Cel shifted his weight forward, Silent Moon rising in a basic guard position. Across from him, Silas stood with his spear held loosely - too loosely, the weapon’s dark shaft resting against his palm like he’d forgotten it was there. Behind them, Zara made herself comfortable on the couch with the casual indifference of someone settling in to watch paint dry.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe547wZTfk9
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Cel moved first.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB089TBDAez
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He closed the distance in three quick steps, Silent Moon cutting toward Silas’s shoulder in a controlled arc. The strike was measured and careful, exactly as he’d practiced in the Academy.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLpa4EGYgu
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Silas’s spear intercepted with minimal movement. The dark shaft caught Silent Moon’s edge and redirected it past his body in one smooth motion.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFXIV96VQ02
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Cel adjusted, bringing his blade back for a thrust aimed at center mass.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEw6UMwF0Hu
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The spear’s heel struck his wrist - not hard, just enough to knock his aim off. The thrust went wide by a hand’s width.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBlRJM2rBs9
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Cel stepped back, resetting his stance. Tried a different approach. A feint high, then cutting low toward Silas’s legs.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdwdfpGS2av
80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbb05XTygJR
The spear moved like water. Down, across, deflecting the strike before it could land. Silas hadn’t even shifted his feet.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡobmHjjhfTb
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Another exchange. Then another. Each time Cel attacked with controlled force, Silas’s defense turned it aside with the kind of economy that came from years of practice. The spear never moved more than necessary. Never wasted motion.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAYpguYjRHg
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Five exchanges. Ten. Cel’s breathing remained steady, his body barely taxed by the effort.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6yy3KlTdxU
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But he wasn’t landing anything.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHSIGIa9yDn
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Not even close.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLhLwz472MA
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Frustration built in his chest. He could feel the raw energy thrumming just beneath his skin - an unrelenting force that surged through his body. Strength that could crush boulders. Speed that could bridge gaps before foes even sensed his approach.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRkgnVGqIIx
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And he was using maybe a quarter of it.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnOLKZSTJd5
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The realization struck with uncomfortable clarity.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zoriI7FIS
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There was no need to hold back.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl2kFwcs0Qa
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This wasn’t the Academy. Wasn’t Instructor Calder’s careful supervision or other students who might actually get hurt if he put real force behind his strikes.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgNT94iiOvT
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This was someone strong enough to hunt down other Chosen as part of the Reckoning. Someone Esrin had assigned to train him specifically.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ1cCvsdgxk
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Someone who could handle it.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEgNs33xxq5
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Cel’s next strike came with everything he had.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡblandSRyvh
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Silent Moon blurred forward, the blade cutting through air with a sound like tearing fabric. The full weight of his divinely enhanced strength drove the attack, no restraint, no careful measurement.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ0Ev0KQIPQ
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Silas’s eyes widened.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyaMThALmvh
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The spear came up fast - faster than before, the casual looseness replaced by actual urgency. Steel met wood with a crack that echoed across the stone.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMAddMHQA9l
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The impact drove Silas back two steps.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqpScyhyxHm
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His boots scraped against stone as he caught his balance, green eyes sharp with sudden focus. The surprise on his face lasted maybe half a second before shifting into something else.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2P0HRKqPMl
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Interest.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5sDauI7IAJ
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Cel pressed forward. He didn’t give Silas time to reset, didn’t let the distance rebuild. Silent Moon moved in continuous arcs, each strike powered by strength that exceeded human limits.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtsJMCpCbLl
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High slash. Low cut. Thrust. Each attack flowed into the next without pause, building momentum and pressure.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcM4cZGVlu1
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Silas’s spear wove defensive patterns that blurred at the edges. He was moving now - really moving, feet shifting across stone in quick steps that maintained distance and created angles. The casual ease had burned away completely.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCKABKcbRAN
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But he was still defending.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZhjRWJX5W
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Still just deflecting.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoxpKG126Ll
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Still in complete control.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1C21XvlnQo
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Cel’s blade came down in an overhead strike meant to split stone. Silas caught it on his spear’s shaft, the impact sending a visible tremor through his arms.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUqA2Bcqedf
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Then he twisted.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡONdudkG1FN
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The movement was sudden, precise. The spear rotated beneath Silent Moon’s edge, redirecting the blade’s momentum while simultaneously creating space. Silas stepped inside Cel’s guard in the same motion, the spear’s heel driving toward his gut.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwCa0sCTIhW
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Cel’s instincts moved him sideways before conscious thought caught up. The strike missed by inches.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrxFVramSfb
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He recovered fast, Silent Moon rising for a counter - but Silas was already out of range, the spear resetting to neutral guard.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlmwIsyV004
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They circled each other. Cel’s breathing had picked up now, adrenaline sharpening his focus. Silas looked composed despite the sudden escalation, though a slight sheen of sweat had appeared on his forehead.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8hAI9Ci8To
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The exchanges continued. Faster now. Harder.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9zdmU070g
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Cel threw everything at him - raw aggression backed by impossible strength, each strike meant to overwhelm through sheer force. 80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7T6UB2oXzh
