The crowd pressed closer to the board, voices rising in waves of excitement and disappointment.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡugagUPjfLZ
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm7Sh6CC8HR
Cel hung back, letting the others surge forward first. He could wait. The rankings weren't going anywhere.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMCwXAicjEn
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHv90HzNv9D
Gradually, students filtered away. Some wore satisfied expressions. Others looked troubled, arms crossed as they muttered to friends about matches they should have won.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr7wVNFN6s5
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ92xnwbyPhP
When enough space cleared, Cel moved closer.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmhFFfmW3dv
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCmOJTFTYmh
His eyes tracked down the list.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpnML45Nejm
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZsaALfu4qA
Rank 1: Sylvaine Grovethorn120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP3VTun5Vna
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVMVFmPweK5
Rank 2: Owen Peakscale120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTKrCgiMsI8
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGIPfuuCPji
Rank 3: Hestia Mortveil120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLzzl5sqUdI
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2fiG0uHooo
Rank 4: Theron120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjvhA4T96iv
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe1ZoGuWtpL
Murmurs rippled through the crowd at that placement. The All-Blessed had grown up as a commoner, yet here he stood above every noble except three. Divine favor, apparently, included natural talent for fighting.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIQhDoxbJbJ
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKNS9Hrtm0
The unfairness of it settled in Cel's chest like cold stone.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdJMry43lv1
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnD4MwlNacq
Rank 5: Cordelia Tidecall 120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa4TkUj8YhU
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCsSnLAv7zA
Rank 6: Percival Tempest 120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4NA2FHXKC
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd7QmpHlXT0
Rank 7: Kyros Solgrand120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOcXmdaANPD
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkChg9LxaFi
Then the remaining nobles in descending order - each one benefiting from years of private training, inherited techniques, artifacts passed through bloodlines.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRlBdU6GJEJ
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEve3J5aINN
Then—120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSfZy4kf9ey
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNzkPx8nLXT
Rank 15: Celvian120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡypmNPw9tx2
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLMDttQSGnq
Cel stared at the number.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUhm9ZkTZpR
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjrn1DcA29
Fifteenth. The first commoner on the list. Above every other student who'd come from farming villages and merchant families.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRNGuncWq2G
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsmYIegXLdn
His jaw tightened.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIYistlwnhz
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvNoYDSZHFG
He'd held back deliberately. Fumbled his strikes. Made his bladework clumsy and uncertain. Pretended his strength was just an authority he couldn't control properly yet.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTXVgkamyBg
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHC7lHqWWEX
But even then, the gap between a trained noble and the commoners was vast. That couldn't be overcome by pretending to be weak.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLDOKf2IkwC
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzqxcXXVhk
His gaze dropped further down the list. Past more names. More numbers.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiSpbpEACs0
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzAr89EFTBS
Until he reached the bottom.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKB6raQBsr
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxJyEpYiEmn
Rank 40: Lior120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkM01PEVRVs
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEl4MhPpobL
Last place.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE3e2Z2gIs6
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUbnk2ccMuI
Dead last among all forty students.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qP1e6ksCF
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbamg723o6X
Cel's gaze swept the crowd until he found him. Lior stood at the board's far edge, shoulders hunched inward like he was trying to disappear into his own uniform. His hands twisted together at his waist - that nervous gesture Cel had come to recognize.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMR9KvpECY
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAzxDbOyXZ4
Their eyes met for a heartbeat.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfMYvHwInAG
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3UJBsisIVm
Lior's throat worked. His fingers twitched once, as if reaching for something to hold onto.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxEFF2WqdY7
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc1W6DxicoR
Then he turned and walked away.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiOEqybNVHH
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLXRJirk10C
Not toward the dining hall. Not toward the classroom. Just... away. His footsteps quick and unsteady, like someone fleeing before they broke apart completely.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKmX8IT1ZOg
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkxc9weXIMp
