<Insight: (Ledger of Nightmares)>168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3VOMoDsk02
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4OIHfJ4ykK
Cel stared at the words, absorbing their meaning.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVlqhkzHw7R
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVvx1wKO1S0
"The Ledger will serve you well," Selina said, her voice carrying quiet approval. "Though I would advise you to examine it when you return to the physical world."168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUwe4JO2XJN
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpARwtSbaEM
The reminder struck like cold water. He'd been so focused on examining his new gifts that he'd forgotten - his physical form was still slumped in those ruins, bleeding and defenseless.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9yXlKRiVGX
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmnX5XhLNO
"How long have I been here?"168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLkjZzEjhwj
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjxGbvzyMSO
"Minutes only. But minutes can be enough for predators to find prey." Her tone remained gentle, but the warning was clear. "You should return. Examine the Ledger when you are safe - or as safe as one can be in such a place."168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7doaEOsgCT
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZyqa1NlFzN
Cel nodded, the wisdom obvious once stated. "Thank you."168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9d67J2rOUP
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4YyxS0nGG7
"There is no need for thanks." Selina's smile deepened. "Go now. And may the Moon Goddess light your path."168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡed2ZHe8ZAN
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvZeBBaJNb9
The familiar words wrapped around him like a benediction as he closed his eyes and reached for the world beyond.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxAmVe8U1g8
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8AADYqVpSE
Pain crashed over him like a wave.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVLyG81Mu23
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWZyQjRD6xM
Cel gasped, his awareness slamming back into his physical body with brutal force. Every wound announced itself at once - the claw marks across his back, the burns on his left arm, the countless smaller injuries that painted his skin in blood and ash.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ5LZYugKYe
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpmtTsndlmM
He was still in the ruins, sitting against the wall where he'd left. The storm had passed completely now, leaving only settling ash that drifted through gaps in the broken stone like gray snow.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD4vKvzBAOw
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh4GE6Gvm0t
A sound broke the silence. Soft. Wet. The unmistakable noise of tearing flesh.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKdMe7zy1Yk
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2jvC6WrTj
Cel's eyes snapped to the corpse.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKDurQpRnUe
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNc9ZgjJw1
It lay where he'd left it - serpentine body coiled in death, dark ichor pooled beneath it in the ash.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXY1z6gGKEi
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdvEMJWo8Aw
Something was perched on its chest.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX4ZBgwvtJe
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoZBv4EWhiG
A bird.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVjrVpM8Reb
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSgFHXVxJSq
But calling it a bird felt wrong. Obscene, even.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnVJNJFB2KU
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmXHOR9PDN7
The thing was roughly the size of a craw, but there the resemblance ended. Black feathers covered its body - sleek and dark as obsidian, their tips bleeding to crimson red. The proportions were all wrong - body was too long, legs too thin, neck too flexible, wings that folded at angles wings shouldn't fold. 168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZngIeIWWWF
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMff1ZnnyP
When it tore another strip of flesh from the corpse, Cel glimpsed rows of tiny teeth lining the inside of that beak - serrated, designed for more than just pecking.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbx0rd80YVk
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyAvl4bZ2C0
'That's not a normal bird.'168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVG1HaekJc
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg1Y1L3kh6Q
The thought arrived with crystalline clarity. Normal birds didn't exist in the Hollow Realms. Couldn't exist. This place had been dead long before any normal animal could have found its way here.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWnKtklmOyj
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnA9xWicrTd
Which meant this thing, with its blood-dipped feathers, was a rift-creature.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRKm7FymBTT
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2QvicEETK1
His left hand moved, reaching for the bond with Silent Moon. Pain lanced through his shoulder, his back, his arm - but he ignored it.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAzpTT8XFqg
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaDV54Bk8i2
Moonlight threaded through the air as the chokutō materialized in his grip. Six crescents ignited along its length, casting pale radiance across the ruined space.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ3Swaq9QxC
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkbVDrEBShh
The bird-thing's head snapped toward him - neck bending at an angle that should have broken bone. A single crimson eye fixed on him, unblinking and bright against the black feathers.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3rYf1Jaf4
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡreIpeRBzyP
Cinderward came next.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGNum0QRue8
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdeJn2kFgbj
The armor manifested instantly, moonlight wrapping around him in silver threads. The mantle settled across his shoulders, the cloak falling behind him. Weight distributed itself across his body as bracers formed on his forearms and boots encased his legs.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzaWoedqgOl
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrca3S1B1dp
The transformation took perhaps two heartbeats.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoVc80tTCfg
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQzzSSMmUKo
When it finished, Cel stood in full divine regalia, blade raised, every muscle coiled despite the exhaustion weighing on him.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmospStVDWc
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6driOFegI9
The bird-thing regarded him for a moment. Then it took another bite of the corpse, tearing away flesh with those serrated teeth hidden in its beak.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4RrQArxN8K
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡww7nQX0YT6
It was... ignoring him?168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx2FxvzXpAP
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK2YTJNfWrT
Cel's grip tightened on Silent Moon's hilt. The creature showed no aggression, no interest in him at all. Just methodical feeding, as if he were no more threatening than another piece of the landscape.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBm7WzTOCkR
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjjJn6B9eo
Should he attack? The thing was clearly unnatural, clearly wrong—168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Cjx7WDvZl
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbXcDI9zVRd
Footsteps.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQqtVNLHPr
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqYLFAbesK
The sound came from outside the ruins. Steady. Deliberate. The crunch of boots on ash-covered stone.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNcqaQnMNPQ
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIyRNBl9Zd2
Cel's head tilted toward the entrance gap, every sense suddenly focused on that new sound.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcZGok9NAQl
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvPY5kTVAqU
Someone was approaching.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcyhHP6BpBu
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS5VDAod8lD
The bird-thing didn't react. It simply continued its meal, pecking at exposed organs with clinical precision.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4MGh7mK03i
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9SzhVdfbMI
The footsteps grew closer. Not running. Not cautious. Just walking with the confidence of someone who knew exactly where they were going - or the carelessness of someone who didn't understand danger at all.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdUoVvZs9Ki
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQmJA4k5pZE
A silhouette appeared in the gap between broken walls.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6LqJNm0COX
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQn9yiVEGX
Tall. Lean. Moving with a grace that spoke of training and deadly purpose.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSNMZHbP3v4
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ05uL7x0qEc
The figure stepped into the dim light filtering through the ruins.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFo5JcP1W5J
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqe1DAdNteG
Cel's breath caught for the second time in as many minutes.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEUo0U3kDbw
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8hRK9eVD3T
A young man. Perhaps eighteen, maybe twenty. Dark hair fell across sharp features that carried a weight far beyond their years.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrpJJ8H5F4s
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxXqODLIfaY
Relief crashed through Cel's chest before he could stop it.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNSiKO9h57U
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh3BEmhGet1
'A human.'168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ78kOArZJD4
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtGYNbIH5I
The thought arrived with desperate force. After what felt like eternity alone in this nightmare, fighting for every breath, surrounded by nothing but monsters and ash…168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrxJ28Q2ogz
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQ67Yydutp
Another human being stood before him.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSvePYpZwid
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZYRkTUdmm4
Then the stranger's gaze met his, and the relief shattered like glass.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCjvuKu0O5G
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQHVVnEu02v
Those eyes.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHy5H5lraxx
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQb2kjukHxy
Crimson iris set against black where white should be, holding depths that seemed to swallow light rather than reflect it.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg6PzAICqWD
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1RKsb9ncDG
Wrong. Fundamentally wrong in a way that made his instincts scream.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg0ucXQklB0
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeH5FPlu416
'What if it's not human at all?'168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrts74xvR9o
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqln3Fc5xaM
The thought sent ice through his veins. The cult had taught him that appearances meant nothing - that the cruelest monsters often wore the most familiar masks. His own father had smiled while arranging his torture. His mother had looked loving even though she abandoned him in the end.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPD0Ntc9PEe
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0eZ7VT0urz
Trust was a weapon that had been used against him too many times. A weakness he couldn't afford.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI6uu9EbRBn
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBExbXtYQfH
But beneath the fear and suspicion, that desperate hope still pulsed. Weak. Pathetic. The part of him that wanted so badly to believe he wasn't completely alone in this dead world.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOyw7odSt3o
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5uvEWgkW64
He hated that weakness. But he couldn't quite kill it either.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFxPfK4jh95
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡacMcR9McOo
The stranger wore practical clothing in dark tones with blue-grey accents. A cloak draped across his shoulders, shifting with his movement. Everything about him spoke of someone who lived by blade and shadow.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1jGR2szhWc
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiFYrNrtP4X
But it was the way he carried himself that made Cel's instincts scream danger. Not aggressive. Not threatening. Just... present. Like death itself had learned to walk on two legs and dress in mortal clothing.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIqShdTCS6D
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnq0B512fqV
For a long moment, neither of them moved. The bird-thing continued pecking at the corpse, the only sound in the sudden, heavy silence.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ490wCArpLd
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFe3Pq553HR
Cel's grip on Silent Moon remained steady despite the pain lancing through his wounded shoulder. Six crescents pulsed along the blade's length, casting pale light across the ruined space.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc9kyccflxA
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVAnjjyR1I
The young man's gaze swept the ruins in a single, assessing glance. Took in the dead creature, the ash-covered floor, the storm damage.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJxATK4XrE
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaRHcON90SL
Then those crimson eyes fell back to Cel's face.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7evwEByUfP
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0IAanbJ2Tj
"You're human." The words came flat, carrying neither surprise nor emotion. 168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmrqeY8wB6e
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtbF5F6bmGn
"So are you." Cel's response was equally neutral, though his mind raced in disbelief. 'A human. In the Hollow Realms. How—?'168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgXQKvJrzeY
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQuV2TLuo3
The stranger's gaze swept over him again - lingering briefly on the blood seeping through the new armor's fabric, the way Cel's right arm hung slightly wrong at his side.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoKI8I6DOYQ
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAQIEaZLCkI
"You're injured." Still that same flat tone, neither offering help nor threatening attack.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkpHzHYrzkR
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbgXTtiUqvI
"I'll live."168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡySRJlpDmM3
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyrq0CyDBIR
A slight tilt of the head. "Will you?"168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡneBB7dRvLQ
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX1Qd2PO7Qe
The question held no malice. Just genuine curiosity, as if the stranger were genuinely uncertain whether Cel would survive his wounds.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8exZR5FfRm
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡooJLUK7RhC
Cel's jaw tightened. "Long enough."168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡydt8LBGxji
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs2ALW6tsAb
Something flickered in those red eyes - not quite amusement, but close. "Confident."168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSwZ9iLDHLC
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ69RBT3HnJt
The bird-thing chose that moment to tear away another strip of flesh, the wet sound obscenely loud in the tense quiet. Neither of them looked at it. Neither dared break eye contact.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsdnGvsD5yo
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH9rwCod7P0
The stranger moved.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYemTDKuqO4
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6XfOcepWRg
Cel's entire body tensed - but the motion was just a step to the side, away from the entrance, giving himself a better angle to observe both Cel and the feeding creature.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8LKLQIG1pN
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFeoRrK2xFf
Not aggressive. But not careless either.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgfk3uuHIjq
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmXgO0LPukt
"That yours?" The stranger gestured toward the corpse with a slight nod.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKvw3TZFMz8
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwLzI6ckTT
"I killed it."168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcqttP4MxAe
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLJoqRHIKRk
"Hmm." The sound carried something that might have been approval. "Ash-crawler. Nasty when cornered."168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡatPkKf9xSh
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡefaELj5mrL
The casual knowledge in those words made Cel's instincts scream. 'He knows what it is. That means he'd encountered them before. At least once.'168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡypKL5z4iJ2
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6PYbBM2hWL
"How long?" Cel asked before he could stop himself.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKUNUsk5RcI
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQIGty5s4ac
The stranger's gaze narrowed slightly. "How long what?"168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ28fFK2C5jb
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTn66njKTOa
"How long have you been trapped here?"168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4DNJ0pafLn
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhdPltYcSet
For the first time, something resembling emotion crossed that pale face. Not quite a smile, but a subtle shift at the corner of his mouth that suggested bitter humor.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNUytZAtueZ
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHLWBCsMtg
"Trapped." The word hung between them. “Seems like that.”168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEH47n9cIBT
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn55YB99Dx8
Cel waited, watching the stranger's posture. Relaxed but ready - the stance of someone who'd learned to be comfortable with danger.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBCJgXLRtzS
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCPpUqd9fKK
The silence stretched again. The bird-thing pecked at exposed organs with clinical precision.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7eQln1kY8W
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMGqVpsm0Q
"What's your name?" Cel finally asked.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1B7oWouWUE
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9DfTk68LOj
Those crimson eyes studied him with unsettling intensity. As if the stranger were looking through him rather than at him, measuring something Cel couldn't identify.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8YXMfVOgcS
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ18c7pVgLJE
"Raven."168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMichMM34AT
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy0OSftC6kZ
Raven's gaze remained fixed on him, expectant. 168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZGPcCw1zSF
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEDM6Szk0V
"And yours?"168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgwXHjjf8Wj
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0XidNfAAr1
Cel hesitated. The question was simple enough, but his mind raced. 'How did he get here? Why is he here?' 168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDbTp4qCyqg
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvSRFdaQrOK
His father's face flashed through his mind. If Lord Aldric  had somehow learned he survived, then the Children of the Voidmother would come for him again. This stranger could be one of them.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxdloR6k4Tn
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjd9euBoGXV
But refusing would accomplish nothing. If Raven meant him harm, a name wouldn't change that. And if he didn't... Cel might need an ally more than he needed secrets right now.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPDEEhbRpVR
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFQFOGEO6xC
"Celvian," he said finally.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgEhWQVGPS4
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtXmwi7muHN
"Celvian." Raven repeated the name once, testing it. Then his attention shifted - quick as mercury - to the entrance gap. "You alone?"168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2F3TmtAxeq
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAnaFdzs24b
"Yes."168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHj5hrwAN9
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4RBQjgF2A
"No companions? No escort?"168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUvokfT0Lpz
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDPW0IVwMso
"I said I'm alone."168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDz4oLM7LKE
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKm8QpWukCy
Raven's eyes came back to him, sharp and assessing. "Moon Chosen."168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRYTjUxhDCg
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBlf863YA1F
It wasn't a question. Cel's hand tightened on Silent Moon's hilt.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP3rDjce2NQ
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Ci4sYHHs6
"How did you—"168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH2ObFEeyfG
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZH4DdZ9nUi
"Your weapon." Raven's gaze flicked to the chokutō. "Moon phases etched in the blade. And the way moonlight clings to you even when you're not manifesting power." A slight pause. "Distinctive."168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmNe4mU5rtH
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNVIVLNiSN4
Cel's chest tightened. He'd thought his divine gifts were his own secret, his own advantage. To have them identified so casually—168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCHY5p2hpK
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3mIxYBaDW2
"Don't worry." Raven's tone remained neutral. "I'm not here to fight you."168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1TRVQArnEg
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI34UPclLUU
"Then why are you here?"168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI5tsEWnhLu
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbJQkfWCsWh
Those red eyes held his for a long moment. When Raven spoke again, his voice carried something that might have been weariness.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0xGuvjEziM
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtw9l1aWwFF
"Does it matter how I got here?" A slight pause. "I'm here. That's what counts."168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡazm0evrEz1
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoSgOH8Gy7K
The statement hung in the air between them. Two humans, standing in the ruins of a dead world, both wary, both armed, both trying to decide if the other was threat or friend.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcYz1WLBFIJ
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH2Y6pOM7a8
The bird-thing finished its meal and took flight - wings unfolding at wrong angles before it vanished through a gap in the ceiling. Neither Cel nor Raven tracked its departure.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡazsUJSa3CV
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE4sZxLPy89
"Fine.” Cel resigned. “But you didn't answer my other question. How long have you been here?"168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBFJgZizoS2
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK8JKOaEuby
This time, Raven actually answered.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2LY1GdLoIl
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9gcbRQMzO5
"Long enough." His eyes grew distant. "Maybe a year."168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3D9c0Jlum7
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSaycTXF7xx
The number hit like a physical blow. 'A whole year. Alone. In this place.'168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJoqVbL1EFJ
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwGCQbFzglY
Cel stared at the young man before him, truly seeing him now. The dark circles under his eyes. The weight in his posture. The way he moved like danger had become as natural as breathing.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPxIFITe9wl
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9d2Vanh0T
"How?" The word escaped before Cel could stop it. "How did you survive that long?"168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDWoIo8bhWH
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJDBgWfS5EL
Something flickered across Raven's face - there and gone so quickly Cel almost missed it. Pain, perhaps. Or memory.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRMNWc3zyYs
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvSo32vGQCY
"You learn." The words came quiet, distant. "Or you die."168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ63BnjZgzxk
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwGBzsWpQo
The bird-thing's cry echoed from somewhere outside, harsh and alien.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOwCYUBu05u
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtpuBTws6lq
Raven's head tilted slightly, tracking the sound with practiced ease. When his attention returned to Cel, those crimson eyes carried a weight that made Cel's chest constrict.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaw1XfrYqYU
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM78mgAkYTn
"Your wounds. They'll fester in this place. Faster than you'd expect." The statement came flat, matter-of-fact. 168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwsiw6zqEPH
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ30WtdJyi0U
Cel's fingers tightened on Silent Moon's hilt. "I'll manage."168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl6kCIjmQVD
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlgQ4xBMcSS
"With what?" Raven's tone didn't change, but something sharp entered it. "Ash and hope?"168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8O4ud3uMtA
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj0oYENTGTp
The question hung in the air between them.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡawBkajH40a
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUBjwnztS3N
Cel had no answer. His divine gifts could create ice, could grant him strength under moonlight, could even bring him back from death under the right circumstances. But healing? He had nothing for that.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOXzPm1R1oe
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH0HT1LFlqj
Raven seemed to read his silence accurately, eyes narrowing.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpzjqGAXXRZ
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZDe9zvFPB3
"Stay here." Not a suggestion. A command, delivered with the casual authority of someone used to being obeyed. "Don't leave this ruin."168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA6LCghKtnt
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsOm3fm79dp
Cel blinked. "What?"168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKtJYVqCnfk
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw2u4hktk3t
"I'll be back." Raven was already moving through the gap.168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7j9tPGNBTH
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoURFjlksLI
"Wait—where are you—"168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡulTWtYdp39
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqabIl5Ivjs
But Raven had already vanished into the ash-covered wasteland, his dark form swallowed by gray and shadow.1234 copyright protection164ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5gijUpAk68 尼

216.73.216.179