Kyros stood over Lior, fire-red outfit drenched and dripping. The expensive fabric clung to his chest, wine spreading across the embroidery in dark stains that would never come out.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIgCZstAF84
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His amber eyes blazed with fury.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡziuSyZ3G2p
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"You clumsy bastard," he hissed.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKIAKFScMA
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Lior's entire body shook. "It was an accident, I swear, I just—"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaJXNeUL60j
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5toQhImKyT
"An accident?" Kyros's laugh was sharp enough to draw blood. "You bumped into me."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGgmMGG7VuY
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcZmmoOTPP5
The crowd pressed closer. Students formed a tightening circle - nobles in the front, commoners hanging back nervously. The music had stopped entirely. Even the servants had frozen mid-step.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLzZZwYMSCU
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡga7gBtHoYF
Cel pushed forward through the ring of onlookers, Hestia just behind him. But there were too many bodies, too much space between him and where Lior knelt.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDp8sAiYP3
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡflrFtk6hAE
"Please," Lior whispered. His sky-blue eyes were wide with terror, locked on shattered glass fragments. "I'll—I'll clean it. I'll find a way to fix it. Just please—"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡslgLWTsnGr
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBvRzcOZd2
"Fix it?" Kyros's voice rose, carrying across the ballroom with perfect clarity. "An outfit of that quality? You think you can fix it?"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVq6pAvvAvb
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Lior flinched as if struck.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAhdXesDJOi
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Kyros took a step forward. The movement was deliberate, calculated to intimidate. "But I suppose that's fitting, isn't it? A worthless Moon Chosen destroying things of actual value. It's what your kind does."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnGj8P8PsJG
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCAcw0qbkE
Several students shifted uncomfortably. A few commoners looked like they wanted to speak up but couldn't quite find the courage.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfUIHF1WrUj
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiDN5wJ1hkZ
"You'll pay for this." Kyros's amber eyes gleamed.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUHF5sWJgcw
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhvWuzoxjB
The blood drained from Lior's face. His lips moved soundlessly for a moment before words finally came. "I... I don't have—"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5lqwztCLiQ
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ge6o2cnJq
"That's not my problem." Kyros crossed his arms, heedless of the wet fabric. "Your clumsiness, your responsibility. Unless you're suggesting I should just accept the loss? That House Solgrand should simply absorb the cost of your incompetence?"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6a4zRD40X
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWT6GHczfQ
He tilted his head slightly, voice turning thoughtful in a way that made it worse. 76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk4iSy21oQu
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjNN23GiEXB
"Maybe I should send the bill to your family. Let your parents understand exactly what kind of burden you've become."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4o9529Iu0h
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmDLE1fQfrM
The blood drained from Lior's face. His lips moved soundlessly for a moment. "Please—my family—they can't—"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpHbnMpYwHL
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1x0fvkdS16
"Can't what? Afford it?" Kyros's voice dripped with false sympathy. "Then perhaps they shouldn't have sent you here in the first place."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZESpZbW2M
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZa8dLEd4WU
The words hit like physical blows. Lior swayed on his knees, face going gray. His breath came in short, desperate gasps.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZb7ozMORi1
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4EpCUldq1V
The world tilted. Darkness crept in from the edges of his vision.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtZzbWIglZa
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zhMJuxTLi
Cel finally broke through the crowd. His jaw was tight, hands clenched at his sides. The air around him had gone cold - frost beginning to form on his palm.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJEK3LVpaa
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But before he could speak—76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxbWAVtBaTN
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"That's enough."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGMORNBgHBp
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The voice cut through the tension like a blade through silk. 76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl6KtZnrO6J
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Theron stepped forward from the gathered nobles. His brown eyes were serious, the perpetual smile gone from his face. He moved with quiet confidence, positioning himself between Kyros and the kneeling Lior.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb17P1M3Wzk
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdgYE4YO9r3
"Lior didn't bump into you," Theron said simply. "You stepped backward into his path. I saw it."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUiEnzgiNFk
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The ballroom went absolutely still.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBkJARwKKCM
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGTmzcXJGP6
Kyros's face went through several expressions in rapid succession - surprise, confusion, then anger. "What?"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvkyLP9xMuw
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFIqEvd9Qcn
"You gestured while speaking and stepped back without looking. Lior was already walking past with a glass. You moved into him, not the other way around."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOfJEwLGsuj
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPkg7Qv0rqL
Several students who'd been nearby shifted, exchanging glances. Their faces suggested Theron's account matched what they'd seen but been too afraid to say.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfLML78L72Y
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHOyEa7Sjve
Kyros's hands twitched. His jaw worked as if chewing words he couldn't quite spit out. "That's—you're mistaken. Obviously you didn't see clearly—"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdipagIxMhm
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHR2tSiCam1
"I saw perfectly well." Theron's tone didn't waver. "It was your movement that caused the collision. Not his."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3qX7Nuajdz
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Color flooded Kyros's face. Not embarrassment - rage. His entire posture had gone rigid. "How dare you—do you even know who—"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnmukP70qlo
