"Hurry!" The receptionist was already moving toward the door. "Come on!"94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUIxRz6FfPn
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTNrw4G9Wp
Cel matched her quick stride as they moved through the corridor. She didn't look back to see if he kept pace - just assumed he would.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNcuLM2owh
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxI6Emy7z7I
They reached his door. She stopped, gesturing sharply.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAuyvCtjjfP
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"Uniform. Now. I'll wait."94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡauTEE7S1rB
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJzudaZOtj2
Cel pushed inside and crossed to the wardrobe. The dark fabric still sat folded where he'd left it, the silver threading along the collar catching morning light from the window.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNoM0ZYtzih
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfsMCgwwILz
He stripped off his clothes and pulled on the uniform. The fabric was stiffer than the commoner clothes he'd worn the past ten days, the collar higher. Over his heart, the silver mark of the Moon Goddess stood out against the dark cloth.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5CZTroa5rJ
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJUEtfLbT1D
When he emerged, the receptionist gave him a quick once-over and nodded.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3tA1LQuRUg
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡktymLQgaFl
"Good enough. Let's go."94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbS4XiH1e7B
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0sR1fbjjiJ
She set off at a pace just short of running. Cel matched her stride easily, his divine body making the speed feel natural even as she began breathing harder.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMzQGnV3vGA
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Ndpym3d3C
"Everyone's already gathered," she said between breaths. "You were supposed to be there twenty minutes ago. I checked your room three times this morning - where were you?"94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxTs5UHCZwy
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJJ2WrqZDsR
"Walking."94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnRz7kW7sM0
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzFTRZ8fk3j
She shot him a look but didn't press. They turned a corner and the main hall loomed ahead - massive oak doors standing open, voices spilling out in a dull roar.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzV5IgkbHUZ
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFfDlVwojin
The receptionist slowed as they approached. "Get in line with the others. Don't make a scene."94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡARyR3G6aWr
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00dsiAqJO8
Cel slipped through the doors.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGIxINhI5QK
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnnxuhh3omI
The hall stretched vast and high-ceilinged. Rows of students stood in formation before a raised stage at the far end. Perhaps forty of them, all wearing the same dark uniform with silver threading. All commoners.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIn6jvneni8
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQezYLNdpdY
Cel moved along the back of the formation, looking for a gap. The students were packed tight, shoulders nearly touching. He found space near the end of the fourth row and stepped into it.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWov61gM9YW
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcqChGpg6Wt
No one turned. No one acknowledged his late arrival. Every face pointed forward, attention fixed on the empty stage.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNpsSG5QhQh
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuyHy3MS5p1
The boy to his left shifted his weight from foot to foot. His fingers drummed against his thigh in nervous rhythm.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5dNUjerF5
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAGC9lbzrA4
"—heard she's really coming," a girl whispered two rows ahead. "The princess herself."94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0LXgX9vdT9
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfNpaQI0WyV
"No way," a boy to her right hissed back. "That's just a rumor. Why would she—"94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf3BPhTP2BV
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeVpBa9c5u2
"My cousin works in the palace kitchens. She said—"94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpFK4CHMZ6
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDBSs8aLszH
"Quiet!" someone snapped from the front row.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCnapjoitP
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX9ix00JkyV
The whispers died, but the energy remained - crackling tension that made the air feel charged. Bodies leaned forward slightly, as if the extra inch might let them see better when something finally happened.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHYCUpOIFRt
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvF6IUc1gV1
A door opened at the stage's side and a man emerged - tall, gray-haired, wearing formal robes with the royal crest prominent across his chest. The headmaster. His boots clicked against the wooden platform as he crossed to the podium.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDcK0GjvomX
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAjHTbLUWzu
The silence deepened, every fidget ceasing.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0cBqPgcqD2
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRp3hAKGIfp
He surveyed the assembled students. His gaze swept the rows without hurry, taking in every face. When he finally spoke, his voice carried easily across the hall.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCjIWSV0nTm
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp10GX59pdA
"Welcome to the Chosen Academy. Before we begin, it is my honor to announce our distinguished guest for this year's opening ceremony."94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPrzkKmgnvc
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2A7A0GPekb
He paused. The silence somehow deepened.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9hvVcaBpjm
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"Her Imperial Highness, Cassandra Stellarion, Princess of the Empire."94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVvRPavKl2t
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZUl5X6b4z
