"Raven!"128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnOjJyBVkxj
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ48CbspFjdO
The name echoed down into nothing.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡukBcYgadmx
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0046QRWUY
Cel stumbled toward the edge - he could jump, follow them down, there had to be—128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUZtRypBpwN
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa0rr4itx5z
Something closed around his throat and the world lurched.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaiRExQsqiS
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVnWN9zxXKs
His vision swam, legs dangling in empty air. Fingers clawed at a wrist round his throat—how had—?128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtHM4yDWe20
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwSDF09JNI6
When it cleared, she stood before him.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIE5IMOG8Am
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtwtTncRnTo
Esrin Tempvolt.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzYjzFgfnN0
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpOM6j9zBu8
No wings now - vanished as if they'd never existed. Just dark armor, ash-white hair and ruby red eyes.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHcbOeiMIud
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhl2V8HwNnO
His gaze darted past her. The volcano stood in the distance, a broken silhouette against the crimson sky. The massive creature lay collapsed in its core, smoke rising from its shattered body.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbAoRVtrttM
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaxjMmuee6d
His eyes snapped back to her. Not a scratch on her armor. Not a drop of sweat. Her breathing was steady, unhurried - like she'd taken a casual walk rather than fought something that could level mountains.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo8KtFUPv84
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxW4zcdpIpU
"Who are you?" Her voice was flat, emotionless - a demand, not a question.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡowK9XEpAAE
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjXB8OOHwqk
Cel couldn't breathe. His vision tunneled as pressure built.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡajrGwFt1IS
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZDxSCsLeQb
He forced words through the crushing grip. "Go... away."128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHFc5lmZE12
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQa6CFP2aPl
Her expression didn't change.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQM5YTGhiCw
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI7dIaVthDH
His hands clawed at her wrist. He reached for Frostmark—128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡawhNpPjlSR
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBshbkAZHAw
Pain.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnLBrkJTWnx
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ5D0nKssA3
The world became chaos. Stone. Burning ash. Crimson sky. All of it blurred as he flew through the air before slamming into a dune of ignited ash. The second impact drove him sideways. Third. Fourth. Each collision sent him careening in a new direction, his body ragdolling across the wasteland.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM61a3gLM1R
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJn7qiEafvB
Everything went black.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjOMdWQS8h3
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbsilaJEoFv
When awareness returned, he couldn't breathe.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2HvRS1Ac8l
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHa8KxSXmLl
His chest seized. He tried to inhale - nothing. His body refused. Panic flooded through him as his lungs screamed for air that wouldn't come.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5XcuUdjJ1
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBCdVcnJ7NT
Blood surged up his throat.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfLxk35gHir
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbwapdfh38K
He rolled onto his side, retching. Hot liquid poured from his mouth, choking him further. His throat worked uselessly, chest heaving in broken rhythm.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQmsmOMDxD
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZlPPE5LQ0
More blood came up. His vision grayed at the edges.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIyQn8VXVL
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZtZZqhAMaE
He clawed at the ash, fingers digging in as his body convulsed again. Another wave of blood. His chest locked tighter.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxqwq8JL6U
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQqYKsHzbx2
'Breathe—'128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEKoijuGUqV
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvin1wCG94R
Nothing.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdIJEC5LMRh
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWlHTRbKW7z
'BREATHE—'128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKgpsk24PRa
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9RwX9TC6do
His lungs finally obeyed.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdLcXpMDVYt
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3vYq5tGCzI
Air rushed in - hot, full of ash. But real.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡimen9CeSIW
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh9w78dffDP
He sucked in desperate, ragged gasps between coughs that brought up more blood.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh6QGPLt6l6
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdapSW0ywRz
Footsteps crunched across burning ash.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhAR9VtvxjJ
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPoJ3nfnTaH
Not hurrying. Just the slow, inevitable advance of something that knew its prey had nowhere to run.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvLigQoSF1C
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMtTTAozGur
"Use that power on me again and I'll break every bone in your body before you hit the ground."128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUuTDawjBqc
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs39Ty4BhYi
He sucked in desperate breaths between coughs, blood still hot in his mouth.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy3r071K8DT
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOUdjZfyS7U
