Cel shifted his weight forward, Silent Moon rising in a basic guard position. Across from him, Silas stood with his spear held loosely - too loosely, the weapon’s dark shaft resting against his palm like he’d forgotten it was there. Behind them, Zara made herself comfortable on the couch with the casual indifference of someone settling in to watch paint dry.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOVoVKeO2WJ
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Cel moved first.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFABbBf0V2Z
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He closed the distance in three quick steps, Silent Moon cutting toward Silas’s shoulder in a controlled arc. The strike was measured and careful, exactly as he’d practiced in the Academy.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRg2iNnnAS
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQW7kbfMEA
Silas’s spear intercepted with minimal movement. The dark shaft caught Silent Moon’s edge and redirected it past his body in one smooth motion.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzoLSDrRVkX
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡivfBdXKnLE
Cel adjusted, bringing his blade back for a thrust aimed at center mass.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaovhsZfCWu
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwy3lQUxgpR
The spear’s heel struck his wrist - not hard, just enough to knock his aim off. The thrust went wide by a hand’s width.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZTrUv52Ed
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwfvbjxhWfN
Cel stepped back, resetting his stance. Tried a different approach. A feint high, then cutting low toward Silas’s legs.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOThIe6kFfw
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoOMqYvmN55
The spear moved like water. Down, across, deflecting the strike before it could land. Silas hadn’t even shifted his feet.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe90aNtpMUp
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj1SqQcsJrx
Another exchange. Then another. Each time Cel attacked with controlled force, Silas’s defense turned it aside with the kind of economy that came from years of practice. The spear never moved more than necessary. Never wasted motion.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8maTlFPJPq
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk4bSDzqFO6
Five exchanges. Ten. Cel’s breathing remained steady, his body barely taxed by the effort.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRiOnP280Zw
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But he wasn’t landing anything.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqwUbvpmY5T
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Not even close.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPBrzJXx82I
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Frustration built in his chest. He could feel the raw energy thrumming just beneath his skin - an unrelenting force that surged through his body. Strength that could crush boulders. Speed that could bridge gaps before foes even sensed his approach.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFJs18YhKv8
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡydt65U1YUA
And he was using maybe a quarter of it.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgJETOuMeuV
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The realization struck with uncomfortable clarity.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFYbRXYSuCq
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTprbn98ima
There was no need to hold back.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8RLhrSu5gJ
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This wasn’t the Academy. Wasn’t Instructor Calder’s careful supervision or other students who might actually get hurt if he put real force behind his strikes.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT4spNP5zGP
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsJI6327GB3
This was someone strong enough to hunt down other Chosen as part of the Reckoning. Someone Esrin had assigned to train him specifically.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmzA3XFnFqC
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKvQLaQ8bDa
Someone who could handle it.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ248v4u9lSk
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Cel’s next strike came with everything he had.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK1Up7tU5PM
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Silent Moon blurred forward, the blade cutting through air with a sound like tearing fabric. The full weight of his divinely enhanced strength drove the attack, no restraint, no careful measurement.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWU1XMrh0rM
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Silas’s eyes widened.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1F8xOvAecK
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The spear came up fast - faster than before, the casual looseness replaced by actual urgency. Steel met wood with a crack that echoed across the stone.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPRfbg11mX7
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7xWtFxGnrz
The impact drove Silas back two steps.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwRl9nYbbh
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡas60AyYZLr
His boots scraped against stone as he caught his balance, green eyes sharp with sudden focus. The surprise on his face lasted maybe half a second before shifting into something else.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ975c3Wl3pD
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Interest.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcOhPELXGQd
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Cel pressed forward. He didn’t give Silas time to reset, didn’t let the distance rebuild. Silent Moon moved in continuous arcs, each strike powered by strength that exceeded human limits.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClQrv1AY1X
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ62KLEXS3eD
High slash. Low cut. Thrust. Each attack flowed into the next without pause, building momentum and pressure.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1qUkGMVgdV
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYImdFOsPZY
Silas’s spear wove defensive patterns that blurred at the edges. He was moving now - really moving, feet shifting across stone in quick steps that maintained distance and created angles. The casual ease had burned away completely.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzq8nhuAyZ7
