Cel lay at the chasm's edge, staring into the depths.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLWfonc3Wo
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtk1Bob3cP0
The white light pulsed far below - steady, gentle, almost alive. Each beat sent warmth through his chest, so different from the violet crystal shriek that had destroyed his hearing. So different from the four burning suns that had scorched his skin.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKyAgkortz
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq8THgxEUPu
This light felt... safe.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjbtpDiaahQ
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjOdlnynRt3
His cracked lips pulled into something that might have been a smile if his face hadn't been so ruined.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyov2vdgmhS
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWBnfCLF0BI
'Maybe...'145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQVMy0xeAo
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyRXelwvp3F
The thought formed slowly through exhaustion and pain. He wouldn't survive another day in the maze - this much was certain. The burns covered most of his skin. His impaled hand wouldn't stop bleeding. His legs couldn't hold his weight anymore.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO3xULsgrIO
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2mOEiY9hll
But that light was unlike everything else in this nightmare.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKhfGxXSphn
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0VQLr1Wws
And the skeleton had jumped toward it without hesitation.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1FvaNVBKL3
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwf8Djhv7Vj
'The trial.' The words surfaced distant in his mind. 'Find the moon.'145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcy4Aie297d
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ24ZR2Mk1PS
He'd searched the entire maze - or what little he could reach of it. The moon had vanished from the sky. The answer wasn't above. Wasn't in the crystal formations or the mirror lake.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuxFvbdIPTH
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7bPYu7wbjD
But deep below, where even the crystal-infested creatures were drawn…145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfVBayfsPDO
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy1CEFYfwgx
Maybe that's where it was.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSXWHeD241
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyIj9ANjA1a
Maybe that's where he'd find what he needed to complete this trial. To earn the Moon Goddess's blessing and escape this place before his body finally gave out.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUBYJgJN4J2
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtkbTlVr2XL
It was the only hope he had left.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSTsiGtXoYv
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZKS3pf6Wo
Cel's left arm trembled as he dragged himself forward. His body scraped over the edge, and for one terrible moment there was nothing beneath him but air.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH62A5D22G8
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhYGhePq6Ix
He fell.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmfvAxodrIX
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWJxcQCOt9g
The air rushed past him. His body tumbled through darkness, too weak to even flail.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI9I3m0a5yk
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoHZWQpOFvo
He slammed into a wide ledge jutting from the chasm wall.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkyl0hZzrQq
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jkdEzYa5W
The impact drove the breath from his lungs. His body bounced once, then slid across crystal before stopping at the ledge's edge. For a moment he lay there, stunned, teetering over the drop.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoH573shp1U
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiUHaAvnaur
Then his weight settled. 145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzbcgUwUIX7
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZVaEawAtTI
Pain registered distantly - his shoulder, his ribs, something in his back. 145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeEYHn2SQzM
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ786JRMfywY
Cel's fingers twitched against smooth stone. His cheek pressed against crystal, cold seeping through burnt skin.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf7OuE2Etqn
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbAit5mfa7E
‘Down.’145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡislRUs8Nbk
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsV3qg9zj13
The word echoed in his skull. Not a choice. A command his body obeyed without consulting his mind.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdiOHzaNsli
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI7y0056KRc
His left hand scraped forward, finding purchase. Then his knee dragged up. He crawled across the ledge toward the next outcropping, his body moving like something already dead, animated by will alone.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKbGaSsPYvb
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4VKEByxAEa
Each movement should have been agony. His burns stretched and split with every reach. His impaled hand dragged uselessly, leaving a trail of blood. His shoulder screamed from the impact.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡspZiC2Vzbd
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtC3DN2uhSw
But the pain felt... distant.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2GLqGzyDGw
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡogIQNDGFOO
Muffled, like the silence that had swallowed his hearing.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUsyoRIfKX5
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ931FZ10jEe
His left hand reached for the next crystal. The edge sliced his palm - he watched blood well up, watched it smear across crystal. The pain registered somewhere far away, disconnected from him.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzrBIIJug8W
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVo8wYsy22U
He kept descending.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb06uq4EXui
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Okl2Kadr9
The walls pressed closer. The violet glow from the crystals grew dimmer, overwhelmed by that white radiance rising from below. With each movement down, the light grew stronger. Warmer.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXqZtHfqtCi
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTs3us5Kidt
His breathing steadied. The constant burn in his chest eased. His throat stopped feeling like shredded glass.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhxYlSyc9K
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYm3MTGi4OO
Cel's foot slipped on smooth stone. He caught himself, barely, fingers scraping for purchase. His body swung wild for a moment before finding purchase.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk20O6N4qZs
