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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMdJ4bBv6ZE
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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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQOdE2EXKQ
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He needed answers.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4pOguadyeF
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He closed his eyes and reached inward.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGccNmITbh
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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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsoNymQl4c2
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Footsteps approached through the haze.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLqa8q0KCfJ
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbvQBnLz6nT
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1pZCq1DBwI
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"Welcome back, Chosen One."111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡehIvQC3RaZ
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Cel didn't waste time on pleasantries. "The trial. Was it real?"111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVo3Jy6PzXO
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Her expression didn't change, but something in her posture suggested she'd been expecting the question.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtn548Prw6o
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"Yes and no," she said simply.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSycqLozjNc
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The answer settled over him like fog - present but impossible to grasp.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkXTMpRifrX
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"What does that mean?"111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEkHGv3OtKa
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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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Sdo1YVTdX
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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."111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFq6OgVasWV
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgY2kCBfyKM
Cel's jaw tightened. The same answer she always gave when questions pressed too close to divine truth.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnX2WJWJuHz
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCbJjdMGqco
He tried another approach. "The Crystal Monarch. Was that a real drake?"111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfrl1oN3V9b
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"It was."111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡelcOW4MgJ8
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"And the Moon Goddess killed it?"111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNmy68wWgcb
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡozNi2OPcTm
"She did."111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6qMi3iVOzb
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmwotwOFmdt
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmSzCLoMay
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Pride.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm1Pa4X64Ob
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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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ129UFdIAcq
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡII3UjQUVCI
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU9racNGBLm
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The realization settled in his chest with unexpected weight.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlTiS64ymqY
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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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCiqsLpxmG6
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He forced himself to move past it.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ81QRtXP8VS
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"What do I do now?" The words came out rougher than intended. “Now that the ten days are over."111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTaLsiJ8zAZ
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxgteM0j3zM
Selina's expression softened, the pride fading back into gentle patience. "Did you find something you enjoy? Something that brings you peace?"111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFuWp5gg9Uy
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The question pulled at memories from the past ten days. Wandering the city. The church. The tavern.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyviB9ZTBJZ
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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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOOT3v8ZusS
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"I like talking to my sister," he said quietly.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcAB81qKJsQ
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"And the tavern." Cel continued. "It's... comfortable there.."111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI0W6qqCGHZ
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He left out the third thing. 111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGN5lac92R
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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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNjcBsAYP7P
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"I'm sorry," he added after a moment. "That's all I found. Just two things."111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM1KBceO4oO
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5MjbN7VTeg
Selina's smile deepened - genuine warmth transforming her serene expression into something radiant.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwjXovlj7n1
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVUYIHTrNSi
"Even one thing would be more than enough, Chosen One."111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj2oKKQRbXD
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Her voice carried absolute sincerity.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcuOwBpFM6R
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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."111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTAZjqJotJ
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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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWJ4B0oPc6E
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"What's next, then?" Cel asked. 111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk4XzcOtIl4
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Selina was quiet for a moment, as if considering her response carefully.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡctVapb8Pns
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsC60oNfyIW
"The next step is to find out who you are."111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxA6iFhvjAp
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Cel blinked.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RXWsPVjWP
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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—"111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDH1NFbfuX
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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."111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ5FND0IijR
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His mouth closed.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxnXZwfBpJh
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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."111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCsdqxYo606
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Silence stretched between them. Cel's hands curled at his sides.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYw2bBGj66v
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"I don't understand."111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdbXQHNeYp
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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."111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjwTg8hOrV
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The mist curled around their feet, patterns shifting without reason.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9KMA5W9qyo
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"Is there anything else, Chosen One?"111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr9LozwtjS5
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Cel shook his head slowly.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOCNSuFxFXB
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"Then rest well." Her smile brightened once more. "May the Moon Goddess light your path."111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ0OjEi7BVS
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhAybfyzNWg
The familiar blessing wrapped around him as he closed his eyes and reached for the boundary.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡglt0kPFo4P
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMTbpE9GSdk
The room materialized around him with jarring immediacy. Narrow bed. Empty desk. Walls that pressed in from all sides.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg3vIODHt8I
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL0RXfhJdJF
Cel sat on the bed's edge, staring at nothing in particular.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiIt307wTqt
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‘Who am I?’111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKAbrQ5CLq
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The question circled through his thoughts like a persistent insect. Simple. Direct. And he had answers.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmFUAsLd2RP
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmU7gfCF3QR
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz401lEFUFc
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVIDyjZ78x6
He was a Moon Chosen. The mark sat between his shoulder blades, whole and unmarred. Undeniable.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡla2ukJjd28
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIE4ANnIpW8
He was the Heir to the Moon Goddess. The paragon's name said it clearly enough.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi3HKsTAK2R
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOlBzX78dFP
He was a Chosen guided by a Divine Oracle. Selina stood in his soul, the highest authority beneath the gods themself.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhdUh1rgc8v
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Qg1lsz2z0
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2J9DtiwSd5
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuNuxvAdlSw
