"Hey trash."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPzaircGLS4
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpGjtP3lXA0
Cel's hands stilled on his fork.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhFF6ZC5Bkh
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZopKMZWO9
Kyros Solgrand stood at the end of their table, flanked by two other Sun Clan nobles. His fire-red hair caught the lamplight, amber eyes bright with something cruel.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJjNEJFuJ8
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxyXImIX46d
"I couldn't help but notice." He gestured at their uniforms, at the crescent moon embroidered over the heart. "You're Moon Chosen."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoJiqabh6gx
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPC9kPErdv
Lior went rigid beside Cel. His fork clattered against his plate, the sound sharp in the sudden quiet that had fallen over nearby tables. His shoulders hunched inward as if trying to make himself smaller.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcuFdBXQFP6
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgvmBNJhGZC
"Yes." Cel kept his voice neutral. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0wdGqzoqpi
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS0f0tRpHQo
Kyros's smile widened. "How... unfortunate."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTqPiKqqJ9l
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcbt4iT6nV
He moved closer, circling their table like a predator assessing prey. His companions remained at the end, blocking ways.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKk9AtV5T0h
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ42doK2vsYr
"The Moon Goddess." Kyros spoke loud enough that nearby conversations died, students turning to watch. "The weakest deity. The forgotten one. The goddess who can't even maintain a single Great Clan."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGHl0myoz7P
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVCbTf5f2A0
His hand landed on Cel's shoulder - fingers digging in.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK45jNAKNcz
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI3L7uFRziE
"Must be hard, knowing you'll never amount to anything. That your blessing is worthless."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7YlFjkC21
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7b7gVVFlfm
Lior's hands had curled into fists beneath the table. His breathing quickened.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIcSymKCSVq
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaOryfNpw2B
Cel forced his muscles to relax. Forced his jaw to unclench.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhM3pqnWdoo
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2NOhpx7IpF
"We serve who chose us," he said quietly.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZtoENG42FC
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBk8P2FgXn
"Do you?" Kyros leaned closer, breath hot against Cel's ear. "Or do you just accept your pathetic fate because you're too weak to demand better?"93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd4XXqKGtsm
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM54Ut2XDgo
The rage that had been simmering since Kyros appeared flared brighter. Cel's vision tunneled. His hands trembled with the effort of keeping them still.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFWKjBabb5Z
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt0Kjwn8wqP
He could break Kyros's nose. Right now. One strike, perfectly placed, and the smug bastard would be choking on his own blood.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzYT5pHAXUr
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU1bZZTx3Tw
But if a commoner struck a noble - even in self-defense - the punishment was severe. Imprisonment. Public humiliation. In some cases even execution. The Empire's laws protected nobility with brutal efficiency, and the Academy wouldn't shield him from those consequences.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdWtdZetep1
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv9NW3Lxa1i
The unspoken truth was obvious - nobles operated under different standards. Not just in sparring. In everything. They could strike commoners with minimal repercussions. But the reverse? That was a crime against the social order itself.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqO5kB7EeYQ
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOWpFsSY8bg
So Cel just sat there. Took it. Let Kyros's words wash over him like rain.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnx3YQNro19
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsDdmUip7Va
"Nothing to say?" Kyros squeezed harder, nails digging through fabric. "That's what I thought. Moon Chosen are always like that. Weak. Pathetic."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxBjI9f55Hc
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHUxrOps5H6
He released his grip and straightened, turning to address the watching students.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZf9ytykNhD
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpsuuIr7JYS
"Remember this, everyone. What do you call Chosen of the weakest goddess?" He paused, smile widening. "Trash. Nothing but blessed trash."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7TZZGRQx9R
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN29cHsXAt5
Laughter rippled through some of the tables. Not all - several looked uncomfortable. But enough that Kyros's smile grew.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJpQvdAJHlq
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxtj3LlN1CD
He walked away, his companions following. Their laughter echoed across the dining hall.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡav3AxQRCeN
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ95f3ShW03m
Cel's hands were shaking. He pressed them flat against the table, fingers splayed wide.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMoG4ue1bc4
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzrVASWmSKK
Lior simply stared down at his plate, paralyzed by what just happened.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4WdZmEvJQj
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡal4NTyV22j
Eventually, he excused himself. Exhaustion lined his features, shoulders slumped with the weight of the day.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDairtrvQAn
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyigx1182g9
Cel remained. He finished his meal in silence. The dining hall's energy had shifted - conversations more subdued now, glances occasionally drifting toward his isolated corner.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRdvXuvDMOe
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZC8oBYO1XE
He ate mechanically, tasting nothing. His mind replayed the confrontation over and over. Each word. Each laugh. The feeling of Kyros's fingers digging into his shoulder like he had every right to do so.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRqJSwBoLNs
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnmtakjoMR2
When his plate was empty, Cel stood and left.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUG9SkmPBtk
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUfFtiyWvrN
Hours later, the training grounds lay silent beneath moonlight.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdTwVCwuWA1
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2l4tmFsOZL
Cel crossed the threshold, boots crunching against packed earth. Empty weapon racks. Archery targets standing like sentinels. The space felt vast without other students filling it.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7t34zPcdme
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl8TUAzrPbF
He shrugged off his upper uniform like always, letting it fall to the ground beside him. The night air was cold against his skin, but Lunar Vigor flooded through him under the moon's light.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7YnmlYgQEt
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvBq0OgU9AE
He moved to the center and stopped. Breathed. Let the day's accumulated tension settle in his muscles like coiled springs.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ61yB8devH9
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbzMet5xur1
Silent Moon materialized in his grip.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSa0lHQUsr0
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTKjZRU4PH8
Then he moved.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXAlpJC3sLN
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡroA8qXRphG
The blade sang through air, cutting patterns driven by pure fury. He moved through the Chosen Legion forms he'd been practicing - each one executed with divine strength behind it, each one brutal in application.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoYuMVg1P2X
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHZzjEP6j8O
Hours blurred together.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZbE8Zww1V
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpCjJfBrPoV
Cel kept going.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBxtnZzr5lw
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJUZUfZezLk
Until finally… the rage began to drain away. Not gone. Never truly gone. But manageable again. Locked back in whatever dark corner of his mind it usually inhabited.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxMzPmJpME
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBarZkkPNuN
The blade completed its arc. Cel's muscles burned, sweat cooling on his bare chest despite the chill—93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlELOLiGEou
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaFqTMeYUTh
Footsteps.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGc63J9TPWt
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR4yBKHBkZd
His body went rigid mid-stance. Silent Moon hung suspended in the air as he turned.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5D9Wjfkbaw
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2OdTek7I21
Lady Hestia Mortveil stood at the edge of the training grounds.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKY1TfC9hm
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdUeriul1px
The moonlight caught her jet-black hair, making it gleam like polished obsidian. Her crimson eyes studied him with an intensity that made his breath catch.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1lTMVjFll
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDUj5H0TLpP
For a heartbeat, neither moved.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzDDRG1M2ie
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEtGLDZVbKZ
Then her gaze dropped. Lower. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ76VYDJGPnZ
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT3BHnwyIGp
Suddenly, Cel became very aware of the cold against his skin. Heat flooded his face. He dismissed Silent Moon with a thought and lunged for his discarded uniform, fumbling with the fabric as he yanked it over his head.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡublSsxfMEz
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0nNJL714VO
"Lady Hestia." His voice came out rougher than intended. He straightened, adjusting his collar. "I apologize. I didn't realize the grounds were occupied."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqU9nsp59K
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgMkpMrNxO
A beat of silence.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7OPzQBe1Vm
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡluJOXhUngS
"They weren't." Her tone was neutral, almost clinical. She walked past him toward the far side without another glance.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA4F06WA8qU
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVtqydk5N8
Cel just stood there, uncertain. Should he leave? Continue?93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn69L7zy1B2
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ36xs2xUe5Y
Hestia sank to the ground in a meditative pose. Her hands rested on her knees, palms upward. The night seemed to gather around her like a cloak, shadows deepening in her presence.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8bkAv8DYbp
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmFS3ISTUUf
She was replenishing her Divine Essence. It made sense - the Death God's domain aligned with darkness, with the stillness of night. Divine Essence recovered fastest when immersed in the right environment. Ocean Chosen would seek water. Moon Chosen would need moonlight. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQt9QhHYtRc
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhHwSmo0BU
Not that it mattered to him. There was no need to replenish one's Divine Essence when you had none.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3Y15nWVJT
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5M0Wl6NoUu
Cel re-summoned Silent Moon and returned to his forms.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3kwwGOVal
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5RqLQjGlkg
The silence stretched between them, broken only by the whisper of his blade through air and the distant sound of wind through empty weapon racks.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZaaq5u7yjR
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOTiBcGThpY
Like that, the days blurred into routine.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLmNqCFP7Dp
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLaPZlFQzat
Sparring matches carved the class into a predictable hierarchy. Nobles on top. Commoners below.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYl7SWiuOzx
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFyeX9dVgs
"Blessed trash."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNjH2ufwcPM
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡncD2AiiH1O
