Lunar Legacy - Chapter 43: Return

Cel stepped through the doorway into warmth and noise.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP0IWfZiiap
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The street beyond stretched wide - cobblestones worn smooth by countless feet, buildings rising three and four stories on either side. People moved in constant flow, their voices blending into a hum that felt overwhelming after the Ashlands' silence.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyxIr9plqiA
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The capital. Stella.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgWeWJNOvLv
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He'd been here before. When his father had deemed his presence necessary for some royal occasions. But at that time, he only rode carriages with curtained windows, direct routes to the palace, guards ensuring no common rabble came too close.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzMJxf6HWfa
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This was different.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAQbWZNFyHi
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Esrin moved forward without hesitation, her boots clicking against cobblestone with steady rhythm. Cel followed, his gaze tracking across storefronts, street vendors, children darting between adults with laughter that felt alien after everything.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTmKFhAEZf
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A baker's shop. The scent of fresh bread drifted through an open door, making his stomach clench despite having eaten moss and raw meat for days.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB9VH9EmoXG
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A blacksmith. The ring of hammer on anvil carried over the general din, sparks visible through the doorway.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlr1ff16hB7
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A woman selling flowers from a cart, their colors so vivid they hurt to look at after endless gray and crimson.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcdvk9neURC
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"Make way!"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnYQA6VrDNB
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A carriage rattled past, forcing pedestrians to press against building walls. Cel stepped aside automatically, but his attention had already moved to a group of street performers. One juggled flaming torches while another played something stringed that produced music he couldn't name.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeakwcVUqpq
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People dropped coins into a hat at their feet.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwM2O4VVKrh
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The mundane reality of it felt wrong somehow. This world had continued. While he'd been tortured, while he'd died and been resurrected, while he'd eaten rotting meat and fought creatures that shouldn't exist - life had simply gone on.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNjkVp4pAGY
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"Lady Esrin!"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdcYaBDvUIB
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The call came from somewhere to his right. Cel's head turned.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTWJOG7Z6Ex
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A merchant stood in his shop doorway, bowing so low his forehead nearly touched his knees. When he straightened, his expression held something between reverence and barely contained eagerness.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqINuLM7kiQ
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Esrin didn't acknowledge him. Just kept walking.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqun5ZYRwVS
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More people noticed.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ24Kpb4S36w
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Whispers rippled through the crowd like wind through grass. Conversations stopped mid-word. Heads turned.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGlthVkVWCp
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"Is that really her?"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZeMS092Rje
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"The Hallowed herself..."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv75JxEtOsD
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"What's she doing here?"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡODfDpoxKdj
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Cel's gaze tracked between them and Esrin's rigid back. She moved through it all like a blade through water - present but untouchable, commanding respect without asking for it.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmtbi3TGF3N
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A child ran past, weaving between adults with the kind of reckless joy that came from never having faced real danger. His mother called after him, upset but fond.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC9t5WV79Fy
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Cel watched them until they disappeared into the crowd.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv9nYk1jZa0
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The street opened into a square. A fountain dominated the center - carved stone depicting the hero who had founded the Stellarion Empire. Water flowed from raised hands, catching sunlight in ways that made it gleam.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7k2mDrcARl
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Children played near its edge. A couple sat on its rim, speaking in tones too quiet to hear. An old man tossed breadcrumbs to pigeons that swarmed his feet.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWjSamV6iWJ
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Normal. All of it utterly, impossibly normal.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcME0ELbJDN
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Esrin crossed the square without slowing.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUYU7GpCQM
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Cel followed, his attention fragmenting between a dozen different scenes.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDVIZf8xKF9
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Eventually, the Academy rose ahead.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfeEOgX26xi
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Not suddenly - it had been visible for a while, growing larger as they approached. But only now did Cel truly register it, the structure dominating his vision.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDF7PDsGka4
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Stone walls perhaps four times his height. Iron gates that stood open but looked capable of withstanding siege. Beyond them, buildings sprawled across grounds that seemed to stretch far - dormitories, training halls, structures whose purpose he could only guess.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcUkODuG5t
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Esrin stopped before the gates.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVSSz40N8Y
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Guards flanked the entrance, their armor polished to a shine that caught the afternoon light. They straightened as Esrin approached, recognition clear in their expressions.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvgtLSE1C47
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"Lady Tempvault." The younger one on the right bowed. "Welcome—"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR5RGz9N1jv
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Esrin's gaze cut to him. Not sharp, not angry - just present in a way that made the guard's words die mid-sentence.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9KKqI1spZ
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"Lady Esrin," the older guard on the left said quickly, stepping forward with a deeper bow. "Forgive him - he's new to his post. We're honored by your presence."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmPu1ZDht39
