"Hey trash."92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡElKutfMcAW
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Cel's hands stilled on his fork.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCOX8OjWSHV
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Kyros Solgrand stood at the end of their table, flanked by two other Sun Clan nobles. His fire-red hair caught the lamplight, amber eyes bright with something cruel.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt9G20zi3cG
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"I couldn't help but notice." He gestured at their uniforms, at the crescent moon embroidered over the heart. "You're Moon Chosen."92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUZGRllON9l
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Lior went rigid beside Cel. His fork clattered against his plate, the sound sharp in the sudden quiet that had fallen over nearby tables. His shoulders hunched inward as if trying to make himself smaller.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRhCdYYDLqK
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"Yes." Cel kept his voice neutral. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnwk1nvjEAG
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Kyros's smile widened. "How... unfortunate."92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡytWoMRmw8G
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He moved closer, circling their table like a predator assessing prey. His companions remained at the end, blocking ways.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmzUhVarxr
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"The Moon Goddess." Kyros spoke loud enough that nearby conversations died, students turning to watch. "The weakest deity. The forgotten one. The goddess who can't even maintain a single Great Clan."92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSIKF7simSL
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His hand landed on Cel's shoulder - fingers digging in.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmaxTLe07Fc
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"Must be hard, knowing you'll never amount to anything. That your blessing is worthless."92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxgHBfwvnTm
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Lior's hands had curled into fists beneath the table. His breathing quickened.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlXm45lUpSK
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Cel forced his muscles to relax. Forced his jaw to unclench.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2h5tFNSC0l
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"We serve who chose us," he said quietly.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc7F1luNbSf
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"Do you?" Kyros leaned closer, breath hot against Cel's ear. "Or do you just accept your pathetic fate because you're too weak to demand better?"92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡglKVzN3I4O
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The rage that had been simmering since Kyros appeared flared brighter. Cel's vision tunneled. His hands trembled with the effort of keeping them still.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL5Dje9NuPR
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He could break Kyros's nose. Right now. One strike, perfectly placed, and the smug bastard would be choking on his own blood.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTaVOUs7vkF
92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDbncT3D6b7
But if a commoner struck a noble - even in self-defense - the punishment was severe. Imprisonment. Public humiliation. In some cases even execution. The Empire's laws protected nobility with brutal efficiency, and the Academy wouldn't shield him from those consequences.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRHIdApj5xL
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The unspoken truth was obvious - nobles operated under different standards. Not just in sparring. In everything. They could strike commoners with minimal repercussions. But the reverse? That was a crime against the social order itself.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdQTepFTt0P
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So Cel just sat there. Took it. Let Kyros's words wash over him like rain.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7CoxyRxraA
92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwKYgAZTR6Q
"Nothing to say?" Kyros squeezed harder, nails digging through fabric. "That's what I thought. Moon Chosen are always like that. Weak. Pathetic."92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrJW65a63tY
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He released his grip and straightened, turning to address the watching students.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSLtfzZAyIv
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"Remember this, everyone. What do you call Chosen of the weakest goddess?" He paused, smile widening. "Trash. Nothing but blessed trash."92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBS44MMULM1
92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCK0c20r6vk
Laughter rippled through some of the tables. Not all - several looked uncomfortable. But enough that Kyros's smile grew.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6QtV2iHbxL
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He walked away, his companions following. Their laughter echoed across the dining hall.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgRuPHSz9Ho
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Cel's hands were shaking. He pressed them flat against the table, fingers splayed wide.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8cAdtEBCm5
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Lior simply stared down at his plate, paralyzed by what just happened.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQcFVagVioF
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Eventually, he excused himself. Exhaustion lined his features, shoulders slumped with the weight of the day.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCrbolljnRZ
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Cel remained. He finished his meal in silence. The dining hall's energy had shifted - conversations more subdued now, glances occasionally drifting toward his isolated corner.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1gJxpq0HK5
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He ate mechanically, tasting nothing. His mind replayed the confrontation over and over. Each word. Each laugh. The feeling of Kyros's fingers digging into his shoulder like he had every right to do so.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhhWGAP2ldl
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When his plate was empty, Cel stood and left.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7MlUL0I9be
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Hours later, the training grounds lay silent beneath moonlight.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Rwb7xvGV9
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Cel crossed the threshold, boots crunching against packed earth. Empty weapon racks. Archery targets standing like sentinels. The space felt vast without other students filling it.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcMXQhXEi8C
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He shrugged off his upper uniform like always, letting it fall to the ground beside him. The night air was cold against his skin, but Lunar Vigor flooded through him under the moon's light.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOWWoGYX5SF
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He moved to the center and stopped. Breathed. Let the day's accumulated tension settle in his muscles like coiled springs.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQMtW1ufc7b
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Silent Moon materialized in his grip.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkZSK8hBxNJ
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Then he moved.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfS0gTIXK1W
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The blade sang through air, cutting patterns driven by pure fury. He moved through the Chosen Legion forms he'd been practicing - each one executed with divine strength behind it, each one brutal in application.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcHhDRr9dba
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Hours blurred together.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRPAsoZkVjT
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Cel kept going.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2FIy60so4P
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Until finally… the rage began to drain away. Not gone. Never truly gone. But manageable again. Locked back in whatever dark corner of his mind it usually inhabited.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCpx0fsHcVb
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The blade completed its arc. Cel's muscles burned, sweat cooling on his bare chest despite the chill—92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡafzl2pJ1sV
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Footsteps.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL202WFFs43
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His body went rigid mid-stance. Silent Moon hung suspended in the air as he turned.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbGoPN0mTRI
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Lady Hestia Mortveil stood at the edge of the training grounds.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtdfTuLlZmf
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The moonlight caught her jet-black hair, making it gleam like polished obsidian. Her crimson eyes studied him with an intensity that made his breath catch.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYLgTza4uP
