Cel stepped through the doorway into warmth and noise.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ64Fglrqd4D
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnistk7kXyn
The street beyond stretched wide - cobblestones worn smooth by countless feet, buildings rising three and four stories on either side. People moved in constant flow, their voices blending into a hum that felt overwhelming after the Ashlands' silence.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTVoWHjUonJ
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The capital. Stella.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡboEmh6b7Ma
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He'd been here before. When his father had deemed his presence necessary for some royal occasions. But at that time, he only rode carriages with curtained windows, direct routes to the palace, guards ensuring no common rabble came too close.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdg4pDI1yfb
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This was different.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYpxvzT7Hfi
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Esrin moved forward without hesitation, her boots clicking against cobblestone with steady rhythm. Cel followed, his gaze tracking across storefronts, street vendors, children darting between adults with laughter that felt alien after everything.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbVycuFffO0
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfyqnvabrKq
A baker's shop. The scent of fresh bread drifted through an open door, making his stomach clench despite having eaten moss and raw meat for days.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfNeCTkO1X2
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDdRQbnA0Ah
A blacksmith. The ring of hammer on anvil carried over the general din, sparks visible through the doorway.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8x7F2W1bo4
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtiYF4ejvYQ
A woman selling flowers from a cart, their colors so vivid they hurt to look at after endless gray and crimson.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCOqNJCpBXq
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS69zOO5i24
"Make way!"95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRGN9ifR6wF
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A carriage rattled past, forcing pedestrians to press against building walls. Cel stepped aside automatically, but his attention had already moved to a group of street performers. One juggled flaming torches while another played something stringed that produced music he couldn't name.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRrzPZyVUgv
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People dropped coins into a hat at their feet.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcORRDDWC45
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Sc5yNMvh8
The mundane reality of it felt wrong somehow. This world had continued. While he'd been tortured, while he'd died and been resurrected, while he'd eaten rotting meat and fought creatures that shouldn't exist - life had simply gone on.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9WtQrAZuNi
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"Lady Esrin!"95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs9xSrCrCy0
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The call came from somewhere to his right. Cel's head turned.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOi3eqxYG75
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeZczJe0CEp
A merchant stood in his shop doorway, bowing so low his forehead nearly touched his knees. When he straightened, his expression held something between reverence and barely contained eagerness.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3ifvWkW9g
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Esrin didn't acknowledge him. Just kept walking.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtF5EaqqkNP
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcpw1uFENcJ
More people noticed.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWjEmJZdXqb
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4l2pqARUWJ
Whispers rippled through the crowd like wind through grass. Conversations stopped mid-word. Heads turned.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDsWiHMzY8Q
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmUItxoioeV
"Is that really her?"95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRLP63oOrG
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"The Hallowed herself..."95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn9AnKWyUln
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM5OPR0Ia5B
"What's she doing here?"95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYXBOz1Nwnf
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY3sllx68OB
Cel's gaze tracked between them and Esrin's rigid back. She moved through it all like a blade through water - present but untouchable, commanding respect without asking for it.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfwusWFYp4Z
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf1TOSc1ic6
A child ran past, weaving between adults with the kind of reckless joy that came from never having faced real danger. His mother called after him, upset but fond.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHbB3U20Bpa
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNLL2C6U9WH
Cel watched them until they disappeared into the crowd.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh9vffv5Wrc
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJqXOAKTnV3
The street opened into a square. A fountain dominated the center - carved stone depicting the hero who had founded the Stellarion Empire. Water flowed from raised hands, catching sunlight in ways that made it gleam.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrIy9AWQN7t
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPN8OyFb4Sk
Children played near its edge. A couple sat on its rim, speaking in tones too quiet to hear. An old man tossed breadcrumbs to pigeons that swarmed his feet.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvUHeF1AhDG
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Normal. All of it utterly, impossibly normal.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRPo1843Ikl
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Esrin crossed the square without slowing.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXc6BtlVgsu
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3Xgh6QJJN
Cel followed, his attention fragmenting between a dozen different scenes.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUXwD7KhbI7
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSFqg74GXu
Eventually, the Academy rose ahead.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFAHUsHE0DK
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Not suddenly - it had been visible for a while, growing larger as they approached. But only now did Cel truly register it, the structure dominating his vision.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr5cyLRV9Fy
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXRnpzIQ0yP
Stone walls perhaps four times his height. Iron gates that stood open but looked capable of withstanding siege. Beyond them, buildings sprawled across grounds that seemed to stretch far - dormitories, training halls, structures whose purpose he could only guess.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6gBErskg0N
