Cel sat on the bed's edge, staring at nothing.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz8F0W4v7ft
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡakSXmGKYQh
The room was quiet. Too quiet. No whisper of ash settling. No distant tremors beneath the ground. Just the muffled sounds of the Academy beyond his walls - footsteps in corridors, voices too distant to understand, the creak of old wood settling.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ3m0pAPh0x
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His fingers traced patterns on his thigh without conscious thought. Small circles that meant nothing.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnlqrBofaM5
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKzkAeXPjgX
'The Reckoning.'101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn2pcmmkSR5
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTv2BeuVS18
The name felt strange in his mind. An organization that hunted corrupt Chosen. That killed those who believed power placed them above consequence.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkdvRhDqLRZ
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp4WABfV4bn
Noble work. Necessary work, maybe.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZs3KfbOu1k
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPotii7Oi6y
But killers nonetheless.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3MQjd5Ag3O
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His jaw tightened.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebSGZQyvlZ
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYjuGTGQxcj
They'd voted on whether he lived or died like it was choosing what to have for dinner. Four votes to kill him. Four to let him join.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP0zmhl0vpK
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRJX68ee2h
'Would they have done it? If Veyron had sided with Draven?'101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNTOIXGYl8G
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxo4H9ZZt8x
The answer was obvious. Yes. Without hesitation. Esrin might have stopped them - or she might not have. The vote existed to prevent exactly that kind of conflict.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIYO5owSTyt
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfi0vyJ41PE
His hands curled into fists.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9vGTETFtQ
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdQWLNVrunZ
He'd joined an organization that had nearly executed him. That operated with the kind of cold pragmatism that reminded him too much of his father.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoXwkOrm6b6
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtNOSgsttsS
'But they fight people like him.'101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJPF5ou1pKX
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg7OhOI3l2Z
The thought arrived with uncomfortable clarity. The Reckoning existed because powerful Chosen abused that power. Because the law failed when divine favor was involved.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm49upyo01U
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpuvAYnrpg2
His father had beaten him nearly to death. Had sold him to cultists that used him for their twisted experiments. Had done it all knowing his position in the Sun Clan made him untouchable.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0PanVY6Qff
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Olb5peCtL
If the Reckoning had known…101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWowKK2lRTL
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdWKhhgP4AF
Cel's breath came harder.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEdsccJ1bu8
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Y64xDfpMG
Would they have killed him? 101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxJqrwkDjBt
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxGbD9JjgO
The answer should have been obvious. But the question wouldn't settle.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFzel2Ug4DY
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Axmze7job
He pushed himself off the bed and moved to the window.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi3kcB141YO
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnzy2IAirTi
The Academy grounds stretched below. Beyond the walls, the street continued - cobblestones, shops, people moving through their afternoon routines.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKUM7BJ66kD
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo3w001QX9d
Normal. Peaceful. Safe.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDU8La6rwJ6
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcDE3E8KEfe
Everything the Hollow Realms wasn't.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNDAymKtXpU
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR43IjMW9e1
His reflection stared back from the glass - white hair, pale skin, eyes that looked older than sixteen had any right to be.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6GvbU8qCR2
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC9wnTsBRSN
'No Divine Energy.'101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKDiv1xiH4T
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs8ToJh5Jum
The thought made his stomach twist.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWTrYs9gMc
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ9f68kdgxc
He'd assumed he was simply bad at sensing it. That his talent was so poor he couldn't feel what every other Chosen felt naturally. A limitation. A weakness.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡETNK76Dvkm
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5QDskdByZ3
But the Reckoning had revealed something else.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8eFqDwDCq
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7Pf2f1aKt
An artifact, they'd assumed. Something suppressing his divine signature so completely that even other Chosen couldn't sense him.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXDHWSjsMqk
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSPTTaafjR
Except there was no such artifact. 101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ04bsYrIqti
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg90nutH6F0
Cel's hand dropped to the windowsill. He focused, reaching for Frostmark the way he always did - through intent alone, bypassing the energy he couldn't sense.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡETb5wNVXvr
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4JboeJm5pe
Frost erupted beneath his touch, spreading across the wood in delicate patterns that branched and crystallized. 101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4R02pF7siK
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4PjIUDzgCU
