"Hurry!" The receptionist was already moving toward the door. "Come on!"89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJvQ23aMSL
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRX1QCsAxlk
Cel matched her quick stride as they moved through the corridor. She didn't look back to see if he kept pace - just assumed he would.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXP5zHM58ib
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUETXltYLfl
They reached his door. She stopped, gesturing sharply.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf3tV0oSRwG
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2UqHR3rdLq
"Uniform. Now. I'll wait."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU9Ex6ERnCR
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2mUnYvGIOX
Cel pushed inside and crossed to the wardrobe. The dark fabric still sat folded where he'd left it, the silver threading along the collar catching morning light from the window.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLVV3reS2sB
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHb9ZkY507
He stripped off his clothes and pulled on the uniform. The fabric was stiffer than the commoner clothes he'd worn the past ten days, the collar higher. Over his heart, the silver mark of the Moon Goddess stood out against the dark cloth.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQBumPmOr7
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFCmnqyKWKm
When he emerged, the receptionist gave him a quick once-over and nodded.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡySuFTWvJo4
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmIrLNCwcim
"Good enough. Let's go."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkM3oLzCusT
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdzFYCIiLjJ
She set off at a pace just short of running. Cel matched her stride easily, his divine body making the speed feel natural even as she began breathing harder.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4FHh1duz1G
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcoBJIWSgMz
"Everyone's already gathered," she said between breaths. "You were supposed to be there twenty minutes ago. I checked your room three times this morning - where were you?"89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsB3pJY3pNe
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS4oCFNPEWe
"Walking."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjtYzOO4k0x
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyVyRD2R3Uk
She shot him a look but didn't press. They turned a corner and the main hall loomed ahead - massive oak doors standing open, voices spilling out in a dull roar.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDKFRFiFqsS
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5iHzWpJW1u
The receptionist slowed as they approached. "Get in line with the others. Don't make a scene."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvToM0j6NrV
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0RTwBtRwLL
Cel slipped through the doors.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ34LR8reGr0
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtUxgQdwi8i
The hall stretched vast and high-ceilinged. Rows of students stood in formation before a raised stage at the far end. Perhaps forty of them, all wearing the same dark uniform with silver threading. All commoners.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRgHDrHNC8
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnAC0GAtwAb
Cel moved along the back of the formation, looking for a gap. The students were packed tight, shoulders nearly touching. He found space near the end of the fourth row and stepped into it.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQRZzHCTF1
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjM3BbC1Z1
No one turned. No one acknowledged his late arrival. Every face pointed forward, attention fixed on the empty stage.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNWidrFC32H
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU68NoYIZLI
The boy to his left shifted his weight from foot to foot. His fingers drummed against his thigh in nervous rhythm.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2eZNxlRBhh
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3HyLq77tsu
"—heard she's really coming," a girl whispered two rows ahead. "The princess herself."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7OllHN2c6i
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOUvss6asf9
"No way," a boy to her right hissed back. "That's just a rumor. Why would she—"89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡih1fTUbZIJ
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkxX0t94JyL
"My cousin works in the palace kitchens. She said—"89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5tkVD7gE7t
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYT39IEaNbT
"Quiet!" someone snapped from the front row.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWV5gxEArFh
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjiubr6n7DB
The whispers died, but the energy remained - crackling tension that made the air feel charged. Bodies leaned forward slightly, as if the extra inch might let them see better when something finally happened.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXhuB56q0Ix
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsHqSbtDj8k
A door opened at the stage's side and a man emerged - tall, gray-haired, wearing formal robes with the royal crest prominent across his chest. The headmaster. His boots clicked against the wooden platform as he crossed to the podium.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRJNgVUN1N9
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDGnk50fkVm
The silence deepened, every fidget ceasing.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvR2Zr0hYVD
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5c14SudOx
He surveyed the assembled students. His gaze swept the rows without hurry, taking in every face. When he finally spoke, his voice carried easily across the hall.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfyWZsuQYAO
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx1FO1Oag3B
"Welcome to the Chosen Academy. Before we begin, it is my honor to announce our distinguished guest for this year's opening ceremony."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6cddgX4jUh
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKiCnT45Oz
He paused. The silence somehow deepened.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrztQ2KOB9Z
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFID7WfEUH
"Her Imperial Highness, Cassandra Stellarion, Princess of the Empire."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsnwYACe1ux
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFfaWpRUyuh
The whispers had been right.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡplvF0HkfRN
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfc4klv5WdV
Excited murmurs rippled through the formation - quickly suppressed but unmistakable. Bodies straightened. The nervous energy transformed into something sharper, more focused.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmFJzbXZVfb
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh0kqodPx1J
The side door opened again.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT0rqc0XOW5
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoWhC17CG1G
She entered with practiced grace - each step measured, her posture perfect. The princess wore deep purple robes edged in gold, the royal crest embroidered across her chest in intricate detail. Deep purple hair - the same rich shade as her clothes - fell in an elegant arrangement that must have taken hours to achieve. Her features were refined, beautiful in the way that came from centuries of careful bloodline cultivation.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsuA8F8yi0h
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwrGCXQZZq9
Cel had seen her once before. At the ceremony where the Emperor granted Esrin the title of Hallowed - the highest honor a Chosen could receive. The princess had stood among the other royals behind the throne, present but not prominent.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaEH63v5x2K
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBCJJbIgSL
She looked older now. More composed. Every movement deliberate and controlled.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSd0reGILEO
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXsAyV49BWJ
The whispers started immediately, rippling through the rows in broken fragments.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6lwZv6hcJe
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3sLxZm5Oax
"—actually her—"89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjIs8Osai8a
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqPQZo58JQ
"—so beautiful—"89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsKSYuOu53E
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt56nkwyc6a
"—can't believe—"89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDnSUBxQehs
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoL1enO8Q9A
The princess reached the podium. She let the moment breathe, her deep purple eyes sweeping across the assembled students with the same measured assessment the headmaster had used.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDOlJU8sxU
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXTVp28myL
Then she smiled.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Q4ZzZiP39
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMOBRtvPrjs
Warm. Genuine. The kind of expression that made people feel seen, valued.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTdRNj88ixN
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJWwZvwtnV2
"Thank you, Headmaster." Her voice carried the same effortless projection, clear without being loud. "And welcome to all of you. This is a significant day - not just for the Academy, but for our Empire."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0nexjuuhR
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49HUKSkw5H
She paused, letting the weight settle.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0SPsQWvs6m
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf48zUvEi9t
"Each of you has been blessed by the gods. Chosen to stand against the darkness that threatens our world. The rifts that tear reality apart. The creatures that crawl through to destroy everything humanity has built."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTKliAvwDv4
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmi6eH4ljE
Her expression shifted - still warm, but underlaid with steel.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhisiDwK4Ie
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQaRkPazJx
"You are humanity's defense. Its hope. And the Academy exists to ensure you become worthy of that sacred duty."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5vHfgCJ4WL
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaFp29k8PR3
The students around Cel leaned forward, drinking in every word. The girl two rows ahead had tears in her eyes. The boy beside Cel had stopped fidgeting entirely, standing rigid with attention.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIZtIfuVbn3
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0XEg1On7F5
Cel watched the princess's face. The fleeting expressions that flickered beneath the controlled exterior. The calculated pauses that gave her words time to land.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1XQgfOSTYz
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDR4G9WJubf
This wasn't normal.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzvcvWsMxr
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSFFRlM24NE
Royalty didn't attend academy openings. The Emperor had never spoken at one. The Empress hadn't either. It was beneath their station - a task delegated to the headmaster and instructors.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk2TEs4sFeF
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6FdeY1RyOl
So why was she here?89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3kJwBnuLRC
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEuK2T4enoz
The answer crystallized as she continued speaking.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡViLb2ixZGV
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBKVYfGEAEV
"The Empire stands at a crossroads. Threats gather both within and beyond our walls. We need strength. Unity. Chosen who understand that their power serves something greater than personal ambition."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡewfLByHlhG
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4tisPx7KBf
There it was. Buried in platitudes about duty and service.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrrW5jCdfeG
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBooRAuGbwe
Recruitment.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0cuUZda58
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7AGF5P3nht
She was here to secure promising students early. To establish relationships before the nobles arrived and complicated the social dynamics. To position herself - and by extension, whichever faction she supported - as the benefactor who cared about commoner Chosen.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuruqnTAfII
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkhiJB69hRZ
The question was which faction she supported.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡea5i2CIefV
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8bOCmb36kg
