The Academy gates stood open like a mouth preparing to swallow them whole. Students gathered in the courtyard before them, each carrying identical packs the Academy had distributed the night before - leather bags stuffed with bedrolls, dried rations, waterskins, basic medical supplies, and whatever personal items could fit in the remaining space. Forty young Chosen, most wearing expressions that ranged from nervous excitement to barely concealed dread. Lior stood perhaps three steps away, his sky-blue eyes tracking across the assembly with the particular anxiety of someone who’d spent all night worrying about this exact moment. His hands kept finding his pack’s straps, adjusting them unnecessarily, searching for something to do that wasn’t just standing still.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdBllKky10S
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡerLAcvkVk3
Cel watched him for a moment, then turned his attention elsewhere. The crowd had organized itself into loose clusters already - nobles gravitating toward other nobles, commoners finding comfort in familiar faces. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTmngsVbWzF
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTx1gSb5FD7
The courtyard hummed with low conversation. Nervous laughter. The shuffle of boots against stone. Everyone waiting for something to happen.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0gGDFV62W
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6zauhEDcwg
Instructor Saren emerged from the Academy building, her footsteps cutting through the ambient noise, drawing everyone's eye. She stopped before the assembled students, posture military-straight, gaze sweeping across them with clinical assessment.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG1fIdend5U
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX59by0IRv1
"We depart now. Follow me." 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTKzKRHlrAn
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdSsmZSeohy
The crowd moved as one, flowing toward the open gates. Cel fell into step with the others, letting the current carry him forward. Beside him, Lior matched his pace, still worrying at his pack straps. Around them, groups continued forming - natural alliances and pre-established friendships pulling students into orbits that felt safe.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ3Bln28avO
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJthLOTqIqf
Someone settled into position on Cel’s left.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4SjVpmcdZ
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBbAqpMc1X
He glanced over. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4sGp4JkX1r
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQX8u7u3SNH
Hestia walked beside him, crimson eyes forward, her expression carrying the same composed neutrality it always did. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxAf013NhAk
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ZxUny23c7
Other students noticed.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpyxl3doPoD
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxbE9Ies3jC
Several sets of eyes cut toward them. Quick glances that lingered just long enough to register the oddity before looking away. Hestia - heir to House Mortveil, future leader of the entire Death Clan - choosing to walk with commoners instead of her own social class.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe2DgFI7DEs
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaIuE15T54F
Cel studied her profile for another moment. Waiting for some sign of discomfort maybe. Or any other kind of reaction.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSxZIT5TXUO
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnb4R1wjTVl
Nothing.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIVFycjQt2S
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgptouAokxe
She walked with the same steady gait, unbothered by judgment, speculation or whatever conclusions other students were drawing. Her hands remained empty, pack settled comfortably on her shoulders, gaze fixed somewhere ahead.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRRxZ2lUsy4
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUNevUpodEe
“Are you alright?” Lior’s whisper came from his right, barely audible.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8mZ0KVAUlB
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJu7lgjTtP
Cel turned. Found sky-blue eyes watching him with concern that seemed disproportionate to the situation. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvNbygqgg3g
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBuNpwUpnnV
“Why wouldn’t I be?”148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtJFZEL2MVb
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWmUOlAvj1j
“You’re...” Lior’s gaze flicked toward Hestia, then back. “Never mind.”148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGLhRkqF7Cy
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfxpQaLYXtB
They continued through Stella’s streets in relative silence after that. The city spread around them in its usual organized chaos - market stalls being set up for the day’s trade, early morning workers moving with grim determination, the smell of baking bread mixing with less pleasant scents from alleys where waste collected.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSQ2BD2wBQ
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBCiKAQa5F8
But something felt different.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYx8elPHzGu
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN1mdrPYa4l
The crowds thickened as they moved deeper into the city. Not the normal flow of citizens going about their business. These people lined the streets deliberately, pressing close to buildings to create a corridor down the middle. Children sat on their parents’ shoulders for better views. Vendors had abandoned their stalls entirely to watch.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfGvbupfduC
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWe65v29K34
The path opened onto the main road leading west. And there, stretching as far as Cel could see, stood what looked like half of Stella’s population.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ99Omy997xA
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxprggtPz8b
They erupted.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7uz3J684iR
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6A8AvWCIp3
Applause crashed over the students like a physical wave. Voices shouted praise and encouragement - “Good luck!” “Make us proud!” “Come back safe!” - overlapping into a roar that drowned out individual words. People waved from windows. Others had climbed onto low walls for better vantage, hands raised in gestures of support.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHxDup0qBqI
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN56glnIkbJ
The students stumbled slightly, caught off-guard by the scale of it. Even the nobles seemed surprised, though they recovered faster, straightening their postures and acknowledging the crowd with practiced grace.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSF1C3ls02L
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHNfbjT4C5
