"Well, that isn't a no," the voice hummed, as if pleased by his answer.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyel2hdDQUL
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"And it isn't a yes," Cel shot back, anger bleeding through his words.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPxwZarSHGN
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The retort left his lips before he could stop it. But how was that even possible? His throat should have been clogged with blood, his lungs pierced and failing. He should be—281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrY8tFj1jfn
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His hands flew to his chest, fingers probing desperately where claws had torn through flesh and bone. Nothing. Smooth skin met his touch, unmarked and whole. His heart hammered steadily beneath his ribs, strong and alive.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvkpvhklEFM
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The memories crashed over him - the creature's amber eyes, the crushing impact of claws, the taste of his own blood as he tumbled into darkness. Yet here he was, breathing, his body responding to every command.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeVrbJ52AxX
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Cel pushed himself to his feet, legs steady beneath him. The ravine, the obsidian stones, the ash-covered wasteland - all of it had vanished. In its place stretched an endless expanse shrouded in pearl-white mist. The fog coiled around his ankles like a living thing, thick enough to hide whatever solid surface lay beneath his feet. Above, that same pale moon watched with cold indifference, its light filtering through the haze in silver streams.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4DPD9WVQ20
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A figure emerged from the mist, causing Cel's breath to catch in his throat.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLAb9JPFNER
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She moved like moonlight given form, each step sending ripples through the fog at her feet. Silver hair flowed down her back in long, straight strands that seemed to shimmer with ethereal light. An ornate mask covered the upper half of her face - flowing, curved patterns in gleaming silver adorned with golden gems that sparkled in the lunar glow.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Yg0Nh4C7P
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Her pale robe flowed around her like liquid light, the fabric so fine it appeared translucent in the moonlight. Patterns of constellations and lunar phases danced across the material, shifting and glimmering with each movement. (Necklace)281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQZU2TgsTg
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She was tall - taller than most women he'd known - with an otherworldly grace that made her seem untouchable. Beautiful, yes, but in the way distant stars were beautiful. Remote. Divine.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0cIJe3n2jE
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Cel found himself staring, his mind struggling to process what stood before him. After a year of seeing nothing but rotting walls and purple-robed torturers, the sight of her was almost too much to comprehend.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkcxuEjPFaW
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"Welcome, Chosen One." Her voice drifted through the mist like a lullaby, each word perfectly measured. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I am Selina, a priestess of the Moon Goddess."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoNeGHXUUIy
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The formal introduction snapped him back to awareness. He was gawking like a fool, mouth half-open in wonder. His face flushed with heat as he realized how he must look - wild-haired, probably reeking of the cell despite his miraculous healing, stumbling over his own tongue.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsDkeOVa6A9
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When had he last spoken to another person? Months ago, when Ren had simply... disappeared from the neighboring cell.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡerisYuXSnN
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The words felt rusty in his throat. He cleared it twice, then managed a clumsy bow. "It... It is my pleasure, Lady Selina. I'm Celvian. Though, I suppose you already know that."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCFkcKKw84I
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"Yes, I do." The smile that curved her rose-colored lips held secrets he couldn't begin to fathom.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBddPfhsPkX
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Priests served as intermediaries, he knew that much. Divine messengers who guided the Chosen Ones through their journey. But standing here in this impossible place, watching the way moonlight seemed to bend around her like she commanded it, Cel couldn't shake the feeling that this encounter was something else entirely.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Epx5qpabs
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Something far more personal than divine duty.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyk3OUqNB54
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"I have a question, my Lady," he began, the words catching in his throat.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzpSz1dYsK6
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"Ask whatever you wish. I will answer to the best of my abilities." Her voice carried the same ethereal quality, but something warmer crept into it. "Also, there is no need for such formality. I serve the goddess, but I am also here to serve you, Chosen One."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLus3SS95C8
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The correction sent heat crawling up his neck again. He cursed silently at his own awkwardness.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡROJNUOCeJs
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"I-I see..." He swallowed hard. "Can you tell me where exactly we are?"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCNd8soLL5w
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"Of course. We are currently inside your soul."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtUvti0aOG9
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Cel's mouth opened, then closed. He turned in a slow circle, taking in the endless fog and empty space. "My soul? But here's… nothing. Absolutely nothing."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRjDEUHY7PT
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Every child knew the stories. Chosen Ones could enter their souls - vast forests that sang with life, golden palaces that stretched beyond sight, coral reefs that shimmered with ancient power. But this barren expanse?281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9oUumYhtlI
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His hands clenched at his sides. 'Should I be worried? Maybe a year of torture broke more than just my body. Great - assuming I survive this, I'll need a healer for my soul.' The thought brought another wave of uncertainty. 'Wait, am I even alive? Or is this some kind of afterlife?'281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPxdA97uMoN
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"Fear not, Chosen One."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIGx1AZiZRW
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Cel's head snapped toward her, eyes wide. Could she—?281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMFTLI1PWpM
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"Your soul will evolve and grow with you," Selina continued, her tone reassuring. "What you see now is only the beginning."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtFV6B4RsM
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Relief flooded through him, followed immediately by embarrassment. 'Right. She was talking about my soul, not reading my mind like some omniscient—'281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwYfehWQ0u4
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For the first time, her serene smile wavered. Though the mask hid her eyes, he felt the weight of her gaze as she leaned closer. 281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsj53e4awTK
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"Are you alright, Chosen One?"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmmKmGfoZT5
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Cel took a step back, heat flaring in his cheeks. "Yes, I'm fine. Or... am I fine? I don't know." The words tumbled out faster. "Can you tell me what's happening to me? I'm pretty sure I was... dying."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzF4cFG0nDx
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Her smile returned, radiant and untouchable.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzi8s4pQ5SN
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"Yes, your body is dying. Even as we speak, time continues outside your soul."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbuqKaIQHOF
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'Why are you smiling while saying that?' Cel's eye twitched. 'I could cry...'281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT5kMwff7HL
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"The goddess called you here to bless you," Selina continued. "Through her blessing, you will be granted the physique of a Chosen One. Your body will be transformed, and you will survive."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKhWbeDEU5e
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Cel stared at her. Just like that? After everything - the torture, the starvation, bleeding out in some cursed wasteland - it all came down to divine timing? 'Happy birthday to me, I guess.'281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVk50v51rLr
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"How exactly do I receive this blessing?"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXWIk1XJBLJ
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He knew the basics, of course. Every god had their own method, but it was typically straightforward. At the age of sixteen, you enter your soul, get blessed, become a Chosen One. Simple. Though he'd never bothered learning the specifics about the Moon Goddess - why would he? She was weak, irrelevant, barely worth acknowledging among the seven gods.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm9R7QXHvNn
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"You must first pass a trial to demonstrate that you are worthy of the goddess's favor."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhJFpsfFoff
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"A trial?" The word came out sharper than intended.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiDfijMI7PQ
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That wasn't how it worked. Most Chosen Ones met their priest, received their blessing, and emerged transformed. No tests. No trials. Just divine power handed down like a birthright.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡucsEpXFGYK
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Understanding dawned like a cold sunrise. 'Is this why so few serve the Moon Goddess? They don't just fail to receive her blessing - they die trying.' His jaw clenched. 'And here I am, about to join their ranks. Wonderful.'281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTCJP1Xr91i
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Bitterness rose in his throat like bile. All those years dismissing the Moon Goddess as beneath his notice, secure in his position as part of a Noble House. Destined for greatness, never needing to concern himself with the lowest deity. 'Look how well that turned out.'281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpDt728JsH4
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He forced his voice to stay steady. "Can you tell me anything about this trial?"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCuswgGNKG
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"I am sorry, but that does not lie within my authority."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7Y2zOQ6Uf
