When Cel opened his eyes, Selina's arms were still around him.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQp2vjFP3st
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHirECXYZs3
For a moment, he remained perfectly still - caught between the sacred ground he'd just left and the reality of her embrace. The warmth of it. The gentleness.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxmVWcE6RxD
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His breath hitched.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDAXL2ORqu
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Then, something inside him broke.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1F7hzLF5TF
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOM4c7dFntu
Not violently. Not like shattering glass or splintering bone.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXETDfVd8JH
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfjqjrGD35m
Like melting ice. Like a dam finally cracking under pressure it was never meant to hold.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBdk0suZlW
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEjPEqTbS7K
A sound escaped him - small, choked, achingly human.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwJIP34VGOG
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrL7CYFUVz6
His shoulders began to shake.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ21K2mhY8NJ
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRWajbRF7rF
Cel tried to stop it. Tried to force the trembling back down, to swallow the weakness rising in his throat. He'd survived torture. Starvation. Nightmares made flesh. 113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYXwF4Xk1Tc
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1HPiBnDLay
He shouldn't be—113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEveaCRNaF9
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdA7vASLAcc
Another sound tore free. Louder this time.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Ihy9jucU9
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhSD46nnTVV
The tears came.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡROPyOVLf7O
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8F0tDexO30
Silent at first, hot against his cheeks. Then accompanied by gasps he couldn't control, sobs that wrenched themselves from somewhere deep in his chest where he'd buried everything for so long.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡorWQf9H5CQ
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTlQibYeedd
The year in the cell. The maggot-infested food. The cultists' knives. Ren's death.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4MFECphsbh
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoAUWJhuS7h
His father's fists. His mother's silence. His brother's cowardice.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9GmRLAYFv
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqTjJvFeIbQ
The mirror lake. The crystal maze. The creature that had killed him.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3fQa9lqqHf
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrFueab0oA8
All of it - every moment of pain, every betrayal, every second he'd told himself he had to endure because there was no other choice - tore free at once.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2gXw7Lv7I7
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhjuiPQmO4
And he couldn't stop it.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ95Zgn6ISq6
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSwX18d4AvK
Cel's knees weakened. His hands clutched at Selina's robes, fingers curling into white fabric like it was the only solid thing left in the world.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSKK8kkbANg
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCBlJP6YeVj
She held him.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFm9PG8Vy4P
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaYYHqY6HuJ
Didn't speak. Didn't pull away. Didn't tell him to be strong or to compose himself.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Tl87caOPB
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSdwgfIJPMQ
She simply held him, one hand moving to cradle the back of his head with steady gentleness while he broke apart in her arms.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr1d6PK1wsu
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxiIwcBHtuV
Time became meaningless.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡks3ubuOVWK
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4JwxieoQ5L
Eventually, the sobs gradually quieted. The gasps turned to shaky breaths, leaving only exhaustion in their wake.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJM60cq6Cw0
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA8UbwzGkmV
Cel pulled back slowly, roughly wiping at his face with trembling hands.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6iQcVoaZjH
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxqJJG35xE
His cheeks burned. Not from fever - from embarrassment so acute it felt physical.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqlH1S1TaPc
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvaKQASES1O
He'd just—113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhOeM3lBHp
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRaMxiqx40t
In front of her—113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWOaLodWCrT
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfhQ7wjHFqO
"I'm sorry," he choked out, unable to meet her eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2DQ5Owhjnh
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZm2O6aD7es
"There is nothing to apologize for, Chosen One." Her voice held no judgment. No pity. No disappointment.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5osothyWdr
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzZek0ooF3F
Only acceptance.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzH3JirK5Qt
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7Ug5SL6iV
Cel swallowed hard, gaze fixed firmly on the ground between them. His throat felt raw, stripped clean.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWk48UFdg3N
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIZqYh8KAxO
"I just…" He didn't know how to finish that sentence.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQMYbsVGg52
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMu8Kn82Pxd
"You have endured much." Selina's hand remained on his shoulder - light, grounding. "The soul remembers every wound, even when the body has been remade. There is no shame in acknowledging that pain."113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr11dqDIoow
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ89niHmiiQy
Cel's breath came out shaky. He nodded once, not trusting his voice.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcTpzmccsKo
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLiI68SsdS4
When she finally stepped back, her hands lingered for a moment before releasing him entirely.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0nkyPJ4Gl