The whispers had been right.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBhDrmO074Q
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLlAKInWt5i
Excited murmurs rippled through the formation - quickly suppressed but unmistakable. Bodies straightened. The nervous energy transformed into something sharper, more focused.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDcWWFMBCy4
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qWWO9GeAE
The side door opened again.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl9qq4RrQ1q
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmNarbYRHmL
She entered with practiced grace - each step measured, her posture perfect. The princess wore deep purple robes edged in gold, the royal crest embroidered across her chest in intricate detail. Deep purple hair - the same rich shade as her clothes - fell in an elegant arrangement that must have taken hours to achieve. Her features were refined, beautiful in the way that came from centuries of careful bloodline cultivation.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf89XAod5HO
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLEpBv7og0r
Cel had seen her once before. At the ceremony where the Emperor granted Esrin the title of Hallowed - the highest honor a Chosen could receive. The princess had stood among the other royals behind the throne, present but not prominent.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqjvMgltuLK
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUENU2QZImI
She looked older now. More composed. Every movement deliberate and controlled.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2VKiahTuTy
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbyCmpOTFZW
The whispers started immediately, rippling through the rows in broken fragments.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtVEdl73ipk
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1EsvwDvrtk
"—actually her—"94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8W96LP7kQy
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRWgQP3x1AF
"—so beautiful—"94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXkH3JIBeH
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWcPGuQQbvU
"—can't believe—"94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsmtdINwjxn
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEbIoGEIHOx
The princess reached the podium. She let the moment breathe, her deep purple eyes sweeping across the assembled students with the same measured assessment the headmaster had used.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa6o1aUcvsD
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Then she smiled.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXzqGZSkYVl
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Warm. Genuine. The kind of expression that made people feel seen, valued.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRhexjLCU6B
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9YZnhRmWqf
"Thank you, Headmaster." Her voice carried the same effortless projection, clear without being loud. "And welcome to all of you. This is a significant day - not just for the Academy, but for our Empire."94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0AgaNTxKgS
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She paused, letting the weight settle.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFpd8ggX4wi
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"Each of you has been blessed by the gods. Chosen to stand against the darkness that threatens our world. The rifts that tear reality apart. The creatures that crawl through to destroy everything humanity has built."94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzJXXDeVKfn
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGIarFmsir9
Her expression shifted - still warm, but underlaid with steel.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyDR28pzumb
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaYhkC0QsIw
"You are humanity's defense. Its hope. And the Academy exists to ensure you become worthy of that sacred duty."94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5qQh0Pok5
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡktggzt14gX
The students around Cel leaned forward, drinking in every word. The girl two rows ahead had tears in her eyes. The boy beside Cel had stopped fidgeting entirely, standing rigid with attention.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVsNv7IvwsY
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhrBZViGTgZ
Cel watched the princess's face. The fleeting expressions that flickered beneath the controlled exterior. The calculated pauses that gave her words time to land.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtrwGiFhEwG
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This wasn't normal.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmNNViLQZu
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNci79PcCxN
Royalty didn't attend academy openings. The Emperor had never spoken at one. The Empress hadn't either. It was beneath their station - a task delegated to the headmaster and instructors.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYVQ0zUyc0L
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡERckhVAE3x
So why was she here?94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgn75QCn4zm
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The answer crystallized as she continued speaking.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4wGQsDw9z0
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ452tokb3At
"The Empire stands at a crossroads. Threats gather both within and beyond our walls. We need strength. Unity. Chosen who understand that their power serves something greater than personal ambition."94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmBxTVuLQbr
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV7PuiuLN8O
There it was. Buried in platitudes about duty and service.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡesc4lEMDVH
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Recruitment.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3KMeEVah5Y
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHSDdqgNBi8
She was here to secure promising students early. To establish relationships before the nobles arrived and complicated the social dynamics. To position herself - and by extension, whichever faction she supported - as the benefactor who cared about commoner Chosen.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3rRPP8RQzW
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The question was which faction she supported.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp8uwwJ6rVV