Esrin was ten steps away. Nine.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6i6LyF5Pc
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIonUoFSr5C
Cel's mind raced. He couldn't fight her. Couldn't run. Couldn't use Frostmark without her killing him before he hit the ground.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuhJ4ipR1OD
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdchYVQd7Gx
But there was something else. Something that might—128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ481nbxwuio
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡODYqQGRU0M
Eight steps.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZOrlNY7vM0
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw4S0ff4srH
Cel slammed his fist into the burning ash.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW9Tp4jslfm
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcd9K7ZP7vz
Seven steps.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡArlASrZQtf
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTChhCArl84
Again.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFFRneERzmu
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGcrj6Fv9Dk
'Come on.'128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJzSoDnrwM
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpRUcGBUf4A
Six steps.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHoiKb7kJyf
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5RDilDlqRw
Again. Harder.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnhzmskgJV7
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbG9JphXLrF
'I know you're there!'128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8yFZpLsdUq
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfDP7l4voZv
Five steps.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeerCcmicBu
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAEOzJnrRjx
The ground beneath him vanished.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVM9DEay8uS
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQlHFetDqjt
The Tremorborne erupted in an explosion of ash and stone, its circular maw opening wide as it surged upward with impossible speed.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmwnGPDIdXN
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuBimJjwM20
Cel fell backward into that hungry darkness—128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcqSdwC8YzP
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRaSiwJHdm
And as the maw began to close, as Esrin's expressionless face filled his vision one last time, his lips pulled back from bloodied teeth.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8n9f8TSzzH
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhKNLcf2mM
A smile. Savage and defiant.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkF9Z95c3x8
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnSGv0N9Ack
Then the maw snapped shut and darkness swallowed him once more.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVJyslhAmZE
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1aTNWQiVsd
***128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuOjz0JYEts
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvmq1pboeg
Esrin's eyes narrowed as the ground sealed itself.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtJTXeKOZHh
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeOWYY1feep
'His divine energy... I can't sense it at all.'128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6srk4XWwP
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4zYF8md8j
The observation settled in her mind with uncomfortable weight. She'd encountered Chosen who masked their signatures before - but suppressing one's divine energy required absolute mastery. The kind of control that took decades to develop. But even then, it left traces. Ripples in the fabric of reality that marked where power had been suppressed.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOesRrd92OC
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqbGmjtIS1W
This boy had nothing.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7o8IBpPRy
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGoW639H2ub
As if he simply... didn't exist in that regard.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡManFM489QO
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7BGAzmPrEV
'An artifact?'128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTcV2up99Lc
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhRVeondZv3
White wings manifested from her back in a cascade of crackling lightning. She rose, ash swirling away from the displacement as she climbed toward the crimson sky.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtTTDlac2mz
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxTwCrg1MZP
Her glaive materialized in her grip.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo5PU34Vpog
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZLLjidYuNV
Lightning crackled across the blade - not the white-black energy of before, but something brighter. Purer. The weapon blazed with contained violence that made the air itself hum.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡor7H8CunTE
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCIpYbcyQR1
She drew back and hurled it.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh4sam6gUgO
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjsBtwwS6EU
The glaive became a streak of blazing white, tearing through the air with a sound like ripping silk.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlTKcSLFybC
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKuquOoj9ey
It struck where the Tremorborne had vanished.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj3hOh0i94H
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbZNLx4NTFf
***128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf51sLyJPhT
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtXvvySjA4W
Light.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtcetXmBCrL
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs06UjvBpr3
Blinding, absolute light that turned the darkness into screaming white.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCjW5aZAPs4
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf06T4yrDaC
The shockwave hit first - a wall of pressure that compressed the worm's body inward. Then sound that wasn't sound but pure force translated into noise.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2gI6gdJaSg
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmsAr2dNlyJ
The Tremorborne's flesh detonated around him.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Row21Gs1O
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd4xPMES3wN
Chunks of obsidian armor flew outward in all directions. Tissue vaporized. The concentric rings of teeth shattered, fragments spinning away like shrapnel.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8sMmAaULD