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9n3zpDOOSS
Esrin stopped before the gates.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpP6ZM8aB1
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIIrvNfvamT
Guards flanked the entrance, their armor polished to a shine that caught the afternoon light. They straightened as Esrin approached, recognition clear in their expressions.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdj1D7h0FmE
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuBjBAqu8qq
"Lady Tempvault." The younger one on the right bowed. "Welcome—"95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXU5YErZiW4
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39iJqpmQ4K
Esrin's gaze cut to him. Not sharp, not angry - just present in a way that made the guard's words die mid-sentence.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Qvg8J6zrq
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtLqlyNkGgD
"Lady Esrin," the older guard on the left said quickly, stepping forward with a deeper bow. "Forgive him - he's new to his post. We're honored by your presence."95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ63n1Unls9L
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85fFN1uvDe
The younger guard had gone pale, his bow deepening until it looked painful.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Y8keh6WIU
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Esrin held the moment for a heartbeat longer. Then she gave the older guard the barest nod and walked through.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2fIgIc3IT0
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkPsgLVkuvq
Cel followed, feeling their eyes track him with curiosity that would probably turn to questions the moment he was out of earshot.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNnSIh3MpFz
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWZN9N185GA
The grounds stretched before them - grass trimmed to uniformity, trees placed in patterns that created shade without blocking sight lines. A group of students moved between buildings wearing dark uniforms with colored trim. Most looked his age, maybe older.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkp85U3SVr5
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj7MN981luA
None of them paid Cel any attention. All eyes fixed on Esrin.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLQ52ufeZRg
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsEJUrMdLv0
The reception building stood near the entrance - a two-story structure with wide windows and a sign that read "Administration" in formal script.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiERbrz6bjo
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Esrin pushed through the door.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZSatqkzhNW
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The interior was exactly what Cel expected. Polished wood floors. Desks arranged in neat rows. Papers organized in stacks that suggested someone took pride in order.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5BwK8Yd5Al
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH88TznInXQ
A woman sat behind the nearest desk. She looked up as they entered, her expression shifting from bored routine to sharp attention in the space of a heartbeat.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmHTp2IVMup
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFfg3KgY8wK
"Lady Esrin." She stood, smoothing her uniform. "What can I do for you?"95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0ce0bGKLd
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyzCogUNvVg
"I have a Chosen who needs enrollment." Esrin's tone remained flat. Professional.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6o8K37qZ5J
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsIZ7W75aXh
The woman's gaze shifted to Cel, taking in his armor, his white hair, his obvious exhaustion despite the healing.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6PLLjzNGe
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCSdle4auhn
"Of course." She pulled parchment from a drawer, along with an ink pen. "I'll need some information."95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCzAUGBcgIe
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrivqgPrwq
Her pen hovered over the page. "Name?"95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpz0WjesPb2
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBz25LiQdbs
"Celvian."95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaabiymilZj
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4TCZ3n5Rr
She wrote it down. "Place of origin?" 95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJhAqVU7uz
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5djXcVxqq1
Cel's mind went blank. He couldn't say House Solmar. Couldn't name anywhere in Sun Clan territory without risking someone recognizing the connection. 95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡynvdyKgEnA
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ZfW73tZxQ
"Thornhaven," Esrin stepped in. "Storm Clan territory." 95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoNVCeIL9zf
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXyiuDb9iFa
The receptionist noted it without looking up. "Patron deity?"95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCdSG9SyxZr
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc51mGadzNG
"The Moon Goddess."95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2IWCdjwv0u
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5nhLlfsJi
The pen paused. Just for a moment - but long enough that Cel noticed.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNeqa46iQT8
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz6sQRvu4z2
"I see." She continued writing. "And your guide's rank?"95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw0y24nUXDN
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ns96rb5R2
Cel's jaw tightened. Saying "Divine Oracle" would create exactly the kind of attention he couldn't afford. Not if he wanted to survive long enough to kill his father.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6MrJjP5LJs
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUNxEyIL4qb
"Forty-seven."95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4jBJMBuWkg
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡauiegCNy9g
The woman noted it without reaction. "To verify your divine blessing, I'll need to see your mark."95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVU9xCyPxQB
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJpdt9cKttL
Cel's chest constricted.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCzH2Ox3EvR
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe3auYlPKcL
The mark. The one his father had torn away with his bare hands. The one that was now nothing but scar tissue and ruined flesh.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2lzAyUGewS
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpITb3oxoQN
"Is that necessary?" The words came too sharp.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZilFvi2a1c
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN1A8PBVCes
"It’s protocol." Her tone was apologetic but firm. "For all new students."95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmq868NiAv8
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu0cqtd3GKP
