Cel stood frozen, breath still trapped in his chest.190Please respect copyright.PENANAACjPoLPoPa
190Please respect copyright.PENANAgQX3ErrtoM
'A world.'190Please respect copyright.PENANAKO3e38KIpb
190Please respect copyright.PENANAIfm7ppuK5y
The thought echoed through his mind, unable to settle into anything coherent. He'd just witnessed something that shouldn't exist - a pocket of reality where Esrin's will became absolute law. Where she didn't just fight. She dictated.190Please respect copyright.PENANARxHhA6jZqn
190Please respect copyright.PENANAGuwA0tcKcB
The ultimate ability a Chosen could reach - aside from ascending to Hallowed of course.190Please respect copyright.PENANA5lVCL2MDP1
190Please respect copyright.PENANAMfD8FhnqiN
And this was the world of the strongest Chosen of the Empire.190Please respect copyright.PENANAqeLHlGBYoI
190Please respect copyright.PENANAZOBCm14Vep
His knees wanted to buckle. His hands trembled around Silent Moon's hilt.190Please respect copyright.PENANAFdS03jJl4B
190Please respect copyright.PENANASwRFhcGnM7
Warmth flooded his mouth.190Please respect copyright.PENANAlu9Q332b3G
190Please respect copyright.PENANAQWwCqDEEMJ
Cel coughed, and blood splattered across his palm. Even with the World dismissed, his body was still processing what it had endured. 190Please respect copyright.PENANAtA645QlOce
190Please respect copyright.PENANAPNWRbTSTWE
He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, smearing red across skin.190Please respect copyright.PENANAH3W3841wOl
190Please respect copyright.PENANAdcGi3iM4yz
Above, on the city wall, chaos transformed into celebration.190Please respect copyright.PENANAMlwUNukiCf
190Please respect copyright.PENANAMYzXAUmTph
"SHE DID IT!"190Please respect copyright.PENANAIzj9kVBUPi
190Please respect copyright.PENANAe4GBcU6Ae4
"THE HALLOWED IS HERE!"190Please respect copyright.PENANA2z8K1CfHSc
190Please respect copyright.PENANA5k8UXr3krz
Soldiers who'd been rigid with terror moments ago now pumped their fists in the air. Some embraced each other. Others simply collapsed against the battlements, relief making them boneless.190Please respect copyright.PENANAwc1RmamWya
190Please respect copyright.PENANAec3o9oOAAa
An officer's voice cut through the celebration. "THREE CHEERS FOR LADY ESRIN!"190Please respect copyright.PENANAWFUZ2edLnz
190Please respect copyright.PENANA2CL4pb9VPQ
"HAIL!"190Please respect copyright.PENANAJ5Sdd2XeZs
190Please respect copyright.PENANANqtDHa8l1N
"HAIL!"190Please respect copyright.PENANADUpbhQxxUb
190Please respect copyright.PENANAAPwJduxuLm
"HAIL!"190Please respect copyright.PENANAqVjLzoQGN4
190Please respect copyright.PENANAdBRnBz3vQk
The sound rolled across the field like thunder - raw, genuine gratitude from people who'd been seconds from death.190Please respect copyright.PENANAfvdBFImjKr
190Please respect copyright.PENANA3j9XmPWOcF
Esrin didn't acknowledge them. Her ruby eyes remained fixed on the rift, expression unreadable.190Please respect copyright.PENANArlwGWhqnhQ
190Please respect copyright.PENANAveQn7mQ60f
The violet tear in reality pulsed, steady and patient. Waiting.190Please respect copyright.PENANAvwfkQciSrH
190Please respect copyright.PENANAHLPB44psUU
Behind them, the city gates groaned open.190Please respect copyright.PENANAAlLenqjdbX
190Please respect copyright.PENANAA3vhHHCQ0v
Cel turned, still wiping blood from his chin.190Please respect copyright.PENANAIEqo3g4Lji
190Please respect copyright.PENANAkn8VK1WWVq
A group emerged from the widening gap. Chosen, by what they wore - artifacts that gleamed with more than mere craftsmanship, each piece marking its bearer as clearly as any banner.190Please respect copyright.PENANAHijugCuhNp
190Please respect copyright.PENANANSYptqHR2D
Perhaps a dozen of them. The Chosen Legion's reserve force, stationed in the capital for exactly this purpose.190Please respect copyright.PENANAqsljRMp2xc
190Please respect copyright.PENANATs8A3j9hwa
They fanned out across the field with practiced efficiency, moving toward the rift. Their eyes swept the empty grass, searching for possible threats. 190Please respect copyright.PENANA2QJiuD7yIF
190Please respect copyright.PENANAFfwy4qwokh
