"Hurry!" The receptionist was already moving toward the door. "Come on!"95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZVvh1OlHUP
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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.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGJKemVLMZ1
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They reached his door. She stopped, gesturing sharply.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfKvnMzCIqX
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"Uniform. Now. I'll wait."95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfn1P0T7bEO
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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.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2mpZjiu44J
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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.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmE9UIK9Yhi
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When he emerged, the receptionist gave him a quick once-over and nodded.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU8vjmiDzcQ
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"Good enough. Let's go."95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Yw78LqVzH
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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.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSrn7AJnMBn
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"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?"95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiIScUThCQC
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"Walking."95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnLH7UgU29j
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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.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6yiF15kVqx
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The receptionist slowed as they approached. "Get in line with the others. Don't make a scene."95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBjA04YPbFz
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Cel slipped through the doors.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ508cHVnDbB
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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.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSrsL1wwFaH
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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.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk0GUsLMgc2
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No one turned. No one acknowledged his late arrival. Every face pointed forward, attention fixed on the empty stage.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqnRPhPbMUw
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The boy to his left shifted his weight from foot to foot. His fingers drummed against his thigh in nervous rhythm.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfCj91fkEVG
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYNvRl1PLbH
"—heard she's really coming," a girl whispered two rows ahead. "The princess herself."95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNpcNxGy2lQ
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"No way," a boy to her right hissed back. "That's just a rumor. Why would she—"95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFgctLpLQZI
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"My cousin works in the palace kitchens. She said—"95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkXZc4kRsOF
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"Quiet!" someone snapped from the front row.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDx2FHJoYLR
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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.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8F0bXUYDQV
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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.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJp9GsEoWD7
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The silence deepened, every fidget ceasing.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZWd38vamWJ
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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.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA1wadcSdhN
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"Welcome to the Chosen Academy. Before we begin, it is my honor to announce our distinguished guest for this year's opening ceremony."95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA00yoLJGmh
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He paused. The silence somehow deepened.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIZ1RK7jWWQ
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"Her Imperial Highness, Cassandra Stellarion, Princess of the Empire."95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4lr8XOFLAI
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The whispers had been right.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKG1UpVziCG
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Excited murmurs rippled through the formation - quickly suppressed but unmistakable. Bodies straightened. The nervous energy transformed into something sharper, more focused.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Yefl2OWAK
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The side door opened again.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8rtUcfw4eO
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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.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABDP8wF7PW
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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.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3h0CYkSsAN
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She looked older now. More composed. Every movement deliberate and controlled.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBUggp4w7p4
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The whispers started immediately, rippling through the rows in broken fragments.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7xxCCIa6t5
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡneGH8OWU0P
"—actually her—"95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmHYBXoRfG4
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"—so beautiful—"95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHQsXXTOkoI
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"—can't believe—"95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn6wEEhxZK5
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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.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSXNlBMY26
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Then she smiled.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFHj7wnDb9r
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Warm. Genuine. The kind of expression that made people feel seen, valued.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQMWRmp58kE
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"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."95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwwJO80vFP
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She paused, letting the weight settle.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl7rDYakbFh
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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."95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNtnLZvguzf
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Her expression shifted - still warm, but underlaid with steel.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV1wyFXD90V
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"You are humanity's defense. Its hope. And the Academy exists to ensure you become worthy of that sacred duty."95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd7QVZR3kFb
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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.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZaViXJq2p2
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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.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7wOOADanFX
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This wasn't normal.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNuF4meBLGk
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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.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOFFmJvp3Bq
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So why was she here?95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqUhzoDzwEU
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The answer crystallized as she continued speaking.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPEGAivSVvy
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"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."95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡekz2KqUqgc
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There it was. Buried in platitudes about duty and service.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgIB6UUoy6
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Recruitment.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFiO0R92xpR
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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.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpmmXVFBhG1
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The question was which faction she supported.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnzcURiw7zo
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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.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1KeShRxFuX
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"—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."95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ865tVmQcyx
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She stepped back from the podium. The smile returned, softer now.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhWrsFCq0UA
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"May the gods guide your path." 95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtKXBuW0fFO
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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.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLBL3C1y35o
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The princess inclined her head graciously, then turned and walked toward the side door with the same measured grace she'd entered with.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdjlpKWDcEo
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The headmaster returned to the podium as she disappeared.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGDHsEstK52
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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.”95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX16TtCQU3J
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He gestured toward the hall's main exit. "Dismissed."95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNdI5wH06xl
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The formation dissolved immediately. Students streamed toward the doors in clusters, voices rising as the enforced silence broke.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRfehtefX2
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"My parents won’t believe—"95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7rnDPqXUm
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"—incredible speech, I got chills when she said—"95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPOmdByAxu
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"—maybe she'll visit again, do you think—"95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG9XQoazjXQ
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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.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgj7l4eanC0
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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.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeNbJvaZRDX
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Cel found an empty table near the back and sat.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlkqlVluYhK
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No one joined him. The surrounding tables filled quickly, but his remained isolated - an island of empty space in a crowded hall.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlTeMvVNoWf
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He didn't mind.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbg1wVpi6j3
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Food arrived - brought by kitchen staff who moved efficiently between tables. Bread, still warm. Roasted chicken. Vegetables in some kind of sauce. 95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgWaTpYK2cL
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Cel ate mechanically, tasting nothing. His mind was elsewhere, still processing the princess's speech and what it meant for the shifting political landscape.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvftaICC3a6
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Footsteps approached. Hesitant. Uncertain.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4jJylmTYZQ
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Cel looked up.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7b1HWLcO8
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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.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5vQmMihSnG
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The silver crescent moon over his heart caught the light.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUp9APy1cW2
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Another Moon Chosen.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC1o0I2pmwt
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The boy's hands twisted together. His mouth opened, closed, opened again. Finally, words emerged - quiet, apologetic.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwbE9tCEqWP
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"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..."95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAglUypAk7W
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He trailed off, uncertainty written across every feature.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGXuxmWai60
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"Would it be alright if I sat with you?"1234 copyright protection91ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7bpTHHc30w 尼

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