Beside Cel, Lior had gone completely still. His mouth hung slightly open, eyes wide, taking in the spectacle like he’d never seen anything more beautiful. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMuv8uDIhPT
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE9FBi6yz80
“They’re...” His voice cracked. “All of them came to see us off.”148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMp1GsZmK68
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVyIF2hLXZx
The wonder in those words was almost painful. Pure and unguarded in a way that made Cel aware of how different their experiences had been. Lior saw celebration. Recognition that what they were doing mattered.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg8MpFuNjYV
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Df6x0sweU
Cel on the other hand…148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa6PyBPHJNe
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBjktEiIVH8
…felt the weight of it. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPp706bvlK
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxRKBAML8bU
All these people - citizens who’d never set foot in the Academy, who didn’t know his name or face - expected something from them. Expected protection. Expected success. Expected these forty students to prove that the divine system worked, that gods created defenders worth the social hierarchy they propped up.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtsF6WCZOEr
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSYLRKvCeBq
The applause continued. Faces blurred together into a mass of need that pressed against his skin.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf4OirN3idC
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxRVqAfXzOf
On his left, Hestia’s expression remained unchanged. She moved through the noise with the same composed neutrality, indifferent to the spectacle. Her gaze stayed forward, focused on some point beyond the crowd, like the celebration was happening to someone else entirely.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1v7wXxrl7p
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS7Lb88sfPX
How did she do that? How did she walk through this kind of attention without feeling crushed by it?148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnwUbu0Fi9c
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpvBBnfzAKV
Someone started chanting “Chosen! Chosen!” and others picked it up, the word repeating in waves that rolled across the crowd.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1QWmlNAUVE
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqgAZU535c7
Cel forced himself to breathe. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX6xZLL34Lz
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDrsOqWSZ3R
The main road stretched ahead, carrying them closer to the western gate with each step. To the boundary where protected human territory gave way to wilderness. To the point where Academy walls and instructor supervision would vanish, leaving them only their own capabilities.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVOAy4Tflhv
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZFNCxyWSpn
Eventually the crowd thinned. The noise faded to something more manageable. Buildings gave way to open space, and the western gate loomed before them - massive stone construction, standing open during daylight hours but always watched.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpup25cPGoW
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnfbdIUJuKQ
They passed through.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtPfltQdBiK
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpoIE2LXbxQ
The transition was immediate and absolute. Behind them, Stella’s organized safety. Ahead, the road narrowed to a dirt path that led into the woods. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFrvkLvzulu
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEo0Q2GEcRb
The celebration’s echo died completely.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZhBDVvecZc
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTkqM3uzsmv
"Hold."148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtVllpHyaOX
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00S20bM9VK
Instructor Calder’s voice cut across them with authority. All students halted, turning toward him with varying degrees of confusion.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQifPXqQmtq
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5M1qqHTTVp
He stood perhaps ten steps before the woods, Instructor Saren beside him. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtk6Xoo23Zg
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU4fGYYgMT1
“From this point forward,” Calder said, his tone carrying the flat certainty it always did, “you travel independently.”148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXI9EjG6hfY
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJIaIMimS9c
Silence pressed across the assembled students.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwoTImXegal
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhfzPps85QA
“You are responsible for your own survival, your own decisions, and your own mistakes.” His gaze swept across them without mercy. “Instructor Saren and I will not be accompanying you any further. We’ll meet you at the designated locations to verify your progress and provide any necessary coordination with local authorities.”148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhJfQRgZcyD
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp6Xtx5AoHM
Someone’s breath caught - audible in the sudden quiet.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjmsRCQmW6x
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡps83erMpE3
“Safe travels.”148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1jduSzOzCZ
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq14OzAUHok
He turned. Started walking away along a different path than the one leading toward Life Clan territory. Instructor Saren followed without looking back.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcOeKxzDqmo
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFHLGVCTt50
The students watched them go. Forty young Chosen who’d spent months inside Academy walls, protected by instructors and institutional structure, suddenly stripped of both.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfEtT32TEw
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAnN05VlG3H
Movement broke the paralysis.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzDzzn9Ox5
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnd5CjfqhE7
Theron’s group formed up quickly - practiced efficiency suggesting they’d planned this beforehand. Sylvaine Grovethorn adjusted her pack, expression neutral despite the situation. Owen Peakscale stood ready with his massive frame taking up space like he’d been carved from stone. Cordelia Tidecall’s light blue hair caught sunlight as she moved into position beside them. Percival Tempest looked eager but focused, summoning his armor.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡevvIfzbR95
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrlMBMof36L
They departed without ceremony, following their map toward whatever route they’d chosen.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ojdvJ2MYP
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6gKAF8wQ6w
Kyros’s group went next. Fire-red hair and amber eyes leading the usual cluster of followers. They moved with deliberate confidence, making their competence visible to anyone watching.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMxQqhLmsS9
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZHakca0Uu5
The remaining students - all commoners - looked at each other with growing uncertainty. Groups began forming tentatively, people gravitating toward familiar faces, but the organization felt loose. Directionless.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFxcDvv7Tch
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOe7JZQ9LHw
“Everyone.” Hestia’s voice carried across the space without shouting. Just clear projection that demanded attention. “Gather here.”148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgVgJ8Ybf6
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ503VY7moPg
Heads turned. Feet shuffled. Slowly, the scattered students consolidated around her, creating a rough circle that felt less like a mob and more like something with structure.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtCjNajStLs
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6quDlsNso7
Hestia waited until everyone had settled. Then she spoke, her tone carrying the same clinical precision Instructor Saren used during lectures.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGflg2UoF8
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOXBJ11ZH4F
“We’re going to proceed as a coordinated group rather than scattering randomly.” Her tone left no space for argument. “I’m dividing you into smaller teams based on similar capability levels. This ensures no group is disproportionately strong or weak.”148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlenp8yZt1Q
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwLHKPjHMZr
She pulled a handful of whistles from her pack - simple metal instruments that gleamed dully in the morning light.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡumaTDSXQij
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡovwWgT6WgR
“If you encounter a creature, don’t engage immediately. Signal with your whistle instead.” She demonstrated, bringing one to her lips and producing a sharp, piercing note that cut through the air. “I’ll come to your location then. We’ll assess the threat together and form a hunting plan that doesn’t get anyone killed.”148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzvIf3hEOq
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6cvXKMGFe8
Several students nodded, relief visible on their faces.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQkTvKAsdlj
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Kq3ZtsEop
“Each evening, we’ll establish a meeting point where the entire group camps together. Safety in numbers.” Her crimson eyes swept across them. “Any objections?”148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyMmYkgou8P
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnIdsBREbsH
Silence answered. Not hostile. Just complete acceptance of someone actually taking charge and providing direction.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJGdiANR5VU
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ35zdb2Zq6C
“Good.” Hestia pulled out her map and began calling out names, assigning them to groups with the kind of casual knowledge that suggested she’d been tracking everyone’s capabilities since the first day of classes.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyNUMoh1mWu
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMzsNK0GIdy
Cel listened to the assignments, impressed despite himself. She knew which commoner students excelled at defense or offense. Knew who had good instincts and who needed someone to make tactical decisions for them. Knew how to balance groups so each one had a reasonable chance of handling whatever they encountered.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSHBti3w8I0
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCp6tCjiJmR
Lior’s name came up, paired with two other students Cel recognized from conditioning training. Both competent enough. Both people who wouldn’t freeze under pressure.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWK3ERx1NT6
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEfnYlBFD8N
The groups formed, students clustering together to discuss their assigned teammates and review their maps.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXjyXQu64PZ
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡToCk9wZNMH
Cel waited.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU4wyK8w13s
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcLCblANuWZ
More names. More groups taking shape around him.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCotyXC0RcV
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGWXOR1cTtS
Eventually, he was the only one left. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsHTilCzVfT
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPdSB7heyy2
Cel’s gaze found Hestia, waiting for her to call him over to whichever group needed another member. Hoping she’d assign him to Lior’s team.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUEugthSj2N
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNzWXAg4Lbc
But she didn’t say his name.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmq9X1HZYUr
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88g1hZom0z
Instead, she gestured to the group leaders, pulling them aside and spreading her map across a flat rock. Her finger traced the parchment, marking the location where they’d all reconvene tonight. The leaders bent close, memorizing details, asking clarifying questions about terrain features and timing.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuPqqWXcO0X
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXigAZ8UHom
Cel’s confusion deepened.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzqraUMUb1E
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgItxXMb2vb
Had she actually forgotten him? 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQgAI7I7WQ
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡczkrCxmJEx
He approached, stopping at a respectful distance and waiting for a break in the conversation. When Hestia finished explaining something about water sources, he cleared his throat.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Y1T0ybARf
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9XCK0Be3e7
“Lady Hestia.”148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjuffSZJY8F
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWRqUQMFvXx
She looked up, crimson eyes finding his without surprise.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNF8NUl4Hwm
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXrVBB3Gxz4
“You forgot to assign me to a group,” Cel said, keeping his tone formal. Careful.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcnnMf2BndS
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1sZ5Ryulfk
“No.” Her response came immediate. Certain. “You’re coming with me.”148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGWTasrGWbb
1234 copyright protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡu8DK51j2M5 尼

216.73.216.136