His father's fist connected with his jaw. Blood sprayed across marble floors. His mother stood frozen, one hand pressed to her mouth, tears streaming down her face but feet rooted to the ground.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXMO8LTveCN
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrc0UG13SH7
"Weak!" Another blow. "Pathetic!" The voice thundered through the dining hall.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwMi4Lk35mJ
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Cel tried to speak, to beg, but his father's hands were already at his back, nails digging into divine flesh, tearing away the Moon Goddess's mark—117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2sgeqwWAL8
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His eyes snapped open.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWEwppRSPfh
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Ash-covered stone ceiling. Broken walls. The hollow silence of the Ashlands pressing in from all sides.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOEd08Xeu8i
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZqxY2wenIL
His chest heaved, breath coming in short gasps. The nightmare clung to him like oil, coating his thoughts with remembered pain.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcw8zZP9jf0
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"You're awake."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuyrIsR3v8z
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Cel's body jerked, his left hand instinctively reaching for Silent Moon before his mind caught up. The weapon materialized halfway before he registered the speaker.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCzZss6sAyy
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQnIkzfzFBI
Raven knelt beside him, one hand extended toward Cel's torso. Something dark and viscous coated his fingers - a sticky black mass that glistened faintly in the dim light filtering through the ruins.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxQpKYgvTFe
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"Don't move," Raven said, his tone flat.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN4jW3SlufN
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Cel's gaze dropped to his own chest. His armor had been partially removed - the mantle and cloak set aside, the tunic pulled up to expose his ribs where the Ashlurker's claws had torn through flesh.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqslCGacy58
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The black substance covered the wounds in thick layers. It didn't smell like anything Cel recognized. Not medicinal herbs, not the acrid burn of cauterization. Just... earthy. Ancient, somehow.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLzn1Uhzzcy
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcyC9vuJbdm
"What is that?" His voice came out rougher than intended.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmfVEIIcjTF
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrBp6fmnU3X
"Medicine." Raven's fingers worked with practiced efficiency, spreading more of the substance across a particularly deep gash. "Found it growing in the darker places. Don't know what it's called. But it works."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡal5laoV1BM
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The matter-of-fact delivery was oddly reassuring - proof that survival was possible even here. 117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtldCPRbgSF
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"How long was I—"117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzuDPsC6AxT
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMvj3mqlBt
"A few hours. Maybe less." Raven's crimson eyes flicked to Cel's face, assessing. "You talk in your sleep."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmfTtB7zl1z
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFnHpyhnEJ
Cel's jaw tightened. "What did I say?"117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBeXvVlUDKW
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqpfOQWj4Vf
"Nothing clear." A pause as Raven applied more of the black substance to the wounds on Cel's shoulder. "Sounded like it wasn’t a pleasant dream."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1cgep7PrMf
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Cel looked away, focusing on the creature's corpse still coiled a few steps away.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFrweYUEXle
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"Your wounds looked worse than they are," Raven continued, his tone unchanged. "Bled a lot. But the cuts weren't deep enough to do real damage. You got lucky."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9WDo7LNwL3
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡotLGmpLJnQ
"Didn't feel lucky."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw5uSVLDeOE
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"Luck isn't about feeling." Raven sat back on his heels, examining his work. "You survived. That's what matters."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVG3V00l6Iv
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw6fDgwcv4K
Cel's gaze tracked to his own body, really looking at it for the first time since the fight. The wounds were there - angry red lines where claws had opened flesh, burns from the worm's molten breath. But Raven was right. Nothing had been torn away. No exposed bone. No organs punctured.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrAQ6AEq6P
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN3jl4DhHeS
The burns on his left arm, which should have charred muscle down to bone, showed only reddened skin beneath the black coating.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMeTxrvrmCc
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"Your body's good," Raven said, following Cel's gaze. "Even for a Chosen."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTlszej2tLZ
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSH0NdkGHL
Although it was not his own accomplishment, a kind of satisfaction settled in Cel's chest. The Moon Goddess had forged him this body - a body that could apparently endure more than he'd given it credit for.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwiBef7gtiS
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhxD8PHRB4U
His gaze drifted to Raven's eyes. Crimson iris against black where white should be.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsdmWV33tv2
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTk5Va939jA
The question burned in his throat before he could stop it. "Your eyes. What happened to them?"117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvU7dfzf0pg
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWfBSDvWOuT
Raven froze.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz0evGFN748
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The reaction was subtle - just a momentary stillness in his movements, a fractional widening of those red eyes. 117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2jddKcjpGK
