The world narrowed to a single point.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPnKM6JGKP
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXpowjtBuir
Everything else - the stone walls, the mark above the altar, the dusty light filtering through narrow windows - dissolved into nothing. Only his sister remained, kneeling before the statue with her head bowed in prayer.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk8hxKow2g8
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡozotr64KwM
Lyra.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzojQpzblpP
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAwKaXj60Kk
His feet moved without permission, carrying him forward across worn stone. Each step echoed in the empty church - too loud, too present. He should stop. Should turn around and leave before she noticed him. Before whatever fragile peace she'd found here shattered beneath the weight of his existence.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMqceCUW7O
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4rtNveWUq9
But he couldn't.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtz06izD2DT
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ5Jw0h2B1x
She'd grown. Only one year had reshaped the child he remembered into something older - shoulders less round, features more defined. Her bluish-black hair fell past her shoulders in waves he didn't recognize. But the way she held herself, the curve of her spine as she knelt…109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo3TPEn2a9R
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3yEAyPwuqU
He knew her.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡopHOkyglSv
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiD00LZnLFC
His shadow fell across her. The movement was small - just the shift of darkness against stone - but her prayer stuttered to a halt. Her shoulders tensed. She lifted her head slowly, turning.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ96WcXjhkFB
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zEEgEWijq
Their eyes met.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbEUD8a1G9c
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6m7Tgdm3tM
Hers were the same icy blue-gray he remembered - matte blue that caught the light without reflecting it. But there was something different now. Something worn at the edges, like sea-glass tumbled smooth by years of waves.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVxH6aKAZ2F
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3fAv88oRgm
She blinked. Once. Twice. Her lips parted slightly, but no sound emerged.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbM2ABTFi0W
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx5PQTFTIqz
Then her expression shifted - surprise melting into something warm and genuine. A smile spread across her face.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ftowYT2j7
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQ7l15h364
"Oh!" The word burst out bright and delighted. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you come in." She rose quickly, brushing dust from her dress with practiced movements. "It's so rare to meet another believer here."109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1fxnFBzUg9
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSDQAfxf2d6
Her gaze tracked across his face - the white hair, the features that should have been familiar but weren't quite right anymore. 109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Otj2hEkT5
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4D9dJBgkXi
She didn't know him.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVjiIA0SJkR
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeLgJF0ff8l
The realization hit like a blade between his ribs. Of course she didn't. He'd been fifteen the last time she saw him - brown-haired, desperate, still clinging to the delusion that his family might care. Now he stood before her transformed, marked by powers she'd never seen and trauma she couldn't imagine.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUOm3zw9KFy
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG3ggqrhKJn
He was a stranger to his own sister.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDGlVg6AdlE
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsY8NOCM8Z0
"I..." he started.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkskcZw0Mze
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZhYSft34TN
The word fell between them like a stone into still water. She waited, polite and patient, for him to continue. But what could he possibly say?109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWXfqnTl0L
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Y2wnk9rzb
‘I'm your brother.’ The words screamed through his mind but refused to travel to his lips.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS1EygQF1tr
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFADDl3kIir
"I'm a Moon Chosen," he finally managed.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9dRy7k137
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYFp8nm0xC9
Safe. Simple. True.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBPOqlsgydx
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAevuM1txsm
Her eyes widened. 109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrybtKFPARz
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPyXV1roqAK
"Really?" The word carried genuine interest. 109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWedn2uLCm
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkwzBybANbi
"I've never met one before." The words tumbled out faster now, excitement replacing hesitation. "I mean—I've seen Chosen from other clans, but never someone blessed by her. What's it like? Is it—"109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf40fASXrBy
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXudSMcTqvG
She caught herself. Her hands clasped together at her waist - a gesture he remembered from childhood, something she did when uncertain.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFFfc1sTsKb
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCu9KvqHsIP
"I'm sorry. That's probably rude. You came here to pray, not to be interrogated by a stranger."109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zfnWDkJKO
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9wDprVGHZv
"It's fine." His voice came steadier this time. "I don't mind."109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkgWDHpQHCI
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1m8dCPPgXr
A lie. He minded everything - the distance between them, the false name he should give, the truth he couldn't speak. But the alternative was worse.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTGRQP6Y6ww
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMYtJgF5Xj
Silence settled between them, not quite comfortable but not hostile either. Lyra's gaze drifted back toward the altar, toward the mark of the Moon Goddess carved into pale stone.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpT40UemI2A
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3IeQcGljMT
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Her voice softened. "Most people never visit. The other churches are always full. But here..." She gestured at the empty benches, the dust motes drifting through shafts of light. "It's just quiet."109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGy8jRz5JH
