The Raven Kings - 3

Silas’s eyes, the color of a stormy sea, held a glint of85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1idoBhM53d

amusement that didn't quite reach the hard set of his jaw. He85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBO5tWTtvdb

was a man sculpted from granite and shadows, his broad85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTy33bC527M

shoulders hinting at the strength he possessed, the strength85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp70h1NcY1o

that had earned him the unquestioned leadership of the85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnrp0j4MkLZ

Raven Kings. His tattoos, a swirling vortex of black ink85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZCGB5Uo2S

against his pale skin, told a story of rebellion, of defiance, a85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvNzJzZVjsg

testament to a life lived on the razor’s edge. They spoke of85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcdvvxPRXmN

ravens, of kings, and of a violent philosophy etched deep85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIoZSSFdVCq

into his soul.85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2X6kxdiJhb

He didn't speak for a long time, simply observing Joshua, his85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa9v0ZISbV5

gaze penetrating and unnerving. The silence in the small cell85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlnXh7jp7Jy

became a palpable entity, heavy with unspoken expectations.85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf3YSk4DgKZ

Joshua felt the weight of it, the pressure of Silas’s85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnJEArFjezb

unwavering stare. He was being assessed, judged, weighed85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhXpXqIEBmy

against some internal yardstick that only Silas understood. It85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr4B6GIidba

was a silent interrogation, far more intense than any shouting85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ZvYIAW6wK

match could ever be. The only sounds were the distant,85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt1EXCqmpE9

muffled clamor of the prison, a constant reminder of their85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZjHkw4R6Z

precarious existence.85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyIXqxyqmZ2

Finally, Silas spoke, his voice a low rumble that resonated85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ2dnmkiaVL

with an unexpected melody. "So, the furry gets fifteen years85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtyk58lwVsk

for a Tumblr post," he said, a hint of irony lacing his tone.85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyyD1nPNral

"That's… efficient." There was a strange quality to his85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJcfVUda2gG

words, a mix of derision and a surprising empathy that both85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1xnnYjZudg

disarmed and unsettled Joshua.85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHytfWhmc2A

Joshua swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. "It wasn't what it85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAWezP13DaM

looked like," he mumbled, the words barely audible above85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXKEPiViiPm

the hum of the prison. He tried to explain, to justify, but the words caught in his throat. He felt the inadequacy of his85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5eGVIL2IaM

explanation, the absurdity of his predicament.85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZiKbJWsehO

Silas chuckled, a sound that seemed to shake the very85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhbyY52d2VG

foundations of their cramped cell. "Oh, I'm sure it wasn't.85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIqgxothW29

But the system sees what it wants to see, doesn't it? It sees85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDMPcL7y9ed

convenient villains. Convenient scapegoats." He paused,85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT8c8eary82

letting his words hang in the air, heavy with meaning. "And85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡADOzez5gGT

in this place, the only justice you find is the justice you make85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCoinNzBSk9

yourself."85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyhwdq4K6Yn

Joshua felt a prickle of apprehension. This was far removed85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTgU5N2Gn9w

from the online arguments and debates he was used to. This85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgqqJKu5Oby

was raw, visceral reality. The Raven Kings. He’d heard85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVkFnwMIZOH

whispers, rumors, legends – stories of swift justice, ruthless85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHC3rNRinC

efficiency, and an unwavering dedication to their own85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsCVH8EHRP2

twisted code.85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ66ccQ7y4KZ

"The Raven Kings," Silas continued, as if reading his85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY6NOXOVvGE

thoughts. "We’re not interested in petty crimes. We deal in85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡES06q0uEUn

larger matters. We’re the judges, the jury, and the85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPnBpYQwfc6

executioners of those who deserve it. Nazis, pedophiles,85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSK6AIWP1M

zoophiles, abusers... the dregs of humanity who slip through85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDEQQnoBPza

the cracks of a failing system." He spoke with a fierce85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPyY5VR0v3N

conviction, his words imbued with the weight of his beliefs.85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfuWHbgmzz

His ideology was not merely words; it was a lived85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNEUmxrNrUx

experience, a burning fire in his eyes.85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqAmuXOD0oy

Joshua felt a complex mix of emotions—fear, apprehension,85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbSRhD7TISb

but also a strange flicker of something else, something that85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB8s1k9cutU

felt like grudging admiration. He knew that Silas’s methods85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4gp2SEp3x

were brutal, unforgivable by most standards. Yet, there was a85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwL0g8h9dzn

certain undeniable logic to his words. The system had failed85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5lC5frTg5H

Joshua; perhaps it failed others even more profoundly.