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2vPZNPnEJF
He should be panicking. Should be terrified.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf2BrsX5Dnn
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdtG42NDpXO
But he wasn't.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3A0Jy5aTk1
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk0eMiwOytA
His legs stopped shaking. The trembling in his arms faded. When he reached for the next handhold, his grip felt... steady. Strong, even.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmEaai8KdlS
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡALS5T92cZO
Cel pulled himself onto a wider ledge and paused. His legs shifted beneath him - not crawling now. Walking.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBcQYytJEyq
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeOpydrmilo
When had he stood up?145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ854KqBjJAq
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvUV73sDvnq
He looked down at his feet, planted firmly on crystal. Looked at his legs supporting his weight without collapsing.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOHPfOXQjbX
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxNfiBf87E5
A crystal formation beside him caught his reflection, its surface smooth as glass.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Cnt1gk5qd
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡicT6PGlrTw
His face stared back at him.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQhf4qEffQb
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8RBfYqECbE
But the expression wasn't his own. The reflection's eyes held nothing - no rage, no defiance, no spark of the newly found hope. Just empty acceptance. The face of someone who had already surrendered to his fate.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDRO0XjgBqq
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84Vp8y18Vl
Cel's hand reached for the next formation. The reflection's hand reached too, matching his movement exactly.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7mBqzWS1kT
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUlf2Pj6UAe
He kept descending. His body moved with increasing ease, as if the journey required less effort with each step.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6VDC9p1G8r
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwXIQSOBhyf
The reflection followed beside him, its hollow eyes tracking him.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvNf85RtOWK
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5VDNKkiu3n
'Wait… isn't that…?' 145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeTer03hezp
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHurbE3N5bV
The thought barely surfaced before slipping away. 145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcybiXhDdG1
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgkYTg8vgik
'What was it again?' 145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhkquEriAOu
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5EogMQcGX
A shiver crawled up his spine. His instincts screamed at him to stop, to look, to remember.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXAJlQWTAa3
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCwspt9IRXV
But he didn't. 145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0fYK8MrjOz
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrIL0cyDhfz
His steps never faltered. His gaze never wavered. Whatever it was, it didn't matter anymore.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIOKEBCifMr
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpECLUmaJgs
He focused on the path below. Left hand. Right foot. Down.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU078a03Nf9
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNKu3BTc9Q2
The white light pulsed stronger now, close enough that its warmth touched his skin. Not burning - nothing like the suns. This heat seeped into him gently, filling something that had been empty for so long.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX04hcPeGak
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaIOYHtR8vw
Cel’s next step found solid ground.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFDLQtsjHPO
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVzE59M7PRq
Since…145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvKF7LZHbXq
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc9QV4p6Wfu
Since when?145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDJH4QuMzQ
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcfX1LB5am4
He blinked, swaying. The chasm walls rose impossibly high above him - he'd been descending for... how long? Minutes? Hours? The memory felt hazy, like trying to hold mist.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIGC5YHarb
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4VEZ8hHqyZ
The cavern floor stretched before him, smooth and vast. And there - suspended in the center like a captivating star - hovered what he'd been drawn toward.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfg758g5SH
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfSbzsy9p5i
A sphere of pure light.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6L0dPvC8OS
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDgHNTfFPWs
It filled the cavern, so enormous his mind struggled to grasp its scale. The white radiance pulsed from within it, steady as a heartbeat, casting everything in gentle luminescence.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVbUSKoogYL
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1hArdhdiCS
Bones lay scattered across the floor beneath it - pale fragments studded with violet crystal growths, half-buried in the ground. 145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7z4HDOZco1
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5RITgrkD5
He didn't look at them.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaAob6c8LkR
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDpONRxsOk
All that existed was the light.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUWKuSHlc5
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF1WkKCuj8K
‘Beautiful.’145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2bpmMhCqsg
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDt0u2pBu5M
The word formed in his mind, soft and certain. This was beauty - real beauty. Everything else had been false. The pale moon from his vision, his family's faith, all of it hollow compared to this.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonWxqo0Ba7
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHVT0w1IFH1
Cel's left foot moved forward. Then his right. The pain in his feet had vanished. When had that happened? He couldn't remember his last step hurting.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ007voUPoqy
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeuvibFlA2k
Couldn't remember why anything had hurt at all.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLDCq9ylr26
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvXPksyFrV3