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDlzlzJKyFz
"You come here often?"109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPYzidm1iiJ
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTEW4xluvXe
The question slipped out before he could stop it. Too personal. Too soon. But Lyra didn't seem to notice.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlmqtrfjQU3
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpU8Zgq534C
"When I can." Her fingers twisted together. "When I need to think. Or remember. Or just..." She trailed off, searching for words that wouldn't come.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ20JFPOfiE5
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtc57PBlYhy
Cel waited. Every instinct screamed at him to press, to ask, to know everything she'd experienced while he rotted in a cell. But he forced himself to stillness.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAIoYHmtbFf
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpoDEe7JrXu
"Would you like to sit?" Lyra gestured toward the benches. "Unless you'd prefer to pray alone. I understand if—"109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5BoNEM7W8
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKW8zXPfzJr
"No." Too quick. Too sharp. He softened it. "I'd like to sit."109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPksingQSO
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF6lbRnjOHl
They settled on one of the wooden benches, several feet of careful distance maintained between them. Lyra smoothed her dress - another nervous habit - while her gaze kept drifting to his face, then away, as if trying to solve a puzzle she couldn't quite name.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC1wJLB9hvb
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmgDX0DCNUZ
"I'm Lyra," she offered.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQP4y2g65M
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJb2Oq4njg8
Just Lyra. No clan name attached.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ67haXdFVIk
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEDtOGSEpK9
The omission struck him immediately. Had she abandoned the Solmar name? Been stripped of it? The questions crowded his throat, but he couldn't ask without revealing too much.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaP05l3oSux
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHvoi2FI9m0
"I'm..." He hesitated. A false name should come easily - something simple, forgettable. But his mind went blank, scrambling for anything that wouldn't sound absurd. "Heir to the Moon."109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCi64QvbTZW
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyisNnurwPh
The words fell flat even as he spoke them. Not a name - a title. His paragon's designation, stripped of creativity or thought. 109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOX8Jd1sw8A
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt4lXhXF1rc
Heat crept up his neck.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3rpISqLGR4
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKh5tJE1sZU
Lyra blinked. Her expression shifted - not suspicious, but puzzled. "Oh. That's…"109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVZ60cSHGy8
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMVMrBysBtJ
"It's what I'm called," he said quickly. The embarrassment burned hotter. He sounded like a fool. Like someone who couldn't manage the basic deception of inventing a name.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpDmD0Y3VXJ
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTfweunUGKF
She nodded slowly, clearly uncertain what to make of it. "It's... distinctive."109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdSZX6vg85l
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZwziCjiAL
Distinctive. A polite way of saying strange.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT4yKEfEAO1
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA7EdAbrOQu
An awkward silence settled between them. Lyra's fingers twisted harder around each other. Her gaze drifted to the altar, lingered there, then returned to her lap. She opened her mouth as if to speak, then closed it again. 109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiLkJVpHryp
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLHlDENOsXW
Cel kept his eyes fixed on the goddess's mark, refusing to acknowledge the mortification still burning through him. 109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKogVMTQtcA
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOb5JbZArPj
Finally, Lyra cleared her throat softly. "Do you live in the capital?" The question came tentative, as if she was trying to fill the quiet without overstepping.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡePxDVfl3Wo
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeDAzKpQ4jU
"Recently." Not quite a lie. "I'm enrolled at the Academy."109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4gpWzRxkxt
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCBkB8mWyH3
"Oh!" Her face brightened. "So am I. I mean—I will be. Once I receive my Divine Calling." The brightness dimmed slightly. "I'm still waiting. Training in the meantime, but..."109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmscRCIFes1
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfHwg7peEUF
She didn't finish. Didn't need to. The weight of waiting - of hoping and fearing in equal measure - hung in the words she didn't say.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQqJ3o50fu
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIg0DHTm4wh
"You'll be chosen," Cel said quietly.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKZFBEEEEiG
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡowWikCtcZm
"You think so?"109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVutzF9mkwW
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt0dB6hLhN2
"I do." He glanced at her - the careful way she held herself, the quiet determination beneath the nervousness. "The gods don't ignore people who seek them with genuine faith. They'll see you."109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8vvmdda8Fe
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8FYOAHQOyf
Something in her expression cracked - just a hairline fracture in the composure she'd maintained. Her eyes glistened slightly before she blinked it away.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT2lt8B5b9x
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUr4OlqH0m
"Thank you," she whispered. "That's... that's kind of you to say."109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡinTvdY9uEu
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpGfAbi6nOx
They sat in silence again. This time it felt less awkward, more like two people sharing space without demanding anything from each other.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCupSIA0Ihf
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxhiTLLNhfq
Minutes passed. Maybe longer. Time moved strangely in this forgotten corner of the city.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPq1RFA7AX5
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyTp9pcwNyQ