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcrCqZBqbD2
Cel's body tumbled through the expanding destruction, untouched by the devastation but thrown like a leaf in a storm. His vision was nothing but white. His ears rang with a tone so high it felt like silence.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY9niHBTuJV
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ArplRno46
He hit something solid.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4c5bILzIBv
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh7j6dd1516
The impact drove what little air remained from his lungs. His back slammed into stone, his head whipping back—128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9gEBacifff
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Pa9o0MHu9
Then stillness.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMkTCzVSoRB
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIaAixU1W1e
The light faded by degrees. White to gray to the familiar crimson of the Ashlands sky.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCvNdRSCz7Q
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgkkcV89cG
Cel lay at the bottom of a crater.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqAJlrEhaJ4
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS49vec5V7m
The walls rose around him in a perfect circle, the stone still smoking from the heat. Ash drifted in the air like snow.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeTOZDSzyVk
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMaDaZUXVSC
He couldn't move.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzpzh0Gtfg
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWZTUTsk8ai
Not from injury - the blast had somehow missed him entirely. But from something deeper. Primal terror that locked every muscle tight, that made breathing feel like an act of will.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt3cuhLPHTo
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm8AhIFDV5G
The glaive stood embedded in the ground beside his head.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuT8v5MUyb7
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuTDSN680vC
So close he could see the intricate patterns etched into the blade, the way lightning still danced across its surface in fading arcs. Close enough that moving his head a fraction would bring his temple against its edge.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF3hHhdcL9i
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqxWy0ZM6bR
A shadow fell across him.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcFT8O2Oy9o
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIxrMKep2fm
Esrin descended through the air, wings beating with slow, deliberate grace. Her boots touched down on the scorched stone with barely a whisper, one on either side of his torso.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7J6Qgcad1X
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQk6o3fRrLj
The white wings dissolved in a cascade of fading lightning, crackling out of existence as if they'd never been.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6CHWzS4rMn
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡecB8GTDpoa
She stood there for a moment, looking down at him with that same flat expression - as if killing a Defiled-rank creature and obliterating everything in a hundred-step radius was simply routine.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf25CK6ExGK
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY82LQsaAa4
Cel's chest rose and fell in shallow breaths. His eyes were wide, unblinking. Every instinct screamed to run, to flee, to get away—128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4wp7V5tQSX
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJfVke3lCmZ
But his body refused.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1U5Tvw0Ebc
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxk6owjNz3W
Esrin reached down.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlBDO8iLfIL
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhvbgdWH1FF
His eyes tracked her hand, his throat already tightening in anticipation— 128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvmlvXnZZU9
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQu8kPwhJDi
She grasped the glaive's hilt.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTHKwVRw31G
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfapqQJybjI
The weapon came free with a soft whisper of steel against stone.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MZpCczMMq
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7V5vrLrAQm
She held it loosely at her side, the blade still crackling with residual energy.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNBvBjSovKD
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmATQmGf6dF
"You're wasting my time."128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqMvbkeH464
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Fax7BPScE
Cel's jaw worked. Blood coated his teeth, his tongue. When words finally came, they scraped like broken glass.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc7CfMm0Fht
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQQZiY23QX
"Then... leave."128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8wXANU5TK
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVPUa9no27A
Silence answered him.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPJVQy9fG9n
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLwW4E9B9OL
Esrin's gaze remained fixed on him, flat and emotionless. Seconds stretched.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2AXqzrtIsa
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ66JUl54Y25
"What's your name?"128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKAMtbG8Glq
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb0pUX1kFEp
The question came without warning, without context.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWf8EhCYoXa
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy07CB4lfz5
"Celvian."128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtS6GXq9lnq
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqkWwudBQE
"Your patron god?"128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2yXvzaqa1P
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zIZfx1DkM
His throat tightened. "The Moon Goddess."128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr5H56xyow3
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdFOU1B0qNV
Her eyes tracked to his snow-white hair, to his glacial-blue eyes, then to the armor covering his battered form.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUOMZVmI10s
