"Hey trash."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8XuO7EhkAr
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Cel's hands stilled on his fork.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbK2H1noZN
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Kyros Solgrand stood at the end of their table, flanked by two other Sun Clan nobles. His fire-red hair caught the lamplight, amber eyes bright with something cruel.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡygTt1P92BT
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"I couldn't help but notice." He gestured at their uniforms, at the crescent moon embroidered over the heart. "You're Moon Chosen."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAVtFwiUQcf
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Lior went rigid beside Cel. His fork clattered against his plate, the sound sharp in the sudden quiet that had fallen over nearby tables. His shoulders hunched inward as if trying to make himself smaller.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt6IUMf4FJy
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"Yes." Cel kept his voice neutral. 110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLLfZqW4pxd
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Kyros's smile widened. "How... unfortunate."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDGA6rNNod
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He moved closer, circling their table like a predator assessing prey. His companions remained at the end, blocking ways.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu73q90ugJY
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"The Moon Goddess." Kyros spoke loud enough that nearby conversations died, students turning to watch. "The weakest deity. The forgotten one. The goddess who can't even maintain a single Great Clan."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwv9yc5qAL
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His hand landed on Cel's shoulder - fingers digging in.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDj8l52txWg
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"Must be hard, knowing you'll never amount to anything. That your blessing is worthless."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqeJCE94cLj
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Lior's hands had curled into fists beneath the table. His breathing quickened.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP2S5XbbUM0
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Cel forced his muscles to relax. Forced his jaw to unclench.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQJHq6gGQH4
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"We serve who chose us," he said quietly.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7frqQ1OObv
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"Do you?" Kyros leaned closer, breath hot against Cel's ear. "Or do you just accept your pathetic fate because you're too weak to demand better?"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXywqoc2m5e
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The rage that had been simmering since Kyros appeared flared brighter. Cel's vision tunneled. His hands trembled with the effort of keeping them still.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZpiiv9sHqm
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He could break Kyros's nose. Right now. One strike, perfectly placed, and the smug bastard would be choking on his own blood.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUA8Q8LiVPO
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But if a commoner struck a noble - even in self-defense - the punishment was severe. Imprisonment. Public humiliation. In some cases even execution. The Empire's laws protected nobility with brutal efficiency, and the Academy wouldn't shield him from those consequences.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUp1wRJy453
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The unspoken truth was obvious - nobles operated under different standards. Not just in sparring. In everything. They could strike commoners with minimal repercussions. But the reverse? That was a crime against the social order itself.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY8dkrSAvAt
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So Cel just sat there. Took it. Let Kyros's words wash over him like rain.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrEFVFFrmdP
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"Nothing to say?" Kyros squeezed harder, nails digging through fabric. "That's what I thought. Moon Chosen are always like that. Weak. Pathetic."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaBCzxDKhdW
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He released his grip and straightened, turning to address the watching students.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLtdMOD3I8
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"Remember this, everyone. What do you call Chosen of the weakest goddess?" He paused, smile widening. "Trash. Nothing but blessed trash."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsRgCXKsRVw
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Laughter rippled through some of the tables. Not all - several looked uncomfortable. But enough that Kyros's smile grew.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAx0Jsvt4tx
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He walked away, his companions following. Their laughter echoed across the dining hall.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrxJsxjz8RL
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Cel's hands were shaking. He pressed them flat against the table, fingers splayed wide.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgfM1fTDzUN
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Lior simply stared down at his plate, paralyzed by what just happened.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeqZl0u6hIV
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Eventually, he excused himself. Exhaustion lined his features, shoulders slumped with the weight of the day.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1UkOMop0uL
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Cel remained. He finished his meal in silence. The dining hall's energy had shifted - conversations more subdued now, glances occasionally drifting toward his isolated corner.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO2sZASsnZb
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He ate mechanically, tasting nothing. His mind replayed the confrontation over and over. Each word. Each laugh. The feeling of Kyros's fingers digging into his shoulder like he had every right to do so.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa3IFMHLC6i
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When his plate was empty, Cel stood and left.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYvforjTypG
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Hours later, the training grounds lay silent beneath moonlight.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5TbFysICuo
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Cel crossed the threshold, boots crunching against packed earth. Empty weapon racks. Archery targets standing like sentinels. The space felt vast without other students filling it.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxhoxvE5S85
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He shrugged off his upper uniform like always, letting it fall to the ground beside him. The night air was cold against his skin, but Lunar Vigor flooded through him under the moon's light.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgoUPqlyKOa
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He moved to the center and stopped. Breathed. Let the day's accumulated tension settle in his muscles like coiled springs.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyyQ49SpgMU
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Silent Moon materialized in his grip.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlKyciIf3Hd
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Then he moved.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRvhdo7aPmz
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The blade sang through air, cutting patterns driven by pure fury. He moved through the Chosen Legion forms he'd been practicing - each one executed with divine strength behind it, each one brutal in application.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwHucgbKR2b
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Hours blurred together.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV9n66bOaTf
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Cel kept going.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXiNSPelxEI
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Until finally… the rage began to drain away. Not gone. Never truly gone. But manageable again. Locked back in whatever dark corner of his mind it usually inhabited.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZYsG1SKEQ7
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The blade completed its arc. Cel's muscles burned, sweat cooling on his bare chest despite the chill—110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGo1tZNGOPa
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Footsteps.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTW50Rq47S
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His body went rigid mid-stance. Silent Moon hung suspended in the air as he turned.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIZXy9tyj1v
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Lady Hestia Mortveil stood at the edge of the training grounds.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVcTrxR2FLI
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The moonlight caught her jet-black hair, making it gleam like polished obsidian. Her crimson eyes studied him with an intensity that made his breath catch.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡobPBIl2xoE