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The younger guard had gone pale, his bow deepening until it looked painful.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD59AxYHsDu
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Esrin held the moment for a heartbeat longer. Then she gave the older guard the barest nod and walked through.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjxaXxpt6IH
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Cel followed, feeling their eyes track him with curiosity that would probably turn to questions the moment he was out of earshot.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYHRpCmJCFU
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The grounds stretched before them - grass trimmed to uniformity, trees placed in patterns that created shade without blocking sight lines. A group of students moved between buildings wearing dark uniforms with colored trim. Most looked his age, maybe older.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl8xpvnM5Bp
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None of them paid Cel any attention. All eyes fixed on Esrin.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ01V3CVnyxl
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The reception building stood near the entrance - a two-story structure with wide windows and a sign that read "Administration" in formal script.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4OzvsqeiWg
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Esrin pushed through the door.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc2YJgkWblV
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The interior was exactly what Cel expected. Polished wood floors. Desks arranged in neat rows. Papers organized in stacks that suggested someone took pride in order.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkxsRXEC0ox
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A woman sat behind the nearest desk. She looked up as they entered, her expression shifting from bored routine to sharp attention in the space of a heartbeat.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1fCz8ModJZ
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"Lady Esrin." She stood, smoothing her uniform. "What can I do for you?"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5PSt1XysUw
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"I have a Chosen who needs enrollment." Esrin's tone remained flat. Professional.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSPRndXeLHE
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The woman's gaze shifted to Cel, taking in his armor, his white hair, his obvious exhaustion despite the healing.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJqRusvc2OK
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"Of course." She pulled parchment from a drawer, along with an ink pen. "I'll need some information."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4AW6g8jBRV
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Her pen hovered over the page. "Name?"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr1Z1mysydz
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"Celvian."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGIG7bXrXu
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She wrote it down. "Place of origin?" 87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFBh6Pt9srO
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Cel's mind went blank. He couldn't say House Solmar. Couldn't name anywhere in Sun Clan territory without risking someone recognizing the connection. 87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcjmPZSvH2Z
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"Thornhaven," Esrin stepped in. "Storm Clan territory." 87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaYhH38d6Ss
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The receptionist noted it without looking up. "Patron deity?"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi1L4t3DhTK
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"The Moon Goddess."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXO7RAstlms
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The pen paused. Just for a moment - but long enough that Cel noticed.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡosHEdNfZFN
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"I see." She continued writing. "And your guide's rank?"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXydFk038W6
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Cel's jaw tightened. Saying "Divine Oracle" would create exactly the kind of attention he couldn't afford. Not if he wanted to survive long enough to kill his father.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP2TsDgfEQw
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"Forty-seven."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy91MyWtvDH
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The woman noted it without reaction. "To verify your divine blessing, I'll need to see your mark."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8eydelQEz
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Cel's chest constricted.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDPwBW9OABp
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The mark. The one his father had torn away with his bare hands. The one that was now nothing but scar tissue and ruined flesh.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4sZDZ3IphA
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"Is that necessary?" The words came too sharp.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHpGyypsGtQ
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"It’s protocol." Her tone was apologetic but firm. "For all new students."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuuE1qXeluA
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Esrin said nothing. Just stood there with that same impassive expression, offering no help this time.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkoXDzba2RX
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Cel's hands moved to his armor.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMFUFRlnjd8
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Cinderward dissolved at his command - moonlight threads unraveling from his shoulders, chest, and arms until they vanished entirely, leaving him bare from the waist up.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMP0nUZfxy5
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Then he turned.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOMCsNQm9GU
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The air in the room changed subtly. Not dramatically - just a slight shift that suggested both women were looking at what he'd revealed.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYdSOJ6aKUY
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"Thank you." The receptionist's voice came measured. "That confirms it."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNHbSkzZ2P5
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Cel blinked.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrj4xFXGsxz
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'What?'87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcXfxxsuBFV
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His hand shot to his back, fingers searching for the familiar texture of scar tissue.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjkgHWikGck
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Smooth skin met his touch.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyocd0NyLaY
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He pressed harder, following the curve of his spine between shoulder blades. Nothing. No raised edges. No torn flesh. No evidence of what his father had done.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RlWSXm2T0
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The receptionist cleared her throat softly. Esrin's expression didn't change, but her gaze tracked his movements with clinical interest - as if watching someone discover something both obvious and inexplicable.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxrrQyKlErw
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Understanding crashed through him.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRGvmsprduF
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The Moon Goddess had given him a new body. One that had never been beaten, never been tortured, never carried his father's rage.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR7sKZo1irU
