The Raven Kings - 3

Silas’s eyes, the color of a stormy sea, held a glint of59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmPjoZYPcWF

amusement that didn't quite reach the hard set of his jaw. He59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Cz3taaayz

was a man sculpted from granite and shadows, his broad59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjFfwGuNfs

shoulders hinting at the strength he possessed, the strength59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvkJmUOlP6z

that had earned him the unquestioned leadership of the59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvQ7uayrlG3

Raven Kings. His tattoos, a swirling vortex of black ink59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpRnAk8RPhY

against his pale skin, told a story of rebellion, of defiance, a59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyvC2c05eaI

testament to a life lived on the razor’s edge. They spoke of59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCwCuQhi50c

ravens, of kings, and of a violent philosophy etched deep59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5BQwFRxXyZ

into his soul.59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUK6fmKYKeQ

He didn't speak for a long time, simply observing Joshua, his59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi3lZgX4UlZ

gaze penetrating and unnerving. The silence in the small cell59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGXnz1rJVlA

became a palpable entity, heavy with unspoken expectations.59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEoR09PIA6r

Joshua felt the weight of it, the pressure of Silas’s59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdYZt8MtpfU

unwavering stare. He was being assessed, judged, weighed59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv341p3XpRn

against some internal yardstick that only Silas understood. It59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡitfCN7xFZR

was a silent interrogation, far more intense than any shouting59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXh0XCy5mmB

match could ever be. The only sounds were the distant,59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwA6EXaTDPU

muffled clamor of the prison, a constant reminder of their59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0MrLIDaI1X

precarious existence.59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCcU9HEtb9

Finally, Silas spoke, his voice a low rumble that resonated59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQlGoVYFL3C

with an unexpected melody. "So, the furry gets fifteen years59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMrqOfG8vsL

for a Tumblr post," he said, a hint of irony lacing his tone.59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxOWGSvIafw

"That's… efficient." There was a strange quality to his59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnx5WjD3O9k

words, a mix of derision and a surprising empathy that both59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqHp5U5ynwo

disarmed and unsettled Joshua.59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxtLaIXDUth

Joshua swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. "It wasn't what it59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwiyriVIDU2

looked like," he mumbled, the words barely audible above59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ZdABcKr4q

the hum of the prison. He tried to explain, to justify, but the words caught in his throat. He felt the inadequacy of his59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVDdsT5ocna

explanation, the absurdity of his predicament.59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSMc3OTKj1x

Silas chuckled, a sound that seemed to shake the very59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNILo8t5CMh

foundations of their cramped cell. "Oh, I'm sure it wasn't.59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡueklcOb9pm

But the system sees what it wants to see, doesn't it? It sees59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnxrabU8hIN

convenient villains. Convenient scapegoats." He paused,59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCf8R17pz5n

letting his words hang in the air, heavy with meaning. "And59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM3Aam4Ey9C

in this place, the only justice you find is the justice you make59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW1f2Wdhog8

yourself."59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLrbT3p3Efq

Joshua felt a prickle of apprehension. This was far removed59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpuMFyIwKj9

from the online arguments and debates he was used to. This59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3snRxvJ1Zj

was raw, visceral reality. The Raven Kings. He’d heard59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd0FCae1oxD

whispers, rumors, legends – stories of swift justice, ruthless59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRvj14DSlk8

efficiency, and an unwavering dedication to their own59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ94gbcr2rsV

twisted code.59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj701TNvlrZ

"The Raven Kings," Silas continued, as if reading his59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDsx4jmcjeH

thoughts. "We’re not interested in petty crimes. We deal in59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2PhnFQ8XLK

larger matters. We’re the judges, the jury, and the59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyxV6uzdDo0

executioners of those who deserve it. Nazis, pedophiles,59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaGDCE4pFyd

zoophiles, abusers... the dregs of humanity who slip through59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiuqZo5Agof

the cracks of a failing system." He spoke with a fierce59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRFP3CG7lIs

conviction, his words imbued with the weight of his beliefs.59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9iNw0GAYGM

His ideology was not merely words; it was a lived59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4QSwOhl1vY

experience, a burning fire in his eyes.59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQuDxyA2fo6

Joshua felt a complex mix of emotions—fear, apprehension,59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0XLRDCHLeh

but also a strange flicker of something else, something that59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU8IA1riakh

felt like grudging admiration. He knew that Silas’s methods59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8yEGMS2Hxm

were brutal, unforgivable by most standards. Yet, there was a59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJCWU24MCvW

certain undeniable logic to his words. The system had failed59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSloIjrzjSZ

Joshua; perhaps it failed others even more profoundly.