Esrin said nothing. Just stood there with that same impassive expression, offering no help this time.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFXKnQNV58o
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxR0jHJweQ1
Cel's hands moved to his armor.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJDQXhP0Jsb
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1fktGh55gY
Cinderward dissolved at his command - moonlight threads unraveling from his shoulders, chest, and arms until they vanished entirely, leaving him bare from the waist up.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuEpDvPCJT5
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOBetyurLJD
Then he turned.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIs2eaFV6L5
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS4IsCtf7Qb
The air in the room changed subtly. Not dramatically - just a slight shift that suggested both women were looking at what he'd revealed.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmdQzDiim5O
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBL6NNmuNU
"Thank you." The receptionist's voice came measured. "That confirms it."95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGhFYDMe9E
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSgrj9Rw96
Cel blinked.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡizgiN0vPki
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'What?'95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1tos4slCjl
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His hand shot to his back, fingers searching for the familiar texture of scar tissue.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDGYScFo6t
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFgCgjjvpci
Smooth skin met his touch.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsYcHlS2gpg
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He pressed harder, following the curve of his spine between shoulder blades. Nothing. No raised edges. No torn flesh. No evidence of what his father had done.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy69dTwdPnA
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyRo4y1UGbQ
The receptionist cleared her throat softly. Esrin's expression didn't change, but her gaze tracked his movements with clinical interest - as if watching someone discover something both obvious and inexplicable.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq8zvLsOV04
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLYIJpTtFi
Understanding crashed through him.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdRIfzeXNu
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ64zJr4MIvu
The Moon Goddess had given him a new body. One that had never been beaten, never been tortured, never carried his father's rage.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTL1Mv9709w
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbTio5RsY74
The mark was there. Whole. Unmarred.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDXfFMj0kvs
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhAEtmvYzqM
"I'll show you to your quarters." The receptionist was already moving toward a door at the room's far end. "If you'll follow me?"95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmLfAs9jWg
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoNeBgCvCHt
Cel summoned Cinderward back on. The armor manifested around his upper body in seconds, settling into place with familiar weight.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGwi3m3PPj7
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhv946UrS1o
Esrin hadn't moved, her ruby eyes tracking him with that same calculating intensity.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAPGNgMfIiu
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQOsymDiVn3
"Thank you," Cel said quietly. "For bringing me here."95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEL7ASKP3gA
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDokZvCMEHe
She nodded once. Then she turned and walked out without another word.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN9RaYqI3VO
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The door closed behind her with soft finality.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIHeISLQLio
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"This way." The receptionist gestured.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8tZDUQOAEL
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAqDVq9nqu
They left through a side door, stepping back into the afternoon light. The path led east, away from the main building toward a separate structure - simpler than the administration building, its stone less ornate.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUhMew4S7m
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUX6ctkLjfm
She pushed through the entrance without ceremony. A corridor stretched ahead, lined with identical wooden doors. The floor was clean but worn, the walls bare except for numbered plaques.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjRJ5bE6VOe
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOTKnYz8NUT
She stopped at a door near the middle, producing a key from her pocket.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ESxeYD8Xq
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg3LVib2vsq
The lock clicked and the door swung open.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVUgDFCkyR2
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"This is your room." She handed him the key. "Meals are served in the main hall three times daily. Classes begin in ten days. Someone will brief you on your schedule before then."95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡviI4j1hTLD
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡibDcUUqexq
She left before he could respond.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSz1ke6IlSk
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Cel stood in the doorway, taking in what would apparently be home.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdxqxmSWGgg
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwBKUllqf3T
Small. A bed against one wall, narrow but clean. A desk beneath the window with a single chair. A wardrobe that looked barely large enough for the few possessions he didn't have. A basin and pitcher for washing.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0HpnMUSil7
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu6TbVNtwb7
Commoner quarters. The kind of room he would have been ashamed to enter back when his father's opinion still mattered to him.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡafKmiMez1M
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWE41rxqqO
He stepped inside and closed the door.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBaRrXcX2sy
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbIOkG9Kc0F
Silence crashed down.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCcuZSh4tNQ
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD9MCPbgqd5
Not the oppressive silence of the Ashlands. Just... quiet. Normal quiet, where he could hear his own breathing without scanning for threats.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1BZp6AZ1to
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A mirror hung on the wall near the wardrobe.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2064mhTdhx
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXttkTVJiU9