Cel watched until Lior disappeared around a corner, jaw tight.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl88rdK1lFy
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCpd4DuBLSK
Morning assembly came and went. Theoretical classes passed in their usual rhythm - Instructor Saren's voice washing over topics Cel already knew.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡefLnXY3Gx7
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡex5GX45Quh
Lior's seat remained empty.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0FAjol5jJ
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtMsPpe9Ph0
Afternoon combat training arrived. Students filtered onto the grounds, forming loose clusters while Instructor Calder barked orders.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrlgQa8KzVn
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQN17XQejc
Still no Lior.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5LoOj4bpdz
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBiTXTVLbiR
By evening, when dinner filled the hall with voices and the clatter of plates, his absence felt deliberate. Permanent.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUU5g34qsi
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Ry9qwKbtV
Cel ate alone at their usual table. The empty seat beside him felt heavier than it should have.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlOMT3Y2mHn
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx137qyTNRG
When the meal ended, he rose and made his way through corridors that had grown familiar over months of routine.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjt3QFgiav4
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1AZHHUEzC0
The commoner dormitory stood quiet. Most students remained in the dining hall or gathered in common areas. Cel's boots echoed against wood as he climbed stairs to the second floor.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4E0vKXw4S5
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQm171dIjvH
Lior's door waited at the end of the hall.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxMAQgI9UoO
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFUTFcifYps
Cel stopped before it, hand raised to knock.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqgCQCcN3lC
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf76rspK43N
A sound filtered through the wood. Soft. Muffled.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHdSvGeoKey
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlyMWS05jxc
Whimpering.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jThcaPwOp
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXpWYEEVenP
His hand froze mid-air.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhnFApLjWUl
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ69rhBaheFw
The sound continued - broken, desperate. The kind of crying that came from somewhere deep, where all composure had finally cracked.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ41bSEm56M2
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6tqD6C1nsr
Cel's hand lowered slowly.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPgYhhd3fJ
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8brxERq8jo
‘What am I even doing here?’120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsijkve8PxR
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MZJajz6PV
He had no idea how to comfort someone. The concept felt foreign - awkward and uncertain, like trying to speak a language he'd never learned.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd7xjDgdxTM
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn8PsPYCkyI
When he'd broken down in that cell, no one had come. When nightmares tore him from sleep, he'd faced them alone. The only comfort he'd ever known was Lyra's occasional visits - her brightness cutting through the darkness for brief, precious moments.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJaBWan0c3y
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡelc0qk1a63
But Lyra had been a child. Natural warmth and affection poured from her without effort or thought.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNkJuIz3tY
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPd7Z4FYT2m
Cel possessed neither.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBgte6uoyBZ
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSlo4TvQBLJ
He should leave. Walk away. Let Lior have his privacy, his dignity.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbFLEhJ3FZw
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMggbmoy20A
But the memory of his own tears - shed in darkness with no one to hear, no one to care - made his chest ache.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOeOCnd6eb8
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs6cadbkFkG
Maybe the knowledge alone that someone cared… would be enough.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvkcabsTvuq
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbk7ARmVcTb
Not enough to fix anything. But something.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc8FEuKHWnE
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS0fY2OGmFz
Cel's knuckles met wood. Three sharp raps.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbpJ5YlkfYy
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo6j5IltFUP
The whimpering cut off instantly.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW67eWahUvJ
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQoAz389Eps
Silence stretched. Then footsteps - hesitant, shuffling.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ILUbq9frU
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyyMMDj0SPK
The door opened a crack.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL1UOIx4KhD
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPAhgGWGbHU
Lior's face appeared in the gap. Eyes red and swollen. Cheeks wet with tears he'd tried to wipe away but hadn't quite managed. His wheat-blond hair stuck up at odd angles where he'd run his hands through it.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSo0Rrqt6F
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF5IgytaWRT
"Cel?" His voice came out hoarse. Uncertain. "What are you..."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPyyDfP9UXK
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa3pdx7uw3B