"Can I ask you something?" Lyra's voice came so quiet he almost missed it.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡORenHpgzJt
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0foxuUw1vj
"Of course."109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6JtUz6Qb85
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd3caauR7xx
"What's she like? The Moon Goddess, I mean." Her fingers wouldn't stop moving, twisting and untwisting in her lap. "Is she... kind?"109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5G5TFysnr6
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJuV0mTluHH
The question settled between them, weightier than it seemed. 109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCyXILVtGY
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFcH6pOyWO
Cel thought of the frozen sea. Of the trial that had torn him apart - the maze, the mirrors, the creature that killed him. She hadn't made it easy. Hadn't granted power freely or softened the path because he'd already suffered enough. 109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuYHp7xOUUS
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2RfzUPyQV
But she'd been honest about it. No false promises. No deception. 109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8QVjxvUkJn
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXpQydg1bdd
And when he'd completed the trial - when he'd earned what she offered - she'd kept her word. 109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1q4aS6B6E7
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHRdQnwQkHd
"Honest," he said finally. "She's honest. She doesn't promise easy things or pretend the path won't hurt." His voice dropped lower. "But she doesn't lie to you either. What she offers, she gives. And when you've earned your place..." 109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaDzTdkRAXO
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡei70oIoAj9
He paused, remembering moonlight flooding the cavern, cold and true. 109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPJ4RnElm5y
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo78bN7sBTn
"She doesn't abandon you. Even when everyone else does." 109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTwS7YaJUIf
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQbNOmNUpcD
The words came raw, unfiltered. More truth than he'd intended to give.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡubN2P1kSRo
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvO78oXgjPs
Lyra's breath caught. Fresh tears gathered at the corners of her eyes - held back by sheer force of will but threatening to spill.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFFVb91r3J5
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡurte4NtJLB
"That's good." Her voice barely held together. "That's really good."109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwckEm2rqcS
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxh52Co14E2
Cel's chest constricted. 109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN4KVKDbDtI
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwdLLSI3Jhv
"I'm sorry," he started. "I didn't mean to—"109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAssYHgffek
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHEHnxZ5dVJ
"No." She shook her head quickly, swiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. "No, you didn't do anything wrong. It's just..."109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ23V85fmw01
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr4NMXwh6KB
She drew a shaking breath.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtUl9S24snL
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcbNXqbCR2g
"I had a brother." Each word came slow and careful, like she was walking across ice that might crack beneath her weight. "He was chosen by the Moon Goddess too. Just like you."109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxzfS7pWobh
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmxKyodsELt
Had.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAVAbmE96ks
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkq1s8pDxRg
The past tense landed like a stone in his stomach.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjQNpelLM2p
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIpF7cRWhOL
"I come here to pray for him. To ask that she takes good care of him." Her fingers gripped each other so hard her knuckles went white. 109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwKRi6lUuG3
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2uglYLzw8R
Cel's throat closed around words that wouldn't form. Every breath felt like swallowing broken glass. She believed him dead. She'd spent two years mourning a ghost, praying to a goddess for a brother who sat beside her right now.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNBFsIhHxhg
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpQ7A55XJyC
‘Tell her.’ The command screamed through his mind. ‘Tell her you're alive. Tell her it's you.’109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLwTFnMW2qA
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBGguRSQFZT
But the words wouldn't come.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5FH73xA5U
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFx09bUAVeP
Because what would he say? That the brother she remembered was dead - transformed into something else entirely? That the boy she'd known had been torn apart in a cell, piece by piece, until nothing remained but rage?109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Kna8BVMM4
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFEHxZKOCYr
She mourned someone who no longer existed.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCtlunjGITJ
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVA2oR1deaA
"I'm sorry," he managed.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3gevvwQF1V
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCuXTabejv
Lyra shook her head quickly, swiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have—you came here to pray, not to listen to me—"109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIgfrMpNmZM
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzMi4AEe96E
"Your brother," Cel interrupted gently. "The Moon Goddess doesn't forget her Chosen. If he bore her mark... she won't have left him alone. Not in life. Not after."109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeB6TTU9zHs
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGhf6R3wvV3
“He’s in good hands, I promise.”109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7pLkIxtWn3
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ87haHIslIv
The words felt strange in his mouth - speaking about himself in past tense, offering comfort with truths only he could know. But they were true. The Moon Goddess had answered when he screamed into the void. Had given him resurrection when he'd died alone and forgotten. Had forged him a new body when the old one had been broken beyond repair. 109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOBB6MhpsjY
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡThMV61azJQ
She hadn't left him.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2GqyZjaMMk
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8QEZRzHWRf
If anyone deserved that reassurance, it was Lyra.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonEH3QBtoi
