The silence in his room pressed down on him, suddenly oppressive. The evening light filtering through his window felt wrong somehow - too dim, too uncertain.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWzAscJ9HKn
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Cel closed the Ledger with deliberate care. The moment his grip loosened, it dissolved into faint motes of light that faded into nothingness.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS01d6lSJTY
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaIDmdpAVqt
He needed answers.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ6E8WHLTcQ
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He closed his eyes and reached inward.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRpY7uxorF7
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfS6108ictf
The cracked earth materialized beneath his feet. Mist curled around his ankles in familiar patterns. Small flowers with bluish-white petals swayed despite the absence of wind, their blooms catching moonlight.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAw067nMZOP
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Footsteps approached through the haze.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgRCldIYdN2
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Selina emerged, her white robes drifting through the mist. Her silver mask caught the moon's radiance, and below it, her lips curved in a serene smile.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVSI6Q1c299
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"Welcome back, Chosen One."75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡitiu5Fn1UH
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Cel didn't waste time on pleasantries. "The trial. Was it real?"75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdehY0cFQ2g
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Her expression didn't change, but something in her posture suggested she'd been expecting the question.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzC8r4nvAQW
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"Yes and no," she said simply.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDJUtqQqmQU
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The answer settled over him like fog - present but impossible to grasp.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvkOfibHtNP
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"What does that mean?"75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkR0gykui07
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Selina's hands folded at her waist. Silence stretched between them, broken only by the soft rustle of flowers swaying in the mist.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW0q4Ti1r3g
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When she finally spoke, her tone carried quiet finality. "I am sorry, Chosen One. That does not lie within my authority."75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7jwg7LswE
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5mmQo5Pw0P
Cel's jaw tightened. The same answer she always gave when questions pressed too close to divine truth.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPC6FfF4xt
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFK7IVrtSfS
He tried another approach. "The Crystal Monarch. Was that a real drake?"75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFeAmsplvGl
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"It was."75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡprugz9wpzo
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"And the Moon Goddess killed it?"75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqR3GuiQc11
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzkzPoTJvUk
"She did."75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9TCdYmtCxy
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Something shifted in Selina's expression as she spoke - subtle, almost imperceptible. But it was there. Her shoulders straightened slightly. Her chin lifted. The serene smile deepened into something warmer, more genuine.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1VfjPsEs2p
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Pride.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQmK2izKk6D
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Not the cold satisfaction of victory, but something fiercer. More personal. The kind of pride that came from absolute faith in someone you served.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡceB08N32Aq
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSBYv9N3eh2
It was the first time Cel had seen that particular emotion from her. Selina, who maintained perfect composure through every conversation, who guided him with patient certainty - she was proud of her goddess in a way that went beyond duty or devotion.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ71dSpNv7cY
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The realization settled in his chest with unexpected weight.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9gN8KaRvFi
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The simple confirmations felt inadequate. But when Selina said nothing more, Cel realized he wouldn't get detailed explanations. Not about why the goddess had intervened personally, not about what the drake's final creation had been, not about any of the mysteries the legacy had raised.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3S11rEpbLv
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He forced himself to move past it.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHPrm0UDZ3f
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"What do I do now?" The words came out rougher than intended. “Now that the ten days are over."75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ87Jo4TH3zN
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgIemDyrIyJ
Selina's expression softened, the pride fading back into gentle patience. "Did you find something you enjoy? Something that brings you peace?"75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnz8XYI8my
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2XsPrfhEYL
The question pulled at memories from the past ten days. Wandering the city. The church. The tavern.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOa6CzdssfI
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His sister's face surfaced first - the way she'd smiled when he'd told her about the Moon Goddess. The genuine warmth in her voice when she'd said she hoped to see him again. Those brief conversations where he could pretend, just for a few minutes, that they were simply two believers sharing faith rather than siblings separated by death and resurrection.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZddF24mpIx
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"I like talking to my sister," he said quietly.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnuJ8bpzA1H
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"And the tavern." Cel continued. "It's... comfortable there.."75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRiOV3WxKkh
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He left out the third thing. 75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSNEro3DTo8
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Talking to Selina herself. The way she listened without judgment, offered guidance without condescension, existed as a point of certainty in a world that made no sense.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyuPQ1aq01g
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"I'm sorry," he added after a moment. "That's all I found. Just two things."75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡojjvJHlySo
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Selina's smile deepened - genuine warmth transforming her serene expression into something radiant.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC9UX1qgOqo
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpIWRaGnC1o
"Even one thing would be more than enough, Chosen One."75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPTNObzWdUq
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Her voice carried absolute sincerity.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTI0TM1wfK
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"The goal is not to accumulate pleasures like coins in a purse. It's simply to experience joy at all. To allow yourself moments of peace without guilt or justification."75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr92oyN7VAz
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzCIguCuGpY
The words settled in his chest with unexpected weight. He'd been bracing for disappointment - for her to tell him he should have tried harder, found more, done better. Instead, she seemed pleased.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOUW9MI34hY
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"What's next, then?" Cel asked. 75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjgOr1NlVSF
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Selina was quiet for a moment, as if considering her response carefully.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEHu3um1tvV
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wm9yXGKwf
"The next step is to find out who you are."75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVZWrTVoFmP
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Cel blinked.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKlmPwpx6n1
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"I..." He started, then stopped. The answer seemed obvious. Almost insultingly simple. "I'm an abandoned noble child. A Moon Chosen. That's—"75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzS4R180AWV
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"Chosen One." Selina's voice remained gentle, but carried enough weight to stop him mid-sentence. She stepped closer, moonlight seeming to gather around her. "You don't need to give me an answer."75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOWRBQzorMv
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His mouth closed.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0lE5B2eakO
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"The task is not to deliver a satisfying response that I can acknowledge and approve." Her masked gaze held his. "The task is to find an answer for yourself."75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsrerm0pKvB
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Silence stretched between them. Cel's hands curled at his sides.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpe4AeMMA6J
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"I don't understand."75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxQuleTELqh
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"You will." Selina's tone carried certainty that felt almost tangible. "Take your time. Let the question settle. See what surfaces when you're not searching for it."75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyyjZTvFyMX
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The mist curled around their feet, patterns shifting without reason.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ruw7sO6tA
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"Is there anything else, Chosen One?"75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡugB9V4iW75
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Cel shook his head slowly.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCbamqybf97
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"Then rest well." Her smile brightened once more. "May the Moon Goddess light your path."75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR8C3QayuZT
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The familiar blessing wrapped around him as he closed his eyes and reached for the boundary.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMZ1c0Xs9hT
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The room materialized around him with jarring immediacy. Narrow bed. Empty desk. Walls that pressed in from all sides.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVglkfz9Z34
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡayKLXxxNUT
Cel sat on the bed's edge, staring at nothing in particular.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIELYccGUur
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6xxfzBiM3H
‘Who am I?’75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTfCMb1Dcew
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The question circled through his thoughts like a persistent insect. Simple. Direct. And he had answers.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdDFhYOJPYv
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGMV61WYV6
He was an abandoned noble child. Lord Aldric of House Solmar had thrown him away the moment the wrong deity claimed him. That was just fact.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvxnZ84ar5N
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBAEGl2nRwR
He was a Moon Chosen. The mark sat between his shoulder blades, whole and unmarred. Undeniable.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFCiAOY5ZaP
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfNkGBw04D
He was the Heir to the Moon Goddess. The paragon's name said it clearly enough.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7vdpeLFphr
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIMrJcTtdzI
He was a Chosen guided by a Divine Oracle. Selina stood in his soul, the highest authority beneath the gods themself.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiCIMgiIgdD
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeu2i8ZjEhU
He was one of few Chosen who'd survived a journey through the Hollow Realms. Most who entered either died or went mad. He'd done both and come back anyway.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9t9VWUSeYX
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgP63Nc0dgs
He was a member of the Reckoning. Ninth rank. White Death. An assassin in an organization that hunted corrupt Chosen.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOv0ne7ybHC
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlGQZncnsFG
He was an Academy student. Enrolled. Expected at morning assembly.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW62QvNCDiw
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The list felt complete. Accurate. These were the things that defined him - the truths of his existence laid out in neat categories.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb0GM0wxlLL
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpDDGT3iGiO
So why did the question still felt unanswered?75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1dfmGM4Nsx
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His fingers drummed against his thigh, restless.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf2lMQ3BkId
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Cel pushed himself off the bed and moved to the window.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3cATT0VrOg
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Night had fallen completely while he'd been in his soul. The Academy grounds lay quiet beneath moonlight, paths empty and still. Beyond the walls, the capital glowed with scattered lamplight - windows bright against darkness, signs of life continuing without him.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNZCoPmcrRf
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The waning moon hung overhead, bright and clear.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCr5L3A3iUI
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Energy flooded through him immediately - Lunar Vigor filling his veins with effortless power. His muscles responded, tension draining away as strength settled into bone and sinew.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCAfS5G6FaN
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Thanks to Eternal Witness, he had the whole night.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBoPBDfZOhf
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Cel's gaze tracked toward where he knew the training grounds waited, dark and empty.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTJ297p17A
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He moved to the door.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZnflwuidFV
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The training grounds stood silent beneath moonlight. Empty weapon racks lined one wall. Archery targets at the far end. The packed earth center stretched wide and unmarked.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaUUyDEVeJg
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Cel crossed the threshold, boots crunching softly against dirt.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxrZ2m2TT7q
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjf2x1p0rix
No one would notice. The Academy slept. Guards patrolled the outer walls, not internal courtyards. And even if someone saw him…75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkGeBp1gsrP
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He was a Chosen. Training at odd hours wouldn't raise questions.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtCi4QM6sc3
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡncidcnlQ8o
Moonlight poured down across the open space, silver and clear. Lunar Vigor surged stronger here - no walls to block the light, no ceiling to filter its strength. Power hummed beneath his skin like a second heartbeat.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcaOgH9p2Kp
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His hand moved instinctively toward the bond with Silent Moon—75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLkBp16giQ
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Then stopped.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa7SEoL7yRu
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Instructor Calder's words surfaced in his memory - about base strength, about how enhancements multiplied what was already there. How doubling nothing still left you with nothing.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxwOFCxXlss
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The foundation. Everything started there.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwePs5iwh9Z
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And beneath Calder's recent lesson lay older memories - fragments from childhood training. His weapons instructor drilling the basics into him before he'd ever been allowed near a real blade.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKrzc82R27o
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The Moon Goddess had forged him a new body. But that didn't mean the foundation was complete. Didn't mean it couldn't be strengthened further.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaXubzt8iMC
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His hand dropped.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvrIviLO7NB
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Basic training first.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPMldbTGVBs
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His hands moved to the Academy uniform's collar. The fabric separated easily, buttons coming undone with soft clicks. He shrugged the top off and set it aside on a nearby bench.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl5VPRBUpxq
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Cool night air touched bare skin. The divine mark between his shoulder blades caught moonlight.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4nMG7KcsSY
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Cel looked down at himself.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXDnJ9IE1t5
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Lean muscle defined his arms and chest - nothing excessive, but present. Real.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVmkZlFNp8B
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He'd seen his reflection in mirrors and windows, but he'd never actually looked. Never examined what the Moon Goddess had given him when she forged this new body.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZReru9t28
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His fingers traced along his forearm, feeling the subtle shift of muscle. No scars. No marks of torture. Just... smooth skin.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnbMBSXehKt
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It still felt strange. Like wearing someone else's skin.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3C1I6bCC3P
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Cel moved to the center of the training ground and began.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjmz6sFFxb1
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Hours blurred together.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqFga7hRpT