Cold bit into his palm. He pulled his hand back, flexing fingers against the ache.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZmrIawU2cc
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJxsDOfFxht
The frost remained, permanent and gleaming.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV0IKOj0OgD
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMl2Ocs4Kcy
'How?'101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiY93OsbORn
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkaPqNIKhV9
How could he be blessed without Divine Energy? How could he use authorities without the fuel to activate them?101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPzBlQ4Lcx
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkY6QoHJXnW
It made no sense.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1wmhPsOowK
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡia9KOhDazR
A Chosen who couldn't sense Divine Energy shouldn't exist. Much less a Chosen who had none.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1rJFsvMbTS
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJJqpow9NBq
Yet here he stood.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRZaYFJKkZN
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBjnITtGf8w
Blessed by the Moon Goddess. Able to summon artifacts and authorities. But lacking the energy that should make it all possible.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtaDTp5B84e
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaPRxfzMHvz
'What the hell am I?' The question hung in the silence.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa40xwaDRTP
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡohQBjcdG4k
Something was wrong with him. Something fundamental that even the goddess's blessing hadn't fixed.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaajgLLhkSN
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9xLxWOLPIO
Or… hadn't needed to fix.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7k5FHV8Fb
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzyOFTnTWN7
Maybe it wasn't a flaw to be corrected.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc2hiMWsvVX
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYkoW4Vsnb
Maybe it was simply... what he was.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJmKkAmxPf
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtJ61bvxLWh
Cel turned from the window, his gaze tracking across the sparse room. Bed. Desk. Wardrobe. Basin.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG0c2Axt5gn
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1F9Ny4wdfh
His entire world, now.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBd7VjqEav
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡncTGY5kCkQ
And Raven…101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp8waLWHkTw
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡppH0Fubv0c
The name settled in his chest like a stone.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWSEDkp9MCQ
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfdADYUcuSq
Raven was the Prince of Death. A prodigy who'd infiltrated the Sun Clan's stronghold and murdered their greatest talent - someone blessed by a Divine Oracle, just like Cel.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvO82nC8RRX
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUKlzuFvHGT
That parallel made his skin prickle.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1jvJu3LaFW
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSKRgqUtbrr
What could drive someone to throw away everything? Title, clan, divine favor, family - all of it abandoned to become Cursed and commit murder.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6x9P2Aqnic
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzEbyzmFeWb
The expedition to the Western Continent. Something had happened there.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1J8eq1LAGc
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzyF2HgdWPS
But what?101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtrG2QjGMb4
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0C4xzYKI08
And why kill the Sun Clan's prodigy specifically? Was it personal? Political? Something else?101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS7kYxb6TNj
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGlbos2WpBe
Cel sank onto the bed's edge, elbows on his knees.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNARmh9EpFG
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXGW9UQV7Wg
Raven had helped him. Protected him from creatures that should have killed them both. Had done it all knowing Cel was Chosen - knowing most Chosen would try to kill him on sight.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxCoBgOIetk
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJjXhofoeNM
He'd even told Cel to trust Esrin. To seek her protection.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Z22AlXesE
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0kG6SR7gD
Even knowing she hunted him.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd2Fj1Ln3uL
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhruQ83gL2d
That wasn't evil.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIwwZLEwFJH
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXGaSk8ISYW
But cold-blooded murder wasn't good either.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgpFJyEN216
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvPAWQOVORf
The contradiction refused to resolve. Maybe there were no good or bad people - just broken ones making choices that seemed right in the moment.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXWkkep3F1e
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzhlbPFuS8i
Or maybe Cel was rationalizing because Raven had shown him kindness when no one else had.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Xp5PLILEP
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡls9WUSSGW8
He pressed his hands against his face.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoK5aPgsyZZ
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoJvXxl1QtG
If Raven appeared again... if the Reckoning ordered him to help hunt someone who'd saved his life…101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6roxkguYiL
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv52hScKqTT
What was he supposed to do?101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKm94j30dGj
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlTGU9Y1Lw3
The room felt too small suddenly. Confining. Like the walls were pressing in.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ljuz94X5E
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh42mKSOP4L
He needed answers. Real answers, not speculation or half-formed theories.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1an1XyNq6F
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM1fTWOxGqH
And there was only one person who might have them.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK13yCnGR1n