Esrin's hand suddenly shot out, fingers closing on Cel's shoulder.190Please respect copyright.PENANAdueVmYcS01
190Please respect copyright.PENANA5LjdSLAiID
Before he could react, she pulled.190Please respect copyright.PENANAAHYnJRvgEt
190Please respect copyright.PENANAnYPOlQi9Nl
The world blurred. His feet left the ground. Wind screamed past his ears as she dragged him through the air like he weighed nothing.190Please respect copyright.PENANAE2exv2lqBP
190Please respect copyright.PENANA0SX8d3H0ZM
They landed in the tree line perhaps two hundred steps from the rift - hidden among shadows and branches. The impact jarred his bones but he stayed upright, stumbling against a trunk.190Please respect copyright.PENANAYmYivGFWyO
190Please respect copyright.PENANAEDsLHOpC79
"Stay here," Esrin said flatly. "And stay quiet."190Please respect copyright.PENANA73djJggBII
190Please respect copyright.PENANA6I4FSfeWNj
"Why—"190Please respect copyright.PENANA9PJihaqaKg
190Please respect copyright.PENANALTzI0LyKYH
"Because you're not supposed to be here." Her tone cut off any argument. "The Reckoning doesn't advertise its members. And I don't explain bringing random Academy students to active rift zones."190Please respect copyright.PENANAhl8zSudtVl
190Please respect copyright.PENANAdCWjqbVJpB
She stepped back, wings already spreading. 190Please respect copyright.PENANANFR17i19He
190Please respect copyright.PENANAX5zmUDeYiW
Then she was gone - launching into the air with a crack of displaced wind.190Please respect copyright.PENANAwxZvnvXHsd
190Please respect copyright.PENANAeF5Z94xcsz
Cel watched her silhouette cross the moonlit sky, landing gracefully near the gathered Chosen. She spoke to a woman who saluted, gesturing toward the rift. 190Please respect copyright.PENANAGieXWEqEtr
190Please respect copyright.PENANAfdHlC40yJB
He crouched lower among the bushes, making himself small.190Please respect copyright.PENANAbmlpBxNZv4
190Please respect copyright.PENANAbgDrj5yRWu
Because it was night, because he'd been hidden in shadow, because everything had happened so fast…190Please respect copyright.PENANAGGTtFGhHWA
190Please respect copyright.PENANAaTraLlA9fQ
No one had seen him yet.190Please respect copyright.PENANA2I0XmUz4Zb
190Please respect copyright.PENANAgmiV7b60r1
Even if a soldier had caught a glimpse of him, they had other concerns right now.190Please respect copyright.PENANAanILgNtO1W
190Please respect copyright.PENANAdnSFqYw0XP
Cel settled deeper into the bushes, pulling his cloak tight. Silent Moon dissolved in his hand - no point keeping it manifested where the moonlight might catch the blade.190Please respect copyright.PENANAJZeOa8SMSa
190Please respect copyright.PENANA7prEwspWOI
Minutes stretched.190Please respect copyright.PENANA9Zp0StlxKR
190Please respect copyright.PENANAdkH31czrim
The Chosen maintained their positions around the rift, vigilant and ready. But nothing came through. The violet tear simply hung there, waiting, while they watched with weapons ready for threats that didn't come. 190Please respect copyright.PENANABKMKVRTeKf
190Please respect copyright.PENANAKEs2kGUW7v
Cel watched from his hiding spot, tracking their movements. Learning.190Please respect copyright.PENANA8gmCRMmAgr
190Please respect copyright.PENANAnzjPvbWr9D
The sun hadn't risen, but the sky had shifted - deep black fading to navy at the edges. Pre-dawn. The coldest part of night.190Please respect copyright.PENANArfauJK5NQq
190Please respect copyright.PENANAvT4HLWDFmG
The city gates opened again.190Please respect copyright.PENANAdRA25caYs5
190Please respect copyright.PENANAdqNGKQGWve
A small group emerged - four soldiers in metal armor, moving in tight formation. And within their protective square…190Please respect copyright.PENANApU72mUUFjm
190Please respect copyright.PENANAFyBGawYJbM
Civilians.190Please respect copyright.PENANAFfBk9bJjn3
190Please respect copyright.PENANAMHlTrQgona
Cel's breath caught.190Please respect copyright.PENANAIjjqdKNQCT
190Please respect copyright.PENANAVTnkxhvuto
A middle-aged woman, her face carefully composed but cracking at the edges. A young child clinging to her hand, maybe six or seven, looking around with wide, confused eyes. And walking slightly ahead, an elderly person. Thin. Frail. Each step deliberate and measured.190Please respect copyright.PENANAR0Uod2g3dU