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He cut himself off, jaw snapping shut. His amber eyes darted between Theron and the watching crowd, clearly trying to calculate his next move.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1EH0ydAgpw
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Everyone knew who Theron was. The All-Blessed. Possibly - probably - the emperor's unacknowledged bastard. 76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbYKokybfuX
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But Theron was still technically a commoner. No family name. No official noble status. And yet—76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFydpQkzWtY
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Kyros's hand moved unconsciously to touch the Sun mark at his chest. The gesture was brief, almost invisible.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwmHrmeZq30
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv7lvCxPtkV
"Even if—" Kyros's voice had lost some of its certainty. "Even if I moved first, he should have been more careful. He should have—"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02jnZnrART
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUZHKbuPKXX
"Anticipated that you might step backward without warning?" Theron's expression remained wilful. "I don't think that's reasonable."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxCoUupIWJd
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The crowd was completely silent now. Every eye tracked between Kyros and Theron, waiting to see who would break first.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeiMZ3GRX1U
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Kyros opened his mouth. Closed it. The hand at his collar clenched and unclenched rhythmically.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdukuuNOrlZ
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Then a new voice cut in, smooth and controlled.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgXrXNLBJlc
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"Lord Kyros."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ15IUMVnUd1
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Sylvaine's voice carried across the silence, gentle but unmistakable in its authority.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJaj07uQ8d
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ibndhlZBg
She moved to stand beside Theron, light green eyes calm and assessing.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWOXutJYHUx
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"Perhaps it would be best to let this go," she continued. "The evening has been lovely so far. It would be unfortunate to let one mishap sour the entire event."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA1oKTmpmhp
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJQXLrT0K5g
Kyros's jaw worked. Every line of his body screamed that he wanted to press the issue, to salvage something from this disaster. But Sylvaine's presence beside him, the weight of the watching crowd,  Esrin observing from near the wall—76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhI3WyWZe8g
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"You may be right." The word came out tight. Forced. "Accidents do happen. But do try to be more careful in the future." 76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQkela6tnUV
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He turned on his heel and strode toward the exit, his wet clothing squelching with each step. Several of his usual followers hesitated, glanced at each other, then hurried after him.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEwgIzWD99K
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The tension didn't immediately break. Students remained frozen for several heartbeats, as if afraid moving might somehow restart the confrontation.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1GNxZrzWNf
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Then Theron knelt beside Lior, who was still on the floor, trembling.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp4Ldz3oS8v
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"Hey." His voice had lost the stern edge, becoming warm and genuine. "Are you alright?"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdHVpFvfLad
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNhgspi7GbO
Lior stared at him with wide, uncomprehending eyes. Tears had gathered but not yet fallen. His breathing remained rapid and shallow.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFkine5WeFb
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWEIhnRQz2q
"Come on." Theron extended his hand. "Let's get you up."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFwgKEECHUn
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjTJcVAleWD
After a long moment, Lior's shaking hand reached out and grasped Theron's. The All-Blessed pulled him to his feet with gentle strength, keeping a steadying hand on his shoulder until Lior stopped swaying.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPsJTcPAqiB
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"It's over. You're okay." Theron's voice stayed reassuring. 76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4jhx4psp2F
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"Try to enjoy the rest of the evening, alright? You deserve to be here just as much as anyone else."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3tNrvw0bL4
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Then he turned and walked back toward the gathered nobles, leaving Lior standing there with tears finally spilling down his cheeks.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTRmQ9v0EKh
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The crowd began to disperse. Conversations resumed in hushed tones. The music started again, tentative at first, then building back to its previous volume.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI6T2rhVJg2
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXExyKY25dg
Cel reached Lior's side. His friend was still trembling, still crying silently.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipprkmRcJw
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"How about some fresh air?”76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkFpyLMkDbN
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He guided Lior toward a side door, away from the watching eyes and whispered conversations. Behind them, the ball continued, but neither of them had any interest in returning.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Kwhawdgq1
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIZ9vHDxauS
The evening ended with hollow formality. Students filtered out in clusters, nobles departing first with practiced grace while commoners lingered uncertainly before following.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeA4D6LvIRI
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ36tdJnkNjU
Cel returned to his room and changed out of the formal attire with mechanical efficiency. The dark fabric whispered as he folded it, placing it carefully aside for the Academy to reclaim.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ981td8BT49
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His regular clothes felt like armor in comparison. Simple. Unremarkable. Safe.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdZrEF2Me1u
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He left the dormitory and crossed the grounds toward the training area.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlCfWC8LlLa
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The training grounds waited in near-darkness, lit only by the pale crescent moon hanging overhead. 76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMPV89lOl55