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKvUQclMprx
The mist swirled between them, giving him space to collect himself.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfL00HhT7aa
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡElZ1avFlFW
Cel took a breath. Then another. His fingers rose to touch his face - flushed and damp, eyes surely red and swollen.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyVNEbjb49Z
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHFpGesPiuA
Humiliation seared through him.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVJVUpI9yaz
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAKVD2thse8
He'd wept. Like a child. In front of someone who had guided him through death itself with perfect composure.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJWTO1tu4x
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLFxw3ir36W
The transformation still didn't feel real, but the shame certainly did.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsjbccQJ85n
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡstHb5X6Ft0
He forced himself to straighten, to look somewhere near her general direction even if he couldn't quite meet her eyes yet.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqe3fcQtyiq
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmRr0omhZMX
"Thank you. For everything.“113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvaWDMkCqqB
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDVhqaeguvJ
He gestured vaguely, unable to articulate what her presence had meant.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoZDMqqGYzu
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRJAnfhtV2
Selina inclined her head, serene as ever.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHSgTQRoXPP
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeQ3rhqwIOH
A question surfaced - one that had been lurking since the moment she'd appeared in his dying consciousness. Something to focus on besides the heat still flooding his face.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1JfCMvJFO2
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVrgZfYqap0
"Selina." He cleared his throat. "What rank do you hold as a priestess?"113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsWiymoSWLL
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE1Yuc50MqE
No hesitation. No cryptic deflection.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDGnbheMS5
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡih9UxBxoXH
Her smile deepened, tranquil and certain as moonlight on still water113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6INzhLaFRo
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9DmK8ytutM
"Rank One." 113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWGxLzBYpFh
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqD85ddvUMh
The words landed like a physical blow.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5HtqZcdhDz
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0tx5Nhx9JW
His mind went blank, then exploded with implications he couldn't process fast enough.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6CF8Q7gL6Z
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtHgwXz6qcg
'Rank One?'113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI0Z98p4Mkw
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvxjgS2v4yv
A Divine Oracle - the title humanity gave to those who stood at the pinnacle of divine service.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡio6xBTIT4Q
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo62CxsqU49
Not just a priestess. Not even a high-ranking servant.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXvG4yoF9Ee
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJUeWn34z8m
The highest authority beneath the gods themselves. The singular voice through which a deity spoke directly to the mortal world.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8W2ocpW3a
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKYlBpWeFEW
His embarrassment suddenly intensified a thousandfold.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2eTLFq9zQf
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He'd just—113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFIeHpCOaom
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNgwjNr8nW
He'd just cried on a Divine Oracle.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpZ2phrWPOQ
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqY0QkqoCzq
Sobbed into her robes like a child seeking comfort from his mother.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ82xRywbV2N
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSQfaq2k1F
And before that—113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoDQdA6T67P
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Memory crashed through him like an avalanche.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqTQ3eozFcf
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgi6yfiWA0o
His tone. The way he'd spoken to her.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2Gu81SwWu
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5aMHOqjWf9
Sharp. Impatient. Laced with frustration when she couldn't answer his questions. The edge in his voice when he'd pushed back against her words.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYN6hbeXuI6
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPHwtNwRLEV
He hadn't been respectful. Hadn't been grateful.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5INSsnjuIB
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ35ahDhxevG
He'd been angry - and he'd let that anger out on her.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ23pABIB6IR
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbML11ihmm8
Cel wanted to disappear.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOt2KERpcpl
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSCscMiJz5S
He hadn't just questioned a priestess or shown weakness before a guide.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiIFxBxnriH
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9zO8scQMxe
He had challenged a Divine Oracle with barely restrained fury. 113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAkoD5XKVga
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And then wept on her shoulder.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRLzvjyRIn2
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmlDCxzMmbN
His legs suddenly felt unsteady.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBYV6h78QXi
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfSwfqkz7KL
Cel's gaze dropped to the ground again. He couldn't look at her. Couldn't bear the weight of meeting those eyes now that he understood what - who - they represented.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXW8a6o9DRd
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDCupHAisf
His voice failed him.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0KlOsYp1vL
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9g1JXRCCP