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGmbFxnPFuN
Her breath hitched. Fresh tears spilled over, tracking down her cheeks. 109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3bj9ywOOrS
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Lu5etLHLe
"Thank you," she whispered. "You don't know how much I needed to hear that."109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWz8uOlCyFH
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfiE3c30SIj
She wiped at her face again, trying to compose herself. A small, broken laugh escaped her. "I’m sorry. This is embarrassing. We just met and I'm crying all over you."109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSFvICAcBin
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJjAlzo62LS
"It's not embarrassing," Cel said quietly.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO7TGsHxSqo
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT7S8u8zlnl
He hesitated, then added, "I did the same thing, actually. With my priestess. After I received my blessing." A faint, self-deprecating smile tugged at his lips. "Completely broke down crying in her arms." 109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgweD2Mfv6u
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwhf1jGnv0y
Lyra's eyes widened slightly, then something in her expression softened - relief mixed with gratitude. "Really?" 109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHkr3Ufib3G
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjCdxFdx5Fj
"Really." The admission came easier than expected. "She told me that there's no shame in acknowledging your pain." 109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqY9RurUh6x
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡErYrAdJhG6
A small, genuine smile broke through Lyra's tears. "Your priestess sounds wise." 109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjIXi87cLCz
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZqqCWI4gJ
"She is." The words carried more weight than Lyra could know. 109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDKpLBwjZZ
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsep8zwEEER
They sat in silence for a moment. The church's stillness wrapped around them - not oppressive, but sheltering.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7GBax6fUlK
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0LtEaIFvq
Lyra's smile faded slowly, her gaze drifting back to the altar. The ease between them remained, but something heavier settled underneath it - the weight of the grief she'd been carrying alone. 109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKp3HM00QRY
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLENH4MwnEc
Cel watched her profile, the way her fingers had gone still in her lap for the first time since they'd sat down. Questions burned in his throat. Dangerous questions. 109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgh6KVbds5y
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3jBnHueAwK
He shouldn't ask. Shouldn't make her relive it. But he needed to know what story they'd told her. What lie his father had constructed to hide the truth.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvlNXrZLBr8
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvrPP5QcEFT
"Can I ask..." Cel's voice came carefully. "How did he die?"109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd3Ei2DpL9t
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvyxbig1kLG
The stillness shattered. 109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN3LzxPVP5J
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUXYOnByqnI
Lyra's hands clenched in her lap. Her breathing changed - slower, deeper, like she was preparing to dive underwater. When she spoke, each word was measured, controlled, barely holding back something raw beneath the surface.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLx3utNbzzv
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFoS9YXTF9Q
"My father..." She paused. Swallowed. Started again. "My father was not a good man."109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ75kZVyCD7
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKaYQSt30Go
The words came slow and painful, like pulling arrows from a wound.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJhTF9shhMt
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5BJQKcqELH
"He was obsessed. With power. With legacy. With being remembered as something great." Her voice hardened, edges sharpening with barely restrained fury. "When the Moon Goddess chose my brother instead of the Sun God... Father couldn't accept it…"109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVUDWSA9GaJ
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49Zk2ywDeh
She drew a shaking breath.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEczMvxrMuy
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKgx3Jn6XLP
"He exiled him. Just... threw him out.” 109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK2U5cWzN6P
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa4hgGR1fBd
"Mother searched everywhere - spent weeks trying to find him, desperate to bring him home. And then..."109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDo5hZLlEVv
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbLdoqnQjed
She drew a shaking breath.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjNfl9Lrdsl
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeAA7726YOS
"We got word. There'd been an accident. A carriage." Her voice dropped to barely a whisper. "They said he died instantly. That he didn't suffer."109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7YcSSykXFe
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmKTC7WTPwk
The lie dissolved into silence.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IWz11ki7b
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4wHYyiTgFz
Cel's jaw clenched so hard his teeth ached. A carriage accident. Such a clean explanation. So easy for people to accept. No questions asked. No investigation needed. Just another tragic death on dangerous roads.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0fbaKUMzC
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡizSVbIIpXO
His father had sold him to cultists and covered it with a convenient lie.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLA6NqmLd3U
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ735z1d0e8
Lyra pressed her palms against her eyes, shoulders shaking with silent tears.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6zlHW6qiJK
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcHoZ8NpcTQ
His hand moved before thought could stop it. He reached out and patted her head gently - the same gesture he used to make when she was small and sad about something. A reflex from another life.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTTH1AY1vnj
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUOp4AsUbiL
Lyra froze.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgkMo0m5MEa
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT5HKKiqvmY
Her breath caught. Her eyes went wide, staring at nothing as something clicked behind them - recognition struggling to break through confusion.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHU6554Dc0M
1234 copyright protection105ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrpCdp7bjM 尼

216.73.217.39