The burns on his skin - were they still there? He looked down at his arms. Saw the blistered flesh, the weeping wounds, the blood. But felt nothing. They might as well have belonged to someone else.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzYy4MEqMVC
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNQnr2ecmWV
Another step forward.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8fBVuwNeN4
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhElwEouWF1
The light pulsed. His heart pulsed with it.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡujRa5nPwqM
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJ8y5U5mHp
'The trial...'145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfs6AddtHY7
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Eekj8PQfj
The thought drifted through his mind like smoke, barely formed before dissolving. There had been something. Some task. Some reason he'd been suffering.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcMKUrMD2QM
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7wsXkX6Km
But it seemed so distant now. So... unnecessary.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy1ktPHTYNI
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlHmBZ8ALMU
Why had he been searching? Why had he fought? This peace had been waiting all along. Just here. Just below.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9bNmE0V7i
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSXO5T09712
Each step brought him closer. The warmth intensified - not burning, never burning. It filled the hollow spaces inside him. The emptiness carved out by a year of starvation and torture. The wounds left by his family's betrayal. The cracks from watching his father beat him while his mother did nothing.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMaUOv1pKyt
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo4JP34GM7O
All of it... filling.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyOBNJFQJF3
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkGH6rDnA0d
Becoming whole.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtaZTsd0lnt
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQgnKdXYaFV
The sphere towered before him now, so close he could reach out and touch it. Its surface rippled like liquid silver. Inviting. Welcoming.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzBk9beEePM
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbEaRD0WUh9
'Home.'145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYkNwM2YzJa
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi8QCtPvhbT
Yes. That's what this was. He'd been searching for a home. For somewhere he belonged. And he'd found it. Finally.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP3D55Fkp3y
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpUnj7fmVsU
Cel lifted his left hand, fingers extending toward the light.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtonmdkvdje
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3EDrNsLMFG
The warmth reached out to meet him, eager, hungry. It wrapped around his hand like a lover's touch, gentle and consuming. The sensation traveled up his arm—not pain, but fullness. Being filled. Being completed.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBDjiLvjGJa
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLGPdA0SIGV
His knees buckled.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSnKTBWgxUv
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoGb22UcDRY
Cel gasped as the light surged into him, pouring through the point of contact. It flooded his veins, his bones, his mind. Every empty space inside him suddenly packed full of something vast and eternal.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPE5FgJQFoL
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYsySwDwuOV
His lips curved into a smile.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGHSbT8Bw12
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQbvHWPuFi
This was everything. This was all he'd ever needed. The maze didn't matter. His trial didn't matter. Finding the moon didn't matter.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUmJ4JW8gpy
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡenTbWT11wP
Only this.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN08sGFYIh8
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd6SAgz6MJI
Only—145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDjAXAsMG7y
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6mVNnPdEze
The cavern shook.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFXvUIIDNQ0
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQ0FbfE6ZD
The tremor hit with brutal force, violent enough to crack the crystal formations on the walls.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmitogi1cF5
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEnc2F4ILLl
Cel's hand ripped free from the sphere as he fell sideways.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIedVl1euQV
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEWBy7PAuEg
The warmth vanished instantly, replaced by crushing cold.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBxoWfy1GN
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdzkhA4lw7i
His consciousness slammed back into place.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmt6kiOqASU
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaroTDk5qEC
The pain returned all at once.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlOX9NMdQmW
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtg3MyG13ei
His knees hit the ground. Pain exploded through his legs, sharp and immediate. The burns on his skin screamed. His impaled hand throbbed with each heartbeat, blood pulsing hot between his fingers.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxDdDTD5e6t
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9nPnPo2db8
He gasped, lungs heaving like he'd been held underwater.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj1tJkhqMKp
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Y9m0Vd2Tk
'What—'145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6rbL7Iht7q
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JgVid7y6H
His vision swam. The cavern spun around him, crystal walls refracting light in dizzying patterns. He pressed his left hand against the floor, trying to anchor himself.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfRD0iDVuEq
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoO5VwKcamP
The sphere hovered before him, pulsing gently. 145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCImHfbAbUt
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9F8MLMjf8a
It was beautiful. Inviting.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPJZse35lMc
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsAqhI4Y0FH
Cel's chest tightened. The urge to reach out again clawed at him, desperate and immediate. Just one more touch. Just to feel that warmth, that completeness—145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFqGMtpQuVM
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4OKwnnZqFr
'No.'145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxgfzXXXZoy
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZaV5EPO26
