"Hurry!" The receptionist was already moving toward the door. "Come on!"86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMKopbp9Es3
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNclpDfCCNg
Cel matched her quick stride as they moved through the corridor. She didn't look back to see if he kept pace - just assumed he would.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSH2xBMWqdn
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVMQdYywrRN
They reached his door. She stopped, gesturing sharply.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhfBIMV8LBj
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJkqOqMzRhy
"Uniform. Now. I'll wait."86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMKnyRIASBT
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9fSKtY5ucw
Cel pushed inside and crossed to the wardrobe. The dark fabric still sat folded where he'd left it, the silver threading along the collar catching morning light from the window.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKH1dYYY9Ot
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsweYwQDmyx
He stripped off his clothes and pulled on the uniform. The fabric was stiffer than the commoner clothes he'd worn the past ten days, the collar higher. Over his heart, the silver mark of the Moon Goddess stood out against the dark cloth.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFnp9p0zqJ
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCmbaEanF5L
When he emerged, the receptionist gave him a quick once-over and nodded.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpLfFwiVwzr
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlWNDKUgFcv
"Good enough. Let's go."86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnkJtPx6MCA
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkAc6fZGhxd
She set off at a pace just short of running. Cel matched her stride easily, his divine body making the speed feel natural even as she began breathing harder.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA3eAB9BO3w
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9MKnerD3qJ
"Everyone's already gathered," she said between breaths. "You were supposed to be there twenty minutes ago. I checked your room three times this morning - where were you?"86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYAQwAVkf6s
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ErYNiz3eC
"Walking."86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfLyksXRB0X
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZraOl56FSA
She shot him a look but didn't press. They turned a corner and the main hall loomed ahead - massive oak doors standing open, voices spilling out in a dull roar.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWXkS1ux7PD
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGfrfJgkn0
The receptionist slowed as they approached. "Get in line with the others. Don't make a scene."86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJRQnFDAzOf
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyh3JfenA4p
Cel slipped through the doors.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdraJ74oiz7
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRlvazKn0IZ
The hall stretched vast and high-ceilinged. Rows of students stood in formation before a raised stage at the far end. Perhaps forty of them, all wearing the same dark uniform with silver threading. All commoners.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUro4Wc3nZH
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAYPMgZDJAE
Cel moved along the back of the formation, looking for a gap. The students were packed tight, shoulders nearly touching. He found space near the end of the fourth row and stepped into it.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkYnHxrvbdW
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQO0xMU1m2b
No one turned. No one acknowledged his late arrival. Every face pointed forward, attention fixed on the empty stage.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkm7BxXXcMk
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpkfwe2IspY
The boy to his left shifted his weight from foot to foot. His fingers drummed against his thigh in nervous rhythm.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWYTsCP9aoZ
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2r8oYa1d4c
"—heard she's really coming," a girl whispered two rows ahead. "The princess herself."86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyiHs7o4PHW
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsobWOJpGNG
"No way," a boy to her right hissed back. "That's just a rumor. Why would she—"86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpBJlLIGzod
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXiis2XvJZ
"My cousin works in the palace kitchens. She said—"86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLB2EPC56Bn
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkJOaSbtoa
"Quiet!" someone snapped from the front row.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwMSjfJnz3p
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8izJAUtO2y
The whispers died, but the energy remained - crackling tension that made the air feel charged. Bodies leaned forward slightly, as if the extra inch might let them see better when something finally happened.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXwBzrF3Lu4
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi9VUQn2ddL
A door opened at the stage's side and a man emerged - tall, gray-haired, wearing formal robes with the royal crest prominent across his chest. The headmaster. His boots clicked against the wooden platform as he crossed to the podium.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOv2VpvFBT
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe1YbkQ6mGz
The silence deepened, every fidget ceasing.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1UMzhSETh6
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2JGpWVbM84
He surveyed the assembled students. His gaze swept the rows without hurry, taking in every face. When he finally spoke, his voice carried easily across the hall.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ5kKxRoEVh
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHfpgZ4aTwu
"Welcome to the Chosen Academy. Before we begin, it is my honor to announce our distinguished guest for this year's opening ceremony."86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiXGTVtqLhm
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO0fnXCGjuW
He paused. The silence somehow deepened.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3sX6eKNViF
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcosVOiiMac
"Her Imperial Highness, Cassandra Stellarion, Princess of the Empire."86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ71VkN93enl
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYrLk1LcUqE
