The hallway was empty when Cel stepped out of his room. Early enough that most students were still sleeping, late enough that morning light filtered through tall windows and painted the wooden floors gold.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVod9RPWjoC
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUM7zkNLm0
He stepped into the hallway and started walking. 91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5vruqN2wR
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH08wlXx3Uz
The dormitory corridors eventually gave way to the main building's wider passages, and he found himself at the Academy's front entrance - massive oak doors carved with marks of the seven deities.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCyZvPaw1aR
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlK1FoJdLIu
Cel walked through and past the iron gates. The guards who'd straightened so sharply for Esrin yesterday barely glanced at him now - just another student leaving the grounds.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTMN0qHOF5R
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHRv4ovg7pZ
The city spread before him.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb6iRzYN0M3
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3PN1TasjtP
He'd walked these streets with Esrin, taking in the shops, the crowds, the constant flow of normal life. But there had been direction then. A destination. Following her steady pace through streets that parted for a Hallowed.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ0Bo4LoUwD
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCfaf0UU5aC
Now there was no destination. No goal. No one to follow. 91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOkgdzys3dx
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNc5EdzAVd5
The street stretched wide and level. Cobblestones fitted together in patterns that would've taken months to lay. Buildings rose on either side - stone and timber construction, three and four stories tall, with shop fronts on the ground level and living quarters above.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjpxxVSA3XD
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡETSuL33zdh
People were already out. A woman swept the steps of what looked like a bakery, the smell of fresh bread drifting across the street. Two men carried a heavy crate between them, grunting with effort as they maneuvered it through a narrow doorway. A child ran past chasing a leather ball, laughter trailing behind.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGhkMxrk0jx
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjxwxHjmAyA
Normal. All of it completely, impossibly normal.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg0ogMWG3yR
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMCcR7ztN1X
Cel moved along the street.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ07XN5LwssP
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3mFSiWeatE
His armored boots clicked against cobblestones. The sound felt too loud. Too present. In the Ashlands, his footsteps had been nothing but soft crunching through ash. Every other sound had been a potential threat, something to track or hide from. Here the sound just... existed. Meant nothing. Threatened nothing.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe1yGrmvskw
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzQRdcnhCi
The morning air carried a dozen scents. Bread, yes, but also horse manure from somewhere nearby. Woodsmoke from breakfast fires. Something sweet and floral from a cart selling flowers at the corner.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLEKFHnlmrL
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFHFovR2YSW
He passed the flower cart and the vendor - an older woman with weathered hands - smiled at him.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3xK6n26W9m
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp1dLh1JHEu
"Morning, young master!"91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNYIu82AjqS
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnkaqIsxbWt
Cel nodded once and kept walking.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2wSzY1JGHh
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZDyIel4bQ
Young master…91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhvHo1tnFe
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsIocZ5Y03s
He glanced down at himself. Cinderward covered him in practical brown and gray - simple by artifact standards, but still unmistakably an artifact. Anyone who looked would know immediately what he was.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUsTudSXJGJ
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOfwhaXVFtW
A Chosen.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6CpXyyEz8h
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5WONParNNV
And his snow white hair didn't help. It marked him as clearly as the armor - unnatural, distinctive, impossible to miss.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv0vzEz33FN
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgO8RJ6VcfT
The realization settled uneasily in his chest.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2445DxS3Jm
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZiNiA082my
More people appeared as he descended further into the city. The street widened into a broader avenue lined with shops. Merchants were opening shutters and arranging displays. Customers browsed early selections. Conversations hummed in the air - dozens of voices blending together into a constant murmur.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0NnBUHWYNF
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqBU1aBEH3x
And eyes found him. 91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsSN0zhxasU
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Y3O1awkWl
Not everyone. Not constant staring. But enough that he noticed.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPgBko0Owo
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZvDbJA6ySH
A merchant glanced up from arranging pottery and held his gaze a moment too long. Two women walking together turned their heads as he passed, whispering something he couldn't hear. A group of young men near a tavern entrance went quiet when he approached, resuming their conversation only after he'd moved on. 91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGx42YuymY
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTwbBHcZUEi
Yesterday, with Esrin, all eyes had been on her. The famous Hallowed commanded attention simply by existing. He'd been background noise in her presence - forgettable, invisible.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwhO7zex843
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6LbdfOOZGG
Without her, he stood out.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlEcriDhe6e
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFaltzdLeO
Cel's chest tightened. 91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqbkqn8UhO8