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ74klTw1xC2
"How old are you?"128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIDve5BpSg6
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDyE8HCOotM
"Sixteen."128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfdGxTP4gtt
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIvd0KJbPfC
For a single heartbeat, the cold assessment in her eyes softened. Not to warmth - but to something that looked like she'd just confirmed a suspicion she'd hoped was wrong.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx3Tzwoc7HG
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4mYUCz2azv
"How did a sixteen-year-old Moon Chosen end up in the Hollow Realms?"128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO2E3FsaiUC
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2o0V0W8AZK
Cel's fingers dug into scorched stone. The truth would reveal too much - his origin as a noble, his father's betrayal, his year of torture. All of it weakness she could exploit.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPdcxmoFVNP
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQjIcScuboc
His jaw clenched as rage flared hot in his chest.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Mt5HD7q0I
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXaxdWZfGlx
They were his to kill. His vengeance. His blood to spill when he grew strong enough to make them scream.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5VlKSTPW2r
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA4QM0JjLNT
But if he could set a Hallowed on them first? Watch them scramble like rats as Esrin Tempvolt tore through their compound? See them taste fear before he came for what remained?128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjyKzmptuq5
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD0C3hVMHg5
The thought settled in his chest like cold satisfaction.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJNUlYoKmd6
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuU3y69et4C
"The Children of the Voidmother." His voice came raw. "They threw me through a rift. To seal it."128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgrjJPK5B4T
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ77hkXNjz6V
Esrin's expression hardened - the only real emotion he'd seen from her. Her jaw set in a way that suggested this information mattered.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcuc08LTvH4
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf5e4GnyXfS
"The cult." Not a question. A statement laced with something cold.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqCBIbDtpmX
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqFnCaSBQHz
He nodded.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTGrMAngxow
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU8uYHzJVV7
Silence stretched again. Esrin remained perfectly still, gaze fixed on him with that same calculating intensity. Weighing. Deciding.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxgCTpJ1Ol7
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW8YSC1uVEf
Cel kept his mouth shut. Every instinct told him that speaking now - saying anything more - would be a mistake. One wrong word and she'd start asking questions he had no safe answers for.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZD6aZE7UJa
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhMjawSdQ68
He couldn't risk that.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0GLc7JBxhF
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTnpn08wVkV
So he stayed silent, even as his body screamed in pain, even as blood continued to drip from his mouth. Waiting for her verdict.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHdCoLYilZ3
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJNGaLCszoA
Finally, something in her posture shifted - subtle as a blade finding its sheath.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBIy8Im5MEE
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoKSK2TFYue
"You're not what I came here for." She dismissed her glaive, lightning crackling once before the weapon dissolved. "But leaving a Chosen to die in the Ashlands serves no purpose."128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLF9wv9BRaf
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuLY9qhurRR
The clinical assessment in her tone made it clear this wasn't mercy. Just... efficiency. A waste of resources to let him rot here.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsaBmSui8OF
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCyzpVKzcQs
"I'm taking you out of here."128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy0JG4VhP7q
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjixtzNaMYF
Cel's body went rigid. "I can leave on my own."128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxygZeXT5f
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ35cCP8mta8
He braced his hands against the scorched stone. Every muscle screamed in protest as he forced himself up. His arms shook. His legs threatened to buckle. But he made it - swaying on unsteady feet, refusing to fall.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLPhNvHNJXl
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuTWok7Lcj3
"Can you?" Her gaze swept across his bloodied form. "You can barely stand."128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOueDkT83Ug
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUgYxP25DZp
"And whose fault is that?"128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLYXKOR3eJS
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsDwvnFDI18
The words came sharper than intended, edged with pain and defiance.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8D0vEDDYQ
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM4UydPpBKk
Esrin's expression didn't change. No flicker of guilt, no acknowledgment of what she'd done to him. Just that same flat assessment.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTSzDa7n0S5
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEdEtCWbJJX
"Mine." The admission came without hesitation or apology - a simple statement of fact. "Which is why I'm not leaving you here to die from it."128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8ro1RNf6K
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjtTg6gkNGJ
Her hand moved to a pouch at her belt before he could respond. When she withdrew it, something rested in her palm - a flat stone perhaps the size of a coin, covered in symbols that writhed when looked at directly.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Gbnmac32L
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsJAwip6GEy
Her fingers closed around it.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT77vlygrbT