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The mark was there. Whole. Unmarred.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnVYB49wPNb
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"I'll show you to your quarters." The receptionist was already moving toward a door at the room's far end. "If you'll follow me?"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7h5wyIAPQg
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Cel summoned Cinderward back on. The armor manifested around his upper body in seconds, settling into place with familiar weight.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbr8taTqCHE
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Esrin hadn't moved, her ruby eyes tracking him with that same calculating intensity.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwOeDz8ArMA
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"Thank you," Cel said quietly. "For bringing me here."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghYBDW7vNx
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She nodded once. Then she turned and walked out without another word.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡruqk6qhdOg
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The door closed behind her with soft finality.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt3VAEyhwdH
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"This way." The receptionist gestured.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrITTjeDonp
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They left through a side door, stepping back into the afternoon light. The path led east, away from the main building toward a separate structure - simpler than the administration building, its stone less ornate.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhiKi7o5lLm
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She pushed through the entrance without ceremony. A corridor stretched ahead, lined with identical wooden doors. The floor was clean but worn, the walls bare except for numbered plaques.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlb9OIghYd2
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She stopped at a door near the middle, producing a key from her pocket.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSbJT6X26lu
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The lock clicked and the door swung open.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE9BZHh0gSo
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"This is your room." She handed him the key. "Meals are served in the main hall three times daily. Classes begin in ten days. Someone will brief you on your schedule before then."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw9Yf4gGyya
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She left before he could respond.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpkaBclZjVA
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Cel stood in the doorway, taking in what would apparently be home.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVJqZTlRlkT
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Small. A bed against one wall, narrow but clean. A desk beneath the window with a single chair. A wardrobe that looked barely large enough for the few possessions he didn't have. A basin and pitcher for washing.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOFQFpQzbn0
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Commoner quarters. The kind of room he would have been ashamed to enter back when his father's opinion still mattered to him.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAXCUEitlNm
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He stepped inside and closed the door.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNhInNoVVpI
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Silence crashed down.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3E9EIec2oM
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Not the oppressive silence of the Ashlands. Just... quiet. Normal quiet, where he could hear his own breathing without scanning for threats.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjETT3PtVOV
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A mirror hung on the wall near the wardrobe.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00vV3BvNfg
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Cel moved toward it, his reflection emerging with each step. White hair that caught the light filtering through the window. Pale skin that looked like it had never seen sun. Eyes the color of winter sky.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZK3si5R0Ao
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Not the gaunt, broken thing from the cell. Not the boy his father had beaten nearly to death.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FDpFidL6A
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Someone else. Someone new.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkUTTdF741Z
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He turned, presenting his back to the mirror, then dismissed Cinderward. Moonlight threads unraveled from his torso, leaving him bare. He craned his neck, trying to see what he knew was there but needed to confirm.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5NTZtHCsnz
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The mark gleamed in reflected light. Silver against pale skin. At its heart, a crescent moon cradled a perfect circle, phases etched along its inner curve. Sharp, star-like points radiated outward in alternating lengths. Two sweeping, wing-like curves underlined the design, studded with pointed projections like frost fragments.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ44i5YnHr5r
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Beautiful. Whole. Unbroken.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhDMm3Xq7TF
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His fingers found it again, tracing lines his father had tried to destroy. The skin was smooth. Perfect. As if violence had never touched it.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7y21aHiTY
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Cel stared at his reflection for a long time.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqYKSKefTyD
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlnFMVupqlk
Then he turned away and sat on the bed's edge, feeling the mattress give slightly under his weight.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkF0ca7AO7a
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3LtGmiqLtI
Ten days until classes began. Ten days to master enough control that he wouldn't reveal how little he understood his own power. Ten days to figure out how to survive in a place that would judge him by the Moon Goddess's weak reputation, not by what he'd endured to earn her blessing.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhU73sQdiSc
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8KSCJSxIUK
His gaze tracked back to the mirror, to the glimpse of white hair visible in its reflection.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUOSYUrQWqv
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Exc3WMQft
‘White Death.’87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Ew26rLjUx
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQCLP0nnFS
The codename settled in his chest with quiet certainty.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPyMl49Cnd8
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZsgh4wFomW
Yes. That's what he would become.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpykHdDapNo
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0DbRMKmS8
Not the broken boy his father had thrown away. Not the prisoner who'd eaten maggots to survive.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhXcuA78i4X
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3r0twvmuNw
Something colder. Something absolute.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQwLA8IuEc
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeQlFR0QwPG
Something that they would never see coming.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa9FLzrhVFd
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgXEqVUHBRR
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnRP5xzOqE3
--------------87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxGua0TMDKL
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqiDQcZnkZ
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBFLG0oiIOW
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0s7McuT5DE