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But he was still defending.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGg20rU0Tk
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Still just deflecting.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqrnH6Vs6JS
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Still in complete control.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA5hfs3EmQk
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Cel’s blade came down in an overhead strike meant to split stone. Silas caught it on his spear’s shaft, the impact sending a visible tremor through his arms.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIPYOpnG6ua
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Then he twisted.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWGfRb2iLOR
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The movement was sudden, precise. The spear rotated beneath Silent Moon’s edge, redirecting the blade’s momentum while simultaneously creating space. Silas stepped inside Cel’s guard in the same motion, the spear’s heel driving toward his gut.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy2O4cpOdQX
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLNLaLPOBWJ
Cel’s instincts moved him sideways before conscious thought caught up. The strike missed by inches.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ATgRgYj8D
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He recovered fast, Silent Moon rising for a counter - but Silas was already out of range, the spear resetting to neutral guard.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoEBBuui4Fw
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtCG3TDPgoR
They circled each other. Cel’s breathing had picked up now, adrenaline sharpening his focus. Silas looked composed despite the sudden escalation, though a slight sheen of sweat had appeared on his forehead.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXDfR0OAFWP
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The exchanges continued. Faster now. Harder.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxF53iRr14D
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Cel threw everything at him - raw aggression backed by impossible strength, each strike meant to overwhelm through sheer force. 27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKp1rxVJXU
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And Silas just... handled it.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4g3mN0j5Zf
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The skill gap was obvious now. Undeniable. Every strike Cel made, Silas had an answer for. Every opening Cel tried to exploit closed before he could capitalize. The spear moved with absolute certainty, each deflection flowing into the next defensive position without hesitation.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR4vxTUovCI
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9kZzrNzTEp
It wasn’t that Silas was faster or stronger. He wasn’t.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwlMpdhmojn
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But technique bridged gaps that raw ability couldn’t.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXll2st6Zr9
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Silas read his movements before they completed. Anticipated angles before they materialized. Defended with minimal effort because he understood combat at a level Cel didn’t, couldn’t, might never reach.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3uJipYhm8
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoamAQUlBiK
A wild horizontal slash aimed at Silas’s ribs. The spear dropped, caught the blade, lifted it over his head in a smooth arc that left Cel’s entire right side exposed.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRiqaAZE29T
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHFysU0EvU
The spear’s shaft struck his ribs - not the blade, just wood against flesh, but hard enough that air exploded from his lungs.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBRN57UFhTh
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Cel staggered back, gasping.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJYHg0SSW9
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Silas didn’t press the advantage. Just reset to neutral, watching him with those green eyes that had gone sharp and assessing.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3I6pS6WW6q
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5juY3ZSp2P
Another exchange. Cel tried to adjust, to learn from what just happened. He feinted left, drove right, putting full strength behind a thrust meant to—27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS5l5I4qmWj
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The spear wasn’t there.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdtojdFbHTg
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It had moved before he completed the attack, repositioning to a guard that made his thrust pointless. Then it lashed out - quick, controlled - and cracked against his knee.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeV5awewVPU
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His leg buckled. He caught himself on one hand, Silent Moon still gripped in the other.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGq79FP31DX
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXc8Xcws5J
“Stop.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyT7wqtvxm9
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Silas’s voice cut through the sound of Cel’s harsh breathing. Not loud. Just firm.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7a8OwJt6n6
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRuA2jRVflb
Cel looked up from his position half-kneeling on stone.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcD4h9QkoUv
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Silas stood perhaps five steps away, spear held loosely again. That casual ease had returned, though his breathing came slightly elevated now. 27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTrhucj0n0w
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“That’s enough for assessment.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ56cqcOyU2I
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Cel pushed himself upright slowly, ribs and knee both aching from impacts that hadn’t been meant to injure but had definitely made their point.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn7KjjE1IGc
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNsIuRld39
“Pathetic.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfyoNl9z5V0
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2vHmLdaNS