Cel moved toward it, his reflection emerging with each step. White hair that caught the light filtering through the window. Pale skin that looked like it had never seen sun. Eyes the color of winter sky.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8YRrJmBmaj
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjYlzt39Ra4
Not the gaunt, broken thing from the cell. Not the boy his father had beaten nearly to death.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4eRmXBeYJL
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqcJbxxpS6y
Someone else. Someone new.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7liVLM4Y4l
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHNLYD6dlRw
He turned, presenting his back to the mirror, then dismissed Cinderward. Moonlight threads unraveled from his torso, leaving him bare. He craned his neck, trying to see what he knew was there but needed to confirm.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM98TAecFzV
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZ2gQkBeY8
The mark gleamed in reflected light. Silver against pale skin. At its heart, a crescent moon cradled a perfect circle, phases etched along its inner curve. Sharp, star-like points radiated outward in alternating lengths. Two sweeping, wing-like curves underlined the design, studded with pointed projections like frost fragments.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX8A99HtXaH
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCjV7FjwebJ
Beautiful. Whole. Unbroken.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGSpiEe8kTw
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQkaUoy3ZhX
His fingers found it again, tracing lines his father had tried to destroy. The skin was smooth. Perfect. As if violence had never touched it.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqzQRyiAPpO
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Cel stared at his reflection for a long time.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiEADItjLis
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Then he turned away and sat on the bed's edge, feeling the mattress give slightly under his weight.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRYwT34pKek
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Ten days until classes began. Ten days to master enough control that he wouldn't reveal how little he understood his own power. Ten days to figure out how to survive in a place that would judge him by the Moon Goddess's weak reputation, not by what he'd endured to earn her blessing.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJM42T7C67
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His gaze tracked back to the mirror, to the glimpse of white hair visible in its reflection.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡouyJYB87te
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‘White Death.’95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjjfNa9v0Nx
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The codename settled in his chest with quiet certainty.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡevb2bxPJEz
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Yes. That's what he would become.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4fUyA98X4X
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Not the broken boy his father had thrown away. Not the prisoner who'd eaten maggots to survive.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFUBlocvgQh
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Something colder. Something absolute.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkOYeJpH3dh
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Something that they would never see coming.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB3vUMkJY8m
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Author's Note
And that's it! The end of Arc 1: "Shattered Moon Rising"!95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzwTrciCjK
Thank you all so much for sticking with me through this first arc. It's been an incredible journey, and I'm excited about what's coming next.
Now, some important updates:
We're back to our regular schedule!95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsLIBJD3xoA
Two chapters per week:95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZGyWnGmZM
- Wednesdays95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYEBJ7et39i
- Saturdays
New Tier System is Live!95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZyDvv13mWL
You now have the option to read chapters in advance on my page with a monthly subscription. To make sure you only pay what you can afford, I divided it into different tiers:
- Tier 1: Read 1 chapter ahead95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJvS9ZH7HEJ
- Tier 2: Read 2 chapters ahead95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlWUYFrsN8d
- Tier 3: Read 3 chapters ahead95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCOQhcQlr7O
- Tier 4: Read 4 chapters ahead95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd6zVH5A5l3
- Tier 5: Read 5 chapters ahead
And for those that are highly invested in the story, I developed a new special format:95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfhcESqieS
- Tier 6 (Special): Read 5 chapters ahead + Meet a character of your choice
What's "Meet a character of your choice"?95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9ePzlLIdC
You can choose a character and say something to them - one thing per special. Here are some examples:95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmfkZX0jaV
- Ask them a personal question95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3f0a9iFklw
- Ask about something story-related you're curious about95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZb4BGJ4CV
- Ask what they think about another character95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPwyfeIajNs
- Simply say something to the character and get their reaction95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGuZx2NvBgX
Then I am going to write a special chapter.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG6fRCBcMia
These specials will look similar to the Christmas specials I did before.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCNCCA5K0l8
Note: I would recommend you write me before you choose that option. Because some things might not be possible (maybe if it's inappropriate or if the result would not be satisfactory)95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJkDEtXxIS0
General bonus features of my page:95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb4J7nIV6Kb
- As a subscriber, you get a badge visible next to your name when you comment anywhere on my page^^95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX4ZSTShapt
- You can even download my page as an app :grin:
Link to my page: https://celastos-shop.fourthwall.com/
Join the Official Lunar Legacy Discord!95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWYHMfyd2oL
You can also expect some fun new things like polls about different story elements and more community interaction!95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAb2daYeR1n
Discord Link: https://discord.gg/Uduxc48wfm
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Turns out I only took half a month off because I was busy setting all this up xD95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABESQvsn3S
Thank you again for your patience during my exam break. Arc 2 is going to be amazing, and I can't wait to share it with you!
and then Add to home screen.