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYATUaDFFYf
He needed different clothing.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1RoNxK0FZX
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ75FvQr9rwJ
A shop ahead had fabric bolts displayed in the window - simple woolens and linens in earth tones. No fine silks or elaborate patterns. The kind of place that served commoners and lower merchants.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKXaEvlQp0q
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjiCvhaA1SE
Perfect.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBuGxS81sKz
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0SkzbSbzQd
The door opened with a soft chime. Inside, the space was narrow but deep, with shelves lining both walls holding folded garments and stacked fabric. An elderly man stood behind a counter at the back, squinting at a ledger.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxEKnGyTVWh
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ho4HPJgGz
He looked up when Cel entered. His gaze dropped to the armor, lingered a moment, then rose back to Cel's face.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwYgl479veO
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmLwZTmwgGv
"How may I help you, young master?"91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOEHqcXbsTe
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5mV1lWFm5S
There it was again. That assumption.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ztCDEeacH
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4GWHSoAzJZ
"Clothes," Cel said. "Nothing formal. Just normal wear for the city."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJZgpnmRTX1
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe1IvgBy04t
The shopkeeper studied him a moment - assessing size and build with an experienced eye. "Of course. Simple tunic and trousers? We have several styles..."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwFEUPIF2JU
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcvHHCoVb4J
He moved along the shelves, pulling items and laying them on the counter. Brown linen tunic. Dark gray trousers. A simple belt. All well-made but unremarkable.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHJit8tXN9
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7zcNt0zAOb
"And a cloak," Cel added. "Something with a hood."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgbaSFNdwco
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYxXUd4rVBP
The man nodded and retrieved a dark brown traveling cloak from a peg. The fabric was thick enough to ward off rain but not so heavy it would be uncomfortable in warm weather.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡven0mtnX12
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuBfRJcd5lz
"Will you be wearing them now, or shall I wrap them?"91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQzJquZK1N
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSAkiUhidWK
"Now."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxFisTenkHs
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDMPjSPhBsz
The shopkeeper gestured toward a small changing area curtained off in the corner. Cel took the bundle and stepped behind the fabric.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbXYtAIl81t
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMg8fWjoTio
Cinderward dismissed at a thought, dissolving into nothing as it returned to wherever artifacts went when unsummoned. 91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmw3NAvWbxf
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLn7R12d9RD
He pulled on the new clothes. The linen tunic was rougher than Cinderward's smooth fabric but not uncomfortable. The trousers fit well enough. The belt cinched everything in place.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHADGw3GnbC
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLtKvTz18K7
When he emerged, the shopkeeper nodded approvingly. "A good fit. Will there be anything else?"91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0NSs5bmmBV
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrY8WEQ5jkn
"No."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKL04RZLbse
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNjOR7thAW8
Cel pulled coins from the pouch he had received and counted out the price the man named. The shopkeeper accepted the payment with a small bow.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiIn5LC2HGc
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2RFIpCmkTe
"Thank you for your patronage, young master. May the gods watch over you."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡloM2MJxv7c
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgvhNT3WiK
Cel pulled the hood up as he stepped back onto the street.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRw6CMwdAZ9
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOiaAFFQ9is
Better.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS91VHWBhor
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRO5vrb1lvr
The attention didn't disappear completely - a hooded figure still drew some notice - but the weight of eyes lessened. People glanced and looked away. Normal wariness of a stranger rather than recognition of a Chosen.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTPV6kHUH1M
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQUXfV9h4Y
He could breathe easier.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLXm2DVpyM3
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡemdWN5vlwJ
The street continued downward, opening into what looked like a market square. Stalls clustered around a central fountain where water bubbled over carved stone. Vendors called out their wares - fresh fish, vegetables, leather goods, tools, trinkets.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWrYa2we3p4
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv33Lxnh4rK
Cel drifted through it all without direction.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjaliz2Ycts
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsXa1KegvjH
A weapons stall caught his eye briefly. Well-made steel displayed on cloth - daggers, short swords, a few longer blades. Nothing compared to Silent Moon, but quality work. The merchant noticed his interest and started to approach, but Cel moved on before the man could speak.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuucFiyryNu
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡisMraBaov8
Food stalls next. Roasted meat on skewers sending up fragrant smoke. Pastries glazed with honey. Some kind of soup being ladled into wooden bowls for customers who ate standing at rough tables.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrs7KtdC8qx
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡin3t0pb3je
His stomach didn't react. He'd eaten the dried meat from the Hollow Realms recently enough that hunger hadn't returned yet. But he watched the people - how they ordered, how they paid, how they ate while talking with friends or standing alone.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIRt0PHRN8g