The whispers had been right.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy1hUIQLpzw
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3g94eNyeK
Excited murmurs rippled through the formation - quickly suppressed but unmistakable. Bodies straightened. The nervous energy transformed into something sharper, more focused.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvpGnOm3Gao
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFnLWqw4Bdn
The side door opened again.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsR7N4cZP8x
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsnuocmwEKX
She entered with practiced grace - each step measured, her posture perfect. The princess wore deep purple robes edged in gold, the royal crest embroidered across her chest in intricate detail. Deep purple hair - the same rich shade as her clothes - fell in an elegant arrangement that must have taken hours to achieve. Her features were refined, beautiful in the way that came from centuries of careful bloodline cultivation.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB9M9g5QoEU
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIdsJy8o96D
Cel had seen her once before. At the ceremony where the Emperor granted Esrin the title of Hallowed - the highest honor a Chosen could receive. The princess had stood among the other royals behind the throne, present but not prominent.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuJvfEJLBpo
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYldtOjIhBG
She looked older now. More composed. Every movement deliberate and controlled.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2PPTEdGRHg
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡikQV4RKluD
The whispers started immediately, rippling through the rows in broken fragments.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhvPNN68SCL
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDvBC5ykLw
"—actually her—"86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp9X3LFWurn
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ82X6yOTalL
"—so beautiful—"86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0UvtWwxML
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuTticIU1L5
"—can't believe—"86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGMwsrFwhze
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL1FLJFrbEd
The princess reached the podium. She let the moment breathe, her deep purple eyes sweeping across the assembled students with the same measured assessment the headmaster had used.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxAgIh8LipK
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMj1cNSrJHk
Then she smiled.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡecCFL3kwcD
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntxGYYwqhi
Warm. Genuine. The kind of expression that made people feel seen, valued.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJlErUPosiH
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQaQ7AbcerK
"Thank you, Headmaster." Her voice carried the same effortless projection, clear without being loud. "And welcome to all of you. This is a significant day - not just for the Academy, but for our Empire."86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6I4EOVFCGN
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCdmf12r3Oq
She paused, letting the weight settle.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3S4LekXPHk
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZpWSEbOyT
"Each of you has been blessed by the gods. Chosen to stand against the darkness that threatens our world. The rifts that tear reality apart. The creatures that crawl through to destroy everything humanity has built."86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡopeaAmGtU3
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUVK7Wp0wtJ
Her expression shifted - still warm, but underlaid with steel.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1PM2fmivB2
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Zc7Q3hmLq
"You are humanity's defense. Its hope. And the Academy exists to ensure you become worthy of that sacred duty."86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6q9mVVfRbi
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYrYViyk9WQ
The students around Cel leaned forward, drinking in every word. The girl two rows ahead had tears in her eyes. The boy beside Cel had stopped fidgeting entirely, standing rigid with attention.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdbGt9f8l4R
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Dq4fswKy1
Cel watched the princess's face. The fleeting expressions that flickered beneath the controlled exterior. The calculated pauses that gave her words time to land.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdBuih4nGMo
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7y5EurnXT8
This wasn't normal.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXn3WryegGo
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqRVkYFbmU
Royalty didn't attend academy openings. The Emperor had never spoken at one. The Empress hadn't either. It was beneath their station - a task delegated to the headmaster and instructors.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡulrSzDM0aJ
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZTVf3jh8CM
So why was she here?86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5JBT0eV2k8
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ89yYdZAKC7
The answer crystallized as she continued speaking.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLuCnmCUe3a
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx0zdnbNvAP
"The Empire stands at a crossroads. Threats gather both within and beyond our walls. We need strength. Unity. Chosen who understand that their power serves something greater than personal ambition."86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3SyCffcY6I
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFNRpTHskHH
There it was. Buried in platitudes about duty and service.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa390mbu97S
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBp2tcGvS5c
Recruitment.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡytBjfWSiX1
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJM7bRJWB0T
She was here to secure promising students early. To establish relationships before the nobles arrived and complicated the social dynamics. To position herself - and by extension, whichever faction she supported - as the benefactor who cared about commoner Chosen.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrWeP0gW67P
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm1LrfpEtqO
The question was which faction she supported.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuElw1DQeSX
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZdYkg8K2k
