“The examination will take place in the Life Clan territory.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYFrwUN6xYD
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The announcement landed like a stone dropped into still water. Ripples of reaction spread immediately through the classroom - whispers erupting in overlapping waves, students leaning toward neighbors with sudden urgency.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfbYIZU6xDb
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Cel’s attention sharpened despite his exhaustion. Life Clan territory meant forests. Dense vegetation. 162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0bS6DI4Zjh
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Something grabbed his arm.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmwqQuQw7D
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Lior had twisted in his seat, fingers digging into Cel’s sleeve with enough force to wrinkle the fabric. His sky-blue eyes were wide, excitement radiating from every line of his face.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVSuLRiaLip
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“Did you hear that?” The words came out half-whisper, half-shout. “Life Clan! That’s—that’s where I’m from!”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6NkKtZiZfU
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV4iu91p2eh
Cel blinked, processing this information he hadn’t known. “Your village is in Life Clan territory?”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLKhx0zAKNo
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“Yes!” Lior’s grip tightened further. “We might pass right through it. We might actually—” His voice cracked. “Do you think I’ll get to see my parents?”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGpgf2CQepv
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The hope in those words was almost painful to witness. Raw and unguarded in a way that made Cel acutely aware of how different their circumstances were. Lior had parents who loved him. A home he’d left behind but could return to. People who’d be genuinely happy to see him again.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeiG7YunevE
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“How big is your village?” Cel asked, keeping his tone practical.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMIoW4BDxdl
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“Big!” Lior’s expression remained bright. “Maybe two hundred people? We even have a healer. My mother's her assistant, actually - I told you before, remember? ”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ebaQo6wnu
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Cel nodded, though he couldn’t recall the specific conversation. Too many things competed for attention in his overcrowded mind.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaMUkGWfgju
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“If it’s that size, and on one of the main routes...” He considered the logistics. “Then yes. It’s quite possible we’ll pass through.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJuMF5YxCW
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Lior’s entire face transformed. The worry and fear that usually marked his features vanished completely, replaced by something that looked like pure joy. “I could introduce you,” he said quickly. “My mother would love to meet you. She always says—”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNe9ONooarF
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A bench scraped against stone.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpWc4pYOlR5
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Cel’s gaze snapped toward the sound.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1SgTnEaYKY
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Theron had stood, his brown hair catching afternoon light from the windows. His expression carried that particular earnestness that characterized everything he did.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO22qUaVQLL
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDBXhReafRX
“This truly is a blessing!” His voice projected across the entire classroom, loud enough that every conversation died mid-word. “That we get to see the great woods - it’s a sight to behold. We’re lucky that Life Clan was chosen for this examination.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL143YE8NYu
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Several students turned to stare at him. A few nobles nodded in agreement. Most of the commoners just looked uncomfortable with the sudden attention.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnhfjqHMQAN
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Instructor Saren’s expression went flat.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfp8wQl0HkK
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“Silence.” Her voice cut through the space like a blade. “I was not finished explaining.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIj9QjPo7um
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Theron blinked, seeming to realize only then that he’d interrupted. “Oh. My apologies, Instructor.” He sat back down with the same enthusiasm he’d shown standing, apparently unbothered by the correction.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBgUjsrm8JZ
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Saren’s jaw worked slightly. Then she turned her attention back to the class as a whole, posture rigid with controlled annoyance.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs82HiCV71E
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“As I was saying.” Each word carried deliberate weight. “The examination will take place in Life Clan territory. Specifically, we will travel to Verdanthold.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ900BxwTjSW
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Cel’s mind tracked through what he knew about that location. Verdanthold was the Life Clan’s current main city - a city built among ancient trees that had supposedly grown there since before the Void Catastrophe. It was where House Groveheart maintained their rule.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcYfQw6Jgnr
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“Lady Morgana Groveheart has graciously extended an invitation for the Academy to conduct the examination in Life Clan lands.” Instructor Saren continued. “She will provide accommodation and logistical support during our stay in Verdanthold.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAocR8ZLhYF
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The name settled over Cel with uncomfortable recognition.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaVjcHml57G
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Morgana Groveheart. Leader of House Groveheart, and by extension, leader of the entire Life Clan. One of the seven people who commanded the Empire’s greatest military and political forces.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo3Ajr9oWNN
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But she was more commonly known by a different name.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKbJarz62Q
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The Crimson Witch.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS4PDODmQCd
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This title had emerged decades ago, during the campaigns to reclaim territory lost to rift-creatures. Stories varied about its origin - some said it came from the way her abilities turned battlefields red with blood. Others claimed it referenced the color of her hair, which supposedly darkened from its natural auburn to deep crimson when she ascended.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbGKwMEgk0m
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What everyone agreed on was that in a field battle, no one was stronger than her.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6xMiMQbj4O
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House Groveheart had held leadership of the Life Clan for three generations now. Morgana’s grandmother had seized that position through a combination of political maneuvering and raw capability. Her daughter had maintained it through similar means. And now Morgana herself commanded with the kind of authority that made other Great Clan leaders think twice before challenging Life Clan interests.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD0xTDAHhQx