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And Silas just... handled it.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgTWDmrglyW
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The skill gap was obvious now. Undeniable. Every strike Cel made, Silas had an answer for. Every opening Cel tried to exploit closed before he could capitalize. The spear moved with absolute certainty, each deflection flowing into the next defensive position without hesitation.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMHyfGKDOxR
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It wasn’t that Silas was faster or stronger. He wasn’t.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnG3SjLXN4
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But technique bridged gaps that raw ability couldn’t.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxeQSY95D3J
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Silas read his movements before they completed. Anticipated angles before they materialized. Defended with minimal effort because he understood combat at a level Cel didn’t, couldn’t, might never reach.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmvWmiAXJnq
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A wild horizontal slash aimed at Silas’s ribs. The spear dropped, caught the blade, lifted it over his head in a smooth arc that left Cel’s entire right side exposed.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKRqce3wf0n
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The spear’s shaft struck his ribs - not the blade, just wood against flesh, but hard enough that air exploded from his lungs.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhSY1XFLHHF
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Cel staggered back, gasping.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOgZsTcupGg
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Silas didn’t press the advantage. Just reset to neutral, watching him with those green eyes that had gone sharp and assessing.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJpqbSy0RBP
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Another exchange. Cel tried to adjust, to learn from what just happened. He feinted left, drove right, putting full strength behind a thrust meant to—80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLrqaxQi3Ud
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The spear wasn’t there.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNPe5iI3Kr1
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It had moved before he completed the attack, repositioning to a guard that made his thrust pointless. Then it lashed out - quick, controlled - and cracked against his knee.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ09fLh0rC5h
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His leg buckled. He caught himself on one hand, Silent Moon still gripped in the other.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGes2OeLM4k
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“Stop.”80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZvig6upNDu
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Silas’s voice cut through the sound of Cel’s harsh breathing. Not loud. Just firm.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡom4lJm4Qnm
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Cel looked up from his position half-kneeling on stone.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2O0DwYLXiv
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Silas stood perhaps five steps away, spear held loosely again. That casual ease had returned, though his breathing came slightly elevated now. 80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEz6dNZgiXt
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“That’s enough for assessment.”80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ67WKzaOy1f
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Cel pushed himself upright slowly, ribs and knee both aching from impacts that hadn’t been meant to injure but had definitely made their point.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZOvK51Txp
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“Pathetic.”80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6nrKlG0rEa
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Zara’s voice carried across the stone - flat, dismissive, utterly certain.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKHL2b6eKU
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Cel’s head snapped toward her.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxZwBpG1ZbP
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She hadn’t moved from the couch. Still sprawled in that same careless position, one arm draped over the back, legs crossed at the ankles. Her blue eyes met his with open contempt.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2bEBEo9IW5
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Heat flooded through him - anger mixed with humiliation mixed with something sharper. His jaw clenched. His hand tightened on Silent Moon’s hilt.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNKJyZ6rWPW
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He glared at her.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW8V2mtMqfy
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She glared back.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqyD7Hwg5rw
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The difference was that her glare carried no uncertainty. No doubt. Just absolute conviction that what she’d witnessed confirmed exactly what she’d expected to see - weakness performing exactly as weakness should.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wEvdnEyjE
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The air between them went tight.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡku3Jc0AVoI
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Then Silas stepped directly into Cel’s line of sight, his expression still pleasant but carrying a weight it hadn’t held before.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhS9moeuSrx
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“Easy.” His tone stayed light. Friendly. “Everyone starts somewhere. You think I was any better when I began?”80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp18jGH9xlr
80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNmrZ130lYV
The question landed with obvious falseness. Silas was a Mortbane. He had probably been training since childhood. Had grown up in a Great Clan with resources and inherited talent Cel couldn’t even imagine.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡet13UmQaKg
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But the intent behind the words was clear enough. 80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡitTg94o4Um
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Cel forced his breathing to steady. Let the anger settle back down where it belonged - buried deep, controlled, waiting for targets that actually mattered.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6mnMkosbVm
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Zara made a sound that might have been disgust, then shifted on the couch to face away from them both.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ19eWumc53
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Silas watched her for a moment, then turned back to Cel with something that looked like genuine warmth.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoEIeqnyNvx
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“Let me give you the assessment. You’ve got good instincts - really good. Your reactions are solid. And you have a body that can actually keep up with it. That’s rare. Most people want more than their bodies can answer.”80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPnstapfymt
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A pause.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJjXPaWxGIR
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“Everything else is bad.” 80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn6qrK7Z98E
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The bluntness hit harder than the spear had. 80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHvTlZcQfZK
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“Your technique is basically nonexistent. Your footwork needs complete rebuilding. Your understanding of distance, timing, reading opponents - all of it needs work.” Silas’s tone stayed matter-of-fact. Not cruel. Just honest. “You fight like someone who’s survived through raw capability alone. Which...” He tilted his head slightly. “I’m guessing is accurate?”80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyMQLwS1Mj8