He jerked his gaze away, jaw clenched so hard his teeth ached. His hands shook. His entire body trembled with something between withdrawal and rage.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu17gxNjZ3q
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs5TMLCReRq
'This thing… manipulated me.' The thought arrived with perfect clarity. 145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0kJM6oTs9e
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd5bF7u6rww
But when had it started?145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEsJAm8j1xg
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbAGyiE1bsS
Cel's breath came faster. He'd climbed down into the chasm on his own. Hadn't he? He'd made that choice. Seen the light and decided—145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoRICyXhaA5
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUOInvyTU7M
'Decided what?'145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Ci3wC0C1V
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8GD5Zsendq
His fingers dug into the stone floor. When exactly had he decided? When had the pain stopped mattering? How had his body suddenly become strong enough to walk when moments before he couldn't even stand?145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRVDYseVQql
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1RXReGSiQU
His mind raced backward through fragmented memories.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhVfnzRSz0R
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCvaejlQMO9
The crystal maze. The spire in the distance - he'd avoided it. Gone the opposite direction every time.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5WB4UWAkOA
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqAsx79wI5o
Why?145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm7wiq260pb
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3JEgxFD5jB
He'd told himself it looked dangerous. Ominous. Something about it felt wrong.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBrVMWRZZqp
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrXPNhOFbOt
But what if that feeling hadn't been his own?145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtdEKnsUmRB
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJnZZ6YHmkM
His stomach clenched. The thought wormed deeper, spreading like infection through his memories. Every decision he'd made in the maze - every turn away from the spire, every frustrated return to the ruin, every restless urge to keep moving in the other direction.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡapwLiZDwyf
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpA2bwx3l0S
What if none of it had been his choice?145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmZmB5ab2N
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmcsKDPlSKj
The marks he'd carved to track his path had disappeared. The maze had folded in on itself, passages appearing and vanishing. He'd assumed it was the maze's nature.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBDBKjUM6u
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnHN0lr5f2p
What if it had been guiding him all along? Herding him like cattle toward this exact spot?145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ68T7nNLpim
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWaJ1kqRfgo
Cel's breathing grew ragged. His nails bit into his palms hard enough to draw blood, mixing with the dried gore already coating his hands.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡygsXHqEVuj
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡshbYPc4XtO
Even now - especially now - that warmth pressed against his skin. Gentle. Patient. Waiting for him to reach out again. 145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmyNvZPxyZj
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcCAlzQa8sI
To surrender.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJY7cA0lPY
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX0CHHSPT5z
Just like the reflection watching him from the wall. Just like his father had wanted. Just like the cultists who'd bled him for a year, waiting for him to break.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQmslNwKdc
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1vSWAsWpfn
Just like everyone who'd ever tried to make him into something less.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5nm5o0Si7K
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡor84zPI8UB
Heat flooded through Cel's chest - not the sphere's false warmth, but something hotter. Sharper. The rage that had kept him alive when he should have died a dozen times over.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡauZyIkCOQl
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwfLmIeVgd
His jaw clenched. His fingers curled into fists despite the agony in his right hand.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX69d21LcKh
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVp4jroqh4w
'It almost had me.'145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIXzXZBFbS7
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWZ3Jc8M2FJ
The sphere pulsed before him. That gentle rhythm matching his heartbeat, trying to align again. Trying to pull him back.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYhxkYT2X0j
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0xu05YIkTi
Cel tried to push himself up. His legs trembled, refusing to hold his weight. He collapsed back onto his knees, gasping.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZ8Hn9xGjm
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKaOvXXwxPF
He needed to move. Needed to crawl away, find somewhere to hide from that light while his mind was clear enough to think. The cavern had to have other passages, other routes.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnb7KESayaS
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTpeAT8V63
He turned.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIaTunwXK2m
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1wyIDXHeIf
A massive head filled his vision.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR77sGI9roU
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJJMkDIc0p
Cel's breath stopped.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjytl29r1LO
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlINsT2mJG5
Pale, translucent skin stretched over angular bone structure. Violet light burned in hollow eye sockets.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5vp5oCV4N8
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdG2LIZ4e80
The creature blinked.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ80YowuB87R
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAiJ6IDtAn
Slow. Deliberate.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSS289qSh7H
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9aS4bpHvHi
Its head tilted slightly, studying him with an intelligence that made his skin crawl. Not animal. Not human.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡze6eR9GRpo
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZg5eVH7RLx
Something else entirely.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIDuwtVSMwj
​​​​​​​145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3msmCeNMFK
1234 copyright protection141ＰＥＮＡＮＡdDMpv1D3ka 尼

216.73.216.134