"Hurry!" The receptionist was already moving toward the door. "Come on!"88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ1a0AvNOrF
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHzC5nXftiV
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.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXe4dUGqwhd
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They reached his door. She stopped, gesturing sharply.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwyPx1PnkY5
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"Uniform. Now. I'll wait."88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfOczL3Cu9V
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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.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJBVvJMX1p4
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1McgP4wq7p
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.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf1f7HPLwsD
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When he emerged, the receptionist gave him a quick once-over and nodded.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6XYbxLkvVy
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡujUegt76T3
"Good enough. Let's go."88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3xOjcgsOrj
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGteGMua44o
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.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZb1bu8G0do
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe9RZE3NHAI
"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?"88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO2Z0BEF0Kd
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxzHnNHfcpf
"Walking."88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGa2P83YyDC
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrosaIOXyaR
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.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGnAoLyKWGc
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA5s19AUHxO
The receptionist slowed as they approached. "Get in line with the others. Don't make a scene."88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmRGoBekkuR
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHrCsJi5J4l
Cel slipped through the doors.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCNc1fuJEPC
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVRguYB5WFH
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.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwa4cYBESD
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY19b0wjlfz
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.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCqG4hQBfp
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXVvRhuL31o
No one turned. No one acknowledged his late arrival. Every face pointed forward, attention fixed on the empty stage.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKe9ZhcXP8l
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQjBHOSZw5
The boy to his left shifted his weight from foot to foot. His fingers drummed against his thigh in nervous rhythm.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzaOuC75FIL
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCcw00LMJlZ
"—heard she's really coming," a girl whispered two rows ahead. "The princess herself."88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJctY2TpMIW
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkLYrCSIcGV
"No way," a boy to her right hissed back. "That's just a rumor. Why would she—"88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhDWAZiokch
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZU8r2sD3da
"My cousin works in the palace kitchens. She said—"88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCtEzL20kzb
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnh9kHeZvOL
"Quiet!" someone snapped from the front row.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡekBwonlRBz
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡviktKQUqkY
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.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVAfQTlMWLE
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpF22pbDYRb
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.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlwTJIxMHk4
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The silence deepened, every fidget ceasing.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMa0gdiZHmA
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpczMfJelZe
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.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyAfHA2uaX1
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWgSPwOozXv
"Welcome to the Chosen Academy. Before we begin, it is my honor to announce our distinguished guest for this year's opening ceremony."88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNuS31kvhgb
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ixKSUBBt0
He paused. The silence somehow deepened.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnaiMBa0Qg8
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNYvKQXOO0
"Her Imperial Highness, Cassandra Stellarion, Princess of the Empire."88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmLtUb5DYt
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNS1qHYLCm2
The whispers had been right.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0eprvEYhWK
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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.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTp58Byn6Vw
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsphFSAUN1m
The side door opened again.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKX3TIEU6E
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2lc8qwtS7k
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.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2lYXbsbZQV
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5CMCnluBC9
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.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnXzI69dGul
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She looked older now. More composed. Every movement deliberate and controlled.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡillfhN3HOJ
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The whispers started immediately, rippling through the rows in broken fragments.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmPRZJsIZ9h
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZadhUYMDg
"—actually her—"88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJvesbU4EX
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJtLwUHYGe8
"—so beautiful—"88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaO21Lp19BM
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhk2FAedXA
"—can't believe—"88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtOyxNdUeEV
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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.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTUuMKom1LA
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Then she smiled.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5l89XnE0iL
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4gbdoXiveJ
Warm. Genuine. The kind of expression that made people feel seen, valued.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDr5EFoqEVs
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7Nmw1NnJL
"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."88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7YZWEBtSZk
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ51OHay3PYU
She paused, letting the weight settle.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA39yAy8PcG
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1K8D64II7I
"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."88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTNcl7N22fn
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPP7yyAglmL
Her expression shifted - still warm, but underlaid with steel.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGwiRMYgD73
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlFO8qrWBYn
"You are humanity's defense. Its hope. And the Academy exists to ensure you become worthy of that sacred duty."88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5pmEu7CjZy
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrssAuhTFaa
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.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3xGcq5UadF
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUFL9vDepij
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.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqfJMyZsnJJ
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDPVvNbxCP2
This wasn't normal.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFLs0QMhrGF
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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.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHVh6VtaLQK
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDCAkJo6tRL
So why was she here?88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqbMSgrcTK
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The answer crystallized as she continued speaking.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxyzQCj9cJd
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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."88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXEveDqsIiN
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZC6Nze9HVi
There it was. Buried in platitudes about duty and service.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPKe7VaQ2kN
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Recruitment.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKlCS4qjy8A
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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.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaOEpuAoIcm
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The question was which faction she supported.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC9dIgzuqKF
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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.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8vGpf3lYLz
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhaWePOVH8g
"—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."88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv0BDzsefTt
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDjeMqOZmOj
She stepped back from the podium. The smile returned, softer now.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFYaCkmeLh
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"May the gods guide your path." 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ibiQEdJ3E
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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.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmRcs2Phrqv
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFFQ7qXHND
The princess inclined her head graciously, then turned and walked toward the side door with the same measured grace she'd entered with.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8XacSTgcdp
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The headmaster returned to the podium as she disappeared.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSaQ7FHggvV
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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.”88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3f0YjuTPkW
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZTiDqmQ4P
He gestured toward the hall's main exit. "Dismissed."88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4vliezILco
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWngcViCgdT
The formation dissolved immediately. Students streamed toward the doors in clusters, voices rising as the enforced silence broke.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWSVlFYImbh
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡodaCiFkDLZ
"My parents won’t believe—"88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYGISZwxB0U
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgmboFLkysl
"—incredible speech, I got chills when she said—"88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbqJeXnvcAH
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTraYQBJXeV
"—maybe she'll visit again, do you think—"88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXs4z2jOxQY
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmzDrHMKuh
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.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9BtdiqaEfc
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAjdIdZe7gG
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.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVhWCL6FAK3
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqdCbvsqFUK
Cel found an empty table near the back and sat.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdl9MtlSUQU
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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.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡukggDdDcbp
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTOmNF3DgpR
He didn't mind.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt2WGP2xvUk
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSRc6qOlm1h
Food arrived - brought by kitchen staff who moved efficiently between tables. Bread, still warm. Roasted chicken. Vegetables in some kind of sauce. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp2FKr0Ttdy
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaS5joy6pZZ
Cel ate mechanically, tasting nothing. His mind was elsewhere, still processing the princess's speech and what it meant for the shifting political landscape.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRJNHLJ069h
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKVtmiLoHx
Footsteps approached. Hesitant. Uncertain.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfxVtNOdhNa
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1lJDNQkX3h
Cel looked up.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡixzfqilG89
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY2VEgUM5u7
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.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqD2gf7znDH
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu96fg22vda
The silver crescent moon over his heart caught the light.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFDZfs2Wm4c
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnBRgoScqae
Another Moon Chosen.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv2xDK9qkI9
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhR4aOK00Pd
The boy's hands twisted together. His mouth opened, closed, opened again. Finally, words emerged - quiet, apologetic.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiiSaPrDms2
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2cjxnJKghR
"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..."88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Hgy5cYxm0
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhpjoEdHAT
He trailed off, uncertainty written across every feature.88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqPPfXSvf8
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtw87ZPOXpA
"Would it be alright if I sat with you?"1234 copyright protection84ＰＥＮＡＮＡjLGugh0wPg 尼

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