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsTfyaB4E8U
The stone shattered.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoYSBzXloS0
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ13w0nAEhD5
Not cracked - pulverized. Fragments turned to dust that slipped between her fingers, dissolving before hitting the ground.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT6BPXFt9X3
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnQsLiBuXjP
Violet light erupted from where the stone had been.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPZReBgasUZ
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjsfss6F1Lx
Cel's eyes widened.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZZGy4TfEb
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIt8usJboRj
A rift tore itself into existence - but wrong. All wrong.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9g71Kawkg
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5svuAJijB
The edges didn't shimmer. They crackled - sharp, violent bursts of energy that fought against their own existence. The violet light bleeding through wasn't steady. It pulsed, writhed, twisted back on itself in patterns that made his eyes water.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3GlNxg2Rax
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI6evfjaiSb
'That's not possible.'128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNQCZRFlzpC
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5bEe2Thc1J
Creating rifts was impossible. Even for the Hallowed. Rifts were tears in reality that formed naturally, that could only be found and sealed, never created.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJFYDqAAhd
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr59x0GdRG1
Yet here it stood, crackling with violent energy, defying every law he'd been taught.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdxdlHaST9L
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9vdlFzjqhX
'She just... she just created a rift.' The thought repeated itself, unable to find purchase against the impossibility before him.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdt3An77Csd
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwrHGO5HoKn
Raven's voice echoed in his memory: 'You can trust her. She will protect you.'128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkS3ui7rfnp
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLNJoJtfDzU
Esrin Tempvolt. The woman every noble child had been taught to admire - proof that strength and honor could coexist. The pinnacle of grace and power that young ladies aspired to emulate. 128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMlWY8FteVa
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVg9RBqN1DQ
And Raven had been certain. Even knowing she hunted him, he'd told Cel to trust her.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuJ4ftJKvGQ
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY32X04hJpH
Esrin stepped toward the impossible rift, then glanced back. "Stay close. The passage is disorienting."128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlVDCkvR4f9
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjUGzTcWTh7
Cel stared at her extended hand.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEIQuPvKg6P
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjMPY4sxAKL
She'd nearly killed him. Had thrown him across the wasteland like garbage. Had threatened to break every bone in his body.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEV0LrVKXV8
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP5Mzi58bny
But everything Cel had ever learned said the Hallowed were humanity's greatest protectors. That Esrin Tempvolt was someone worth believing in.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVGjinXdkWi
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡij3dXxVztc
His fingers closed around hers.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBbJXB2wLgS
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnSG7tNznI5
He had no choice. Fighting Esrin was suicide. Running was impossible. And if Raven had been right about trusting her…128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxIvshzLwgk
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0KSBFt5pv
'I'm sorry, Raven.'128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6XR6bWHOuT
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMlZbSe5v8z
The thought was brief, nearly drowned by everything else screaming through his mind. But it was there.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmJnYUTxRf
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ77wUXyOcMt
She pulled him forward without hesitation, her grip firm but not painful. They stepped through together.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡslTtbEpNi5
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDokqF34Y6i
The world inverted.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4rEeDsHHd8
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOHAyIY8Lae
Violet light swallowed everything. Up became down became sideways became nothing. Cel's stomach lurched as gravity lost meaning. The only constant was Esrin's hand, anchoring him while reality twisted around them.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwlnZyYTgD
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡikW4FPcDm4
Then it stopped.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6JkYBsOBpy
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcIkn6DoM43
Solid ground materialized beneath his feet.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXccl44PXNR
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3QTvgdySpe
Cel's vision cleared by degrees.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLYcA7PG1Mo
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpdEjISMWxC
They stood on an island of land suspended in—what exactly?128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsknPvZWcKS
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKUnaoEdaq
Violet void stretched in every direction - not empty, but crackling with that same violent energy. Lightning arced through the emptiness in branching patterns, illuminating depths that had no bottom.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWhGjpeznZI
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkMHetJ7pGv
And in the center of the floating land stood a manor.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTALJ9ct8nL
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP2DPW6pEYr
<You have achieved something extraordinary: You entered a new dimension.>128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhGpdIVHwyg
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtL49qy6bNR
'Huh?'1234 copyright protection124ＰＥＮＡＮＡzBXaOeGsUC 尼

216.73.216.75