Everything about her made sense now. The way she moved through his soul's landscape with absolute certainty. The calm that never broke, no matter what horrors he did. The patience that felt limitless, untouchable by mortal weakness.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ38rL2ew8l
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Because it transcended mortality.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqg4oqgFWvP
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdtmLnptU0w
She wasn't just a guide. She was the voice of the Moon Goddess.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK0P1OIGOhK
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And he'd—113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhsnxXJvAm2
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSD6RvJYDmX
Shame crawled up his throat like bile, bitter and choking.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl65hTuekvK
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe2peNxq6C1
"I was..." He forced the words out. "I was angry. At everything. And I took it out on you."113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJaJQdyHuh7
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqYSxDoo3a5
His hands curled into fists.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWiJM8bfjwN
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2JWzsIcnr
"You were patient with me. Kind. And I..."113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyl4bWdeh0u
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5t6hTBT69F
He couldn't finish. Couldn't articulate how wrong it felt now—lashing out at the one person who'd actually helped him.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0iFTJFBKL
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd7gpO7qYws
"I'm sorry."113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡixQi0dKenK
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBjoH38uysM
Silence answered him.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIDqBMuj1fB
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJUWJMqPnPK
Cel kept his gaze fixed on the ground, watching mist curl around his bare feet. Each second stretched unbearably long.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Z4SfC4okJ
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCyQi49p4fH
Then—movement.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz0K8W0YyFI
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3XTGoRDaFK
Selina stepped closer.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT7ZKz7I0sI
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmCSTGx8Sk2
He flinched slightly, expecting… what? Blame? Divine wrath channeled through soft words?113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbC0z7pWOXw
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeD4KWu9CjB
"Chosen One." Her voice carried no anger. No coldness.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc5s4G2SIn1
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwIT29mrkW2
Only that same impossible gentleness she'd shown since the beginning.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDVBot7zYVS
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLsBMMVEGQ3
Slowly, reluctantly, Cel raised his head.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcdqQsMomSO
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlD3THXvVrp
She stood before him unchanged. Mask catching moonlight, lips curved into a beautiful smile. White robes stirring in wind that didn't exist.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuFgJYWm2ZI
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡynLYh1Y4AK
But now he could see it - the presence that saturated every gesture, every word. The weight of divinity she carried with such grace.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEdnmZdeJ48
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjILJo3bal5
"You are not the first to question the divine." Her tone remained even. "Nor will you be the last."113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzYaA2lyMGV
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡefLNYMTeTM
Cel's breath hitched.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhMpLfE3FT1
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbregh5IGmh
"But you're a Divine Oracle." The words tumbled out before he could stop them. "The highest voice of the goddess. I shouldn't have spoken to you the way I did. With anger. With—"113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMZQJKzOpF6
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJtHnR9n1Jq
He gestured helplessly.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOcevdvQRyP
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIVEtO2I8kZ
"You deserved better than that."113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEBRm2qIJHJ
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMxMQaBFRfI
Selina regarded him for a long moment.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3csoPAYPFn
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSI1hyEfq3A
"Your tone was inappropriate, yes."113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ntyUJHI9g
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtHMbDJvemj
The blunt truth hit like a fist.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9gqlbuOUyr
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwmI105zRmm
But there was no cruelty in her statement. Just fact, stated simply.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvNi9x1AS0m
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfzsC4jr5At
"However." She tilted her head slightly. "I do not serve to be worshipped. I serve to guide. To guide you."113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyvsji7H20P
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Uifzpi8hO
Her hand lifted in a small, dismissive gesture - as if brushing away his concern.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2QjG0QCH3b
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdPJ9KukdsF
"You may speak to me as yourself. It is enough."113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBFWJ9Zu7vn
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5AGUcLpREm
The shame didn't vanish - it couldn't - but something about her words cut through the worst of it.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84P26NyhTU
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIi95DGEcQm
She had never demanded reverence. Never once reminded him of her status, even when he'd pushed boundaries most priests would have punished him for crossing.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Rpre28kaI
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdn0eQvYGKP
Even now, standing before him with her true nature revealed, she spoke with grace rather than command.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHgJMJP43tZ
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMFuugSMT7c
Cel's chest tightened.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9tpt5ibvTn
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKdhhdavCA1
Not from unworthiness - though he felt that keenly.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡccdJE52iV8