Kyros's voice cut across the courtyard. His hand shoved Lior's shoulder, sending him stumbling. Laughter from the other Sun Clan nobles.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKEbtJk7fu3
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfCBopcV80F
Lior kept his eyes down. Cel's jaw clenched, but he said nothing. Took it. Like always.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVBrhl7iNNb
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTG8kLDf4Qf
The confrontations came and went like weather - predictable, unavoidable. But something puzzled Cel about the nobles' behavior. In the tavern, the barkeeper had spoken of political factions regarding the throne’s succession. Yet here, they seemed unified. Cordial, even.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMieCcz0Wxb
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDHvXKA1S95
The reason for that was simple: Theron. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB1ZwcaCcUt
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9q5HpaqdEA
He moved through them all like sunlight through water - effortless, warm. The nobles gravitated toward him naturally. Perhaps they'd all received the same instructions to cultivate the All-Blessed's favor. To leverage that connection later when the succession fight began in earnest.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq6X1HzikS5
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH2QNVhl7ih
Sylvaine ensured the Life Clan maintained the closest position. Always at Theron's side, always visible, always reinforcing their clan's support.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhnMCFr71qd
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC1vrNEPAPH
Only Hestia remained apart.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSMzaRgJVMs
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq91A29szmS
She sat alone during meals, moved through training exercises in isolation. The other students kept their distance. Whether from the Death Clan's tainted reputation or simple wariness of Raven's sister, Cel couldn't say. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQfaO7FHdQ
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdg9lM8XxC8
Night fell.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwbyG5UA9tY
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ZxOupMckm
Cel arrived at the training grounds first, as usual. He'd barely summoned Silent Moon when footsteps announced Hestia's arrival.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0NnJf0G4eX
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9qaOVhrfKj
She crossed to her meditation spot without acknowledgment. Settled into stillness.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4CsZlrP5d3
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ775QXCcRJE
Cel moved through his forms. The blade traced familiar patterns, his body flowing from one position to the next with increasing fluidity.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV0RzgUtz0q
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2vaHcbzMh7
An hour passed. Then another.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzO1IvxdWKb
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDFNU4lzRd
When Cel paused to catch his breath, he glanced toward Hestia's meditation spot. Over the past weeks, she'd been inching nearer. Subtle. Gradual. Never speaking. Never explaining.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlTSvoKZuge
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbZV2318rkR
But close enough now that he could hear the faint rhythm of her breathing when the wind stilled. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0TKgHAzlZA
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1i9En9YU3L
Why? 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqSGo1DOWRb
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYO3VX3IgZG
The only connection between them was Raven. But she couldn't possibly know about his encounter with her brother. Couldn't know about his noble blood, his true identity. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiY9u8UXPFH
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFcuWl8Dfa
All she could see was what everyone else saw - a commoner Moon Chosen with unusually developed muscles and no Divine Essence. He had explanations for both. Nothing remarkable. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcE2Q9XXMfh
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡny0SRKoSpH
Yet she'd shown interest from the very beginning. From that first day, her crimson eyes had tracked him with an intensity that suggested she saw something others missed.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9xV2kauhrR
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEDY30HVUFj
‘It couldn't possibly be my looks, right?’93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGALGfnjWC
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5tSuQMlXIG
Cel's next strike faltered slightly. His eyes cut toward her meditating form - jet-black hair spilling over pale shoulders, crimson eyes closed in concentration, the faint outline of her slender frame perfectly still despite the cold.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSYs8KmZG3e
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU4fK1qiWWT
He shook his head and returned to the forms, pushing the ridiculous thought away. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGM2hUWrVG
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBLkxELh61Z
Silent Moon whispered through the air, cutting patterns that had become as natural as breathing.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡezODUUVVif
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO5UCQiq09i
The week wore on. Classes during the day, silent training at night. Hestia's presence became as constant as the moonlight itself - always there, always watching when she thought he wouldn't notice, always inching closer with each passing evening.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyeTInhlQEs
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYhz7nmEYHs
Whatever she wanted, she kept it to herself.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3hr1kxZilJ
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcsMh11KEfH
Morning light filtered through the dining hall's tall windows, painting the long tables in shades of gold and amber.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOXmYFDztGW
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8IZi6fmjzj
Students clustered near the entrance, voices rising in excited chatter. Cel pushed through the crowd until he could see what held their attention.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv0ZKikxfpy
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ7vXtK8DT6
A board had been mounted on the wall during their off-day.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡotJfvzbyBp
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfkQHtEabvJ
Names filled it in descending order, each accompanied by a number. The rankings.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0RMec9Uuuf
1234 copyright protection89ＰＥＮＡＮＡsr233n2UQw 尼

216.73.217.114