He was a member of the Reckoning. Ninth rank. White Death. An assassin in an organization that hunted corrupt Chosen.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaOxVx4C0sA
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw73XojWFkZ
He was an Academy student. Enrolled. Expected at morning assembly.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2q6bRaCnmU
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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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcIlKc0n0NO
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So why did the question still felt unanswered?111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wEpOq5opS
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His fingers drummed against his thigh, restless.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRkjsevRT2R
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Cel pushed himself off the bed and moved to the window.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG96qA4z65b
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHcc6xI4k4D
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ30ZJj3VZMR
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The waning moon hung overhead, bright and clear.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5o64xZSNNm
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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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtXPVCFGFxF
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Thanks to Eternal Witness, he had the whole night.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGD9CUT1Siq
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Cel's gaze tracked toward where he knew the training grounds waited, dark and empty.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuPgMYkxwrK
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He moved to the door.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1n8bI4d7qV
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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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOc6nm6iygV
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Cel crossed the threshold, boots crunching softly against dirt.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxkJa8GBn9A
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFpw1FXFVQ
No one would notice. The Academy slept. Guards patrolled the outer walls, not internal courtyards. And even if someone saw him…111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9mZJbBWE92
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He was a Chosen. Training at odd hours wouldn't raise questions.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdcZt8sg18f
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCttjHSPZTt
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1uRXw7HVQg
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His hand moved instinctively toward the bond with Silent Moon—111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjxRs8rW444
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Then stopped.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDjPCaZnzvd
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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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwrHcQrBGuA
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The foundation. Everything started there.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaSmmoNGj41
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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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWEL9AG4kox
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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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQCRkpl3g8Q
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His hand dropped.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd9XmQSLtjj
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Basic training first.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG8TaywcDVf
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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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSkQJl0LyV
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFgmE4dNMJe
Cool night air touched bare skin. The divine mark between his shoulder blades caught moonlight.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGhfwx5G6sZ
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Cel looked down at himself.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVxzIqF4I90
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Lean muscle defined his arms and chest - nothing excessive, but present. Real.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMxMexHYE3I
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG6PN9znDov
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNwf8uUXtWD
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡofeSzrfJ4M
His fingers traced along his forearm, feeling the subtle shift of muscle. No scars. No marks of torture. Just... smooth skin.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRy9vX6TMTJ
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It still felt strange. Like wearing someone else's skin.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXIdxsA5nR
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Cel moved to the center of the training ground and began.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4db0jFr8xF
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Hours blurred together.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEhmgFUPBgY
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Push-ups until his arms trembled. Squats until his legs burned. Planks that tested endurance. 111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdQMHQ7kUZ
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGEgerUKSdn
The moon tracked overhead, marking time in silver light.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsMYst7wr6u
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc6d8sgV710
Sweat coated his skin. His breathing came hard and fast. The pleasant ache of exertion settled deep into muscle and bone.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7li3SHdaZ
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCFCdydY4EQ
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpNREoLe5XD
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiEME5bd1va
Eventually, the sky began to lighten at the edges - darkness bleeding to gray, then pale gold as dawn approached.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7GfakcV4RZ
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Cel straightened from his final set, chest heaving. Sweat dripped from his chin onto packed earth.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn9IvCJRqyV
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQeVYPMxHl
He felt... something. Barely noticeable. A faint satisfaction that came from work completed rather than exhaustion overcome.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGVfDHloPtN
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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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzcNzwDABZI
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Strong, then. The foundation was strong.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSgoTiB1sL3
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But not complete. Never complete.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jAAKmKRJC
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOBQQeogjcC
A bell rang across the Academy grounds. Clear. Sharp. Unmistakable.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3NJ5oGUudR
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Morning assembly.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQYKMlKPMif
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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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzEA6nbwrNH
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The well. Students would gather there before heading to morning conditioning.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5NJu04wz8B
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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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2EziTi2v9f
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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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6e8QwG4d8b
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Cel slowed as he approached, keeping to the periphery.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6dFhOIta3E
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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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB1wL2TKjZT
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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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡual3Po1eN6
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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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHlsK28rJBG
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Lior walked past him, careful to keep his basin steady.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6H5yZLLQh4
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The boy's foot extended - casual, deliberate. Placed directly in Lior's path.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLoqKtmXvcl
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Lior's foot caught the obstruction. His balance broke instantly. The basin flew from his hands as he stumbled forward, trying to catch himself.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHphpT4YXX8
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Water arced through the air and crashed against packed earth.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjMZpCORDln
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Lior hit the ground hard. The basin clattered beside him, empty.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbgvkMmC6vB
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The boy who'd tripped him continued washing his face, unbothered.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcnjYNevWJu
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A few nearby students glanced over. Some chuckled. Most simply ignored it and went back to their own business.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2DeudTuuTk
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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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9S8BirU9yo
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He didn't look at the boy who'd tripped him.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa58bemAhNM
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Cel watched from the periphery.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2m9Uv5AX7j
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His expression shifted.1234 copyright protection107ＰＥＮＡＮＡG9OrPQLCgP 尼

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