"Hey trash."60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdXdVeDyZ9G
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Cel's hands stilled on his fork.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLgSkMcXER0
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Kyros Solgrand stood at the end of their table, flanked by two other Sun Clan nobles. His fire-red hair caught the lamplight, amber eyes bright with something cruel.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWM1tSyiYOZ
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"I couldn't help but notice." He gestured at their uniforms, at the crescent moon embroidered over the heart. "You're Moon Chosen."60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjIIaviCAv4
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Lior went rigid beside Cel. His fork clattered against his plate, the sound sharp in the sudden quiet that had fallen over nearby tables. His shoulders hunched inward as if trying to make himself smaller.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88puSZXfjd
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"Yes." Cel kept his voice neutral. 60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡORXhkCP8BN
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Kyros's smile widened. "How... unfortunate."60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3TZgmoF3Pf
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He moved closer, circling their table like a predator assessing prey. His companions remained at the end, blocking ways.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm66HDP9qkt
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"The Moon Goddess." Kyros spoke loud enough that nearby conversations died, students turning to watch. "The weakest deity. The forgotten one. The goddess who can't even maintain a single Great Clan."60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBPDCsKUrw8
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His hand landed on Cel's shoulder - fingers digging in.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuRmHmR4mLu
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"Must be hard, knowing you'll never amount to anything. That your blessing is worthless."60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUZ6uZZTWlt
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Lior's hands had curled into fists beneath the table. His breathing quickened.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPXjsnGTebC
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Cel forced his muscles to relax. Forced his jaw to unclench.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV2UZyCA6X8
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"We serve who chose us," he said quietly.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzSLzoBCtqk
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"Do you?" Kyros leaned closer, breath hot against Cel's ear. "Or do you just accept your pathetic fate because you're too weak to demand better?"60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEwqcPDw4oH
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The rage that had been simmering since Kyros appeared flared brighter. Cel's vision tunneled. His hands trembled with the effort of keeping them still.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4bvBkhquC
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He could break Kyros's nose. Right now. One strike, perfectly placed, and the smug bastard would be choking on his own blood.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡynMvGDM0Ex
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But if a commoner struck a noble - even in self-defense - the punishment was severe. Imprisonment. Public humiliation. In some cases even execution. The Empire's laws protected nobility with brutal efficiency, and the Academy wouldn't shield him from those consequences.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡET3fYPEvjj
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The unspoken truth was obvious - nobles operated under different standards. Not just in sparring. In everything. They could strike commoners with minimal repercussions. But the reverse? That was a crime against the social order itself.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRSVX0wkT2r
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So Cel just sat there. Took it. Let Kyros's words wash over him like rain.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9U95POSvv2
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"Nothing to say?" Kyros squeezed harder, nails digging through fabric. "That's what I thought. Moon Chosen are always like that. Weak. Pathetic."60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyuLQvuHEcq
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He released his grip and straightened, turning to address the watching students.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBotd9UrvX3
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"Remember this, everyone. What do you call Chosen of the weakest goddess?" He paused, smile widening. "Trash. Nothing but blessed trash."60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWM8hbc17X7
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Laughter rippled through some of the tables. Not all - several looked uncomfortable. But enough that Kyros's smile grew.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoZFitWqi3D
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He walked away, his companions following. Their laughter echoed across the dining hall.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1rGSOSYHCj
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Cel's hands were shaking. He pressed them flat against the table, fingers splayed wide.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6l6WJ8VZXp
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Lior simply stared down at his plate, paralyzed by what just happened.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuEGR1uQVAw
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Eventually, he excused himself. Exhaustion lined his features, shoulders slumped with the weight of the day.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNjh7lsHX89
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Cel remained. He finished his meal in silence. The dining hall's energy had shifted - conversations more subdued now, glances occasionally drifting toward his isolated corner.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhyo7wYTlIa
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He ate mechanically, tasting nothing. His mind replayed the confrontation over and over. Each word. Each laugh. The feeling of Kyros's fingers digging into his shoulder like he had every right to do so.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt92dcgmXm9
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When his plate was empty, Cel stood and left.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiBN7L5gmns
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Hours later, the training grounds lay silent beneath moonlight.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIXEsM3MF5e
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Cel crossed the threshold, boots crunching against packed earth. Empty weapon racks. Archery targets standing like sentinels. The space felt vast without other students filling it.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlUezzrW9fJ
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He shrugged off his upper uniform like always, letting it fall to the ground beside him. The night air was cold against his skin, but Lunar Vigor flooded through him under the moon's light.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAs2xkUoJq
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He moved to the center and stopped. Breathed. Let the day's accumulated tension settle in his muscles like coiled springs.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYbJlrbrCZb
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Silent Moon materialized in his grip.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXvhkdTrdmS
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Then he moved.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEKZTpXjub9
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The blade sang through air, cutting patterns driven by pure fury. He moved through the Chosen Legion forms he'd been practicing - each one executed with divine strength behind it, each one brutal in application.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ128Ldqm8JJ
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Hours blurred together.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6SFle9XgZN
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Cel kept going.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZWGaMpV5SH
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Until finally… the rage began to drain away. Not gone. Never truly gone. But manageable again. Locked back in whatever dark corner of his mind it usually inhabited.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs8YIJbPm1i
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The blade completed its arc. Cel's muscles burned, sweat cooling on his bare chest despite the chill—60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHEgT3tIDm7
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Footsteps.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtmVIN0gmRZ
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His body went rigid mid-stance. Silent Moon hung suspended in the air as he turned.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSj109236uZ
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Lady Hestia Mortveil stood at the edge of the training grounds.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhFXDsNkd0X
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The moonlight caught her jet-black hair, making it gleam like polished obsidian. Her crimson eyes studied him with an intensity that made his breath catch.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf2AQ7QIMMS