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'Of course it doesn't.' Cel sighed, the familiar frustration of dealing with divine knowledge settling over him like an old coat.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNhY3VASbmQ
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"Will you challenge the trial, Chosen One?" Her gentle tone carried quiet gravity beneath the silk.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpC5yds0PDe
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Cel looked around at the empty fog, then back at her serene, untouchable beauty. His shoulders sagged with resignation.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY8ZhgMFovJ
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"Yes. I don't have much of a choice if I want to survive, do I?"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqV8gzVv2fF
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The words hung in the misty air between them. Cel straightened, something hardening in his expression.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡknJf0wAMce
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"But before I begin this trial, I have one last question.” The words came slower now, heavy with meaning. “Why me? Why did the Moon Goddess choose me?"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3iIFK0Uq5
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The irony still burned. Every child of the Sun Clan grew up hearing the same stories - glorious warriors blessed by solar fire, leaders who commanded respect wherever they walked. Cel had been groomed for that destiny from birth, shaped to follow in those golden footsteps. Instead, he'd been marked by silver light.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoUvpm3EgUu
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Once, he'd raged against that cruel fate. The Moon Goddess had destroyed everything - his place in the Clan, his father's approval, his future. If she'd simply left him alone, maybe the Sun God would have chosen him eventually. Or the Ocean Goddess, according to his mother's bloodline. Perhaps no Divine Calling at all would have been kinder than this.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTkZEqBE64i
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But the fury had cooled over months of suffering, replaced by something sharper. Something clearer.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsgUonmbcOe
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'Without her, I'd still be chasing after that bastard's scraps of approval.' The thought made his stomach turn. That naive boy who'd hungered for his father's praise, who couldn't see the poison beneath every word - Cel wanted to strangle him.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSKN9eyA7nM
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His father had cast him aside the instant he proved useless to his ambitions. One blessing from an unwanted deity, and fifteen years of calculated investment had been written off like a failed business venture. 281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTxSHYnBfnv
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'How pathetic I was.'281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡECQL0Zwyga
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The Moon Goddess hadn't ruined his life - she'd ripped away the blindfold. Shown him exactly how little his father had ever cared for him. The Sun God's rejection wasn't a punishment - it was mercy. Better to serve a deity who wanted him than beg for scraps from one who found him worthless.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCcH96LBoCT
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Pain had been his teacher, and its lessons were carved deep. He wouldn't trade this harsh clarity for all the false comfort in the world.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZXgyU0WqRm
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"I am sorry, but that does not lie within my authority."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWwPhpfvxA
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Cel bit back a bitter laugh. The gods' favorite deflection. "I figured as much."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNuybMyJPPJ
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The silence stretched between them. Well, what had he expected? Divine revelations handed out like coins at a charity gathering? He'd learned enough hard lessons to know better.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSkR89tQtz8
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"Then let's get on with it." He rolled his shoulders, working out the tension. "I'm ready for the trial."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWEEYcNhSE
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Selina's silver hair caught the moonlight as she nodded, her serene expression brightening with unmistakable pleasure. Her shoulders lifted slightly, as if a weight had been removed.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQnjVXcskTR
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"May the Moon Goddess light your path."281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQiprEKi0pk
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The words carried weight beyond their simple meaning, final as the turning of a key. Cel's eyelids suddenly felt like stone, his limbs turning to lead as drowsiness crashed over him in waves. The fog around them seemed to thicken, pressing against his consciousness like a physical thing.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2WD71BCAsa
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He fought to keep his eyes open, to stay alert, but the pull was irresistible. As darkness claimed the edges of his vision, a voice that wasn't Selina's resonated through his mind - ancient, vast, carrying the overwhelming weight of divine will.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb8LGN22cUp
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<Your trial begins: Find the moon.>1234 copyright protection277ＰＥＮＡＮＡTnFQtVh9Jp 尼

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