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Her father, the Emperor, backed the First Prince. Her mother, the Empress, backed the Second. The princess herself couldn't inherit - only men could ascend to the Stellarion throne, following the precedent set by the First Chosen.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqyVz29zuAS
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0uOf5k2Bi
"—know that I will be watching your progress with great interest," the princess was saying. "The Empire's future depends on Chosen like you. Never forget the responsibility you carry."94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0ig9ptdDL
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡclXj18ykCe
She stepped back from the podium. The smile returned, softer now.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMarhnyUgW7
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"May the gods guide your path." 94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6pyppp8gzN
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Applause erupted - immediate, thunderous. The students clapped with desperate enthusiasm, as if the force of their approval might somehow keep her attention.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbE7AQZnov9
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh3Gy6y6IMC
The princess inclined her head graciously, then turned and walked toward the side door with the same measured grace she'd entered with.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG2tJ33ezjE
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The headmaster returned to the podium as she disappeared.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGa91lB6c6g
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"Thank you, Your Highness, for those inspiring words." He waited for the applause to fade before continuing. "Now, to practical matters. You will proceed to the dining hall for your first meal as academy students. Afterward, assemble in the main classroom where your instructor will explain the curriculum and answer questions.”94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgIn1z6qNLu
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaxtjf95rbO
He gestured toward the hall's main exit. "Dismissed."94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ66fuHFmKh2
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN11PfQazYd
The formation dissolved immediately. Students streamed toward the doors in clusters, voices rising as the enforced silence broke.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeU7UzLbVdg
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4A9AebeYeT
"My parents won’t believe—"94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡahj5WIIW1K
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP9ETSSbNqu
"—incredible speech, I got chills when she said—"94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI9ey2jpMjH
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJM8lMFHngy
"—maybe she'll visit again, do you think—"94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU89GD3Sn0U
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVLLtBNoiI5
Cel followed the flow through corridors that opened into a large dining hall. Long wooden tables filled the space, already set with plates and cups. The smell of fresh bread and cooked meat filled the air.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAsOhUGf2CA
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHxaguJvfJ
Students claimed seats in groups, gravitating toward familiar faces from their home territories or shared deity affiliations. Conversations continued unabated, everyone still buzzing with excitement over the princess's appearance.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmdYhfju5F
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4VkSSCpWyA
Cel found an empty table near the back and sat.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmdR4TpRkuU
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAPmPEYdioX
No one joined him. The surrounding tables filled quickly, but his remained isolated - an island of empty space in a crowded hall.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjqR6KufXtv
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3lc4KjbrHj
He didn't mind.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF34CzPuLIl
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsV5a0x7SYy
Food arrived - brought by kitchen staff who moved efficiently between tables. Bread, still warm. Roasted chicken. Vegetables in some kind of sauce. 94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxH2isMwe97
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjiVLThUILH
Cel ate mechanically, tasting nothing. His mind was elsewhere, still processing the princess's speech and what it meant for the shifting political landscape.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvfFYVhJ7Zt
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtlcxZFIBrA
Footsteps approached. Hesitant. Uncertain.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡukXuRmWeHf
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZJiFyzVebP
Cel looked up.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO3F1tPfh39
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxgRTp3Qa9t
A boy stood at the table's edge, perhaps his age or slightly younger. Wheat blond hair fell across his forehead. Soft blue eyes that rarely made direct contact, currently fixed on a point somewhere past Cel's shoulder. His posture curved inward, shoulders hunched as if trying to occupy as little space as possible.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiRnXG3hPJh
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbYpq5GfOOB
The silver crescent moon over his heart caught the light.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ7l0cq4jsO
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0lf4FkSasO
Another Moon Chosen.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB0RoD6NtBe
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeNxq5Y6Exh
The boy's hands twisted together. His mouth opened, closed, opened again. Finally, words emerged - quiet, apologetic.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4RCofon4Cy
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOMqgU0cpxV
"I'm sorry to bother you, but... you're a Moon Chosen too, aren't you? I saw your mark during the ceremony and I thought maybe..."94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC01q1e4Jyk
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiT4kW0mQUN
He trailed off, uncertainty written across every feature.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj0GV8TWPdO
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ngs69wJVp
"Would it be alright if I sat with you?"1234 copyright protection90ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVxmwbFL3A 尼

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