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For a heartbeat, neither moved.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImofRtSnDw
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Then her gaze dropped. Lower. 110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrgKzYsURuQ
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Suddenly, Cel became very aware of the cold against his skin. Heat flooded his face. He dismissed Silent Moon with a thought and lunged for his discarded uniform, fumbling with the fabric as he yanked it over his head.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqRIakHjqF4
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"Lady Hestia." His voice came out rougher than intended. He straightened, adjusting his collar. "I apologize. I didn't realize the grounds were occupied."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT8bRcgafqI
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A beat of silence.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO940ZtDDy8
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"They weren't." Her tone was neutral, almost clinical. She walked past him toward the far side without another glance.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdbBcsHCs0X
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Cel just stood there, uncertain. Should he leave? Continue?110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHhWGZsE4oA
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Hestia sank to the ground in a meditative pose. Her hands rested on her knees, palms upward. The night seemed to gather around her like a cloak, shadows deepening in her presence.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxRLP291TP6
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She was replenishing her Divine Essence. It made sense - the Death God's domain aligned with darkness, with the stillness of night. Divine Essence recovered fastest when immersed in the right environment. Ocean Chosen would seek water. Moon Chosen would need moonlight. 110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzB2eVaUyp4
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Not that it mattered to him. There was no need to replenish one's Divine Essence when you had none.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbxpMIgwkCG
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Cel re-summoned Silent Moon and returned to his forms.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXGFo8Kddda
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The silence stretched between them, broken only by the whisper of his blade through air and the distant sound of wind through empty weapon racks.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP9Dj0Axcqj
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Like that, the days blurred into routine.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jk0IN7TgT
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Sparring matches carved the class into a predictable hierarchy. Nobles on top. Commoners below.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKyPxDCtANr
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"Blessed trash."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbcisHO75fm
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Kyros's voice cut across the courtyard. His hand shoved Lior's shoulder, sending him stumbling. Laughter from the other Sun Clan nobles.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlII7DZgdcE
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Lior kept his eyes down. Cel's jaw clenched, but he said nothing. Took it. Like always.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcjruFAogmT
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The confrontations came and went like weather - predictable, unavoidable. But something puzzled Cel about the nobles' behavior. In the tavern, the barkeeper had spoken of political factions regarding the throne’s succession. Yet here, they seemed unified. Cordial, even.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3mBcqnc1Rh
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The reason for that was simple: Theron. 110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡieJCD4zF1E
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He moved through them all like sunlight through water - effortless, warm. The nobles gravitated toward him naturally. Perhaps they'd all received the same instructions to cultivate the All-Blessed's favor. To leverage that connection later when the succession fight began in earnest.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOIimZMiWgk
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Sylvaine ensured the Life Clan maintained the closest position. Always at Theron's side, always visible, always reinforcing their clan's support.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWaKXCsa1b
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Only Hestia remained apart.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWqBNLnZuTx
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She sat alone during meals, moved through training exercises in isolation. The other students kept their distance. Whether from the Death Clan's tainted reputation or simple wariness of Raven's sister, Cel couldn't say. 110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5xf9gWKWcp
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Night fell.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT3dhRXN8v5
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Cel arrived at the training grounds first, as usual. He'd barely summoned Silent Moon when footsteps announced Hestia's arrival.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡukJKsvD8zC
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She crossed to her meditation spot without acknowledgment. Settled into stillness.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn9gY3mRuC2
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Cel moved through his forms. The blade traced familiar patterns, his body flowing from one position to the next with increasing fluidity.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuREwmExyq8
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An hour passed. Then another.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVuyBmzvsyX
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When Cel paused to catch his breath, he glanced toward Hestia's meditation spot. Over the past weeks, she'd been inching nearer. Subtle. Gradual. Never speaking. Never explaining.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPnmSXcZFSM
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But close enough now that he could hear the faint rhythm of her breathing when the wind stilled. 110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbDTQ8RdBY5
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Why? 110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6QBhOXttcE
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The only connection between them was Raven. But she couldn't possibly know about his encounter with her brother. Couldn't know about his noble blood, his true identity. 110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJVeOh4bEZ
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All she could see was what everyone else saw - a commoner Moon Chosen with unusually developed muscles and no Divine Essence. He had explanations for both. Nothing remarkable. 110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jCO5HUMHj
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Yet she'd shown interest from the very beginning. From that first day, her crimson eyes had tracked him with an intensity that suggested she saw something others missed.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnlxyR1NsIY
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‘It couldn't possibly be my looks, right?’110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwM26z1wV0
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Cel's next strike faltered slightly. His eyes cut toward her meditating form - jet-black hair spilling over pale shoulders, crimson eyes closed in concentration, the faint outline of her slender frame perfectly still despite the cold.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm9aFKfobaz
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He shook his head and returned to the forms, pushing the ridiculous thought away. 110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡamLIuRLczP
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Silent Moon whispered through the air, cutting patterns that had become as natural as breathing.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ8NuJ8sYvD
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The week wore on. Classes during the day, silent training at night. Hestia's presence became as constant as the moonlight itself - always there, always watching when she thought he wouldn't notice, always inching closer with each passing evening.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8e2uhMT8Iq
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Whatever she wanted, she kept it to herself.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ64usBu5Wrt
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Morning light filtered through the dining hall's tall windows, painting the long tables in shades of gold and amber.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUeg1bXeCny
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Students clustered near the entrance, voices rising in excited chatter. Cel pushed through the crowd until he could see what held their attention.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHmhcHw9fU
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A board had been mounted on the wall during their off-day.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2pJq61WymG
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Names filled it in descending order, each accompanied by a number. The rankings.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1mi2D61KtM
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