"Can I come in?"120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdczsuja8Vq
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkRAAIGnc8q
The question hung between them.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNXB5TW3bbE
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNw6d0dvUqy
Lior's throat worked. He glanced back into his room, then at Cel, then down at the floor.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPIvL5CSYBj
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgDmVPgMyMF
Finally, he stepped back and pulled the door wider.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdP4iqLjEW9
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2CCDWKn7X6
Cel entered.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKV3uFNqf2U
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywAM6p7QsP
The room was identical to his own - narrow bed, simple desk, wardrobe. But Lior's space carried signs of actual habitation. Letters stacked on the desk, the ink barely dry. A practice knife resting on the windowsill. Blankets rumpled from restless sleep.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPP1NjKwMrC
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDu63asmXEc
Lior closed the door and stood there awkwardly, hands twisting together. His gaze fixed on the floor between them.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwy4PnDJOS8
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9BWo3r4VdT
"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I know I should have attended classes today. I just... couldn't."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7DCXvhxHFN
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsWpbN0xEu7
"It's fine."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW4TE7J4qG0
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6byLkUyF0e
The words felt inadequate. Hollow.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDLm2NEIeOD
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGa2tSqNYK
Lior's shoulders shook. His breath hitched.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeU8XABZZLa
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO4s6Y2ZYT1
"It's not fine." The admission came out broken. "Nothing is fine…”120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3OGAoZVMVZ
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpZSL3RwpUD
"Come," Cel said quietly, gesturing toward the bed. “Sit.”120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡukjjmnVFmV
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡulF9WZ4Iht
They settled on opposite ends of the bed - Lior perched on the edge like he might bolt at any moment, Cel leaning back against the wall.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVA6Bxz35F6
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtbyBi7C5f4
Silence pressed in around them. Lior's hands twisted together in his lap, fingers white-knuckled.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Ml9gctWx9
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY6RwVa4rY9
"I'm thinking about leaving," he said finally. The words came out flat. Empty. "Going home."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPKklsEgpYm
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZQzjiNnyw
Cel said nothing. Just waited.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIORYuS1yH4
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1gbbYjKuwM
"I don't—" Lior's voice cracked. He swallowed hard and tried again. "I don't amount to anything here. I'm last. Dead last. I can't learn fast enough even with you helping me. I can't fight properly. I'm a Chosen of the weakest goddess."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLMewB8Loe3
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6NU2pIqiUv
His fingers twisted in the blanket.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfhlbCJrncl
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrolO0tIRtK
"My artifact is blessed rank. A knife. Not even a sword - just a knife that barely cuts better than mundane steel. And my authority—"120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR7uWfmgwsI
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQme5qp6Dw8
He lifted one trembling hand.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNwqIzkHjnT
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTeYjAuz0Bt
Then, light bloomed. A small orb, no larger than an apple, casting barely enough illumination to read by.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6cOMwXaWKM
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLHhQYVcy7u
"This." Bitterness bled through the word. "This is what the Moon Goddess gave me. Light. Not even bright light. Just... this."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jZTafzVOa
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4GzYFjPVzS
The orb flickered and died.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Ksi0ZeLlX
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnwcs9ppUEg
"My priest is rank fourty-one," Lior continued, voice rising slightly. "Fourty-one! That's supposed to mean something. But look at me. Look at what I got."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm2TV1ptEZc
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFsGW0MTuqI
He pressed both hands against his face.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAaMpBQ5LIE
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi74WSvQZEg
"My mother sold everything she had to send me here," he whispered. "She worked herself sick for months just to afford the journey. And my father—" His voice broke completely. "He tried so hard to be proud. But I saw it in his eyes when the Moon Goddess chose me instead of... instead of someone stronger."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡygI8GyxRx7
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡseoKgFYlrE
Tears slipped between his fingers.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSvhdoTdn2M
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVyV9sjdRHL
"I don't belong here," he whispered. "Everyone knows it. The instructors. Kyros and his friends - they're right. I am trash. Blessed trash. That's all I'll ever be."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqgTYEsPYPT
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡed3b1uh8cQ
His shoulders shook.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJpjlxrPZdD
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXx7PIgrmYe
"Even if I stay. Even if I graduate. The Chosen Legion is supposed to accept everyone, but..." He lowered his hands, staring at nothing. "They'll treat me the same way. Because I can’t do anything right. I never have. I never will."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8BuaHbjU8O
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvpaqwweUCE
The words hung in the air like smoke.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXFr0iPGKZ
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡySaGtoXQ08
Cel watched him - shoulders hunched, hands trembling, face buried in his palms. A boy coming apart at the seams because the world had shown him exactly how little he mattered.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI0wWqiRs5j
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvHQFqWoOT
‘I should say something.’120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0WnSkqgj0T
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxFARC9pfyp
But what?120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcAOkIBkJoj
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8uKG7jGSYo
That things would get better? A lie. Lior's circumstances wouldn't magically improve through empty reassurance.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHHhRxIJvjL
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaSjRBsEMju
That his ranking didn't define him? Another lie. In this world, power determined worth. 120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ52yVtTSZjy
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgrX2iCfM22
That he should keep trying? Cruel. Lior had been trying. It simply wasn't enough.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxbJ5Biyb2
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡobnYhjGXYZ
Cel's jaw clenched.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2YahaeLRCR
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54lqqiPJSD
He didn't know how to fix this. Didn't know how to make the pain stop or the tears dry. All the words he could think of felt hollow - platitudes that would shatter against the truth the moment he spoke them.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZMCmjeCaCI
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwyZ7J4RyR9
So instead, he spoke the truth.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZpqULAndwW
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnYI9kb5BDf
"When I was young," Cel said quietly, "I was like you."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt1OZK3jERo
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQsNygj1252
Lior's head snapped up.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGNcICMAPS
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe3w3plVtHw
"Timid. Useless. Afraid of my own shadow." The words came easier than expected, pulled from memories he usually kept locked away. "My father hated me. Not in some abstract way - he genuinely despised everything about me. My weakness. My gentle nature. The way I flinched when he raised his voice."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCH5SYmllwM
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwHxLXEWgWJ
Cel moved to the window, staring out at darkness.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYAPXLdaqR
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMfTtkdCC12
“As for my mother..." He scoffed. "She was there. Physically. But that was all."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Wcrbe3UJJ
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdk6wGF14Md
His fingers pressed against the windowsill.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3BI9EejPjb
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ45q0xQ1o4J
"I had a brother who outshone me in everything. Perfect. Talented. Everything my father wanted. He'd watched when I got punished. Never helped. Never spoke up."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3u6uz8LhwA
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjBVmnUAgUo
Cel's hands curled into fists.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKseO0zPz0B
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfIqxiujD18
"I wanted to die…” A pause. “The thought of enduring another moment in that house, with those people, felt impossible. But I kept going anyway. Not because I was brave or strong. Just because..." He stopped. Started again. "I endured it because there was nothing else to do."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzgrMtb3LZf
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRUwxuMAFUu
Lior stared at him, tears still wet on his cheeks but his breathing steadier now.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡafhT7yMiIf
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvijDHOylNh
Cel turned from the window to face Lior directly.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡajt8CDb8Zd
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnIVU80jWAh
"You think you're weak," hel continued. "That you don't belong here. That everyone sees you as pathetic." His voice dropped lower. "They probably do. The same way my family saw me."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1VSxOiOHjA
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwwpjgh4CEr
He moved closer, crouching so they were eye-level.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡukcbNBcMTC
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZHhWC72VJ
"But you're here anyway. You are here despite knowing you'd struggle. You practiced reading even though the letters didn't make sense. You stepped into that sparring circle knowing you'd lose."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6dSCVxwF5I
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLwUSkVGowy
Cel's gaze held Lior's.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4RUAdpQc4
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFQt7xSbMAi
"That's not weakness. That's endurance. And endurance..." His throat tightened. "Endurance is the only strength that actually matters when everything falls apart."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5xxfSq8T46
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhXamSv0rM0
Lior's breath hitched. Fresh tears spilled over, but something in his expression had shifted - less broken, more... present.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPndHkiFbW6