Her father, the Emperor, backed the First Prince. Her mother, the Empress, backed the Second. The princess herself couldn't inherit - only men could ascend to the Stellarion throne, following the precedent set by the First Chosen.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1jch8PdIs1
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3cFMSvCNPY
"—know that I will be watching your progress with great interest," the princess was saying. "The Empire's future depends on Chosen like you. Never forget the responsibility you carry."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeQfzHQSTky
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJoycWc29R6
She stepped back from the podium. The smile returned, softer now.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQmQGwqW5T
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5F5s321bV
"May the gods guide your path." 89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu6uuzeRWq2
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10qd2IJMS6
Applause erupted - immediate, thunderous. The students clapped with desperate enthusiasm, as if the force of their approval might somehow keep her attention.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW0yRgpm66T
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpBvIMWXXOW
The princess inclined her head graciously, then turned and walked toward the side door with the same measured grace she'd entered with.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOW4rtbSszf
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7WdsM5Ptjl
The headmaster returned to the podium as she disappeared.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm7lQkRKplk
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqNKVKHwLXJ
"Thank you, Your Highness, for those inspiring words." He waited for the applause to fade before continuing. "Now, to practical matters. You will proceed to the dining hall for your first meal as academy students. Afterward, assemble in the main classroom where your instructor will explain the curriculum and answer questions.”89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC3h5IWnHyM
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0njdLGVr8
He gestured toward the hall's main exit. "Dismissed."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNauf0Effbo
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA8KsLPGPPT
The formation dissolved immediately. Students streamed toward the doors in clusters, voices rising as the enforced silence broke.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjF0Vytcm6T
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC6iSD2fdM8
"My parents won’t believe—"89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvFoj3X8PWk
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Uc0KqgYzm
"—incredible speech, I got chills when she said—"89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxVOY0IlkjN
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRVI5aJ4euC
"—maybe she'll visit again, do you think—"89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuDgPNeP3iv
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIvFVIu1BYb
Cel followed the flow through corridors that opened into a large dining hall. Long wooden tables filled the space, already set with plates and cups. The smell of fresh bread and cooked meat filled the air.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS8nb6ViY7L
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgwU4SOOFZA
Students claimed seats in groups, gravitating toward familiar faces from their home territories or shared deity affiliations. Conversations continued unabated, everyone still buzzing with excitement over the princess's appearance.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8QSJyOnS2s
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi4QiSS1NHa
Cel found an empty table near the back and sat.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuJLJeIV9CG
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2BnANo9oPB
No one joined him. The surrounding tables filled quickly, but his remained isolated - an island of empty space in a crowded hall.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLAdk5W7mFQ
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNIWzz7kPqd
He didn't mind.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEWqMPvF9Of
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6aXiE4Ac4c
Food arrived - brought by kitchen staff who moved efficiently between tables. Bread, still warm. Roasted chicken. Vegetables in some kind of sauce. 89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYudCWGGWk2
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBzytK7Ch7h
Cel ate mechanically, tasting nothing. His mind was elsewhere, still processing the princess's speech and what it meant for the shifting political landscape.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdzZzA2r8F0
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvk8YueW2AM
Footsteps approached. Hesitant. Uncertain.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgtxcrHf1pu
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYsPbzEgqUM
Cel looked up.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZJ012SNfOB
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4FeFg6s4iC
A boy stood at the table's edge, perhaps his age or slightly younger. Wheat blond hair fell across his forehead. Soft blue eyes that rarely made direct contact, currently fixed on a point somewhere past Cel's shoulder. His posture curved inward, shoulders hunched as if trying to occupy as little space as possible.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0gKvBUfFWK
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡov22HaVm3C
The silver crescent moon over his heart caught the light.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVSEhfMNgmJ
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3hF283V1P
Another Moon Chosen.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwJsIXoiY08
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoRyBwqcxkG
The boy's hands twisted together. His mouth opened, closed, opened again. Finally, words emerged - quiet, apologetic.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKtDnDqVLj
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0MYfV9BMYh
"I'm sorry to bother you, but... you're a Moon Chosen too, aren't you? I saw your mark during the ceremony and I thought maybe..."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJXJajgGCl
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOVSJXEmZwk
He trailed off, uncertainty written across every feature.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5o29034z07
89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwBgWBNBUL7
"Would it be alright if I sat with you?"1234 copyright protection85ＰＥＮＡＮＡxs8JTsxtbJ 尼

216.73.217.22