190Please respect copyright.PENANAM4e8CGnpG5
They approached the rift.190Please respect copyright.PENANAihmzLpVhuW
190Please respect copyright.PENANAq2H8JD9aDu
The Chosen parted, making space. None of them met the civilians' eyes. 190Please respect copyright.PENANAkUGioiF3fV
190Please respect copyright.PENANASt6gWdL8B7
Twenty steps from the violet tear, the small group stopped. Soldiers stepped back, leaving the family alone. 190Please respect copyright.PENANAOSALk0GVO0
190Please respect copyright.PENANAw6NPUv8kxr
The child tugged on the woman's sleeve.190Please respect copyright.PENANArpyoDkDpgh
190Please respect copyright.PENANAYHpFD80w24
Her composure shattered. One hand came up to cover her mouth as tears spilled down her cheeks. She pulled her child close, pressing his face into her side. 190Please respect copyright.PENANAl4c3Wjlv9i
190Please respect copyright.PENANAo3iXAjPnwS
The elderly person turned to face them.190Please respect copyright.PENANAuQUnDfd2tN
190Please respect copyright.PENANAvppxgwL3pC
He smiled. Sad. Proud. Utterly resigned.190Please respect copyright.PENANAQGRBns9yC1
190Please respect copyright.PENANAPffoG2vyjY
The woman's shoulders shook with silent sobs, one arm wrapped around her child. The boy looked up at her, confusion deepening into fear even though he didn't understand why.190Please respect copyright.PENANAVaG6toViUH
190Please respect copyright.PENANAKQ4iIjCZIi
Cel understood.190Please respect copyright.PENANAPoG0sDEF6L
190Please respect copyright.PENANAUV6uMBYCYB
'A sacrifice.'190Please respect copyright.PENANAdd34OI0bhG
190Please respect copyright.PENANAxotivpA2He
A rift could only be closed by sending a living human through it. Just like the cult had used him. Just like they'd thrown him into the Hollow Realms to seal whatever tear bothered them.190Please respect copyright.PENANAGN0xYDog8P
190Please respect copyright.PENANAK4jrz20Hbm
The Empire had a policy. Anyone could volunteer. And in exchange, the royal family provided compensation for those left behind.190Please respect copyright.PENANAoeHsv8w79n
190Please respect copyright.PENANASIJbw3Brhr
This elder was sacrificing himself for his family.190Please respect copyright.PENANAIJ2OgOu4HT
190Please respect copyright.PENANAzv6NWScuz8
Cel's hands clenched in the dirt. His jaw locked so tight his teeth ached.190Please respect copyright.PENANADqneSatz3p
190Please respect copyright.PENANAYpKXJHRKf1
But that wasn't always the case. Sometimes people in utter despair - no family, no future, nothing to lose - volunteered in hope to gain the favor of the gods. A final act of meaning before their life ended.190Please respect copyright.PENANAVWgcETguAO
190Please respect copyright.PENANAV9tsMA4lS8
And if no one volunteered…190Please respect copyright.PENANAI15pke8R4Y
190Please respect copyright.PENANAf85NEDxvu1
Criminals were used.190Please respect copyright.PENANAQIZd5I14jN
190Please respect copyright.PENANAv70NglfhMA
But only rifts within the Empire's borders were closed. The rest? Left to fester. Left to pour horrors into the world until a different approach would be found.190Please respect copyright.PENANAAVl6yPtrDJ
190Please respect copyright.PENANALR10pifTTZ
The elder stepped forward, stopping just before the rift's edge.190Please respect copyright.PENANA6hZjkBvNA4
190Please respect copyright.PENANAxOhsij5ZgD
A tremor ran through the his fingers. Small. Almost imperceptible. But Cel saw it - the only crack in the man's otherwise steady composure. 190Please respect copyright.PENANAUJUpjbc8mG
190Please respect copyright.PENANArMVg1Np5mS
The man was… afraid.190Please respect copyright.PENANANCvhW6dPJp
190Please respect copyright.PENANAfwW2e5TaIq
How could he not be?190Please respect copyright.PENANAaU5X0Ca5LI
190Please respect copyright.PENANAstRYX2ggfp
This wasn't just death. It was being torn apart by whatever waited on the other side. Ripped to pieces by creatures that existed to hunt and kill.190Please respect copyright.PENANAXLTBbaK6rZ
190Please respect copyright.PENANAYwZbvRFPRx