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He started his training in silence.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyi3V5as8ds
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Eventually, footsteps approached from behind. Light, measured. He didn't need to turn to know who they belonged to.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIW9sRaEYih
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Hestia emerged from the darkness in her usual training attire - black and practical, stripped of the evening's elegance. Her crimson eyes tracked his movements with clinical precision.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFDHOsN1T5A
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"You're here," she observed.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0FoZLBI0QO
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkrEfGVdz8P
"So are you."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfVtwm905Dg
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfkTlfZqlxl
She settled into her familiar meditation spot. "How is your friend?"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBKbCq447qf
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The question carried genuine concern despite its neutral delivery.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOSCs0NdOPx
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"Shaken." Cel shifted his stance, beginning a new form. "But alive."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAk44MvkU00
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They fell into their usual rhythm - Cel working through forms while Hestia meditated nearby, replenishing her Divine Essence through proximity to his death-scent. 76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlCZiut0PsW
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After a while, Cel broke the silence. 76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuRbcu9JdY6
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"That was unexpected. What Theron did." 76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRAJ6Wr4ynt
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Hestia's eyes opened. "Was it?" 76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcTKHOKlxNC
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEFvvrTEIwh
"Standing up to Kyros like that. In front of everyone." Cel shifted his stance, beginning a new sequence.  "Most people would have looked away. Especially someone in his position."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgJUwCCEMcL
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"His position makes it easier, not harder." Hestia resumed her forms. "Kyros couldn't risk offending someone who might end up as emperor."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVovZkdXcMP
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Cel considered that as he raised his blade. 76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV3jHbJXMDo
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"And Sylvaine supports him and ensures that he stays loyal to the Life Clan, I suppose." 76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzRDCVc4ar
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“That’s right." A pause. "She's good at her role. Tonight proved that."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5LQ10SA77
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡckkvnWFfA0
"She gave Kyros an escape. Made it easy for him to back down without losing too much face." Hestia's tone carried something that might have been approval.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ69vw0eqVnY
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She tilted her head slightly.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUYipTkbJVR
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"Though I suspect Kyros will remember. The Sun Clan doesn't forget humiliation easily."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPiQbUC1POl
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Cel dismissed Silent Moon, the blade dissolving into moonlight threads. He studied his hands for a moment.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9DXzvDyEQ3
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlhtdyHPMra
"May I ask you something?" He looked up. "About what you said before. About death."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJuoXVgI9s
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ue3yUkmRj
Hestia's expression shifted slightly. "You may."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBlw8vin1zI
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnWGhz9RPmv
"Esrin. She must have killed thousands of creatures by now. How does she compare to me? The scent I mean."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtBrT3r2vIW
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2toRpBweia
Hestia's expression shifted - surprise flickering across her features before settling back into neutrality.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaAQ2DJFVUZ
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ81wbWG8WE4
"You're curious about that?"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl5NSxqxbwE
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"Yes."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb7sls8SkV7
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She considered for a moment, crimson eyes studying him with renewed intensity.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8BKpqPjhV
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"There's a difference," she said finally. "Esrin does carry death's scent. Faint but present. The accumulation of countless killed creatures."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7MO6usu3Mj
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtqmWCO3ZAm
A pause.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlid2kLh3DG
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"It clings to her. Like smoke clinging to cloth after passing through fire.”76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9UoLDhjiPF
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Her gaze held his.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgSgTVpBMyg
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"You're different. The scent doesn't cling to you - it emanates from you. It's not something you've accumulated. It's something you are."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9CpLBigWZG
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8pD255lfbr
The words landed with uncomfortable weight.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmCQNTpLxkk
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"What does that mean?"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ZGXiUW150
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡavcdsztEQl
"I don't know. I've never encountered something like that before."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUPKrrZsrta
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPDNaRejvmd
"But whatever you are..." Her voice dropped lower. "It's unique." 76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ78M8dKsIHj
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Silence stretched between them.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ446Q4olTdi
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Unique. The word settled over him without the weight it should have carried. He'd died and come back changed - he'd accepted that fact long ago. He even found himself grateful for the power it brought. Either way, dwelling on it changed nothing. 76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8fy729Yk7E
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"Shall we spar?" The question came casually - routine reasserting itself.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl12iiOef9E