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“House Grovethorn will also be present,” Saren said, her tone remaining clinical. “They will hold authority over the Academy’s stay in Verdanthold, managing the practical aspects of accommodation and coordination with local forces.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfBk0GiCS5H
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That name registered differently. House Grovethorn - Sylvaine’s family. The House known for managing the Life Clan’s orphanage system. 162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKcuuVu7oJB
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“The journey to Verdanthold will take approximately two months. Though that timeframe may vary depending on circumstances we encounter during our travel.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTChGTbcAA8
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Whispers started again, quickly suppressed when Saren’s gaze swept across the room.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeKhtopHHNv
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“You will not be passengers on this journey.” Her voice hardened. “Throughout our travel, you will hunt creatures that threaten the routes we take. You will provide assistance to villages we pass. Normal people depend on Chosen like you to protect them." 162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbpUhoyiCa4
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She paused, letting the words settle.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmLc7KdHspz
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“This is not optional. This is not additional training. This is your duty. This is the duty of everyone chosen by the divine. To stand between humanity and the threats that would destroy it.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv5IuwArl98
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The weight of it pressed down across the classroom. Cel felt it in the sudden stillness, the way students sat straighter despite themselves.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvb84GiA0Vu
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“We will sleep in the wilderness for most of this journey,” Saren said, returning to the details. “Only when passing through villages will local residents provide shelter. You will be largely independent in terms of daily survival - finding water, establishing camps, maintaining watch rotations.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgm5nSFdrk
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She moved slightly, her boots sharp against stone.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwJje6y8Vjh
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“Instructor Calder and I will travel with you. We will provide protection if a threat emerges that exceeds your capabilities. We will handle organizational matters and coordinate with local authorities. But we will not manage your basic needs or solve problems you should be capable of handling yourselves.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqz12Rl7hR5
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Her gaze swept across them again.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPUbsYkWKmw
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“After reaching Verdanthold, you will have two weeks to recover and prepare for the journey back. The examination concludes when we reach Stella again.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmmPnvJkTrC
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Four months in total then. Cel’s mind calculated what that meant for his training with Silas. For his task of the Reckoning. For maintaining his cover identity while spending that much time in close proximity with nobles who might recognize inconsistencies in his behavior.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsu4nXWlccf
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“Upon reaching Stella,” Saren continued, “the royal family will hold a banquet in your honor, where you will be formally acknowledged as true Chosen.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYWYwBOctdH
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Something in her expression shifted. Not quite warmth, but acknowledgment of significance.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSKd9dE7nMS
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“That banquet marks the end of your time at this Academy. After that, you are free to pursue whatever path you choose. The Chosen Legion. The Mercenary Guild. Service to your respective clans. Whatever future you’ve worked toward.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcmFSNcFaxy
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She stopped speaking. Let silence stretch across the classroom.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9CAna0vzqr
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Then she straightened further, hands clasping behind her back in a gesture of finality.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ76LWrWVVGa
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“Prepare accordingly. Dismissed.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj2B3bMybr3
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The classroom erupted into motion - students rising from seats, conversations resuming at full volume, the careful quiet of instruction giving way to chaos. Lior turned to Cel immediately, still wearing that expression of barely contained joy. But Cel’s attention had already drifted, tracking back toward where Hestia sat.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmIGwpdAhsy
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She was gathering her things with the same methodical precision she applied to everything. No indication that the announcement affected her differently than anyone else. 162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1FfhMSRyIS
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Their eyes met for half a heartbeat. Then she looked away, slinging her bag over one shoulder and moving toward the door.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuhiO2sPxSd
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The rest of the day passed in mechanical progression. Afternoon combat training. Evening meal in the dining hall where Lior continued talking about his village with undiminished enthusiasm. Other students made their own preparations, discussing what supplies they’d need and what creatures they might encounter.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWJad4EiZ50
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Cel moved through it all with his thoughts elsewhere. Four months away from Stella. That meant four months separated from his sister again.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQzrqLklz4
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By the time night fell, tension had settled in his shoulders like a physical weight.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDKqWOnNTlN
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The bar looked exactly as it always did when he arrived - grimy windows, warped floorboards, the smell of old wood and stale alcohol. Cel approached the door and pulled it open without ceremony this time, having learned his lesson about how much force the stuck handle required.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5quOq3Y05
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The interior waited in familiar dimness. He moved to the center of the room, extended his hand, reached for that space where reality bent—162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPjWXHKb6I9
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The rift opened with its usual whisper of violet light.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzv8hCBOY0P
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He stepped through.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtgadhnT1ra
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The void dimension received him with crackling energy and absolute darkness broken only by those purposeless lightning bolts that decorated nothing. The floating island stretched ahead, the manor sitting at its center with warm light bleeding from windows.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6H37ID9Wy6
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Cel crossed the stone and pushed open the manor’s door.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAuPUldYdhk
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“There he is!”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtBzPnjdf7c