The elder glanced back.190Please respect copyright.PENANASsfatJX7bP
190Please respect copyright.PENANAkPojM2SEZa
The woman had collapsed to her knees, one arm still wrapped around her child, her other hand pressed against her mouth to muffle the sounds. Her son was crying now too, responding to distress he couldn't comprehend. 190Please respect copyright.PENANA3J9tynOrly
190Please respect copyright.PENANAoqG6TBmUSe
Behind them, the soldiers stood motionless. Professional. Distant. This wasn't the first sacrifice they'd witnessed. It wouldn't be the last.190Please respect copyright.PENANAI4qfNc96Mt
190Please respect copyright.PENANAaZswEDTwGX
The Chosen maintained their positions, weapons still drawn. Ready to strike down anything that might emerge the moment the elder passed through. They'd seen rifts betray their sacrifices before - seen creatures lunge through in the instant between entry and closure.190Please respect copyright.PENANAygZuncpKXO
190Please respect copyright.PENANAg95YUUDw4q
Something shifted in the elder's expression. Fear giving way to something else.190Please respect copyright.PENANAS05q5x8X4X
190Please respect copyright.PENANAfO4hsO8iKK
Not courage. Cel had seen courage in the soldiers on the wall - desperate, frantic, holding their ground against impossible odds.190Please respect copyright.PENANAKwhsJst8tQ
190Please respect copyright.PENANACQ5noNTgHO
This was different.190Please respect copyright.PENANAqjYmYTmywd
190Please respect copyright.PENANAOeGrXGTyB4
Acceptance. Resolution. The quiet certainty of someone who'd already made their peace with the end.190Please respect copyright.PENANAaRUkIjOqFS
190Please respect copyright.PENANAUYzWnZQ1tH
The elder's shoulders straightened. His breathing steadied.190Please respect copyright.PENANA4Oygl6zRs4
190Please respect copyright.PENANAIXzeis4D0k
He took one last look at his family - really looked, as if committing every detail to memory for whatever came after. The way his daughter clutched her son. The way moonlight caught in her tears. The way the boy's small hand gripped her sleeve.190Please respect copyright.PENANAvP7jen3CkO
190Please respect copyright.PENANAha5gOfnZAO
Then he turned back to the rift.190Please respect copyright.PENANAP9Hcawf8eS
190Please respect copyright.PENANAYH6nXqqWV6
His steps didn't falter. Didn't hesitate.190Please respect copyright.PENANAQiWhvqCoXA
190Please respect copyright.PENANALRFeipeSBx
One.190Please respect copyright.PENANAT11Vcc76tD
190Please respect copyright.PENANAofzscz8oKR
Two.190Please respect copyright.PENANAhvxEyH4uoB
190Please respect copyright.PENANANxb44PaJQF
Three.190Please respect copyright.PENANANGuurEaJms
190Please respect copyright.PENANANlw5yF9Wyh
He walked into the violet tear as if it were simply a doorway to another room.190Please respect copyright.PENANAZCqmerRXXY
190Please respect copyright.PENANAD6ahCGVfUp
One moment there. The next, gone.190Please respect copyright.PENANA05dfcX8nUC
190Please respect copyright.PENANAyg1BWNsKa7
For a heartbeat, nothing happened.190Please respect copyright.PENANAQ3v62iR4RA
190Please respect copyright.PENANAlevXb6McQA
The rift hung in the air, unchanged. Still pulsing. Still waiting.190Please respect copyright.PENANAslvAX34vB3
190Please respect copyright.PENANAVOESZXG7pJ
Then it shuddered.190Please respect copyright.PENANAjhKDH9HG4n
190Please respect copyright.PENANAkg3M0Ce7bN
The violet edges began to contract - slowly at first, then faster. Like a wound knitting itself, the tear pulled inward from all sides. The reality around it seemed to sigh with relief as the wrongness sealed itself away.190Please respect copyright.PENANAkbZYAxyUXO
190Please respect copyright.PENANA9L21yLMfh1
When it finally vanished completely, a deep silence followed.190Please respect copyright.PENANA1Wb5LxrjRm
190Please respect copyright.PENANAMjoaSFrwA8
Every Chosen around the now-empty space dropped to one knee. Heads bowed. Fists pressed to hearts in salute.190Please respect copyright.PENANASCSUfYGinY
190Please respect copyright.PENANAZeET2Vucti
The soldiers on the wall did the same - a ripple of synchronized motion as hundreds of men and women honored the sacrifice.190Please respect copyright.PENANAma2OWKvsmQ