"We have our own rules," Silas continued, his gaze85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGzTc1cJCx3

intensifying. "Our own justice. We don't care about the85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiSHca4eIW5

legalities, the niceties of the law. We deal in consequences."85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zQhUFIQwp

He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDiVG4hP57v

whisper. "We operate in the shadows, unseen, unheard. But85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5LPfrJgws

our influence is felt. We are the silent guardians, the unseen85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MeVEnsXxo

hand that keeps this place from sinking into complete85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX1lVwEEzhI

chaos."85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvF3l7QrIhe

His words were carefully crafted, a blend of intimidation and85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5rUVGs7Rt

subtle persuasion. There was a dangerous charm to Silas, a85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAtW95KTnYg

charismatic magnetism that belied the harshness of his85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEiSmaS7Nif

actions. He spoke of revolution, of a twisted form of social85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd1zAjWmms9

justice, of a world where the weak were protected and the85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR1CBWpwEZN

wicked were punished. His words were seductive, an85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsnBjWRekRY

intoxicating brew of ideology and brutal pragmatism.85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7HZn3xW9kC

"You're new here," Silas said, his gaze shifting, assessing85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnIMKlRH7Sh

Joshua once more. "You'll learn the rules. You'll learn the85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC6V97ePb0I

game. Survival here isn't about playing by the book. It's85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlK8FSj6aei

about adaptation, about understanding the dynamics of85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzn52eyRmLz

power." He paused, letting the silence hang heavy once85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsIrIRqNnzx

more. "And sometimes," he added, a chilling smile playing85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrgQgjyeUAZ

on his lips, "it's about choosing sides."85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDvQfTX5KKc

Joshua stared at Silas, unsure of how to respond. He was in85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMcDt6CAAgr

the den of the wolves, surrounded by brutality and violence,85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMO2bMvsL7g

yet there was a strange allure to Silas’s words. The idea of a85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJNGWSnt7Ze

system that dispensed instant justice, regardless of legal85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrLk11kMKFU

loopholes or bureaucratic incompetence, held a certain85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1IpjJorNzA

appeal, especially given his own unfair trial.85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv9FBjGWpKi

Silas’s grip on the power dynamics of Martin Correctional85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi7hoqxFHCb

was evident. His casual manner, the way he commanded the85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl7Xh4c6fgf

cell, the way he looked at Joshua – it all spoke of years spent85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRS18sdwdfm

honing his skill in manipulation and intimidation. His demeanor was a masterful blend of charming and85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlimOzJToT5

threatening, a calculated strategy to gain Joshua’s trust, or85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8R8w0dUTZ

perhaps to break him.85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5iZrVbIcis

Silas rose from his makeshift bed, his movements fluid and85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrwBYnLknGD

precise, despite his hulking size. He walked to the small,85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq4sJ2BmTuU

cracked window, the bars obscuring the outside world. He85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkafXhcn3eV

looked out into the prison yard, a vacant stare that seemed to85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq5CHrEZoeY

encompass the entire institution, its cruelty, and its despair.85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2RvPEQ8syr

"The world outside is sick," he said, his voice barely above a85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡytNJ2i0mQZ

whisper, his tone more reflective than threatening. "Corrupt,85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE60lGE72Rj

unjust. This place is just a reflection of it, a more85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaV4ct0SY4w

concentrated form of the same sickness. We are the disease's85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTGBMJICRUP

antibody, a counterforce to the rot. We cleanse what the85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXlI4Hw9PG9

system cannot, and will not."85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwV6I6IDnzs

He turned back to Joshua, his eyes sharp, scrutinizing. "Tell85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmq6RbRnV1s

me, furry," he said, his voice regaining its forceful tone.85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfG9PeeRK0C

"What side are you on?"85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgLlYgMPLGk

The question hung in the air, a challenge, a proposition.85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn58picE30W

Joshua knew that his response would determine his future85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWKQlWkJjeE

within the walls of Martin Correctional. It would shape his85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDu4e0mOgra

alliances, his survival, and perhaps, even his soul. He looked85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbyXST3Nj99

at Silas, this imposing figure, this leader of a criminal85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjy1hSta7i3

organization who believed himself to be a purveyor of85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGd7vG53x3l

justice. The weight of the choice hung heavy on his85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2LTJ9bRU10

shoulders, the pressure almost unbearable. He knew, in that85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZAX85XI4kA

moment, that his life had irrevocably changed. The game had85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsxIHsZBQB6

begun. And the stakes were higher than he had ever85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX3A8ZZEnYE

imagined. His fifteen-year sentence for a Tumblr post had85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB8PVSgUT9f

just become infinitely more complicated.

85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLhRtFjZu9C

ns216.73.216.8da2

3

REGISTER

LOGIN

Interface Language:

Story Language: