The Raven Kings - 3

Silas’s eyes, the color of a stormy sea, held a glint of98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAAv4aZCwcf

amusement that didn't quite reach the hard set of his jaw. He98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2lkR2jLJdg

was a man sculpted from granite and shadows, his broad98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPqdkwBFDmq

shoulders hinting at the strength he possessed, the strength98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgpYcpvO7Wk

that had earned him the unquestioned leadership of the98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwYA7fJ9o6V

Raven Kings. His tattoos, a swirling vortex of black ink98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmHBiPNLFZq

against his pale skin, told a story of rebellion, of defiance, a98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgQsZpNHZrE

testament to a life lived on the razor’s edge. They spoke of98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcTspKSc7S1

ravens, of kings, and of a violent philosophy etched deep98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmIK7hMDvWL

into his soul.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPADRV63wtC

He didn't speak for a long time, simply observing Joshua, his98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Hu2XZrU3Z

gaze penetrating and unnerving. The silence in the small cell98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmSs2epxi8o

became a palpable entity, heavy with unspoken expectations.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5rpF6Rsurb

Joshua felt the weight of it, the pressure of Silas’s98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdm5HH2v6K3

unwavering stare. He was being assessed, judged, weighed98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMx4aj22sVD

against some internal yardstick that only Silas understood. It98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhYi0TxC775

was a silent interrogation, far more intense than any shouting98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZe3jiylqCW

match could ever be. The only sounds were the distant,98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQBe4yRzQ0X

muffled clamor of the prison, a constant reminder of their98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn6pgWSQgtq

precarious existence.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBlhMOA54aI

Finally, Silas spoke, his voice a low rumble that resonated98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1S4iKyVRxF

with an unexpected melody. "So, the furry gets fifteen years98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡufQ0844EZl

for a Tumblr post," he said, a hint of irony lacing his tone.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz65H7CcsAb

"That's… efficient." There was a strange quality to his98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh7WfAyRUDk

words, a mix of derision and a surprising empathy that both98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwX3l4PgyQz

disarmed and unsettled Joshua.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyyf1lTLGjP

Joshua swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. "It wasn't what it98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVp9YHhFO2e

looked like," he mumbled, the words barely audible above98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEhJTbpChxQ

the hum of the prison. He tried to explain, to justify, but the words caught in his throat. He felt the inadequacy of his98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgjP1A6NKY7

explanation, the absurdity of his predicament.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUj18OXimEK

Silas chuckled, a sound that seemed to shake the very98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVRneiptAld

foundations of their cramped cell. "Oh, I'm sure it wasn't.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnIyCf2uOME

But the system sees what it wants to see, doesn't it? It sees98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSW8w1b7W8S

convenient villains. Convenient scapegoats." He paused,98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhRzWPWBZzw

letting his words hang in the air, heavy with meaning. "And98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6LW9rIx3eq

in this place, the only justice you find is the justice you make98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuGfhr2gt48

yourself."98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp2MhmJktFG

Joshua felt a prickle of apprehension. This was far removed98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdIhgtWDyuD

from the online arguments and debates he was used to. This98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyn8kjmlUkz

was raw, visceral reality. The Raven Kings. He’d heard98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc2stc6rycG

whispers, rumors, legends – stories of swift justice, ruthless98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbv7JFIaUUy

efficiency, and an unwavering dedication to their own98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvftaxbjQAd

twisted code.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6OE6EXbczQ

"The Raven Kings," Silas continued, as if reading his98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZTFi8LIQIi

thoughts. "We’re not interested in petty crimes. We deal in98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡol7HKstZYU

larger matters. We’re the judges, the jury, and the98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVI3eIBisC

executioners of those who deserve it. Nazis, pedophiles,98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDS7W30f2NI

zoophiles, abusers... the dregs of humanity who slip through98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDtzQvVykEy

the cracks of a failing system." He spoke with a fierce98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgM3n3Q3JsN

conviction, his words imbued with the weight of his beliefs.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKsVEJwEqqR

His ideology was not merely words; it was a lived98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQea5xvLVtk

experience, a burning fire in his eyes.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5l3Xi24HW8

Joshua felt a complex mix of emotions—fear, apprehension,98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlAJQ1Wi1Kq

but also a strange flicker of something else, something that98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmKXLILGwZS

felt like grudging admiration. He knew that Silas’s methods98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYmjktjA3RR

were brutal, unforgivable by most standards. Yet, there was a98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvBv37E54w9

certain undeniable logic to his words. The system had failed98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwimKdoF6Is

Joshua; perhaps it failed others even more profoundly.