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But from recognition.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQYSuVUpmq
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3bfv84Gxv6
He had spent his entire life surrounded by power. His father wielded authority like a weapon, crushing anyone who dared question him. The nobles of the Sun Clan wore their status like armor, ensuring everyone knew their place.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAtF9YfNKf2
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSjva41BQAT
And here stood someone with more power than any of them could dream of.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ykJGGcAFS
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡttZ7Cd2dlw
Who chose not to wield it as a tool of domination.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ05aIKtyo8R
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJnnlHkIVFX
"Then..." He straightened slightly, meeting her masked gaze. "I'll speak to you as myself."113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRLFmZNhpJA
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl8gNsEwUFO
A pause.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZyLD9eSv57
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZdyN6pQ5jm
"And I'll make sure you never regret guiding me."113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMKHOpleEb
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWrR3CSUCW9
Selina's smile deepened - genuine warmth that transformed her serene expression into something radiant.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD2cdQhNd1R
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZpQ40zVi7
"I never have, Chosen One."113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJKBpnRCaJT
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The simple certainty in those words settled over him like a blanket.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5UqrooH3Gx
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Not forgiveness - she had nothing to forgive, apparently.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy8vDJJpWJL
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Just acceptance.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFGkYCJuzd0
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Cel bowed his head. Not in apology this time.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP1BIwzFPgK
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In respect. True respect, given freely to someone who had earned it through every patient word, every quiet truth.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxSZruQnsGU
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When he raised his eyes again, something fundamental had shifted inside him.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeP1OU2B1Io
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The guilt remained - it would serve as reminder, fuel to be better.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY494lrctnh
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But beneath it, something else had taken root.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjj8gwZEVpI
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Trust. Deep and unshakeable.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN8oS46ewiP
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Whatever came next - whatever trials or horrors the future held - he would follow where she led.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWkHhp2PMB5
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXQLenVfKnc
Because Selina wasn't just the goddess's voice.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfe8bfmr4LX
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She was his guide.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX1LLXKxKCJ
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And he would not dishonor that gift again.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsvVbl6zdSX
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Silence settled between them, heavy with unspoken understanding.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9DlwBOpprY
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He didn't need more words. Neither did she.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Vp11Roy2J
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The mist around them stirred.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjpKIARqhs
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Selina's gaze lingered on him - just a moment longer - before she turned away.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWVIVGdltP
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"Follow me, Chosen One. There is more yet to be done."113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQHanGHNVrl
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Cel followed without hesitation.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZggwfYjCv
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They walked in silence through the transformed landscape of his soul. The mist parted before Selina as if bowing, then closed behind them like a curtain.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiH59WtvbNW
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbbFOn18Xmz
With each step, Cel felt the difference. Steady. Strong. No trembling weakness in his legs, no exhaustion dragging at his limbs. His body moved with an ease he'd almost forgotten existed.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8LyCTCEuF9
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"What happened to me?" he asked.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbPBuwTvuNo
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She didn't slow her pace, but her head turned slightly toward him.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm1B9mBEecC
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"Your physical form in the Hollow Realms succumbed to its injuries," she said simply.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOsdqrO99F9
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The words should have struck harder. But after everything - after dying twice already - the revelation felt almost distant.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlz9yGoteYY
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"Then how…“ He gestured at himself, at the body that felt foreign in its wholeness. "How am I still here?"113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ40oJVTQrkK
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"Your soul was preserved within the trial - protected by divine ground." Selina's voice carried a weight he hadn't heard before.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhXHCImfdEO
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She paused, as if choosing her next words carefully.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS7B8gS7Fi0
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"What the Moon Goddess granted you is not mere healing. It is true resurrection - the reforging of flesh and bone around a soul that had no vessel."113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwinGfau7OI
