Cel sat on the bed's edge, staring at nothing.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUiVJU4dOgy
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy6CISiwIRa
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.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOgymBuFH9P
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6QyXskZyrh
His fingers traced patterns on his thigh without conscious thought. Small circles that meant nothing.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3TVzR8HGNY
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7diALHHps
'The Reckoning.'134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf2MqBbH23Q
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ZbZdrdCvr
The name felt strange in his mind. An organization that hunted corrupt Chosen. That killed those who believed power placed them above consequence.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGxPxtgUNy7
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYw1IlAOUNM
Noble work. Necessary work, maybe.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6NcNHBsPg0
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTHpXXauVQh
But killers nonetheless.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUYoSu9O9L
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGsYgZIWYQ0
His jaw tightened.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZv0CkAXRre
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7EHpkcpOx
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.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtZDZfTZwy7
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbyWBpyrVJo
'Would they have done it? If Veyron had sided with Draven?'134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3VlXYpfODk
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Ip1F3o2NX
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.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBDzfXuA0Kx
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpjRV4jvSw8
His hands curled into fists.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKN01hdXbr
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwYyWwU6cqX
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.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNSJWmAdm4O
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHlxLSHVdsT
'But they fight people like him.'134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ8jdhJElIa
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSp0numjFNL
The thought arrived with uncomfortable clarity. The Reckoning existed because powerful Chosen abused that power. Because the law failed when divine favor was involved.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdPhwptvG07
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpFDNkdtjGI
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.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5unYjkBgXt
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYWBo8VXHzY
If the Reckoning had known…134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqCupN4Ny9H
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2RwhWgQi1A
Cel's breath came harder.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwqyuBVLJHO
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH6Epq67sIl
Would they have killed him? 134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0KDDFSFMZf
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyzq6hBxJqF
The answer should have been obvious. But the question wouldn't settle.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9U3KEhQg6C
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGJ0DKMpijq
He pushed himself off the bed and moved to the window.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUEKlcmeq3C
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQmfja4eyfu
The Academy grounds stretched below. Beyond the walls, the street continued - cobblestones, shops, people moving through their afternoon routines.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6k0p2bDV69
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkssWKTT59U
Normal. Peaceful. Safe.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn7OlII7qfK
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8PayFHsi4V
Everything the Hollow Realms wasn't.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEaCzrWTmMU
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC7vYNhsqV7
His reflection stared back from the glass - white hair, pale skin, eyes that looked older than sixteen had any right to be.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP3JPKXOXN6
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxm665eGjo
'No Divine Energy.'134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡALna4oBaNk
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ939I6xDJkv
The thought made his stomach twist.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4lyi85Iq2
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIaUUIW85Js
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.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhIckT9lKM9
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcKy5O3LdAu
But the Reckoning had revealed something else.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoOIZ7r8Mt0
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOIxWiBNR6q
An artifact, they'd assumed. Something suppressing his divine signature so completely that even other Chosen couldn't sense him.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1vLEJVXEQW
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhu9fIQa09X
Except there was no such artifact. 134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ji9dNLwUX
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZezvrnEhXO
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.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCvq6GQBYvU
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5uWWhK5IW
Frost erupted beneath his touch, spreading across the wood in delicate patterns that branched and crystallized. 134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxWy0hUhSPc
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGnq27BcaBB
Cold bit into his palm. He pulled his hand back, flexing fingers against the ache.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTMR0C7ouJu
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ELo4sbb5Y
The frost remained, permanent and gleaming.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwGCZOCM9i
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVSN7P8VWRM
'How?'134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcyZzWdgOQ
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYjPHA8e806
How could he be blessed without Divine Energy? How could he use authorities without the fuel to activate them?134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnzUElyPKI6
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtLKGtlGd0E
It made no sense.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTx5pdB1VTb
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQ4uxwQEXa
A Chosen who couldn't sense Divine Energy shouldn't exist. Much less a Chosen who had none.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYmN08pCf2c
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjuh6CpzkdL
Yet here he stood.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyDIrU3NMBI
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7evtbxThLa
Blessed by the Moon Goddess. Able to summon artifacts and authorities. But lacking the energy that should make it all possible.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwAe1JzGrJL
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZHwu1UnBa
'What the hell am I?' The question hung in the silence.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1q4TNyUdd
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI6y0Ibwy9A
Something was wrong with him. Something fundamental that even the goddess's blessing hadn't fixed.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ80JC5uMOiV
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMC45mwYaaV
Or… hadn't needed to fix.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEplwNUCtBc
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoPz0HLJT1D
Maybe it wasn't a flaw to be corrected.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyIaAU470jl
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡazxEi7Qm2l
Maybe it was simply... what he was.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ8UXmy5l7r
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNzcOL3LNyh
Cel turned from the window, his gaze tracking across the sparse room. Bed. Desk. Wardrobe. Basin.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE6w0PElK2U
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqVCuYhoBqR
His entire world, now.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHhizx6I3B8
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpgwCYFzIho
And Raven…134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrPUCLMXqS2
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbL81v37cY1
The name settled in his chest like a stone.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg3ZOaVkxlk
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbzSEXD4SL3
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.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpBced9XoTA
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsvduiReGAa
That parallel made his skin prickle.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXNzN8FlKEe
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmrOZ52ti8w
What could drive someone to throw away everything? Title, clan, divine favor, family - all of it abandoned to become Cursed and commit murder.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxIuc7V9DaP
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQpD640BBkn
The expedition to the Western Continent. Something had happened there.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv3pAllhyWk
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6uCnQJ3cYy
But what?134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbe5FSXRG2
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCUn7u7DJfM
And why kill the Sun Clan's prodigy specifically? Was it personal? Political? Something else?134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf7Wm7nHRcQ
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOsWDucUpF0
Cel sank onto the bed's edge, elbows on his knees.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmuIyyPmDD8
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4CXegHiOA5
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.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNKcIHjiKRJ
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrcH8WTK0lp
He'd even told Cel to trust Esrin. To seek her protection.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXxBZMlOpc1
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfemZxpw6D5
Even knowing she hunted him.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEH8riYlk4l
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOTtkO4Lo7x
That wasn't evil.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK8o1CwtMrB
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz0nLlpac4J
But cold-blooded murder wasn't good either.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrFHHxRBZ1O
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9DZzBwTXnG
The contradiction refused to resolve. Maybe there were no good or bad people - just broken ones making choices that seemed right in the moment.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI87IRwZKVZ
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVJbGl71uuN
Or maybe Cel was rationalizing because Raven had shown him kindness when no one else had.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvOkAuRi7Nf
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYWlbQK2MbB
He pressed his hands against his face.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhLYiYOL8AP
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpGNSIf0ICo
If Raven appeared again... if the Reckoning ordered him to help hunt someone who'd saved his life…134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv2CzmRvNV2
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhrXUTnbcay
What was he supposed to do?134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlwUs45OTg5
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNAE79tcoPQ
The room felt too small suddenly. Confining. Like the walls were pressing in.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsEUPxIkk3z
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzGsXVW1s0L
He needed answers. Real answers, not speculation or half-formed theories.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTZULv28Qu
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoJfDQMjZYt
And there was only one person who might have them.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyAFqljLGs9
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6CxXANXtDS
Cel closed his eyes and reached inward.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAoL7Cs9Dva
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyQiRORVkSf
The world shifted.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLwGygWZdBz
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAxLGifHBKB
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.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJbcpPBaes
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM544N9FVXP
Footsteps approached through the mist.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCooDKuRAK
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡys7qyFWUT0
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.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWNCEQeXCjX
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxafdekbgJD
"Welcome back, Chosen One."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfnVsa1C3Ky
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXebZnXcqh2
The greeting was gentle. Patient. A small anchor of certainty in everything that felt chaotic.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlHf8qFY8QS
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGmPXND4yGG
Cel's throat worked. Where to even start?134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHXwXaNqzgy
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfa9a2IHbYe
"I need to ask you something." The words came rougher than intended. 134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRmrzEc67U
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0lNYmcXKx7
"Of course," Selina said simply.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnoja29i6nt
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3cXS6Wfjoj
"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?"134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH9TMFGJkdh
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJWD5XPssvg
Selina tilted her head slightly, already understanding where his thoughts had taken him. "An interesting question. But perhaps the wrong one."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlL9y0GuiJQ
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcschv3tkii
Cel blinked.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCcfyBVYQna
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDeBu19qgWO
"What do you mean?"134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS8xxwSIbzf
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡweoe7EBpNr
"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."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3dZ0msanof
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTc5EzpZmJM
Cel's shoulders drew back. "So you're saying I should judge them by their members, not their stated purpose?"134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV2xj1tf20V
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAuLDpQXQIl
"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."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9IM3walb7r
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf87friXTKN
The answer settled in his chest, heavy and uncomfortable.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ91lsUAKJb0
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQHhwCYNlcx
It meant he couldn't just accept or reject the Reckoning wholesale. Couldn't trust them or dismiss them as a group.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd5c3Jighsb
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNcC2JYPDcD
He'd have to evaluate each member individually. Decide who deserved his trust and who didn't.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNhZlmR8G8
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4O81MoqRdJ
Exhausting.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl5vBsAw5oW
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcnznny6rkO
But probably wise.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFrfK5AYxyl
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9F7keRx2Oo
"I have another question," he said finally. "About my… condition."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBKNiqYWZ99
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXnBsiuW3nB
Selina's attention shifted, becoming more focused.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiWQhuGIdIG
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxjZUKB1jUi
"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?"134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHAYaOjt23f
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8sylNFOOQ
Silence answered him134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2au56xoztZ
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmeorkQdR1q
When Selina finally spoke, that familiar note of regret colored her voice. "I am sorry, Chosen One. That does not lie within my authority."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc2h9BJbt4W
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbEwoieRNkr
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?"134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8xGYv9ClEm
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zLqOeW1Yj
"You are not broken."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyr502V3S0d
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdCTPOTUiTr
The certainty in her voice stopped him cold.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvC0OgZtTIa
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXzXffxQTjq
Selina took a step closer, silver mask tilted toward him with what felt like infinite patience.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTC2Dp8jqNW
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtJKXyZOWCS
"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."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2QeYWCI69I
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNtijJbwxmd
The frustration burning in his chest didn't dissipate, but something about her tone made him swallow the angry response forming on his tongue.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqwS6KL2uV
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2HjM5e7CFW
She was right.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAVP2G1oRfE
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqwLSkKl0BN
He didn't like it. Hated it, actually.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdPLkg6v7Xl
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1d6O0B2cs5
But she was right.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVUzTwe7JxX
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2mVbYPlYpp
"Fine." The word came out clipped. "Then what about Raven?"134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrIxYQC9I3c
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGXHZ1ub1gM
Selina's posture shifted subtly. Still graceful, still poised, but... guarded in a way she'd never been before.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQumkO2ebEA
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpRoadWMEnV
"You told me to be careful," Cel pressed. "What did you mean? Should I trust him? Avoid him?"134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcjfHa1Pwgu
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0BxSF6Bt5
The mist curled around their feet, moving in slow spirals across cracked earth.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwNRTrGceoz
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ6Q5P56AMh
"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."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfpu8QvHWHg
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKhNmmSCQQ
The implication made his stomach twist.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Ja9VdEwDk
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTzFh3gHVnx
"Dangerous how? To me? To others?"134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1wDZXac1Dk
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6usHK13Et4
"I think," Selina said carefully, "that you should stay away from him if your paths cross again."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEi3jBPiNnh
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmycac97QvZ
The advice settled over him like cold water.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaRs7VuZ7Yn
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWMvW38izIN
Cel turned away, his gaze tracking across the cracked earth. Flowers swayed in wind that shouldn't exist here, their petals catching moonlight.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJfX6xxY8c
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYV8y8XWTFl
Behind him, Selina's posture relaxed slightly, the guardedness fading back into her usual gentle presence.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOemzhtzLWX
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQBOgt1wjry
"Is there anything else, Chosen One?"134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZI5dlE9y8f
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIzL5TX9ENh
Cel was silent for a long moment, his gaze fixed on the cracked earth at his feet.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbfaj6earnH
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT97Lco7FXY
"What am I supposed to do?" The words came out quieter than he'd intended. Almost vulnerable.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTTLCUuWzsA
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNGZAq3K8sq
For a heartbeat, Selina simply watched him, her presence calm and unhurried.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2XMNrdzTW9
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWsSp8ssINU
When she finally spoke, her voice carried an almost playful tone. "Nothing at all."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ187iC4eMXt
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx0PipBZ1nh
Cel blinked, momentarily thrown off balance. 134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeoOh8bNgKI
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT85ABTYMr7
"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."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4KFH22a5f7
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrS3beRFymR
Cel stared at her, confusion written across his face. "I don't—what?"134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ8RNnD3qJ6
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL5YasFUFuU
"You have fought enough. Survived enough. Bled enough." She leaned closer, her voice dropping to something softer. "Learn to live too."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJW3VbuEkTy
