The Raven Kings - 3

Silas’s eyes, the color of a stormy sea, held a glint of70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHe1XhM8QhJ

amusement that didn't quite reach the hard set of his jaw. He70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9LmMJVOCTb

was a man sculpted from granite and shadows, his broad70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsl6WPz0KVz

shoulders hinting at the strength he possessed, the strength70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR3XZCNfZRN

that had earned him the unquestioned leadership of the70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWXrvWJILI

Raven Kings. His tattoos, a swirling vortex of black ink70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9vM36fOwgL

against his pale skin, told a story of rebellion, of defiance, a70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkwZF7FE5pO

testament to a life lived on the razor’s edge. They spoke of70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9r0hIDyU0I

ravens, of kings, and of a violent philosophy etched deep70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTRweaK1OPu

into his soul.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOAfkX01kjf

He didn't speak for a long time, simply observing Joshua, his70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEYZzseJTe1

gaze penetrating and unnerving. The silence in the small cell70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGPlcVuOGlo

became a palpable entity, heavy with unspoken expectations.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjoKyFSDmaz

Joshua felt the weight of it, the pressure of Silas’s70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBd0uJOqrit

unwavering stare. He was being assessed, judged, weighed70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo8tBlrIU2S

against some internal yardstick that only Silas understood. It70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaU0z6FuYMq

was a silent interrogation, far more intense than any shouting70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHlXjJc6WqI

match could ever be. The only sounds were the distant,70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfAOMbpwzCG

muffled clamor of the prison, a constant reminder of their70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHvwT7e55HS

precarious existence.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbl3wmBDtgo

Finally, Silas spoke, his voice a low rumble that resonated70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7aSsEctv6p

with an unexpected melody. "So, the furry gets fifteen years70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKg9vGQAzsL

for a Tumblr post," he said, a hint of irony lacing his tone.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGWrVBOBYsa

"That's… efficient." There was a strange quality to his70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsbs61PQtHF

words, a mix of derision and a surprising empathy that both70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcODt42VScw

disarmed and unsettled Joshua.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGEV6opDBcL

Joshua swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. "It wasn't what it70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10ZFHg65OF

looked like," he mumbled, the words barely audible above70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUB7Rhdqw2A

the hum of the prison. He tried to explain, to justify, but the words caught in his throat. He felt the inadequacy of his70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ONn2M86uG

explanation, the absurdity of his predicament.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSOzY3LLrNO

Silas chuckled, a sound that seemed to shake the very70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5xWh56Baz

foundations of their cramped cell. "Oh, I'm sure it wasn't.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbXNASXdVxm

But the system sees what it wants to see, doesn't it? It sees70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLljxoo2eWW

convenient villains. Convenient scapegoats." He paused,70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY5mViJb2GR

letting his words hang in the air, heavy with meaning. "And70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡofLriYRPth

in this place, the only justice you find is the justice you make70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcqmPPnRiP0

yourself."70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmDmE5pEkL

Joshua felt a prickle of apprehension. This was far removed70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeLL33NBjAw

from the online arguments and debates he was used to. This70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡudzDJdTDH7

was raw, visceral reality. The Raven Kings. He’d heard70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz11cM4xTpe

whispers, rumors, legends – stories of swift justice, ruthless70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRcB0OGdMvf

efficiency, and an unwavering dedication to their own70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjPWBiMEdtg

twisted code.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Xtm4954JY

"The Raven Kings," Silas continued, as if reading his70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeDpqeQ7hLT

thoughts. "We’re not interested in petty crimes. We deal in70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFyvzDU0HD

larger matters. We’re the judges, the jury, and the70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6DD2wfdR2B

executioners of those who deserve it. Nazis, pedophiles,70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZtPnVxgF7

zoophiles, abusers... the dregs of humanity who slip through70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8maIqPeJaD

the cracks of a failing system." He spoke with a fierce70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxDHJ5iIVIh

conviction, his words imbued with the weight of his beliefs.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJgBDxvQMaH

His ideology was not merely words; it was a lived70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4pqhcpv9a0

experience, a burning fire in his eyes.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9kXhD3pk4h

Joshua felt a complex mix of emotions—fear, apprehension,70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPafCA614sG

but also a strange flicker of something else, something that70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZGjj1AQmwl

felt like grudging admiration. He knew that Silas’s methods70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKjJnzR4P2R

were brutal, unforgivable by most standards. Yet, there was a70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTWzXy6Pvb0

certain undeniable logic to his words. The system had failed70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlNClG42Ka0

Joshua; perhaps it failed others even more profoundly.