Author's Note

And that's it! The end of Arc 1: "Shattered Moon Rising"!87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUMqtNJzhW
Thank you all so much for sticking with me through this first arc. It's been an incredible journey, and I'm excited about what's coming next.

Now, some important updates:

We're back to our regular schedule!87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNEunAURVBQ
Two chapters per week:87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHTWfGmiCiK
- Wednesdays87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6aaoQWTHPC
- Saturdays

New Tier System is Live!87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJfSwpxyDy
You now have the option to read chapters in advance on my page with a monthly subscription. To make sure you only pay what you can afford, I divided it into different tiers:

- Tier 1: Read 1 chapter ahead87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD6OZQhpNZu
- Tier 2: Read 2 chapters ahead87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXWwFgFOjYq
- Tier 3: Read 3 chapters ahead87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0oJnA3KMJd
- Tier 4: Read 4 chapters ahead87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJsKtp5GVeH
- Tier 5: Read 5 chapters ahead

And for those that are highly invested in the story, I developed a new special format:87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgEZUeKAEYG
- Tier 6 (Special): Read 5 chapters ahead + Meet a character of your choice

What's "Meet a character of your choice"?87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2G8acJrw9G
You can choose a character and say something to them - one thing per special. Here are some examples:87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeuuQVBeG2f
- Ask them a personal question87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt9xBtqjib7
- Ask about something story-related you're curious about87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCIhkw71G5
- Ask what they think about another character87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmNBd3PN3OA
- Simply say something to the character and get their reaction87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo3ZX1nQrwz
Then I am going to write a special chapter.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf2niZHlb18
These specials will look similar to the Christmas specials I did before.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8GsJ9XohM1
Note: I would recommend you write me before you choose that option. Because some things might not be possible (maybe if it's inappropriate or if the result would not be satisfactory)87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ86J6qjJNt8

General bonus features of my page:87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAEobr68bol
- As a subscriber, you get a badge visible next to your name when you comment anywhere on my page^^87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzzC7UnLOfN
- You can even download my page as an app :grin:

Link to my page: https://celastos-shop.fourthwall.com/

Join the Official Lunar Legacy Discord!87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd2oQXFljwm
You can also expect some fun new things like polls about different story elements and more community interaction!87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTEQkV0RCTd
Discord Link: https://discord.gg/Uduxc48wfm

-------

Turns out I only took half a month off because I was busy setting all this up xD87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjxD7cAUs3
Thank you again for your patience during my exam break. Arc 2 is going to be amazing, and I can't wait to share it with you!

ns216.73.216.250da2

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