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEzoAFAT3wF
"What?" The single word carried genuine confusion.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj2SoEQupil
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNLhQjdTgeP
Cel's jaw set. "The black. Where white should be. What caused it?"117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7DQPYsAxaP
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡENSDmuE473
For a long moment, Raven simply stared at him. The silence stretched, heavy with something Cel couldn't name.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgcaNuLBMCr
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Xr5NoaiQg
Then Raven's expression shifted - not quite a frown, not quite suspicion. Something caught between the two.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs2zmT7XVAu
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL1duw0I5a3
"You really don't know?" The question came quiet, careful. "You can't... feel it?"117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmvQJh8Gin
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFYfl40dqhG
"Feel what?"117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIYYWLP0pYd
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Raven's eyes narrowed, studying Cel with an intensity that made his skin prickle. As if seeing him for the first time. As if everything that had come before had been surface observation and now Raven was actually looking.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlyWsoC9QcE
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi7r8H8Z0dE
"The aura," Raven said finally, each word deliberate. "The wrongness. The disgust that comes off me like heat off stone."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgNQb9c9rP2
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Cel blinked. "What are you talking about?"117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWJ1TyK0MXB
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJNK3jD8W0R
Something flickered across Raven's face - too fast to identify, but there. Real emotion breaking through that carefully maintained neutrality.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqzKX1dA0Ob
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH0DbB8WXTk
"You seriously can't sense it." Not a question this time. A statement of dawning realization. "The corruption. The stain. The thing that marks me as—" He cut himself off abruptly.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVwLWjMjLs9
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwuIGmnC1Un
"Marks you as what?"117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdnbGzbURIK
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Raven remained silent, his gaze locked on Cel's face as if searching for deception. Finding none seemed to disturb him more than anything else.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMF6noOBsB
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2G7SscAMR
"Cursed," he said finally. The word dropped between them like a stone into still water. "I'm one of the Cursed."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUVREg14Mf
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy0hNNNQlkR
The declaration hit Cel like a physical blow.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX2lxU0iWX0
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His breath caught. His body went rigid. Every childhood warning, every whispered story, every nightmare used to frighten disobedient children - all of it crashed through his mind at once.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVVoUuJSOs0
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfa7eP3ifvn
'Behave, or you'll end up as a Cursed.'117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRchgAGhjM
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVvHmSlqA6p
The Cursed were the absolute bottom of society. Lower than slaves, lower than criminals. People - if they could still be called that - who bear marks of corruption - twisted flesh, cracked skin, signs that divine grace has left them forever.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFyf8wOk3qN
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbe4JlzXN8H
Cel had never met one before. No noble child did. The Cursed were exiled from civilization, driven into the wilderness or hunted down by Chosen who believed killing them earned them the favor of their god.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN3FnFpdnI4
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And now one stood before him, had been applying medicine to his wounds with practiced hands.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHB8VQggxy
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡamhLwadd3y
The realization should have triggered fear. Should have sent Cel scrambling for Silent Moon, putting distance between himself and this corrupted thing wearing human skin.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdsvwCtYWeF
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But all he felt was... confusion.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLrhg5JWJXj
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQtGxkatUfb
"You helped me," Cel said slowly. "Even though you're—even though—"117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD6UjlDkcVG
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq5V2numw08
"Even though I'm supposed to be a monster?" Raven's lips twisted. "Shocking, isn't it?"117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpLBCsT7q8Z
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNNPgq6gpxU
The bitterness in those words cut deep. Cel had heard that same tone in his own voice, directed at his father, his family, everyone who'd judged him as worthless before casting him aside.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡULKsLBDGxD
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtdnPqd6DoX
"I don't understand," Cel admitted. "The stories say the Cursed are... wrong. Dangerous. That losing divine favor corrupts more than just the body."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbZtvEhKjxI
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43N3lbdaxR
"Stories tell a lot of things." Raven moved to the broken wall, his silhouette sharp against the gray light filtering through.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyI4lrlB3Ku
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSzFn9F6tNC
"But the marks—the corruption—"117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiMxG3R69S7
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5PteLYUI1
"Are real." His jaw clenched. "But it doesn't make us monsters. Just... abandoned."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLFQco1OxAe
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The word resonated in Cel's chest. Abandoned. He knew that feeling intimately - the crushing weight of being cast aside by those who should have protected you.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL09y7ZI64X