"We have our own rules," Silas continued, his gaze70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1JReJa6Tl4

intensifying. "Our own justice. We don't care about the70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUWZ2q97sBt

legalities, the niceties of the law. We deal in consequences."70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9hQjpPWIFO

He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWq2KwjSDK3

whisper. "We operate in the shadows, unseen, unheard. But70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4v5NDuCbaM

our influence is felt. We are the silent guardians, the unseen70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFwDwOV1AE3

hand that keeps this place from sinking into complete70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡedxuM1FQzI

chaos."70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3EDAw8c6R2

His words were carefully crafted, a blend of intimidation and70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡttByfPqJMM

subtle persuasion. There was a dangerous charm to Silas, a70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhG0qiQjcoL

charismatic magnetism that belied the harshness of his70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx0nZ1GHaNL

actions. He spoke of revolution, of a twisted form of social70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO0OnB8k4Iz

justice, of a world where the weak were protected and the70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgyOawhpim6

wicked were punished. His words were seductive, an70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡURJrBVfiD7

intoxicating brew of ideology and brutal pragmatism.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ltT7NXSyz

"You're new here," Silas said, his gaze shifting, assessing70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuf5lzpPXrD

Joshua once more. "You'll learn the rules. You'll learn the70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1uX9XQZT4G

game. Survival here isn't about playing by the book. It's70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ14pa6VOLN

about adaptation, about understanding the dynamics of70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQZPU1hD4D

power." He paused, letting the silence hang heavy once70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2wmdsXgr8U

more. "And sometimes," he added, a chilling smile playing70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdz9ZToyY9x

on his lips, "it's about choosing sides."70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbNn4Fd5MRi

Joshua stared at Silas, unsure of how to respond. He was in70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs4rkRIiGtG

the den of the wolves, surrounded by brutality and violence,70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR6oQdls2qc

yet there was a strange allure to Silas’s words. The idea of a70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtTq7wO7DHd

system that dispensed instant justice, regardless of legal70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkPqysxz8vt

loopholes or bureaucratic incompetence, held a certain70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrRMurhWzE5

appeal, especially given his own unfair trial.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWJ0c4Xpor

Silas’s grip on the power dynamics of Martin Correctional70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDZzyPUNzBw

was evident. His casual manner, the way he commanded the70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR4UsHCm05P

cell, the way he looked at Joshua – it all spoke of years spent70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZv4QIhLUI

honing his skill in manipulation and intimidation. His demeanor was a masterful blend of charming and70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQgkEZ3Kcr

threatening, a calculated strategy to gain Joshua’s trust, or70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqoBr9bVKP3

perhaps to break him.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMt4UYRSQ2

Silas rose from his makeshift bed, his movements fluid and70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Rrpuq9lY0

precise, despite his hulking size. He walked to the small,70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGdT1fnEh5o

cracked window, the bars obscuring the outside world. He70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1hWj7R1dk4

looked out into the prison yard, a vacant stare that seemed to70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqkZAXEyQz

encompass the entire institution, its cruelty, and its despair.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYe8owKQSHm

"The world outside is sick," he said, his voice barely above a70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡylVf6zAaU4

whisper, his tone more reflective than threatening. "Corrupt,70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzB0lNTubSJ

unjust. This place is just a reflection of it, a more70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFqfqVaUOhn

concentrated form of the same sickness. We are the disease's70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkA2sU9qKry

antibody, a counterforce to the rot. We cleanse what the70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrnLSkSRUaA

system cannot, and will not."70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4aePBNwSDP

He turned back to Joshua, his eyes sharp, scrutinizing. "Tell70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9PkBig5eia

me, furry," he said, his voice regaining its forceful tone.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3mh2k9Gcf7

"What side are you on?"70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCkCUDXyrDY

The question hung in the air, a challenge, a proposition.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnInvmDBy2I

Joshua knew that his response would determine his future70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJio7QTcVjy

within the walls of Martin Correctional. It would shape his70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvRcv8IXi62

alliances, his survival, and perhaps, even his soul. He looked70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVq6WlNPgIG

at Silas, this imposing figure, this leader of a criminal70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoVyRqazWse

organization who believed himself to be a purveyor of70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBnl18gLZyV

justice. The weight of the choice hung heavy on his70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFWXbF1vf6b

shoulders, the pressure almost unbearable. He knew, in that70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGKpImhtvZw

moment, that his life had irrevocably changed. The game had70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpelcfWLGn

begun. And the stakes were higher than he had ever70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG4i6uhYNjg

imagined. His fifteen-year sentence for a Tumblr post had70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwYjrduLAfM

just become infinitely more complicated.

70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7lNWWr7us

ns216.73.216.197da2

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