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0TW9tgV5Mr
Normal human behavior that felt foreign.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2rhjrrvnKz
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHW4ePF2U0M
He moved through the crowd, letting the flow of bodies guide him. A woman argued with a fishmonger about prices. Two children darted between stalls playing some kind of game. An old man sat on a bench eating bread from a cloth-wrapped bundle.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQEMmz8QFEn
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTHtqVg5PX0
Then voices rose above the general market noise - clear and distinct despite the surrounding chatter.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjX8dANSV88
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAzz0ctrKuI
"—and the merchant swore it's a genuine relic! From an actual hero of the old wars!" The speaker's tone carried pure enthusiasm. "Can you imagine?"91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZZyNRBWG1
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt48VEC47Oo
Cel's gaze tracked toward the sound.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ZGwjjVo1g
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJfGawkMjK9
A young man with brown hair stood before a fabric merchant's stall, holding up a cloak. Well-tailored clothing marked him as nobility. The fabric practically glowed even in daylight. His whole posture radiated earnest excitement as he examined the crimson cloth with golden clasps.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXIoWu14sWl
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY3VTWMjUN3
The young woman beside him wore elegant green that identified her as Life Clan. Her posture was perfect - back straight, shoulders set, every movement controlled and precise. Light green hair fell in a practical braid down her shoulder.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQuG6r67Br
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzlhEhDZGCm
She looked... tired. Patient, but exhausted in a way that had nothing to do with physical fatigue.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVokz7aRWmO
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuDkAcHUDFQ
"Theron." Her voice was quiet but firm. "That's what the last four merchants told you."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHMZTMNC3iW
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTwrpR7UOuk
Several nearby shoppers had noticed the nobles in their midst. Some stared openly. Others whispered to companions while glancing over. The fabric merchant himself looked simultaneously nervous and opportunistic - aware that nobles shopping in a commoner market was unusual, but not about to miss a potential sale.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQsHd74vlwP
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrTfzopBwod
The young man - Theron - barely seemed to notice the attention. "But this one seems different! The craftsmanship is—"91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQz9wHQIbmz
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡljBesq5INh
"Do you honestly believe," the woman interrupted, "that a genuine relic would be sold at a market stall?"91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz0y4r4Ypy0
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1GNZsADfH0
Theron paused. His expression shifted through several emotions - confusion, consideration, then reluctant acknowledgment. "I... suppose that would be unlikely."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfN3YGrcMT8
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLWBZTl1SUC
"It would be impossible." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "If it were real, it would be in a noble house vault."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsRbUPR2tJi
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS6nS8DSiwZ
The merchant's face fell slightly but he maintained his smile. Theron looked at the cloak again, then carefully returned it to the display.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVAzj0g1cy6
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKzqcuKtcpf
"You're absolutely right," he said brightly. "A true hero wouldn't need relics to prove himself anyway! The heart matters, not—"91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5ILR9P2T5
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7oG3esai4b
Cel stopped listening and walked away.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcXmWC1GYh1
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwPib4oq59A
None of his business. Two nobles shopping where they didn't belong. 91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRcP2aJUwe4
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfoRTgLkYNF
He continued through the market until a shop selling books and parchment caught his eye at the square's edge. 91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1nMLUwSUFQ
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡslDeiAD4xQ
Cel pushed inside, grateful for the quieter atmosphere.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRSzusA3G0
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLZ6Tiw8dk
Shelves stretched toward the ceiling packed with bound volumes. The smell of leather, ink and old paper filled the space. A few customers browsed - a young woman reading the first pages of what looked like a romance, an older man examining what might have been a religious text.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHI6aQoKwOB
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2p0YLUwKCG
Cel moved along the shelves without touching anything. Titles he could read thanks to his basic education. Histories. Philosophical treatises. Collections of poetry. Technical manuals about everything from farming to architecture.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhtUpxeRyvc
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcXyAx7Wtm9
"Can I help you find something?"91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaHO2B8lj36
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnYhEfNRt8V
The voice came from behind. Cel turned to find a middle-aged woman in a simple dress - probably the shop owner - watching him with polite interest.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2FENWvXWue
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0214u58GdC
"Just looking."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0BflxqvtXz
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqMzp6iW5OB
She nodded and retreated to her counter, leaving him to browse.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcvkmpsjyrj
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoINEQKwgO7
He stayed a few more minutes before the enclosed space began to feel confining. Too many shelves. Too many words pressing in from all sides. 91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqafhpolvLG
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡChlFNPN80U
Back on the street, his feet carried him onward. More shops. More faces. More normal life happening around him while he drifted through it like a ghost.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0BnhftRaQw
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQp4uP1PzKf
What was he even doing?91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfycvaOLejP
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT4ZSLq4AeY
He still didn't know what brought him joy. Watching strangers shop for cloaks wasn't it. Neither was browsing books he'd never read or staring at weapons he didn't need.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoPHeaPWKNd
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpjMfVD4VRs
Maybe joy wasn't something he could find. Maybe—91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqANkcExfA
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJBSgRJWyfP
A symbol caught his eye.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPReZVIyxa
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2oqvv9yI0r
Silver against dark stone. Carved into the wall of a building down the street.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKduGQBgz6R
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJIFD41d2Mv
A crescent moon cradling a perfect circle, with star-like points radiating outward and wing-like curves at the base.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqHqV6aoDVE
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAc0Ke9vmei
The Moon Goddess's mark.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQMGx0tguDL
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeyAPGG10xY
Cel stopped walking.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3suN7talL
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡksrAkSsadM
The building was modest compared to some of the grand structures he'd passed - two stories of gray stone with narrow windows. But the mark was prominent, positioned above heavy wooden doors that stood partially open.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvOdVrZLVOQ
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2upueeIlk1
A church.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4tiSNBHGWx
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuS1egQSr1K
Understanding clicked into place.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmizBq90K2R
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadLnq1JEov
The capital city. Seat of the Stellarion Empire. Neutral ground where no deity was worshipped above the others.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEwgGqqQcFv
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuw04srAez5
And because this was neutral ground, all seven deities had churches here. Even the Moon Goddess.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCxMalOcCa6
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqhjomnweKo
This might be the only church devoted to her on the entire continent.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ32saSoGZ04
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwwVQDQNT4Y
His feet moved before he made a conscious decision.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUoNavHLEw1
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhotxNzeSLS
The wooden doors were old but well-maintained. Someone cared for this place even if few visited. Cel pushed through and stepped inside.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDzfn5PsR5N
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡylszgoYyEb
The interior was simple. Stone walls without elaborate decoration. Rows of wooden benches facing toward the far end where a raised platform held a single statue.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwGTjrPOIdF
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlgb27qkbd6
The Moon Goddess's mark again - this time rendered in pale stone that seemed to glow faintly in the dim light filtering through high windows. It stood taller than a person, carved with such devotion that every detail was perfect.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU5HDWRApUX
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoqAYdMyfSA
The space was quiet. Empty except for—91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxCpEe8DyNa
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqTANDWjVX
Except for the single figure kneeling before the statue.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgusWezbpY2
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuMnP172N60
A young woman in a simple blue dress. Bluish-black hair fell past her shoulders as her head bowed in prayer. Hands clasped before her. Shoulders curved in a posture that spoke of genuine devotion rather than ceremonial duty.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdL64FRhtyK
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3rTBqnMJxf
She knelt perfectly still. Silent. Lost in whatever words she offered to the goddess.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBrmrUzBLRD
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJeYMUcFjm
Something about the shape of her shoulders, the way her hair fell, the angle of her head felt… familiar.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq0knABBQG2
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjhOvcduACd
Cel's breath stopped.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl03bQdkYSE
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7JeOxedImk
No.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO3H1O19fJR
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR6WuSCYjfH
It couldn't be.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWYmUjnQA5N
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAs0FmuqJ1S
The woman shifted slightly, adjusting her position. Her profile came into view for just a moment - delicate features, pale skin, a face he'd seen every day for the first fifteen years of his life before everything shattered.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM93f7fbHl7
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU5a2wdcCq1
Lyra.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtYBj8bYLBt
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgxG3ruuaxz
His little sister.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj5z5fXCrqp
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6p76KpWeh7
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp9rnLP3p1t
----91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJZxVETvGH1
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSt6ClkqmnA
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYRKQERhXtx
1234 copyright protection87ＰＥＮＡＮＡyd9CBujecr 尼

Heyho, Author here^^1234 copyright protection87ＰＥＮＡＮＡNPRhjFv2MF 尼

I just wanted to give you a short reminder that you can always read up to 5 Chapters ahead on my page: celastos-shop.fourthwall.com1234 copyright protection87ＰＥＮＡＮＡEzldFEhDmb 尼

216.73.216.241