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"How?" The question escaped before Cel could stop it. "How do people become Cursed?"117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIXAhvr4Oq
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Raven's gaze grew distant. 117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZZkd6oXRJ
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvnhI9Znwlg
"Different ways."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFCemxkH4s
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The silence that followed made it clear - this topic was not open for discussion. Whatever had happened, whatever had led to Raven becoming Cursed, he had no intention of sharing.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS8bwes4807
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBCJLp1SpW
Cel recognized that wall. He'd built enough of his own.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6eGrpUcQFQ
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He shifted against the wall, trying to find a more comfortable position. The black medicine pulled at his skin where it had begun to dry.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmNiyuVP87F
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ89Vi14A5PN
Raven's gaze fixed on him, those crimson eyes sharp. "You didn't."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCExvx6hFxY
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"Didn't what?"117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB0QAM53alc
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"Didn’t know that I am a Cursed." Raven tilted his head slightly. 117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgxcumqfb7O
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He moved closer, studying Cel with unsettling intensity. 117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVA57LAAeHQ
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIbnSBNLqRb
"The aura alone should have told you. The wrongness. The revulsion. And Chosen feel it even stronger." He paused. "But you don't seem affected at all."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQSXRE2Z1L
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx5HTMYgqo1
'Shit.' Cel's mind raced. This was dangerous ground. If Raven realized he couldn't sense divine energy, it would expose a critical weakness - one that could get him killed.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3m04QcaJrj
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"I'm just—" Cel forced his expression neutral. "I'm controlling it. The reaction."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaxSm2U3kBf
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The lie felt weak even as it left his mouth.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdiole2WGeX
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Raven's eyes narrowed. "Really?"117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPfDaPSQf4G
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"Yes."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUPuzbRqnbN
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"You're not even trying to maintain distance.” Raven's tone remained neutral, but pointed. "Most Chosen can barely stand being in the same room. Need space. Fresh air. Something to cut through the wrongness."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2pQmKYRFAm
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNHAnMV5Nmn
Heat crawled up Cel's neck. His hands curled into fists.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm8TAH4LU5G
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"Maybe I'm just better at controlling my reactions than most."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVsQDnf7PA0
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzdjOyQipe
"Or maybe," Raven said slowly, "you can't sense it at all."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBBcdQVIno
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The corner of his mouth twitched. "That's ridiculous."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlguEbD7TqK
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7nfSM75ao8
"Is it?" Raven gestured to himself. "You asked what happened to my eyes. If you could sense the aura, you wouldn't need to ask. You'd know what I was the moment you saw me."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgU4eQhzNm4
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"I was just—I didn't want to assume—"117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4J6Hu8aFqd
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"You're a terrible liar." Something that might have been amusement flickered across Raven's face. 117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPzSdfX1Rc
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Shame burned in Cel's chest. Even this - even the simple act of hiding his deficiency - was something he couldn't do properly.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIgGPioqkjH
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDlxMkZiBQt
"So what if I can't sense it?" The words came out sharper than intended. "It doesn't change anything."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡppcfBYJeIb
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW9RthFc0aJ
"Doesn't it?" Raven's expression shifted, genuine curiosity replacing accusation. "Every human can sense the Cursed. It's not learned. Not trained. Just… part of what makes one human." He paused. "But you can't."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVX9r0B54dx
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0mwuyL6Toj
Cel looked away, fixing his gaze on the creature's corpse across the room. Anywhere but those crimson eyes that saw too much.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7yjRq8ItW8
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"What about Divine Energy?"117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQylKdNy6bn
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡecYiKc4E8i
"I can sense it," Cel answered quickly. Too quickly.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfuv12Y9oPM
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“You should really work on your acting skills.” Raven's voice came quieter now. 117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7n7ARFZss4
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Cel's throat tightened. His hands clenched harder, nails digging into his palms.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGxwPNtyZXu
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"It's pathetic, isn't it?" The words came out bitter. "A Chosen One who can't even sense the most basic thing every human has."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCbqQaCv7yX
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbzCkxICBve
"That's not the word I'd use."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3PwJ9wuMtG
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRLkpW6wS6E