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Silas’s voice carried from deeper inside - bright and welcoming as always. Footsteps approached rapidly, and then he appeared in the entrance hall wearing that same casual smile he seemed to maintain regardless of circumstances.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa0qex9uRoU
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“I was starting to wonder if you’d given up.” The words came light, teasing rather than accusatory.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1pMxE1a1mH
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Before Cel could formulate a response, another voice cut in from a doorway to the left.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNu8Kf9HX6D
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“Would be the wisest choice.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKqIxOLy9Je
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Zara leaned against the frame, arms crossed, dark-red hair loose over one shoulder. Her blue eyes held their usual contempt, expression suggesting she’d been waiting specifically to deliver that particular observation.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvahAQgxUdL
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Heat crawled up Cel’s neck despite his best efforts to suppress it.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtt2pd0zemM
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“That wasn’t the case,” he said, forcing his tone to even. “There was... an incident. At the Academy. I couldn’t leave.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhNAegoJEgf
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Silas’s eyebrows rose with interest. Then his smile gained a distinctly mischievous edge.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjlYGuiuV5
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“An incident?” He drew the word out slightly. “What kind of incident?” A pause that somehow managed to be both brief and weighted. “Did this incident perhaps involve a certain young lady with crimson eyes and jet-black hair?”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAkrtskLrfQ
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Cel’s jaw tightened.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Q7yLQFyrq
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The answer was complicated - because in some way, it did. Hestia had defended him during that conference. Had saved him from execution. 162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡew4l4qOk7V
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His silence apparently communicated enough.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Ufrly3sF6
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Silas’s grin widened. “I see. Well then.” He stepped closer, slinging an arm around Cel’s shoulders in that companionable gesture that always felt slightly like being captured. “I suppose I should give you some lessons in terms of women too. Can’t have you fumbling around without proper guidance.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUGww0ElSok
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A sound emerged from Zara’s direction.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxvPGAPPaWG
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Laughter. Sharp and utterly devoid of warmth.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgamtZiJ8n
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“You?” She pushed off from the doorframe, something like genuine amusement entering her expression for the first time since Cel had met her. “Give lessons about women? That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all week.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡioXcCIBHUc
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Silas released Cel and turned to face her fully, his smile never wavering.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCxMVQKPVg
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“I’ll have you know,” he said with exaggerated dignity, “that I am quite popular. Many women find me irresistible.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXbNluOxbZq
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“Many women need better judgment then.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYcJGJ6wsSo
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“Their judgment is fine. Though I must confess, my heart pounds only for one woman in particular.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPzkumkQnZi
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He placed a hand over his chest in a theatrical gesture.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgffBX6sJs
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“A fierce warrior with beautiful dark-red hair and eyes that could melt steel. Someone who challenges me at every turn and makes life infinitely more interesting.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMXZRdr2M1f
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Zara’s glare could have drawn blood.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdc04HU2qZq
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“Fuck off, Silas.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXelZyjDuq
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“See?” He turned back to Cel as if she’d just proven his point. “She’s already showering me with attention. I know she likes me really. Just playing hard to get.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCN7PLX0GXP
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A small wooden stool hurtled across the room with enough force to seriously injure if it connected. 162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE6CbbULNqG
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Silas moved with casual efficiency, stepping aside and letting the projectile sail past him. It struck the far wall with a crack of splintering wood.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlF8sfmyg5D
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“Anyways.” His tone remained utterly unbothered. “We should get to training. Standing around talking wastes time we don’t have.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvB2GvEw14B
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He gestured toward the manor’s rear door, already moving in that direction. Cel followed, acutely aware of Zara’s presence behind them.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjljCwOMhnD
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They emerged onto the island’s open stone. Silas summoned his spear with that familiar shimmer of dark mist. Cel called forth Silent Moon, feeling its weight settle into his grip.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIjIA0SOKPM
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Training began.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyRkaMg9JBs
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The pattern had become familiar over the past weeks. Silas would identify a specific deficiency in Cel’s technique, then drill it relentlessly until muscle memory started forming. Tonight focused on reading feints - distinguishing genuine attacks from misdirection, learning to track multiple tells simultaneously rather than fixating on single indicators.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlF7FUgn4d1
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It was exhausting work. Not physically - his body could maintain this pace indefinitely. But mentally, forcing his brain to process information faster than conscious thought could track.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrYV1P8kkR0
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Time blurred. Minutes or hours, the distinction felt meaningless in a void dimension where no sun rose or set.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq2PgbvaIer
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnSka5WonSF
Eventually Zara crossed to her couch, collapsing onto it in her usual sprawl, already looking half-asleep.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyEC3bd3zSD
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Suddenly, a sound cut through everything.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zt8jOk85E
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWzX4QMGCXl
Not a normal sound. This was reality breaking. A crack like thunder but wrong, layered with harmonics that hurt to hear.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5QAdXKzLGu
1234 copyright protection158ＰＥＮＡＮＡR6pk1g4Zw6 尼

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