"We have our own rules," Silas continued, his gaze98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs87rogOroL

intensifying. "Our own justice. We don't care about the98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAmvvXfmsBN

legalities, the niceties of the law. We deal in consequences."98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKEhn8wqNkj

He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡukmfUEsZ6V

whisper. "We operate in the shadows, unseen, unheard. But98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNxbCjeZzKF

our influence is felt. We are the silent guardians, the unseen98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43HDvz3Y22

hand that keeps this place from sinking into complete98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHaGJy4shny

chaos."98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtYftA5H2AH

His words were carefully crafted, a blend of intimidation and98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD7AAbBTo2Y

subtle persuasion. There was a dangerous charm to Silas, a98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLuGvJrikla

charismatic magnetism that belied the harshness of his98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp5GsB6ncYl

actions. He spoke of revolution, of a twisted form of social98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcvjRZnxvor

justice, of a world where the weak were protected and the98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ70gkpeoAjg

wicked were punished. His words were seductive, an98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxatwM9Uxwp

intoxicating brew of ideology and brutal pragmatism.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA3MS9F6a4f

"You're new here," Silas said, his gaze shifting, assessing98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw9qO3Q3vG6

Joshua once more. "You'll learn the rules. You'll learn the98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2wdqcUHIy6

game. Survival here isn't about playing by the book. It's98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRxPVuU4C3E

about adaptation, about understanding the dynamics of98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYlhD8kPoOl

power." He paused, letting the silence hang heavy once98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0ibercyvl

more. "And sometimes," he added, a chilling smile playing98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhSkt1FfgF1

on his lips, "it's about choosing sides."98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ulK89mhVc

Joshua stared at Silas, unsure of how to respond. He was in98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡudBwwLIUyj

the den of the wolves, surrounded by brutality and violence,98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwWDblf395f

yet there was a strange allure to Silas’s words. The idea of a98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC523s6aPDI

system that dispensed instant justice, regardless of legal98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAXT9ZDidED

loopholes or bureaucratic incompetence, held a certain98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV65ROEgVkt

appeal, especially given his own unfair trial.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8vvWx1ZmH3

Silas’s grip on the power dynamics of Martin Correctional98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJL93aUxxhk

was evident. His casual manner, the way he commanded the98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zIWxzrUbd

cell, the way he looked at Joshua – it all spoke of years spent98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRVeh7irXRh

honing his skill in manipulation and intimidation. His demeanor was a masterful blend of charming and98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6hwutTPWqT

threatening, a calculated strategy to gain Joshua’s trust, or98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXbqPnYB5kf

perhaps to break him.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0JWfYfEClm

Silas rose from his makeshift bed, his movements fluid and98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkVygGPnb2o

precise, despite his hulking size. He walked to the small,98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLZl65dMCEW

cracked window, the bars obscuring the outside world. He98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBb0qig7lSz

looked out into the prison yard, a vacant stare that seemed to98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPzpEol9nP0

encompass the entire institution, its cruelty, and its despair.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlMCCnfhhNF

"The world outside is sick," he said, his voice barely above a98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSn4G0BugRM

whisper, his tone more reflective than threatening. "Corrupt,98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaSbUBLTCI6

unjust. This place is just a reflection of it, a more98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbF4lGjVWfg

concentrated form of the same sickness. We are the disease's98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6BClD81HSe

antibody, a counterforce to the rot. We cleanse what the98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUVkc0dSZg2

system cannot, and will not."98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKrPJ0ExR4C

He turned back to Joshua, his eyes sharp, scrutinizing. "Tell98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUF7VVYu8e3

me, furry," he said, his voice regaining its forceful tone.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpXxTaXyUKp

"What side are you on?"98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqFuYTQwYCV

The question hung in the air, a challenge, a proposition.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3zKsL6cSDM

Joshua knew that his response would determine his future98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaOIp0pzd8K

within the walls of Martin Correctional. It would shape his98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbnEqsHfJhF

alliances, his survival, and perhaps, even his soul. He looked98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLFfQRPT0AD

at Silas, this imposing figure, this leader of a criminal98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJ7tjvHcai

organization who believed himself to be a purveyor of98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN1TdYCI6IA

justice. The weight of the choice hung heavy on his98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtjZYPE1BOS

shoulders, the pressure almost unbearable. He knew, in that98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnUSuZ8uI7w

moment, that his life had irrevocably changed. The game had98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOrafAoDo0n

begun. And the stakes were higher than he had ever98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7JmtV1cPsr

imagined. His fifteen-year sentence for a Tumblr post had98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡthU6sSCQRe

just become infinitely more complicated.

98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGatffiJOg

ns216.73.216.82da2

3

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