"Then what would you call it?"117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUxfHYrNL66
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkUy5laoJNJ
"Impossible." Raven moved to lean against the opposite wall, his posture relaxing slightly. "You're blessed by the Moon Goddess. Can manifest divine artifacts. But can't sense the energy that powers them." He shook his head. "That shouldn't work."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiO3CIjTzDW
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoF2tPcqVZg
"But it does." Cel's jaw clenched. "Somehow."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZiyBCOO2nP
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAfGGQ4n5mb
"Yes. Somehow." Raven studied him with that unsettling intensity. 117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcmOOSfsS8i
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNTjRGMbdlu
"Does this mean something's wrong with me?" Cel's voice came flat.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ34Ybw7G6i1
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡETJZdeOBiN
"I don't know.” Raven’s honesty was brutal. “I've never heard of a Chosen who couldn't sense Divine Energy. It should be impossible."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ8xeQp8yzL
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUtY8YCNIgo
"Everything about me seems to be impossible lately."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIG4i4mXOnE
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWMfon1NOEQ
Raven simply stared at him. Then he exhaled slowly - not quite a laugh, but close.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4cGmcCuexq
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Silence pressed heavy between them.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4EMdbAFuIG
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Cel studied the young man before him - the exhaustion carved into his features, the way he held himself like someone perpetually ready for violence. A year alone in this nightmare. Hunted by monsters and abandoned by the divine.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXqa9Cheud
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And yet he'd still helped a stranger. 117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV3LsSRJxua
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCrA5INQust
"Why did you help me?" Cel asked finally. "Even though I'm a Chosen One. Even though most Chosen would hunt you."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ93rjWThdXF
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Raven was silent for a long moment, those crimson eyes unreadable.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt7In9vsCuD
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"Because you looked at me and saw a person." His voice came quiet. Raw. "Not corruption to be destroyed. Not a threat to be eliminated. Just... another human trying to survive." He paused. "Not even my family did that."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBAvuRiPG2u
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The honesty in those words struck deeper than any blade. A glimpse beneath the careful neutrality Raven maintained like armor.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Dzwe2oehW
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Cel understood that loneliness. Had felt it himself beneath his father's rage while his mother and brother watched in silence - present but absent, seeing his suffering but not seeing him.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡga0BOzt290
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"I'm sorry," he said. "For what happened to you. For what you lost."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUF05VN9pH5
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"Don't be." Raven's expression hardened again. "Sorry doesn't change anything."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU0AA8wZybB
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"No," Cel agreed. "It doesn't."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgaITKJNFXa
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Another silence. But this one felt different. Less heavy. More like an understanding passing between two people who'd both been broken by circumstances beyond their control.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy0bpuHhrCX
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"Your wounds will heal faster with the medicine," Raven said, breaking the quiet. "But you need rest. Let your body recover."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM9ErDsHvaJ
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Cel glanced down at the black substance coating his injuries.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1YVDCl7nPT
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"Thank you.”117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjxZrnfpPzQ
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Raven paused, looking back at him. For a moment, something almost like warmth crossed his features. Then it was gone, replaced by that familiar neutral mask.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW53BQ8CC2g
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"Rest," he said. "I'll keep watch."117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡILzjI2B76i
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Cel wanted to protest, but exhaustion pulled at him like an undertow. 117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk9ppuCHbRU
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"Call me if something happens," he said instead.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbcFWc0pa3h
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Raven nodded once, moving to position himself near the entrance gap where he could see approaching threats.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxCQn5KpEQE
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Cel leaned back against the wall, feeling cool stone against his spine. His eyes tracked to where Raven stood silhouetted against the gray light beyond.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKEv0nC6ynD
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Cursed. Abandoned by the gods. Hunted by society. Marked with corruption. 117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJeIyOtRfaj
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Yet for the first time since entering this cursed realm, Cel felt something close to safety.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡks0bIRj7qP
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Not because the danger had diminished.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJrDJsXvDEq
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But because he was no longer facing it alone.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡagpK9bBbAK
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'Maybe the gods make mistakes too.'1234 copyright protection113ＰＥＮＡＮＡUDr9F3J816 尼

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