approve." Her masked gaze held his. "The task is to find an answer for yourself."123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCiqhiAjwh6
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Silence stretched between them. Cel's hands curled at his sides.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfqyy5KA1pw
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"I don't understand."123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8WNtRa6rcI
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"You will." Selina's tone carried certainty that felt almost tangible. "Take your time. Let the question settle. See what surfaces when you're not searching for it."123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Fabdmv3Ia
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The mist curled around their feet, patterns shifting without reason.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3xMGUUbfE
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"Is there anything else, Chosen One?"123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSQLXQ88O5E
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Cel shook his head slowly.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrq3Rtk9GXo
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"Then rest well." Her smile brightened once more. "May the Moon Goddess light your path."123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKadMKzm2sj
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The familiar blessing wrapped around him as he closed his eyes and reached for the boundary.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOXO6JaqOQi
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The room materialized around him with jarring immediacy. Narrow bed. Empty desk. Walls that pressed in from all sides.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZi61KdLeHt
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Cel sat on the bed's edge, staring at nothing in particular.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbjrmkdUm1V
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‘Who am I?’123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnrP8ToFuDr
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The question circled through his thoughts like a persistent insect. Simple. Direct. And he had answers.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡboTGroiIwG
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He was an abandoned noble child. Lord Aldric of House Solmar had thrown him away the moment the wrong deity claimed him. That was just fact.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0wvItKB1dG
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He was a Moon Chosen. The mark sat between his shoulder blades, whole and unmarred. Undeniable.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6goSkw1QKt
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He was the Heir to the Moon Goddess. The paragon's name said it clearly enough.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYVExglXZJ
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He was a Chosen guided by a Divine Oracle. Selina stood in his soul, the highest authority beneath the gods themself.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyt8QKJhlQK
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He was one of few Chosen who'd survived a journey through the Hollow Realms. Most who entered either died or went mad. He'd done both and come back anyway.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6gT8ilSUzx
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He was a member of the Reckoning. Ninth rank. White Death. An assassin in an organization that hunted corrupt Chosen.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs5tIM5GeGh
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He was an Academy student. Enrolled. Expected at morning assembly.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkjuqBqhbIt
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The list felt complete. Accurate. These were the things that defined him - the truths of his existence laid out in neat categories.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9oyjXm5tEC
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So why did the question still felt unanswered?123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3T0gPq3orx
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His fingers drummed against his thigh, restless.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq246jTBZV6
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Cel pushed himself off the bed and moved to the window.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw302DcuoIN
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Night had fallen completely while he'd been in his soul. The Academy grounds lay quiet beneath moonlight, paths empty and still. Beyond the walls, the capital glowed with scattered lamplight - windows bright against darkness, signs of life continuing without him.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7LklvGamAa
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The waning moon hung overhead, bright and clear.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL2EDqaXOWG
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Energy flooded through him immediately - Lunar Vigor filling his veins with effortless power. His muscles responded, tension draining away as strength settled into bone and sinew.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdVahngjVrt
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Thanks to Eternal Witness, he had the whole night.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQppnmhcs2a
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Cel's gaze tracked toward where he knew the training grounds waited, dark and empty.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkg8nzX2fIh
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He moved to the door.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnlhmStujsb
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The training grounds stood silent beneath moonlight. Empty weapon racks lined one wall. Archery targets at the far end. The packed earth center stretched wide and unmarked.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAKVWjn9Jx7
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Cel crossed the threshold, boots crunching softly against dirt.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFALa0pyRi7
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No one would notice. The Academy slept. Guards patrolled the outer walls, not internal courtyards. And even if someone saw him…123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTU1DZozoIW
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He was a Chosen. Training at odd hours wouldn't raise questions.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0JmmejIqkd
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Moonlight poured down across the open space, silver and clear. Lunar Vigor surged stronger here - no walls to block the light, no ceiling to filter its strength. Power hummed beneath his skin like a second heartbeat.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHfJvkmdIXJ
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His hand moved instinctively toward the bond with Silent Moon—123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ3p2tecCUX
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Then stopped.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbf0KAyJ8j
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Instructor Calder's words surfaced in his memory - about base strength, about how enhancements multiplied what was already there. How doubling nothing still left you with nothing.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYFXb6pSIyw
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The foundation. Everything started there.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvinLY69PWg
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And beneath Calder's recent lesson lay older memories - fragments from childhood training. His weapons instructor drilling the basics into him before he'd ever been allowed near a real blade.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUGuou7NDO
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The Moon Goddess had forged him a new body. But that didn't mean the foundation was complete. Didn't mean it couldn't be strengthened further.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡronq0kFnA8
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His hand dropped.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI9pAa9C6uo