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Cel looked down at Silent Moon’s blade. Remembered his first desperate, bloody kill. Waking inside the Tremorborne. Tearing himself free. 80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN4nNNyPjfh
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“Yes.”80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC8odEEU8UJ
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The word came quiet.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwiYHatZl9M
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Silas nodded slowly. “That’s what I thought.”80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3IjdOoidjX
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Silence stretched between them. Not comfortable, but not hostile either. Just the weight of assessment settling.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJaSuoIrMtU
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Then Silas’s expression shifted - the seriousness bleeding away, replaced by something lighter. Curiosity.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzidoAVBc0h
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“Changing topics.” His tone gained a slightly playful edge. “I heard what happened. You and our young lady got into it?”80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡin83CoVius
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Cel’s brow furrowed. “Young lady?”80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvRCoemfANw
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“House Mortveil’s daughter. Hestia.” Silas’s smile widened slightly. “You two had quite the fight, from what I heard.”80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfIVyj5ltf
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Cold settled in Cel’s stomach. How did he know about that? Had Esrin told them? Or was information about Reckoning members just shared automatically somehow?80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡARwkU9sC70
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“How—”80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCCroUrZSY5
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“It’s my business to know,” Silas said simply. “So what happened?”80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl70cM3ZilF
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Cel’s jaw tightened. The memory of Hestia’s blade at his throat surfaced. Her crimson eyes boring into his. The vision of his death she’d somehow witnessed.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCw9oOtB1Cj
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“It just happened.”80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpTf8SllEH7
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Silas studied him for a moment, green eyes sharp despite the casual smile. Then he laughed - bright and genuine.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡROIrrdKCUN
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“Don’t worry about it. You know what they say - what loves each other, teases each other.”80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0oYeKlFXmW
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Cel stared at him.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCqzG00BcxG
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The implication hung in the air between them, so absurd that for several heartbeats Cel couldn’t process it.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVAtt2Uo33O
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Then disbelief crashed through.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MOG3LqYUX
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“What?”80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCPSIDaDl7
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Silas’s laugh intensified. His shoulders shook with it, one hand coming up to cover his mouth as if that might contain the sound.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhEIknImHiC
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Cel continued staring, completely unable to form words around the sheer wrongness of that suggestion.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpb9IneccrV
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Silas recovered after a moment, though his grin remained wide and thoroughly amused. He stepped forward and slung an arm around Cel’s shoulders, pulling him close in a gesture that was probably meant to be companionable but felt more like being captured.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡugWU4FoLES
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“Come on.” His voice dropped low. “She’s pretty, isn’t she?”80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3Evit148n
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The question caught Cel completely off-guard.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqdsLPr0jAh
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He opened his mouth. Closed it. Every answer he found confirmed something. 80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvABLgyIV6s
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Because... yes. Objectively. Hestia was beautiful. Pale skin that seemed to glow. Crimson eyes that held impossible depth. Jet-black hair that fell like curtains of silk. The kind of beauty that noble daughters were raised to cultivate and that most people would spend their lives never witnessing up close.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8bszJZFpJt
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“I...” His throat worked. “I suppose she’s... objectively attractive.”80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6w0lq3YtxO
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The admission came out strangled.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKybFdLdFix
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Silas’s grin somehow widened further.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJxPc36SOs
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Then reality reasserted itself.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaAJgbgiDJ6
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What the hell were they even talking about? This had nothing to do with training. Nothing to do with why he was here. 80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00GRIaGHwf
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Cel broke free from Silas’s grip, stepping back quickly. “What does this have to do with training?”80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyAEk4AFjra
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The question came out sharper than intended. Heat had crawled up his neck, settling in his cheeks in a way that made him acutely aware of how ridiculous this conversation had become.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwfZZvJUnYE
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Silas laughed again, holding up both hands in a gesture of surrender. “Nothing! Absolutely nothing. Just making small talk between colleagues. We’re going to be working together constantly - might as well get to know each other a bit.”80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPFMcfkrdYl
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He lowered his hands, his expression softening into something more genuine. “Relax. Training’s serious business, but we don’t have to be serious every second. Sometimes a bit of levity helps.”80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG0nvQVHYsf
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Cel’s jaw remained tight. But the logic was... reasonable. If frustrating.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdj939SmKek
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“Fine.”80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWANGlkzGba
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“Good.” Silas gestured toward the open stone. “Now let’s actually work on those shortcomings I mentioned. Because you’ve got a long way to go, and we don’t have much time to get you there.”80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡthlSOEyX16
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​​​​​​​Heyho, Author here!80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvh9hmoEt9n
Sorry for the unexpected pause. If you're curious about what caused it, feel free to join the Discord - I explained it there.80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKmvdnwXXVT
I'd also recommend joining in general if you want to stay updated going forward!80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJEqeoyYybj
https://discord.gg/Uduxc48wfm80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9CpvTNWxAn
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