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Hestia didn't respond immediately, crimson eyes studying him with that same clinical assessment he'd grown familiar with.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOfn4046faj
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Then she shook her head.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBsZIdJVQcb
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"No."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5XxUj4Iny7
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Cel blinked. "No?"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOh3Or1zgIw
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"Not tonight." She rose from her meditation, movements deliberate. "Actually, not anymore. Not like this." 76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4wAMPtMEpy
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Something in her tone made him go still. "Why?"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnU8IFx1CUf
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Hestia turned to face him fully. Her expression was serious, carrying none of the neutral composure she usually maintained.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrXo94KuALy
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"I need to be honest with you." She paused, as if weighing her words. "These sparring sessions - they're useless."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8fsWoe9lI
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The word hit like a physical blow.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT0UdBh8gFj
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"You're not improving," she continued, voice steady. "Not beyond the basics. Not in any way that matters."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzrHy00fqDg
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Cel's jaw tightened. "I know my technique needs work—"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU0s1c0anpH
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"It's not about technique." Hestia's crimson eyes held his without flinching. "You understand everything I've taught you. Every principle, every adjustment I suggest - you comprehend it immediately. You know exactly what needs to change."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Rq9wVJHDq
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"Then what—"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqtG5ouEwOr
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"But you can't execute it. Not consistently." She crossed her arms. "It's not a problem of understanding. It's a problem of talent."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJZN4yhJs6C
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The night air suddenly felt colder.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ9ukaK1W0k
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"The only things keeping you functional in combat are your instincts and your physique," Hestia continued. "Your body is extraordinary. Your reactions are good. But actual skill? Technique? Understanding how to read an opponent and adapt?"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfNJrm8nwOa
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She shook her head slightly.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8DPl6gEJnb
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"You don't have it. And I don't think you ever will."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5csRyfje1X
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Silence pressed heavy between them.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ68Z5LAnjuW
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Cel wanted to argue. To deny. To prove her wrong.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4P7rc0NPWP
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He'd always known it. Even as a child in the Sun Clan, failing again and again while others excelled. The disappointment in his father's eyes. The whispered comparisons. The undeniable truth that no amount of effort could bridge the gap between him and those born with real talent. 76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGKZf8FqnyJ
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In the Ashlands, it hadn't mattered. Survival required only stubbornness and a body resilient enough to endure. The Tremorborne didn't care about technique. The Ashlurker couldn't exploit poor form. Raw strength and divine resilience had been enough. 76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡva48zZOd7A
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But eventually, he would hit a wall. 76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfMbAc2ZTul
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The moment he faced an opponent as strong as himself - someone he couldn't simply overpower with divine strength or outlast through endurance - he would die. 76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp7atBdiHQH
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The divine body masked the truth but couldn't erase it - Cel had never possessed talent, and resurrection hadn't changed that fact. 76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBFcALZFKjP
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"I know you're not a fool," Hestia said, her voice gentler now. "You must have realized this yourself. So I don't understand—"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp71ebpkggi
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She stopped, clearly debating whether to continue.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAoHtxKtMU
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"I don't understand why you try so hard. You're the only student who comes here every single night to train." She hesitated, then added quietly, "And that with me. I’m not the gentlest sparring partner after all." 76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN8qvZkzg2j
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'That's an understatement,' Cel thought, remembering bruised ribs and blood in his mouth. 76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOgLGR08Hjr
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"What is it you’re trying to achieve, Celvian?" The question came quiet but weighted. 76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE9mmIS5oXr
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Cel knew exactly what his goal was. Becoming strong enough to destroy everyone who'd wronged him. Strong enough that his father, the cultists, everyone who'd watched him suffer - none of them would ever touch him again. 76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcOkd2EYZR7
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But he couldn't say that. 76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvIKdDniMvN
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His mind scrambled for something believable. Something that wouldn't raise questions. 76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3yV6xVHBmC
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"I—"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuIPkMbW9OY
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"Does it have to do with your noble status?"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSlW5sKGeS
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---76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaPnYF9FuY3
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1234 copyright protection72ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7OY0zYpJDk 尼

Heyho, Author here!1234 copyright protection72ＰＥＮＡＮＡhWPmtHJrps 尼

I wanted to apologize that the chapter on saturday was left out. I would recommend you to join the Discord to stay updated on those matters: https://discord.gg/Uduxc48wfm1234 copyright protection72ＰＥＮＡＮＡndRFIpKaur 尼

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