"We have our own rules," Silas continued, his gaze59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfDtLRoFI4g

intensifying. "Our own justice. We don't care about the59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9qtQtVA6TA

legalities, the niceties of the law. We deal in consequences."59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzzvvJfqz9M

He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQzIwAOSCL2

whisper. "We operate in the shadows, unseen, unheard. But59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBnY4preIio

our influence is felt. We are the silent guardians, the unseen59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGdifZ6TWCq

hand that keeps this place from sinking into complete59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUyw1B9BqB6

chaos."59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡagAugQhhW6

His words were carefully crafted, a blend of intimidation and59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmC8iQpZAdR

subtle persuasion. There was a dangerous charm to Silas, a59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCRYIs5YFRE

charismatic magnetism that belied the harshness of his59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhGpExBejkD

actions. He spoke of revolution, of a twisted form of social59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtNrOvakPTm

justice, of a world where the weak were protected and the59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdyHCOm2wBa

wicked were punished. His words were seductive, an59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKZWGDUUfiD

intoxicating brew of ideology and brutal pragmatism.59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfIRLnLDWAf

"You're new here," Silas said, his gaze shifting, assessing59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOGPo3O8hiK

Joshua once more. "You'll learn the rules. You'll learn the59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWZyA271FnE

game. Survival here isn't about playing by the book. It's59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJSAf0XbEWC

about adaptation, about understanding the dynamics of59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYxxC1rDDlN

power." He paused, letting the silence hang heavy once59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIX6WmZBAzS

more. "And sometimes," he added, a chilling smile playing59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxbPoEwI0b0

on his lips, "it's about choosing sides."59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFOHTfwh5X3

Joshua stared at Silas, unsure of how to respond. He was in59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Y9XPs4PbP

the den of the wolves, surrounded by brutality and violence,59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5sYI09KlcD

yet there was a strange allure to Silas’s words. The idea of a59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1of25GbGtt

system that dispensed instant justice, regardless of legal59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1A2Cc5GBzv

loopholes or bureaucratic incompetence, held a certain59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1CHLQkvXFh

appeal, especially given his own unfair trial.59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvslsXx1lxt

Silas’s grip on the power dynamics of Martin Correctional59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjPgZogKkh6

was evident. His casual manner, the way he commanded the59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLK03NGcjtk

cell, the way he looked at Joshua – it all spoke of years spent59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcXy6dAIsaO

honing his skill in manipulation and intimidation. His demeanor was a masterful blend of charming and59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzTQW7vb52b

threatening, a calculated strategy to gain Joshua’s trust, or59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfnbFGyqI28

perhaps to break him.59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsAgj8l6MIi

Silas rose from his makeshift bed, his movements fluid and59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZu02xXifg3

precise, despite his hulking size. He walked to the small,59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfeKA8XM3Nm

cracked window, the bars obscuring the outside world. He59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡho63ekj0GN

looked out into the prison yard, a vacant stare that seemed to59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaIFFKHoAOX

encompass the entire institution, its cruelty, and its despair.59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW7z6H11Zmj

"The world outside is sick," he said, his voice barely above a59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf4vtqy5Eiu

whisper, his tone more reflective than threatening. "Corrupt,59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQdA2iyh8nW

unjust. This place is just a reflection of it, a more59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8m5JvFJwvZ

concentrated form of the same sickness. We are the disease's59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCNLFH6gVgz

antibody, a counterforce to the rot. We cleanse what the59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtaiNweyvns

system cannot, and will not."59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfNzq0tszCT

He turned back to Joshua, his eyes sharp, scrutinizing. "Tell59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOJdrcldgx

me, furry," he said, his voice regaining its forceful tone.59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzIljz98FDa

"What side are you on?"59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLZW3FBl7hm

The question hung in the air, a challenge, a proposition.59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8CzkG7FRwD

Joshua knew that his response would determine his future59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp7850iXHJO

within the walls of Martin Correctional. It would shape his59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW0qhNLO025

alliances, his survival, and perhaps, even his soul. He looked59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNB81j7WIj7

at Silas, this imposing figure, this leader of a criminal59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKOVw4wst5l

organization who believed himself to be a purveyor of59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1EElr1KHBL

justice. The weight of the choice hung heavy on his59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPP30NnbeFB

shoulders, the pressure almost unbearable. He knew, in that59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk99fBDgbIF

moment, that his life had irrevocably changed. The game had59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyBWcdOdg3i

begun. And the stakes were higher than he had ever59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6pcY99nl8D

imagined. His fifteen-year sentence for a Tumblr post had59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ80juNrkJ2w

just become infinitely more complicated.

59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4gya9i6jBG

ns216.73.216.8da2

3

註冊

登入

介面語言:

故事語言: