"Well, that isn't a no," the voice hummed, as if pleased by his answer.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwXw0eNQ3Lu
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ09CX61ARz
"And it isn't a yes," Cel shot back, anger bleeding through his words.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiKhrD2HSRE
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQuiGQec3P
The retort left his lips before he could stop it. But how was that even possible? His throat should have been clogged with blood, his lungs pierced and failing. He should be—301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKAuf0fofBZ
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqL6Kzsdkw
His hands flew to his chest, fingers probing desperately where claws had torn through flesh and bone. Nothing. Smooth skin met his touch, unmarked and whole. His heart hammered steadily beneath his ribs, strong and alive.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzbwVJVZFn3
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4e4omd7NMF
The memories crashed over him - the creature's amber eyes, the crushing impact of claws, the taste of his own blood as he tumbled into darkness. Yet here he was, breathing, his body responding to every command.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIEeGd2JI2Q
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Ztc2AmfSy
Cel pushed himself to his feet, legs steady beneath him. The ravine, the obsidian stones, the ash-covered wasteland - all of it had vanished. In its place stretched an endless expanse shrouded in pearl-white mist. The fog coiled around his ankles like a living thing, thick enough to hide whatever solid surface lay beneath his feet. Above, that same pale moon watched with cold indifference, its light filtering through the haze in silver streams.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEmbfBnudtV
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6s92IfU9S
A figure emerged from the mist, causing Cel's breath to catch in his throat.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAjLqr8Q0hw
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLK5paD00o
She moved like moonlight given form, each step sending ripples through the fog at her feet. Silver hair flowed down her back in long, straight strands that seemed to shimmer with ethereal light. An ornate mask covered the upper half of her face - flowing, curved patterns in gleaming silver adorned with golden gems that sparkled in the lunar glow.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmKPFK7n9Ox
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgtD61m7O8U
Her pale robe flowed around her like liquid light, the fabric so fine it appeared translucent in the moonlight. Patterns of constellations and lunar phases danced across the material, shifting and glimmering with each movement. (Necklace)301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcK9oVvESF5
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡecbsgNuTOT
She was tall - taller than most women he'd known - with an otherworldly grace that made her seem untouchable. Beautiful, yes, but in the way distant stars were beautiful. Remote. Divine.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd7wkvFt21Q
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrJesvjWUXW
Cel found himself staring, his mind struggling to process what stood before him. After a year of seeing nothing but rotting walls and purple-robed torturers, the sight of her was almost too much to comprehend.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2HZb9pD9qs
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhQm5fz5MO
"Welcome, Chosen One." Her voice drifted through the mist like a lullaby, each word perfectly measured. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I am Selina, a priestess of the Moon Goddess."301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYcthpnSmBQ
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFC2xdWyYNP
The formal introduction snapped him back to awareness. He was gawking like a fool, mouth half-open in wonder. His face flushed with heat as he realized how he must look - wild-haired, probably reeking of the cell despite his miraculous healing, stumbling over his own tongue.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7OojMhx1t3
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5w2uZgXFat
When had he last spoken to another person? Months ago, when Ren had simply... disappeared from the neighboring cell.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXCh9mZk0v4
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsmA6zxrSk3
The words felt rusty in his throat. He cleared it twice, then managed a clumsy bow. "It... It is my pleasure, Lady Selina. I'm Celvian. Though, I suppose you already know that."301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKx232xZGlM
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfAe3e5E0rD
"Yes, I do." The smile that curved her rose-colored lips held secrets he couldn't begin to fathom.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsa5VFVvnU7
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUDCwqsvAMY
Priests served as intermediaries, he knew that much. Divine messengers who guided the Chosen Ones through their journey. But standing here in this impossible place, watching the way moonlight seemed to bend around her like she commanded it, Cel couldn't shake the feeling that this encounter was something else entirely.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmeaSkovDlk
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwHcfG1KbxU
Something far more personal than divine duty.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvvq08c22dF
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnjD53bNVLF
"I have a question, my Lady," he began, the words catching in his throat.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWlXtKKxYgD
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyBRW8RpL8K
"Ask whatever you wish. I will answer to the best of my abilities." Her voice carried the same ethereal quality, but something warmer crept into it. "Also, there is no need for such formality. I serve the goddess, but I am also here to serve you, Chosen One."301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCg9VcRR1dn
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI0VwWHdkM0
The correction sent heat crawling up his neck again. He cursed silently at his own awkwardness.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMFgmcK6i52
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0OP4wbdbeU