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Push-ups until his arms trembled. Squats until his legs burned. Planks that tested endurance. 75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1hvxmKsCM3
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh3pyztDRHA
The moon tracked overhead, marking time in silver light.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV00XezIMtY
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Sweat coated his skin. His breathing came hard and fast. The pleasant ache of exertion settled deep into muscle and bone.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ749HtIec6d
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He worked through the exercises methodically, the same way he'd been taught as a child. No wasted movement. No shortcuts. Just pure, fundamental training that built strength from the ground up.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaiBwyBZbQl
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Eventually, the sky began to lighten at the edges - darkness bleeding to gray, then pale gold as dawn approached.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGvlhcyjYG3
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Cel straightened from his final set, chest heaving. Sweat dripped from his chin onto packed earth.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5l4ejL5gl
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He felt... something. Barely noticeable. A faint satisfaction that came from work completed rather than exhaustion overcome.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoDmgcJzx4A
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His divinely forged body had taken everything he'd thrown at it through the night and emerged with only the mildest acknowledgment that effort had been expended.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtXlqpn6jhC
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Strong, then. The foundation was strong.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpxrmLE07Eo
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But not complete. Never complete.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDmME9Ipdjh
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A bell rang across the Academy grounds. Clear. Sharp. Unmistakable.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPcD54aBmX
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Morning assembly.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfRiHStcuEp
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Cel grabbed his uniform and pulled it on, fingers working buttons with practiced speed. The fabric stuck to his damp skin uncomfortably.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI6I4tBYlHc
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The well. Students would gather there before heading to morning conditioning.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCULAlMgcG3
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He left the training ground at a quick walk, cutting through paths between buildings. His breathing had mostly settled, though his muscles carried the pleasant warmth of sustained exertion.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1AjGOoHOh1
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQTRYRoSyE
The well came into view ahead - a simple stone construction with a wooden bucket suspended over dark water. A few early students had already gathered, forming a line. They held basins in their hands, waiting their turn to draw water.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmMDqM3tmaQ
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Cel slowed as he approached, keeping to the periphery.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgXCe7FMMtw
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMHSdr73EDo
Lior stood at the well, hauling up the wooden bucket. Water sloshed as he carefully poured it into his basin, filling it to the brim. He set the bucket back and turned away, heading toward the outer edge where other students had already drawn their water and were washing themselves.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4brXfDnPpd
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More students filtered in from different directions. Most looked half-awake, their movements sluggish with sleep. The line at the well grew longer as they queued up.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8xyk2oixWC
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX11617QsFj
A boy sat on the ground near Lior's path, already washing. His basin rested beside him, water dripping from his cupped hands as he scrubbed at his face.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvFcnpdAQRp
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDwAzJgEkr
Lior walked past him, careful to keep his basin steady.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ164hMYBWp
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbK8hfLZuoO
The boy's foot extended - casual, deliberate. Placed directly in Lior's path.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQeDe4itaN
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO6Af7Z14hK
Lior's foot caught the obstruction. His balance broke instantly. The basin flew from his hands as he stumbled forward, trying to catch himself.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwNXP1JMBdB
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLleqanjz1m
Water arced through the air and crashed against packed earth.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0KhjKsKfMV
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDMvDQmVstr
Lior hit the ground hard. The basin clattered beside him, empty.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOet2MAaDxF
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVRaEUnYvTx
The boy who'd tripped him continued washing his face, unbothered.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOCuuQijHK
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6KqRRC6B37
A few nearby students glanced over. Some chuckled. Most simply ignored it and went back to their own business.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhbjgZImeV9
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy4REFyShWZ
Lior pushed himself up slowly, dirt clinging to his damp palms. His gaze tracked to the empty basin, then to the dark wet patch soaking into the ground.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZHTDyZ1XSz
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYh9vhCr4Dg
He didn't look at the boy who'd tripped him.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnaIoxN8FgQ
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Cel watched from the periphery.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI3dJKHxbag
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAW83nDBHyQ
His expression shifted.1234 copyright protection71ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4XYlnmjhq 尼

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