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For a heartbeat, neither moved.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDTMOIoKvk
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Then her gaze dropped. Lower. 60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2lxMX1L85L
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Suddenly, Cel became very aware of the cold against his skin. Heat flooded his face. He dismissed Silent Moon with a thought and lunged for his discarded uniform, fumbling with the fabric as he yanked it over his head.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBp7zERZe83
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"Lady Hestia." His voice came out rougher than intended. He straightened, adjusting his collar. "I apologize. I didn't realize the grounds were occupied."60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu1LHoVj6me
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A beat of silence.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEeIWrfj5MX
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"They weren't." Her tone was neutral, almost clinical. She walked past him toward the far side without another glance.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfX9pwK36gn
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Cel just stood there, uncertain. Should he leave? Continue?60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuruCHbyEZu
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Hestia sank to the ground in a meditative pose. Her hands rested on her knees, palms upward. The night seemed to gather around her like a cloak, shadows deepening in her presence.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNgtQkjupEs
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She was replenishing her Divine Essence. It made sense - the Death God's domain aligned with darkness, with the stillness of night. Divine Essence recovered fastest when immersed in the right environment. Ocean Chosen would seek water. Moon Chosen would need moonlight. 60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1mk5oYJ7d
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Not that it mattered to him. There was no need to replenish one's Divine Essence when you had none.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIGSTYYs3gO
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Cel re-summoned Silent Moon and returned to his forms.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdD3RhnI1Jd
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The silence stretched between them, broken only by the whisper of his blade through air and the distant sound of wind through empty weapon racks.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjknLtmYSXM
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Like that, the days blurred into routine.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcc2WMxDp8L
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Sparring matches carved the class into a predictable hierarchy. Nobles on top. Commoners below.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcMoiiERhj9
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"Blessed trash."60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw96B35v2ge
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Kyros's voice cut across the courtyard. His hand shoved Lior's shoulder, sending him stumbling. Laughter from the other Sun Clan nobles.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKA1IL5jtDB
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Lior kept his eyes down. Cel's jaw clenched, but he said nothing. Took it. Like always.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQe0FgIjxJY
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The confrontations came and went like weather - predictable, unavoidable. But something puzzled Cel about the nobles' behavior. In the tavern, the barkeeper had spoken of political factions regarding the throne’s succession. Yet here, they seemed unified. Cordial, even.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjHzjQNPApD
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The reason for that was simple: Theron. 60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdEcGIIeamY
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He moved through them all like sunlight through water - effortless, warm. The nobles gravitated toward him naturally. Perhaps they'd all received the same instructions to cultivate the All-Blessed's favor. To leverage that connection later when the succession fight began in earnest.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqalUty6lvH
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Sylvaine ensured the Life Clan maintained the closest position. Always at Theron's side, always visible, always reinforcing their clan's support.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ25aVQssEx9
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Only Hestia remained apart.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG8U9mPGUrN
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She sat alone during meals, moved through training exercises in isolation. The other students kept their distance. Whether from the Death Clan's tainted reputation or simple wariness of Raven's sister, Cel couldn't say. 60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaEUvneILr4
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Night fell.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIcqCWNMICR
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Cel arrived at the training grounds first, as usual. He'd barely summoned Silent Moon when footsteps announced Hestia's arrival.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSCwDEXC4XO
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She crossed to her meditation spot without acknowledgment. Settled into stillness.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSdVZNRT3ur
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Cel moved through his forms. The blade traced familiar patterns, his body flowing from one position to the next with increasing fluidity.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgI1udomyII
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An hour passed. Then another.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9rsIEsMglr
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When Cel paused to catch his breath, he glanced toward Hestia's meditation spot. Over the past weeks, she'd been inching nearer. Subtle. Gradual. Never speaking. Never explaining.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ7J3JjS5Nb
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But close enough now that he could hear the faint rhythm of her breathing when the wind stilled. 60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxqOzEfLUtE
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Why? 60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi08j5VdmtV
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The only connection between them was Raven. But she couldn't possibly know about his encounter with her brother. Couldn't know about his noble blood, his true identity. 60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7r5DflkoNo
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All she could see was what everyone else saw - a commoner Moon Chosen with unusually developed muscles and no Divine Essence. He had explanations for both. Nothing remarkable. 60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqzbytpVIQ
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Yet she'd shown interest from the very beginning. From that first day, her crimson eyes had tracked him with an intensity that suggested she saw something others missed.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz9BlzUNZHW
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‘It couldn't possibly be my looks, right?’60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEcFpGbrkIE
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Cel's next strike faltered slightly. His eyes cut toward her meditating form - jet-black hair spilling over pale shoulders, crimson eyes closed in concentration, the faint outline of her slender frame perfectly still despite the cold.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ZNWImoI6o
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He shook his head and returned to the forms, pushing the ridiculous thought away. 60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUcDeKicHE3
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Silent Moon whispered through the air, cutting patterns that had become as natural as breathing.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkTjyhwzjc1
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The week wore on. Classes during the day, silent training at night. Hestia's presence became as constant as the moonlight itself - always there, always watching when she thought he wouldn't notice, always inching closer with each passing evening.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡix2xGzWAfS
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Whatever she wanted, she kept it to herself.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4bHm4wY1DC
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Morning light filtered through the dining hall's tall windows, painting the long tables in shades of gold and amber.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVVv3N4WIf
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Students clustered near the entrance, voices rising in excited chatter. Cel pushed through the crowd until he could see what held their attention.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo3aCPJnbgD
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A board had been mounted on the wall during their off-day.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXL7XSkGQoc
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Names filled it in descending order, each accompanied by a number. The rankings.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzSxc93BWOH
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