"I-I see..." He swallowed hard. "Can you tell me where exactly we are?"301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfzHgwF4E7C
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgEd90hXd3i
"Of course. We are currently inside your soul."301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBaZdjPADo0
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWKOtP63jrO
Cel's mouth opened, then closed. He turned in a slow circle, taking in the endless fog and empty space. "My soul? But here's… nothing. Absolutely nothing."301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAK6AiYowdN
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3670aqz0tW
Every child knew the stories. Chosen Ones could enter their souls - vast forests that sang with life, golden palaces that stretched beyond sight, coral reefs that shimmered with ancient power. But this barren expanse?301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjl3nRM75a
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuGryD61Yyp
His hands clenched at his sides. 'Should I be worried? Maybe a year of torture broke more than just my body. Great - assuming I survive this, I'll need a healer for my soul.' The thought brought another wave of uncertainty. 'Wait, am I even alive? Or is this some kind of afterlife?'301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIoOlavYY45
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIZPMKh37ui
"Fear not, Chosen One."301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC3aRV8tXST
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIqgVwq0aYB
Cel's head snapped toward her, eyes wide. Could she—?301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxLZnc35xZ
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcXQ9ZuEKV1
"Your soul will evolve and grow with you," Selina continued, her tone reassuring. "What you see now is only the beginning."301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqz4zmxYyM0
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGFuMhXnIJ
Relief flooded through him, followed immediately by embarrassment. 'Right. She was talking about my soul, not reading my mind like some omniscient—'301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPr0bNJQg7q
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4QaWktaqgU
For the first time, her serene smile wavered. Though the mask hid her eyes, he felt the weight of her gaze as she leaned closer. 301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4joYELOuWc
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8hOmU08Bwg
"Are you alright, Chosen One?"301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjOqTSncUP1
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL1JwDtiNsz
Cel took a step back, heat flaring in his cheeks. "Yes, I'm fine. Or... am I fine? I don't know." The words tumbled out faster. "Can you tell me what's happening to me? I'm pretty sure I was... dying."301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDlGkiRbRCz
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhWJBFf0aum
Her smile returned, radiant and untouchable.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV4dyQBusum
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRMeFYwE8T4
"Yes, your body is dying. Even as we speak, time continues outside your soul."301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJLxqyNMFBC
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1kMBoURNKO
'Why are you smiling while saying that?' Cel's eye twitched. 'I could cry...'301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOeOra18Wmm
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQ4CkTKC6P
"The goddess called you here to bless you," Selina continued. "Through her blessing, you will be granted the physique of a Chosen One. Your body will be transformed, and you will survive."301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6swyZAurla
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkSsE2kfqud
Cel stared at her. Just like that? After everything - the torture, the starvation, bleeding out in some cursed wasteland - it all came down to divine timing? 'Happy birthday to me, I guess.'301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRy6f47Y8hs
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnJbpv6rO2b
"How exactly do I receive this blessing?"301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡetGRWxh5EU
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq27yyqbFwK
He knew the basics, of course. Every god had their own method, but it was typically straightforward. At the age of sixteen, you enter your soul, get blessed, become a Chosen One. Simple. Though he'd never bothered learning the specifics about the Moon Goddess - why would he? She was weak, irrelevant, barely worth acknowledging among the seven gods.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMOIlNjZsu0
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQPnLm5IJpT
"You must first pass a trial to demonstrate that you are worthy of the goddess's favor."301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡguot4jX8Wj
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaS8lCUF1oY
"A trial?" The word came out sharper than intended.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv9keNA9udD
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZIEYao28wu
That wasn't how it worked. Most Chosen Ones met their priest, received their blessing, and emerged transformed. No tests. No trials. Just divine power handed down like a birthright.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdv3JIp2dkN
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMSec0heaDY
Understanding dawned like a cold sunrise. 'Is this why so few serve the Moon Goddess? They don't just fail to receive her blessing - they die trying.' His jaw clenched. 'And here I am, about to join their ranks. Wonderful.'301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJLvkoxyrCm
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNFWytttfa
Bitterness rose in his throat like bile. All those years dismissing the Moon Goddess as beneath his notice, secure in his position as part of a Noble House. Destined for greatness, never needing to concern himself with the lowest deity. 'Look how well that turned out.'301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwTkO7ogBA
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK61vsmHUc2
He forced his voice to stay steady. "Can you tell me anything about this trial?"301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWh3LSbnymz
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsRenJPIMqE
"I am sorry, but that does not lie within my authority."301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr3geEKq51N
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6uaEbXGF2h
'Of course it doesn't.' Cel sighed, the familiar frustration of dealing with divine knowledge settling over him like an old coat.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgAflNpffRF
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMpYz4RuqRL
"Will you challenge the trial, Chosen One?" Her gentle tone carried quiet gravity beneath the silk.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK0evcf24P6
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ppmNpDrmo
Cel looked around at the empty fog, then back at her serene, untouchable beauty. His shoulders sagged with resignation.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Tzy4e7ch3
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2NCWy5QZHp
"Yes. I don't have much of a choice if I want to survive, do I?"301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX8dO3yh04e
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpAIzljMXZs
The words hung in the misty air between them. Cel straightened, something hardening in his expression.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBW6Q5cSu4q
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFohSAwZt0
"But before I begin this trial, I have one last question.” The words came slower now, heavy with meaning. “Why me? Why did the Moon Goddess choose me?"301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJekU3dXY9Q
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbqkoMGZ7q
The irony still burned. Every child of the Sun Clan grew up hearing the same stories - glorious warriors blessed by solar fire, leaders who commanded respect wherever they walked. Cel had been groomed for that destiny from birth, shaped to follow in those golden footsteps. Instead, he'd been marked by silver light.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlFBaYfiBnl
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡutaL9PcyuA
Once, he'd raged against that cruel fate. The Moon Goddess had destroyed everything - his place in the Clan, his father's approval, his future. If she'd simply left him alone, maybe the Sun God would have chosen him eventually. Or the Ocean Goddess, according to his mother's bloodline. Perhaps no Divine Calling at all would have been kinder than this.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZGCFOjXmPC
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDz9r3l2oP
But the fury had cooled over months of suffering, replaced by something sharper. Something clearer.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3l5MdzzUqs
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyInFudAWMs
'Without her, I'd still be chasing after that bastard's scraps of approval.' The thought made his stomach turn. That naive boy who'd hungered for his father's praise, who couldn't see the poison beneath every word - Cel wanted to strangle him.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIgtpiWsY84
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxjAKZJoTvq
His father had cast him aside the instant he proved useless to his ambitions. One blessing from an unwanted deity, and fifteen years of calculated investment had been written off like a failed business venture. 301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH3ES420gVQ
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9iceAnMzYR
'How pathetic I was.'301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv53k66YLF2
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq82DwfOleA
The Moon Goddess hadn't ruined his life - she'd ripped away the blindfold. Shown him exactly how little his father had ever cared for him. The Sun God's rejection wasn't a punishment - it was mercy. Better to serve a deity who wanted him than beg for scraps from one who found him worthless.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0G7GWPGJgm
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKbdUsuDHlo
Pain had been his teacher, and its lessons were carved deep. He wouldn't trade this harsh clarity for all the false comfort in the world.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKKwefxhZCW
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqwNgZr3J5v
"I am sorry, but that does not lie within my authority."301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qyVrn9xHC
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9So05Q9LVE
Cel bit back a bitter laugh. The gods' favorite deflection. "I figured as much."301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsV8NzpG7PU
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfIzzVYTaV0
The silence stretched between them. Well, what had he expected? Divine revelations handed out like coins at a charity gathering? He'd learned enough hard lessons to know better.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTzob11FEvT
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzgTB4Z6z53
"Then let's get on with it." He rolled his shoulders, working out the tension. "I'm ready for the trial."301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRNYNfB9Cs0
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS4JIbGY2PK
Selina's silver hair caught the moonlight as she nodded, her serene expression brightening with unmistakable pleasure. Her shoulders lifted slightly, as if a weight had been removed.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDV8yi9Q0Ct
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmJvEB2jSbK
"May the Moon Goddess light your path."301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUS5aFt1Rz
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0B6GNRSMn
The words carried weight beyond their simple meaning, final as the turning of a key. Cel's eyelids suddenly felt like stone, his limbs turning to lead as drowsiness crashed over him in waves. The fog around them seemed to thicken, pressing against his consciousness like a physical thing.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDZjW5YYztp
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvca4clJVHl
He fought to keep his eyes open, to stay alert, but the pull was irresistible. As darkness claimed the edges of his vision, a voice that wasn't Selina's resonated through his mind - ancient, vast, carrying the overwhelming weight of divine will.301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnxQA9PLhWf
301Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6C6xkfHTgb
<Your trial begins: Find the moon.>1234 copyright protection297ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2DLVZLUgTY 尼

216.73.216.95