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For a heartbeat, neither moved.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwpmb9pDIoM
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Then her gaze dropped. Lower. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmv1PpSyCE
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Suddenly, Cel became very aware of the cold against his skin. Heat flooded his face. He dismissed Silent Moon with a thought and lunged for his discarded uniform, fumbling with the fabric as he yanked it over his head.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLTh89C2Nk2
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"Lady Hestia." His voice came out rougher than intended. He straightened, adjusting his collar. "I apologize. I didn't realize the grounds were occupied."92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNwBS2Q13n9
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A beat of silence.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqV6t2rgK9P
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"They weren't." Her tone was neutral, almost clinical. She walked past him toward the far side without another glance.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJ8L4KpeN7
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Cel just stood there, uncertain. Should he leave? Continue?92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwVtmjNP2v0
92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqwuAlNqWFH
Hestia sank to the ground in a meditative pose. Her hands rested on her knees, palms upward. The night seemed to gather around her like a cloak, shadows deepening in her presence.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeyb2C0jgYX
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She was replenishing her Divine Essence. It made sense - the Death God's domain aligned with darkness, with the stillness of night. Divine Essence recovered fastest when immersed in the right environment. Ocean Chosen would seek water. Moon Chosen would need moonlight. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYP0zPnzJfk
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Not that it mattered to him. There was no need to replenish one's Divine Essence when you had none.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHFIb0W7tO
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Cel re-summoned Silent Moon and returned to his forms.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxAMZt5Tb9e
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The silence stretched between them, broken only by the whisper of his blade through air and the distant sound of wind through empty weapon racks.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1BmX3aptoV
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Like that, the days blurred into routine.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSpHYFF7jWA
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Sparring matches carved the class into a predictable hierarchy. Nobles on top. Commoners below.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ35fa86VCh7
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"Blessed trash."92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpO4d2rXRBB
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Kyros's voice cut across the courtyard. His hand shoved Lior's shoulder, sending him stumbling. Laughter from the other Sun Clan nobles.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWVcG6cKIX
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Lior kept his eyes down. Cel's jaw clenched, but he said nothing. Took it. Like always.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtcpiYbtk93
92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcrtqG8kSyK
The confrontations came and went like weather - predictable, unavoidable. But something puzzled Cel about the nobles' behavior. In the tavern, the barkeeper had spoken of political factions regarding the throne’s succession. Yet here, they seemed unified. Cordial, even.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpH7se0h0kB
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The reason for that was simple: Theron. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcD1Ky1SgZy
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He moved through them all like sunlight through water - effortless, warm. The nobles gravitated toward him naturally. Perhaps they'd all received the same instructions to cultivate the All-Blessed's favor. To leverage that connection later when the succession fight began in earnest.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvNeEW4MxXO
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Sylvaine ensured the Life Clan maintained the closest position. Always at Theron's side, always visible, always reinforcing their clan's support.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWTmfWEKR0E
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Only Hestia remained apart.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3FDFhfnjYw
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She sat alone during meals, moved through training exercises in isolation. The other students kept their distance. Whether from the Death Clan's tainted reputation or simple wariness of Raven's sister, Cel couldn't say. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyUYPXqF9hm
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Night fell.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsvhBTnwK54
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Cel arrived at the training grounds first, as usual. He'd barely summoned Silent Moon when footsteps announced Hestia's arrival.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcyzEKKegAg
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She crossed to her meditation spot without acknowledgment. Settled into stillness.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkWuUMem3ht
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Cel moved through his forms. The blade traced familiar patterns, his body flowing from one position to the next with increasing fluidity.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ90obwRytzR
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An hour passed. Then another.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJmMzTNODf
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When Cel paused to catch his breath, he glanced toward Hestia's meditation spot. Over the past weeks, she'd been inching nearer. Subtle. Gradual. Never speaking. Never explaining.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡForIJRDJYX
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But close enough now that he could hear the faint rhythm of her breathing when the wind stilled. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcY3uJj353m
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Why? 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe09bcsWhBe
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The only connection between them was Raven. But she couldn't possibly know about his encounter with her brother. Couldn't know about his noble blood, his true identity. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYYiGmqH1tJ
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All she could see was what everyone else saw - a commoner Moon Chosen with unusually developed muscles and no Divine Essence. He had explanations for both. Nothing remarkable. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEFhY4iUhq5
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Yet she'd shown interest from the very beginning. From that first day, her crimson eyes had tracked him with an intensity that suggested she saw something others missed.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkEwteAWGxr
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‘It couldn't possibly be my looks, right?’92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuxRr2iTHME
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Cel's next strike faltered slightly. His eyes cut toward her meditating form - jet-black hair spilling over pale shoulders, crimson eyes closed in concentration, the faint outline of her slender frame perfectly still despite the cold.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXWqJcMkiDC
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He shook his head and returned to the forms, pushing the ridiculous thought away. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtSGcdsJzIX
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Silent Moon whispered through the air, cutting patterns that had become as natural as breathing.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSiaD7a908j
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The week wore on. Classes during the day, silent training at night. Hestia's presence became as constant as the moonlight itself - always there, always watching when she thought he wouldn't notice, always inching closer with each passing evening.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE1tsWxgwDq
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Whatever she wanted, she kept it to herself.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5j7d94mur7
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Morning light filtered through the dining hall's tall windows, painting the long tables in shades of gold and amber.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS5aURZefX7
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Students clustered near the entrance, voices rising in excited chatter. Cel pushed through the crowd until he could see what held their attention.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3frg8Z5iKv
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A board had been mounted on the wall during their off-day.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc8eB7GboCO
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Names filled it in descending order, each accompanied by a number. The rankings.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ehqb6RnVf
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