Her father, the Emperor, backed the First Prince. Her mother, the Empress, backed the Second. The princess herself couldn't inherit - only men could ascend to the Stellarion throne, following the precedent set by the First Chosen.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0gsK9f790v
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjo8oKSp0xg
"—know that I will be watching your progress with great interest," the princess was saying. "The Empire's future depends on Chosen like you. Never forget the responsibility you carry."86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1jvLtlsU1I
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk47x9ZDaWG
She stepped back from the podium. The smile returned, softer now.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡijlBsMLsh4
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"May the gods guide your path." 86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAveHPABV1u
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDfiQbX0iZn
Applause erupted - immediate, thunderous. The students clapped with desperate enthusiasm, as if the force of their approval might somehow keep her attention.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmExrzxBp6T
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDgVkiqAEHZ
The princess inclined her head graciously, then turned and walked toward the side door with the same measured grace she'd entered with.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwKaVhNM1hM
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQ5IoVyKZb
The headmaster returned to the podium as she disappeared.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiescWMwzgs
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjhdOEGzlt
"Thank you, Your Highness, for those inspiring words." He waited for the applause to fade before continuing. "Now, to practical matters. You will proceed to the dining hall for your first meal as academy students. Afterward, assemble in the main classroom where your instructor will explain the curriculum and answer questions.”86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjLg50ftZJ
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCpC3ZjIzUn
He gestured toward the hall's main exit. "Dismissed."86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4WXGl9FTFA
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm5rzEksuvm
The formation dissolved immediately. Students streamed toward the doors in clusters, voices rising as the enforced silence broke.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnV5o1RRMAB
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzOjcdrsQ0U
"My parents won’t believe—"86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK0YzCCMe1d
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0kC6ufM7fe
"—incredible speech, I got chills when she said—"86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE1eIgejdYZ
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNc8uRybZS8
"—maybe she'll visit again, do you think—"86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpdSO2Obfbh
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhjSumoUemO
Cel followed the flow through corridors that opened into a large dining hall. Long wooden tables filled the space, already set with plates and cups. The smell of fresh bread and cooked meat filled the air.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQVpg9Z80w
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtsMD3QQjTq
Students claimed seats in groups, gravitating toward familiar faces from their home territories or shared deity affiliations. Conversations continued unabated, everyone still buzzing with excitement over the princess's appearance.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnQtElFYkju
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxubiubBcPT
Cel found an empty table near the back and sat.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmkuO334PwA
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFyXRVahs7A
No one joined him. The surrounding tables filled quickly, but his remained isolated - an island of empty space in a crowded hall.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXaYnQSPTp
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSziyzcx94e
He didn't mind.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKqZFtMtP5K
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV6KKv3IiyN
Food arrived - brought by kitchen staff who moved efficiently between tables. Bread, still warm. Roasted chicken. Vegetables in some kind of sauce. 86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaE47sm6rmi
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTihgMks43o
Cel ate mechanically, tasting nothing. His mind was elsewhere, still processing the princess's speech and what it meant for the shifting political landscape.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0z1MYqWUEm
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNc05TwrBaJ
Footsteps approached. Hesitant. Uncertain.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwPV4Dvk4qu
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU4R3P65Vfk
Cel looked up.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1PGJTfTlb4
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsTcPeR6vcz
A boy stood at the table's edge, perhaps his age or slightly younger. Wheat blond hair fell across his forehead. Soft blue eyes that rarely made direct contact, currently fixed on a point somewhere past Cel's shoulder. His posture curved inward, shoulders hunched as if trying to occupy as little space as possible.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡznZSQjuoe6
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmv8FbXlhaK
The silver crescent moon over his heart caught the light.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSdTqlouncJ
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv5F6dVMxed
Another Moon Chosen.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmbgzie83QH
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6upKXMW6vJ
The boy's hands twisted together. His mouth opened, closed, opened again. Finally, words emerged - quiet, apologetic.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRoL15ynNk5
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDECQDJ1mm4
"I'm sorry to bother you, but... you're a Moon Chosen too, aren't you? I saw your mark during the ceremony and I thought maybe..."86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkwFiMa7rE3
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDDS3ep9UB9
He trailed off, uncertainty written across every feature.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgX7O1QkDbR
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUTD5J7zH7o
"Would it be alright if I sat with you?"1234 copyright protection82ＰＥＮＡＮＡtuW8QrrDa5 尼

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