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbtzTsdK2jU
"I can't promise it gets easier," Cel said quietly. "Can't tell you that people will stop looking down on you or that your ranking will improve. Maybe it won't. Maybe you'll struggle every single day for the rest of your time here."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQsyi2EIm72
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0TbPp2TcCV
He straightened.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8NEsgI57RS
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt62NAGIj5I
"But you're still breathing. Still trying despite knowing how hard it is." A pause. "That's more than most people manage when the world rejects them."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYXuZPZMpRX
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjdhUbMVoX
Silence stretched between them - heavy with truths neither had expected to share.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGNGPslsXl8
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb4HKNjLdkG
Then Lior wiped his face with both hands, smearing tears across his cheeks.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjLyC7c1f0e
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhhsfg0awjB
"I didn't know," he whispered. "About your past. You seem so... composed. Strong."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvgEIRyk5Pk
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhfiIPV0v2t
"People rarely are." Cel moved toward the door. "We all carry things that don't show."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0V4AEYLcro
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVAXp2iz7zw
His hand found the handle.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Oh5usWaqA
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRHqsNC0rmN
"Cel?"120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvQF4mdZVAE
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDaz7tiHfCc
He glanced back.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAn3WWRWmNL
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡojQiPqZkhR
Lior's expression held something fragile but genuine. "Thank you."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5S8tvadr5
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYenihRWnNj
Cel nodded once.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZDN3KOmCQ
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5o42rfSvMC
Then he left, pulling the door closed behind him with a soft click.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqMVt3EFxdK
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLDzXLX6zvf
The corridor stretched empty and silent. His footsteps echoed against stone as he made his way toward the training grounds.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡskvr04rwJF
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzgLziNruWe
Night had fallen completely. The moon hung full and bright - pouring its light across the Academy grounds in pale radiance.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVncIQ4zOyD
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgcqW6KsEZH
Lunar Vigor flooded through him the moment he stepped outside. Power hummed beneath his skin, turning exhaustion into energy.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKtjJrTDfG
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkcoUEwixDC
The training grounds came into view.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwrTDJACGuD
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo2hn7zZoOL
And for the first time in weeks, he wasn't the first to arrive.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsLZQlpUeri
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBT2OdC5xtg
Hestia sat in her meditation spot - perfectly still, jet-black hair spilling over pale shoulders, crimson eyes closed in concentration. The night seemed to gather around her like a living thing, shadows pooling at her feet.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7mTWCOiN4t
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQflHPdRmXi
Cel stopped at the threshold.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7dQnOw5vnr
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr360CE1t13
Usually, he'd summon Silent Moon and begin his forms. Let the silence stretch between them, unbroken except for the whisper of his blade through air.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBnkdy6frx3
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQR0ILW3iOf
But tonight…120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ufqDljrPH
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43oM6ImzmF
Tonight, he needed to know.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPyr9FMM7WY
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZNrsCRx6o
He crossed the training grounds, boots crunching against packed earth. Each step deliberate. Purposeful.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp1HEHgkLdS
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbBrbjIlifh
Hestia's eyes opened when he was still several steps away - her expression unreadable.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHKQBLIdQ3Y
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvcA9lD2zpk
She didn't speak. Just watched him approach with that same intense assessment she'd worn since the first day.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJw0JzoKTlL
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmsqkOJ5r2V
Cel stopped a respectful distance away.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXyXmENYVgX
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhYkLxt5fQE
"Lady Hestia."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL6GaT2EF4u
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBMbf4WlJ6
"Celvian." Her voice carried no inflection. 120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkH1SWk0VZQ
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhfGADlnWvl
He met her gaze directly.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmfi7eHUBWE
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6lSykjJNEu
"What do you want from me?"120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡha3iFKaiYB
1234 copyright protection116ＰＥＮＡＮＡuGG3IMNYCi 尼

216.73.217.123