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Cel’s breath caught.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEGdyT4vDt1
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Not healing. Not recovery.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUXV7eMbePR
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Resurrection.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7yvTez8RCS
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His soul had survived the trial, and the goddess had forged him a body capable of matching that survival - whole, strong, unmarred by the year of torment that had destroyed the first.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpnG4tyWvEd
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Perhaps that was why the trial existed at all - to prove his soul worthy of such a gift.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk0n6q7UGLM
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Cel let the truth settle as they continued forward.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKPFEUiEAV
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Eventually, the terrain shifted.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjslW9uGFB
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The cracked earth gave way to something smoother. The jagged stones retreated. Even the bluish-white flowers thinned until only mist remained, thick and luminous around the edges of a clearing Cel didn't remember seeing before.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTTrHsNCZ9
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At its center stood a monolith.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOsUgErl8bI
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Not stone. Not metal.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPNDRK7ba4o
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Something else.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSIxm0LsbKY
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Cel stopped walking.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMnJ3P1yNJY
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The structure rose before him - taller than he was, seamless and dark. Deep midnight blue pulsed across its surface like a slow heartbeat, while threads of pale light coiled beneath, moving in patterns he couldn't follow.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0RtdcbqMWU
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Sapphire beneath moonlight - cold and radiant.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIj1CoKo02F
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Divine.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡufHVT42Hop
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He knew that without being told. The same way he'd known the frozen sea was sacred. The same way he'd recognized the fairy-like creature in the crystal maze as something beyond natural.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2v6sulO3ef
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This wasn't just an object.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOH1ZfgTC2Y
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This was touched by divinity itself.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfK91AXO2OO
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Selina came to a stop beside it, one hand resting lightly against the smooth surface. She didn't look at him, but he felt her attention anyway - patient, expectant.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcsNdQgi0HA
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Cel's chest tightened.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd79jkk2Q1a
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He knew what came next.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfaC63HxRUC
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Every Chosen One, upon receiving their first blessing, was granted three things.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡihK9GSRAn4
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A trait - passive power, woven into the core of their being. Not meant for spectacle or battle, but something that changed who they were on a fundamental level.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKTUJ6WX1QK
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An authority - active power, immediate and tangible. The god's first true answer to their Chosen One's nature. Something meant to be used, whether for protection, destruction, or survival.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiT0CkgUuwh
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Both could stem from the same paragon or draw from different aspects of their deity's domain.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcTsOFmRNdW
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And an artifact - a divine instrument forged by the gods themselves. Weapon or armor. Whatever form it took, it would be theirs alone - bound to them until death.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwttL8oK4eh
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Unlike future blessings - earned through achievements - this first gift was granted freely. A mark that the journey had begun.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCBjpuNBMv3
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Cel's hands trembled slightly as he stepped forward.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSkhFrnerib
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The monolith responded.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8U8hjA6yhG
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Silver light bloomed from its core - threads like veins of pure moonlight spreading outward beneath the surface. They coiled and twisted, drawing patterns that burned themselves into his vision.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUMPHrdkAnv
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Runes.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdn3JFSJNhv
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He couldn't read them. Didn't recognize the script.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQc1MNFcXgB
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But he understood them anyway - meaning that bypassed his eyes entirely and settled into his mind like instinct.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkuGjtpgEe8
113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1tp42mYVk
<Name: Celvian>113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHbiGZpasi7
<Paragons: (Heir to the Moon) (The White Death)>113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIXylA9vUps
<Artifacts: (Silent Moon)>113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyqrfzWyWpc
<Insights: (locked 0/1)>113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9xMUp5nPep
<Achievements: (1)>1234 copyright protection109ＰＥＮＡＮＡalmdOYffqT 尼

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