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXjzXvkGgGA
Cel closed his eyes and reached inward.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2eJktdlNz5
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9xwXyZF1m
The world shifted.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnAVf9YYHLm
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr7RKX5JjUH
Cracked earth materialized beneath his feet. Mist swirled in gentle currents around his legs. Small flowers with bluish-white petals bloomed from small fissures, reaching toward the full moon that hung above.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ14os4f33yb
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAAKIHwPwaw
Footsteps approached through the mist.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTciaLGsVw6
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhKjRUnJHx
Selina emerged with that same graceful certainty, white robes trailing through the haze. Her silver mask caught moonlight, reflecting it in pale crescents. Below, her lips curved in a serene smile.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGRe3LfQ0SK
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj2QAmTnbsg
"Welcome back, Chosen One."101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFGOqk7Afh
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgG8BKGT33
The greeting was gentle. Patient. A small anchor of certainty in everything that felt chaotic.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQHi0qzEnLm
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWR9SlTVu4G
Cel's throat worked. Where to even start?101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ6qGwkU3iT
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnx3B7P86R1
"I need to ask you something." The words came rougher than intended. 101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5pLQSA2cDU
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKtyvxbygSB
"Of course," Selina said simply.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGdxJGfv9B2
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ17rcg7PjZ9
"About the Reckoning. Are they..." He paused, searching for the right question. "They hunt corrupt Chosen. Kill them when the law fails. Is that justice? Or just violence?"101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDKZVI2iPel
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx2vFgqnL7Y
Selina tilted her head slightly, already understanding where his thoughts had taken him. "An interesting question. But perhaps the wrong one."101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFOwKwYGBqi
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8YgrYFQwNM
Cel blinked.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQy1RsCbvRa
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrnYxcsEesn
"What do you mean?"101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeSVRDTi7jK
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ5zMJX80S4
"Organizations are not inherently good or evil, Chosen One. They are simply structures. Frameworks built by people to achieve certain ends." She gestured gracefully with one hand. "What defines them - what truly matters - are the individuals who comprise them. Their intentions. Their values. Their choices."101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWhTYYEVjKk
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjkTrs6XeH9
Cel's shoulders drew back. "So you're saying I should judge them by their members, not their stated purpose?"101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡefElC2fxed
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPSeq3JgGu
"I am saying that the Reckoning is what its people make it." Her tone remained gentle but carried weight. "Some may be driven by genuine desire for justice. Others by vengeance. Still others by the simple thrill of power over those who once held power over them." She paused. "Judge each person for themselves. Not the banner they stand beneath."101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbydTAga5rE
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxZM4FLFxyL
The answer settled in his chest, heavy and uncomfortable.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhM1ndNj6d4
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEk0eT3buAP
It meant he couldn't just accept or reject the Reckoning wholesale. Couldn't trust them or dismiss them as a group.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpUQnng16vo
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkvrepNgdpb
He'd have to evaluate each member individually. Decide who deserved his trust and who didn't.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxEfQzPQsdA
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBGemkmefPV
Exhausting.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ33pocKSYsU
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxfNe9h2iEd
But probably wise.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAtvNMRNN2u
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyRFhV7eNfi
"I have another question," he said finally. "About my… condition."101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfwK3KzUXmh
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtmecrF1653
Selina's attention shifted, becoming more focused.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZo8gwdqt2O
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaaNk6Y3fMR
"The Reckoning said I have no Divine Energy." The words felt strange in his mouth. Wrong. "Not suppressed. Not hidden. Just... absent." He met her masked gaze. "How is that possible? How can I manifest abilities without the power to fuel them?"101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkV7zOs7mBb
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ulC6YiSRX
Silence answered him101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5nqnM1ZbXk
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSydXIMUz8A
When Selina finally spoke, that familiar note of regret colored her voice. "I am sorry, Chosen One. That does not lie within my authority."101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDFDOFtW5An
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKPA0NVAyn8
Cel's hands clenched into fists. "So I'm just supposed to figure it out myself? Stumble around blind until I happen to understand why I'm—why I'm broken?"101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ791y7QqPzN
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8p8dPv5l4Y
"You are not broken."101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy1njWEuNGs
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfU8oCOLJ7a
The certainty in her voice stopped him cold.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡky1CkwMseH
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9zEP7wbO57
Selina took a step closer, silver mask tilted toward him with what felt like infinite patience.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7PUUpTnlII
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXrvwqcz2lO
"You are different, Chosen One. That is not the same as flawed. The goddess chose you knowing exactly what you are. She blessed you not despite your nature, but because of it. Whatever answer you seek regarding your condition, you will find it when the time is right. Not before."101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc7kV3perP9
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMe6dJ0GUUK
The frustration burning in his chest didn't dissipate, but something about her tone made him swallow the angry response forming on his tongue.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT841kYMDHc
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpyQ3aaJqoe
She was right.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP8sYIOuRBf
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiOPv7Vs0jq
He didn't like it. Hated it, actually.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsN1B69c6T4
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTx2egUcDLY
But she was right.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkoHQbbbMMH
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwY2OjEwu7w
"Fine." The word came out clipped. "Then what about Raven?"101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIwiYpCUs0a
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZrqCDwHUWX
Selina's posture shifted subtly. Still graceful, still poised, but... guarded in a way she'd never been before.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ81NVUHv19I
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVyPoYzMHk5
"You told me to be careful," Cel pressed. "What did you mean? Should I trust him? Avoid him?"101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxuLY3uANJV
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE04C08Nc2y
The mist curled around their feet, moving in slow spirals across cracked earth.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM23pu7i3KS
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn78pIw0IRi
"I cannot share more than I have already told you, Chosen One." Her tone carried genuine regret. "Raven's path is his own, and the choices he has made - the reasons behind them - are not mine to reveal." She paused. "What I can tell you is this: the young man you met in the Ashlands is dangerous. Not because he wishes you harm, but because the forces surrounding him are complex. Volatile."101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVcnCkdNynD
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwp0T103zf9
The implication made his stomach twist.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuIlyoxrcQF
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwjRfFhNDRv
"Dangerous how? To me? To others?"101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFDDdwj0U6e
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsgQxR4wNdA
"I think," Selina said carefully, "that you should stay away from him if your paths cross again."101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS55h7ITZVs
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡagY65kQShx
The advice settled over him like cold water.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHZAZ2MscM7
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Cel turned away, his gaze tracking across the cracked earth. Flowers swayed in wind that shouldn't exist here, their petals catching moonlight.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqLFVpGgdJN
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Behind him, Selina's posture relaxed slightly, the guardedness fading back into her usual gentle presence.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQqSlIJOuw
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"Is there anything else, Chosen One?"101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs4yO5IngXT
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Cel was silent for a long moment, his gaze fixed on the cracked earth at his feet.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT47AHPNg2r
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"What am I supposed to do?" The words came out quieter than he'd intended. Almost vulnerable.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMMsMX2QTcF
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For a heartbeat, Selina simply watched him, her presence calm and unhurried.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaKuKi47dfR
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When she finally spoke, her voice carried an almost playful tone. "Nothing at all."101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRlHcTHzJuF
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Cel blinked, momentarily thrown off balance. 101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc6z9sMflHE
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"Rest, Chosen One. Enjoy the peaceful time you have been given. Do the things that bring you joy, or that you have always wished to try."101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmkmDYQQmrr
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Cel stared at her, confusion written across his face. "I don't—what?"101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCqrtJaaPD0
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2BsRpZdWHs
"You have fought enough. Survived enough. Bled enough." She leaned closer, her voice dropping to something softer. "Learn to live too."101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc9WzaDnrGB
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The words landed like something foreign. Incomprehensible.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5lbgsnm5FW
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmptUIQrMBK
Live.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt0OtL9pbhk
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Not fight. Not survive. Not train or prepare or become stronger.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3CuTX4ie8t
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Just... live.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4YNGnGFNy
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"I don't understand," Cel said slowly. "The Academy starts in ten days. I need to master my abilities. Learn to control my strength. Figure out how to—"101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwvMnJW0GXv
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"You need," Selina interrupted gently, "to remember what it feels like to be human. Not just a weapon. Not just a survivor." She paused. "When was the last time you did something simply because it brought you joy?"101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSJU0i9vP0m
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The question stopped him cold.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1YEKRu0BV3
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When? Before the beating? Before his Divine Calling?101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW8D4VEjM8K
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Had he ever?101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡawqJkb8AfR
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His throat felt tight. "I don't know how."101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt10ZwYbBYD
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"Then now is the perfect time to learn." There was no judgment in her tone. Only understanding. "Ten days, Chosen One. Ten days to discover what brings you peace. What makes you smile. What reminds you that you are more than the trials you have survived."101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxMl0cR4fQc
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"Like what?" The question came out helpless.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbXlpCR2SHs
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"Start small." Selina's hand lifted, gesturing toward the moon above. "Watch the moon. Walk through the city without searching for threats. Speak with someone because you want to, not because you need something from them." She lowered her hand. "Let yourself be bored. Let yourself be curious."101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡilM6h5xoy1
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The suggestions felt absurd. Frivolous.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNlCixtoQ0f
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Dangerous, even.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiANclaVRUy
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But something in his chest loosened at the thought.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP7j7JP4qUF
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"I don't know if I can," he admitted.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfJeNv6biTB
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"You can." Selina's certainty was absolute. "You simply need to give yourself permission."101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡScoh0wqYcT
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Silence stretched between them, broken only by the soft rustle of flowers swaying in the mist.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxuTLH6Zhpx
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Eventually, Cel nodded once. Not agreement, exactly. Just acknowledgement that he'd heard her.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkSW5uZB6g
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"Thank you," he said quietly.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGW3lt9YyQD
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"You are welcome, Chosen One."101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaPYUMNpIMw
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Selina's smile brightened - genuine warmth transforming her serene expression into something radiant. The moonlight seemed to gather around her, highlighting the elegant curve of her mask, the graceful line of her throat, the way her white robes moved like water with each small shift of her posture.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqAH2k28KfI
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It was…101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW8E32VzFoo
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Beautiful. She was beautiful.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYw2DqVlV1P
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He'd known that, objectively. But knowing something and truly seeing it were different things entirely.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ37gz29WRI
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Heat crawled up his neck, sudden and unwelcome.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡReSYF3qJBd
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"Chosen One?" Selina tilted her head slightly, that radiant smile still in place. "Is something wrong?"101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIE6K3r4lYB
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"No," he said too quickly. "Nothing.” 101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdZINVsx4kM
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Cel's gaze jerked away, desperate for somewhere - anywhere - else to look.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdaCZ1hoKSi
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His eyes landed on the divine monolith standing behind her, its surface gleaming with pale light.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQRmcIHhDpe
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Right. The achievement. He'd heard the Divine Voice earlier, hadn't he? When Esrin brought him through that rift.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSdNj9nlixw
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Perfect.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkp6c1GohZB
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"Actually—" Cel gestured toward the monolith, seizing the excuse like a lifeline. "I just remembered. New achievement. I should probably check that before I go."101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWZ1v5HRuvh
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"Of course," Selina said, and was it his imagination, or did her tone carry a hint of amusement?101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ27Q6WsL2k8
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Cel didn't look back to check. He was already moving toward the monolith, his steps perhaps a bit quicker than necessary.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYhxVFCPU1s
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Behind him, he could have sworn he heard the softest sound - barely audible.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0BggQctJZQ
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A quiet chuckle.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSq0vk0vfQ1
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His face burned hotter.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpkHT4K71CX
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The monolith's surface rippled as he approached, text forming in that familiar script:101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrOiyFWZhle
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXligpUSk4
<Name: Celvian>101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡesJaielkjb
<Paragons: (Heir to the Moon) (White Death)>101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhRLcJq3vqk
<Artifacts: (Silent Moon) (Cinderward)>101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zF2q68WSV
<Insights: (Ledger of Nightmares)>101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMoCXRRGfDk
<Achievements: (2)>1234 copyright protection97ＰＥＮＡＮＡtoETD0SZmg 尼

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