190Please respect copyright.PENANAwMfl7ksxZv
Even Esrin knelt.190Please respect copyright.PENANAkmJLeI6Dhv
190Please respect copyright.PENANAubNNJ1CM1f
The only sounds were the woman's broken sobs and the child's confused crying as he pressed his face into his mother's shoulder.190Please respect copyright.PENANAx2KtkUSwNj
190Please respect copyright.PENANAelGGEofvb0
Cel stayed hidden in the bushes, chest tight.190Please respect copyright.PENANAmzfL6VIS9Y
190Please respect copyright.PENANABJx977Dnxy
He'd died to seal a rift. Been thrown through by people who saw him as nothing but a convenient tool.190Please respect copyright.PENANAJuWGJdnhtv
190Please respect copyright.PENANAWdpoJj29em
This elder had chosen it. Walked through with open eyes to save people he loved.190Please respect copyright.PENANACFUXDYO3Cq
190Please respect copyright.PENANAeD91mrhLJC
The difference burned.190Please respect copyright.PENANA0PGaag3OdZ
190Please respect copyright.PENANAJVBx896kgA
Minutes passed before the Chosen rose. They moved away from the site with quiet efficiency, reforming their group. One of them approached the grieving woman, offering escort back to the city. Offering whatever comfort could be offered.190Please respect copyright.PENANAQtUWGtUBUc
190Please respect copyright.PENANAAZ5b0v15PE
The soldiers on the wall began to disperse, returning to their posts. The celebration had long since died. Now there was just the weight of what they'd witnessed.190Please respect copyright.PENANAbY5jQL8QUm
190Please respect copyright.PENANApXINSxCHW9
Esrin remained kneeling longer than the others.190Please respect copyright.PENANAtoRXXVvHrP
190Please respect copyright.PENANAHrkfy6KrpJ
When she finally rose, her expression was carved from stone.190Please respect copyright.PENANA9agT04rCn6
190Please respect copyright.PENANAdtvrBh15VG
She crossed the field in long strides, not toward the tree line but toward the gathered Chosen. They formed up around her - a loose formation that nonetheless placed her at the center. 190Please respect copyright.PENANAw84zkrbSbv
190Please respect copyright.PENANAywoat7c4ix
The group began moving toward the city gates.190Please respect copyright.PENANABeQXMeq9sO
190Please respect copyright.PENANAcLush4bIcN
Cel stayed hidden in the bushes, watching them go. 190Please respect copyright.PENANANaBIcSa0X9
190Please respect copyright.PENANALQH8kxa3US
He blinked.190Please respect copyright.PENANAFzrakudtnr
190Please respect copyright.PENANAGIZe4I2Wf0
‘Wait, what about me?’
arrow_back
Lunar Legacy
more_vert
-
info_outline Info
-
toc Table of Contents
-
share Share
-
format_color_text Display Settings
-
exposure_plus_1 Recommend
-
Sponsor
-
report_problem Report
-
account_circle Login
Search stories, writers or societies
Continue ReadingClear All
What Others Are ReadingRefresh
X
Never miss what's happening on Penana!
Lunar Legacy
Author:
Celastos
ISSUE #70
Chapter 69: Sacrifice
LIKES 0
READS 186
BOOKMARKS 1
campaign
Request update 0
Sponsor
Login with Facebook
or Sign up/Login to comment or bookmark! Click to load the next chapter
X
After each update request, the author will receive a notification!
smartphone100
→ Request update
X
Sponsor again
Click to login
Login first to show your name as a sponsor.
Thank you for supporting the story! :)
Please Login first.
×
Lunar Legacy
Fantasy
Action
Dark
Last updated: Nov 7, 2026
Total word count: 214,967
Total reading time: 995 Minutes
Writer:
fantasy
horror
dark
mystery
tragedy
darkfantasy
demons
betrayal
psychological
revenge
monsters
gods
survival
fantasyrealm
medieval
maleprotagonist
goddess
mysterious
fantasyworld
abilities
Report this story
×
Write down what you like about the story
×
Reading Theme:
Font Size:
Line Spacing:
Paragraph Spacing:
Load the next issue automatically
Reset to default
×
People Who Like This
x
Before You Publish
Please ensure your story does not contain illegal, hateful, inciting, or violence-promoting content, or any infringing, plagiarized, or spam material, and that it complies with Penana’s Terms of Use.
Penana reserves the right to remove any content that violates these rules or causes legal or community risk, and to suspend or terminate related accounts.