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Basic training first.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm2NJNil490
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His hands moved to the Academy uniform's collar. The fabric separated easily, buttons coming undone with soft clicks. He shrugged the top off and set it aside on a nearby bench.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuWHzC87CeT
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Cool night air touched bare skin. The divine mark between his shoulder blades caught moonlight.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXedLS5JmLS
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Cel looked down at himself.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡubzTfVLi9f
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Lean muscle defined his arms and chest - nothing excessive, but present. Real.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdjlXb1lg5i
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He'd seen his reflection in mirrors and windows, but he'd never actually looked. Never examined what the Moon Goddess had given him when she forged this new body.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF2LJf2wIgB
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His fingers traced along his forearm, feeling the subtle shift of muscle. No scars. No marks of torture. Just... smooth skin.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe208sVHfcG
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It still felt strange. Like wearing someone else's skin.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIX3BUhM3gy
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Cel moved to the center of the training ground and began.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡasWxEl5Zzh
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Hours blurred together.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoFUBk9w420
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Push-ups until his arms trembled. Squats until his legs burned. Planks that tested endurance. 123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8KSJpjrr42
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The moon tracked overhead, marking time in silver light.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7HaSIaIBA
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Sweat coated his skin. His breathing came hard and fast. The pleasant ache of exertion settled deep into muscle and bone.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsGSZDlyEfW
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He worked through the exercises methodically, the same way he'd been taught as a child. No wasted movement. No shortcuts. Just pure, fundamental training that built strength from the ground up.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzK3ss2EGKK
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Eventually, the sky began to lighten at the edges - darkness bleeding to gray, then pale gold as dawn approached.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGQyb0J8EP
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Cel straightened from his final set, chest heaving. Sweat dripped from his chin onto packed earth.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡppbZQijLlK
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He felt... something. Barely noticeable. A faint satisfaction that came from work completed rather than exhaustion overcome.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0gWxsxd7W5
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His divinely forged body had taken everything he'd thrown at it through the night and emerged with only the mildest acknowledgment that effort had been expended.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9WxW9i2Asv
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Strong, then. The foundation was strong.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXlzntSUkdA
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But not complete. Never complete.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDX9EbL0iAQ
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A bell rang across the Academy grounds. Clear. Sharp. Unmistakable.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp6ajYLmOcF
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Morning assembly.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS1BL7fvEZt
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Cel grabbed his uniform and pulled it on, fingers working buttons with practiced speed. The fabric stuck to his damp skin uncomfortably.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwOGWZRCxHn
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The well. Students would gather there before heading to morning conditioning.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLVP61o3qVL
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He left the training ground at a quick walk, cutting through paths between buildings. His breathing had mostly settled, though his muscles carried the pleasant warmth of sustained exertion.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgIwS34MYkc
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The well came into view ahead - a simple stone construction with a wooden bucket suspended over dark water. A few early students had already gathered, forming a line. They held basins in their hands, waiting their turn to draw water.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8oVGcMJEqX
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Cel slowed as he approached, keeping to the periphery.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGXFqlTYywD
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Lior stood at the well, hauling up the wooden bucket. Water sloshed as he carefully poured it into his basin, filling it to the brim. He set the bucket back and turned away, heading toward the outer edge where other students had already drawn their water and were washing themselves.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx7IlbC79fl
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More students filtered in from different directions. Most looked half-awake, their movements sluggish with sleep. The line at the well grew longer as they queued up.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0mGSvwbnbr
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A boy sat on the ground near Lior's path, already washing. His basin rested beside him, water dripping from his cupped hands as he scrubbed at his face.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡueDy5qmrF3
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Lior walked past him, careful to keep his basin steady.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ6zPlZM381
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The boy's foot extended - casual, deliberate. Placed directly in Lior's path.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡojdKnuLYN2
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Lior's foot caught the obstruction. His balance broke instantly. The basin flew from his hands as he stumbled forward, trying to catch himself.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWlAYzI9VnY
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Water arced through the air and crashed against packed earth.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbtEapClkWv
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Lior hit the ground hard. The basin clattered beside him, empty.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwTF9HFUfYk
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The boy who'd tripped him continued washing his face, unbothered.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ97eAKdIf2K
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A few nearby students glanced over. Some chuckled. Most simply ignored it and went back to their own business.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhlbmy0hyyL
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Lior pushed himself up slowly, dirt clinging to his damp palms. His gaze tracked to the empty basin, then to the dark wet patch soaking into the ground.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl2Ib3UlwOT
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He didn't look at the boy who'd tripped him.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPmhnztxhC8
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Cel watched from the periphery.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3knziL4he8
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His expression shifted.1234 copyright protection119ＰＥＮＡＮＡR4az0s0kud 尼

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