Zara’s voice carried across the stone - flat, dismissive, utterly certain.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡddm1oYyWOG
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6w3mG3BACS
Cel’s head snapped toward her.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA30p7bzaro
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2JmLyE3fnX
She hadn’t moved from the couch. Still sprawled in that same careless position, one arm draped over the back, legs crossed at the ankles. Her blue eyes met his with open contempt.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAxuudM7Yz3
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL6fhSVEBYy
Heat flooded through him - anger mixed with humiliation mixed with something sharper. His jaw clenched. His hand tightened on Silent Moon’s hilt.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk0kF3cIUou
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He glared at her.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2wAVEUXSZh
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She glared back.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvXmSdxvbE
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The difference was that her glare carried no uncertainty. No doubt. Just absolute conviction that what she’d witnessed confirmed exactly what she’d expected to see - weakness performing exactly as weakness should.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoIzcF1EZN8
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The air between them went tight.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsK3o7t4cIU
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Then Silas stepped directly into Cel’s line of sight, his expression still pleasant but carrying a weight it hadn’t held before.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPhNwWuEQ6g
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdVGjPX34Vk
“Easy.” His tone stayed light. Friendly. “Everyone starts somewhere. You think I was any better when I began?”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkjnIC1EDOX
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyAUA4EKnFY
The question landed with obvious falseness. Silas was a Mortbane. He had probably been training since childhood. Had grown up in a Great Clan with resources and inherited talent Cel couldn’t even imagine.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ864GaXg3hv
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But the intent behind the words was clear enough. 27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc521EomWrn
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEp8hzwEdWO
Cel forced his breathing to steady. Let the anger settle back down where it belonged - buried deep, controlled, waiting for targets that actually mattered.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQZCQa7FQC
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzlHJpVtuON
Zara made a sound that might have been disgust, then shifted on the couch to face away from them both.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8t4oP4Y0ZH
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkE2uwVaFv
Silas watched her for a moment, then turned back to Cel with something that looked like genuine warmth.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFARmSMyN6i
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZH3VosZPGX
“Let me give you the assessment. You’ve got good instincts - really good. Your reactions are solid. And you have a body that can actually keep up with it. That’s rare. Most people want more than their bodies can answer.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyg71LwduUq
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A pause.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhhNoA3sJo3
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“Everything else is bad.” 27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHW5g5tBrZd
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The bluntness hit harder than the spear had. 27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTgJC0R4Spn
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“Your technique is basically nonexistent. Your footwork needs complete rebuilding. Your understanding of distance, timing, reading opponents - all of it needs work.” Silas’s tone stayed matter-of-fact. Not cruel. Just honest. “You fight like someone who’s survived through raw capability alone. Which...” He tilted his head slightly. “I’m guessing is accurate?”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvBZv9dwSvM
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWYD5bYM2ho
Cel looked down at Silent Moon’s blade. Remembered his first desperate, bloody kill. Waking inside the Tremorborne. Tearing himself free. 27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntYTULCqfM
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“Yes.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCv50pijeOj
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The word came quiet.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡugt0D3H8Q0
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Silas nodded slowly. “That’s what I thought.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc2tDwuT8rv
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtmFGtXYcqI
Silence stretched between them. Not comfortable, but not hostile either. Just the weight of assessment settling.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXICL0g0bX4
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqlm7kojPp0
Then Silas’s expression shifted - the seriousness bleeding away, replaced by something lighter. Curiosity.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgAwKt5Pv6Z
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡykfu8ZlTRS
“Changing topics.” His tone gained a slightly playful edge. “I heard what happened. You and our young lady got into it?”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKwdLtyElPt
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClwa5b0F5A
Cel’s brow furrowed. “Young lady?”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6eeHsPm8Ry
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdW4UnTG0hG
“House Mortveil’s daughter. Hestia.” Silas’s smile widened slightly. “You two had quite the fight, from what I heard.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmwNJvyECKM
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8skv8CidsI
Cold settled in Cel’s stomach. How did he know about that? Had Esrin told them? Or was information about Reckoning members just shared automatically somehow?27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8QCYtCDTQR
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“How—”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmtbYUvH3kO