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtfKNanHVqp
The words landed like something foreign. Incomprehensible.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzV7TU7vmGZ
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQi8JhfpWqW
Live.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT6vqq87S64
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg2EZDIHFR4
Not fight. Not survive. Not train or prepare or become stronger.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡizPEzfSEXt
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0tRGYc6Yh
Just... live.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl9c7n4xIAn
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMxFvniHfQ5
"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—"134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpcvsnXpp9F
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZWxBVLkGzl
"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?"134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3uUf83l16L
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLx9emNj3HQ
The question stopped him cold.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1oUuqDkDnT
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIPPbQ30nPf
When? Before the beating? Before his Divine Calling?134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqsORR5ly2K
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WL4riP7FN
Had he ever?134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAYz35WwS7m
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyikBXNZPEJ
His throat felt tight. "I don't know how."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhQNOn2zap
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQped6ASJdy
"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."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwKpWKCiSnp
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKytoQdxWxc
"Like what?" The question came out helpless.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSyZemzbAB9
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡws7GJWWgBq
"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."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhYS0ApogRc
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ433yWVe30r
The suggestions felt absurd. Frivolous.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2LY74Th8Bm
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkkFFc7wPyt
Dangerous, even.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfJfwdfU8ZI
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUSAQgfaW9O
But something in his chest loosened at the thought.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCvO4UmQJIu
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9kPZxAZKzW
"I don't know if I can," he admitted.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO7uG6tisxy
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpULMtCVQGZ
"You can." Selina's certainty was absolute. "You simply need to give yourself permission."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6OQCXNhqTn
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrONM9ltTjp
Silence stretched between them, broken only by the soft rustle of flowers swaying in the mist.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwEJGNPwMF8
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMECKiMDd58
Eventually, Cel nodded once. Not agreement, exactly. Just acknowledgement that he'd heard her.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQTZVUsgBA
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1CkvFts6nk
"Thank you," he said quietly.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRGcRjnRINy
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡil1L2TWvLn
"You are welcome, Chosen One."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5VBDW5sbaj
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyj35wkXNzH
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.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ozYaHpVvH
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhoaGQPsYao
It was…134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhnavCZSv4W
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ62mzdT596O
Beautiful. She was beautiful.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIrrHjzO6mO
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtF5vqbYA8x
He'd known that, objectively. But knowing something and truly seeing it were different things entirely.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRFxBRpyAK3
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE4vXxVDu0C
Heat crawled up his neck, sudden and unwelcome.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrO2zK0k6K5
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbIUOYb0x9O
"Chosen One?" Selina tilted her head slightly, that radiant smile still in place. "Is something wrong?"134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD81QGqLDZE
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxQJ3M6C1v0
"No," he said too quickly. "Nothing.” 134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJuxKN7h1W
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6n5Ias40OO
Cel's gaze jerked away, desperate for somewhere - anywhere - else to look.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSXJQMdB2oE
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS7G6FtOwzc
His eyes landed on the divine monolith standing behind her, its surface gleaming with pale light.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKbRGgPgaDz
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUobMdl2LKo
Right. The achievement. He'd heard the Divine Voice earlier, hadn't he? When Esrin brought him through that rift.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIKGEqG5Y0H
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF70VLFQ0WH
Perfect.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9amhDKJ2z
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6GEtMEonR8
"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."134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWyKX0IOkiY
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSjBq6t30Z3
"Of course," Selina said, and was it his imagination, or did her tone carry a hint of amusement?134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhbKVtINLlr
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRAlJyOydbU
Cel didn't look back to check. He was already moving toward the monolith, his steps perhaps a bit quicker than necessary.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡulw3iMNsTu
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG4xcuRITW6
Behind him, he could have sworn he heard the softest sound - barely audible.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjUpWTA4zRf
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmhaj0mFI5C
A quiet chuckle.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7YwxjY0V3K
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCR3x4MhNKH
His face burned hotter.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEDl4hOdRhr
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf4C8ozWcNJ
The monolith's surface rippled as he approached, text forming in that familiar script:134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNlwXbgWO02
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN2eHtE5Xhp
<Name: Celvian>134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFzqpJ45hS9
<Paragons: (Heir to the Moon) (White Death)>134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6lKUx01JBR
<Artifacts: (Silent Moon) (Cinderward)>134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKdUEkh91kq
<Insights: (Ledger of Nightmares)>134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ74jEtu5FY1
<Achievements: (2)>1234 copyright protection130ＰＥＮＡＮＡYlqKZkEMbZ 尼

216.73.216.184