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“It’s my business to know,” Silas said simply. “So what happened?”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgWndrdW1l2
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡscAn0fCd4J
Cel’s jaw tightened. The memory of Hestia’s blade at his throat surfaced. Her crimson eyes boring into his. The vision of his death she’d somehow witnessed.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrl72G7DWtf
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHz07REn3tC
“It just happened.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLHjdPuVJBg
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Silas studied him for a moment, green eyes sharp despite the casual smile. Then he laughed - bright and genuine.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8RRwtX5z1K
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3EpPdYABE
“Don’t worry about it. You know what they say - what loves each other, teases each other.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSqaqW9hOD
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Cel stared at him.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIec0uSpGvU
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The implication hung in the air between them, so absurd that for several heartbeats Cel couldn’t process it.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR6LjfhJBOG
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUr8FH4J4ix
Then disbelief crashed through.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW8UptzjaWw
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“What?”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNgANyEfaZT
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjxCQSWlRdT
Silas’s laugh intensified. His shoulders shook with it, one hand coming up to cover his mouth as if that might contain the sound.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPdRqOk0R49
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxCG5Oaeto9
Cel continued staring, completely unable to form words around the sheer wrongness of that suggestion.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKjIcMnDhXD
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGKePYOTyn
Silas recovered after a moment, though his grin remained wide and thoroughly amused. He stepped forward and slung an arm around Cel’s shoulders, pulling him close in a gesture that was probably meant to be companionable but felt more like being captured.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbAMWGORdff
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTcw0e78eG
“Come on.” His voice dropped low. “She’s pretty, isn’t she?”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnn0UVExg77
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The question caught Cel completely off-guard.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4PTHTcr9z
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He opened his mouth. Closed it. Every answer he found confirmed something. 27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX55ZlwS4WQ
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Because... yes. Objectively. Hestia was beautiful. Pale skin that seemed to glow. Crimson eyes that held impossible depth. Jet-black hair that fell like curtains of silk. The kind of beauty that noble daughters were raised to cultivate and that most people would spend their lives never witnessing up close.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtkp1jYNYd1
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“I...” His throat worked. “I suppose she’s... objectively attractive.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELhK8C24we
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The admission came out strangled.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ95J4DzNSs7
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Silas’s grin somehow widened further.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNnHE7OI9KD
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Then reality reasserted itself.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2FpPlFt22H
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What the hell were they even talking about? This had nothing to do with training. Nothing to do with why he was here. 27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuqY4lwwbg6
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Cel broke free from Silas’s grip, stepping back quickly. “What does this have to do with training?”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEjbcNNkdgj
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The question came out sharper than intended. Heat had crawled up his neck, settling in his cheeks in a way that made him acutely aware of how ridiculous this conversation had become.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCmCNpeDyQ
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Silas laughed again, holding up both hands in a gesture of surrender. “Nothing! Absolutely nothing. Just making small talk between colleagues. We’re going to be working together constantly - might as well get to know each other a bit.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX8ceYmBRo5
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He lowered his hands, his expression softening into something more genuine. “Relax. Training’s serious business, but we don’t have to be serious every second. Sometimes a bit of levity helps.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDJPZNCtb5q
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Cel’s jaw remained tight. But the logic was... reasonable. If frustrating.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqsCVXUrSJU
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“Fine.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhsTKPLYJ3Y
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“Good.” Silas gestured toward the open stone. “Now let’s actually work on those shortcomings I mentioned. Because you’ve got a long way to go, and we don’t have much time to get you there.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQMJjByLvv
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----27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeoHML0TeeH
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​​​​​​​Heyho, Author here!27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZXkvfzkaZ3
Sorry for the unexpected pause. If you're curious about what caused it, feel free to join the Discord - I explained it there.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQR6xstxqgm
I'd also recommend joining in general if you want to stay updated going forward!27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaiv5MPW3Mb
https://discord.gg/Uduxc48wfm27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxmtTUGht7l
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