The Raven Kings - 3

Silas’s eyes, the color of a stormy sea, held a glint of98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMMkFTd0Qu3

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

was a man sculpted from granite and shadows, his broad98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr4v1c774It

shoulders hinting at the strength he possessed, the strength98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAfyCUDeew0

that had earned him the unquestioned leadership of the98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxdNL1SpQEK

Raven Kings. His tattoos, a swirling vortex of black ink98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLkGINtd5yk

against his pale skin, told a story of rebellion, of defiance, a98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW2z5B5ERJX

testament to a life lived on the razor’s edge. They spoke of98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNhFUIuo9u1

ravens, of kings, and of a violent philosophy etched deep98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡboYNhks36P

into his soul.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj1dZNeaP8Z

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

gaze penetrating and unnerving. The silence in the small cell98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYoeKb8Iijv

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

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

unwavering stare. He was being assessed, judged, weighed98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRRaNhAj7v8

against some internal yardstick that only Silas understood. It98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUHjK64TvS

was a silent interrogation, far more intense than any shouting98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIgnKF0hvya

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

muffled clamor of the prison, a constant reminder of their98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2G9fr65Ucf

precarious existence.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeNEPhq7JOi

Finally, Silas spoke, his voice a low rumble that resonated98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1bwk43pMA1

with an unexpected melody. "So, the furry gets fifteen years98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm9y62a6vBj

for a Tumblr post," he said, a hint of irony lacing his tone.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNT4yo80PWL

"That's… efficient." There was a strange quality to his98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOEKhchVn0

words, a mix of derision and a surprising empathy that both98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jYr1lbnhV

disarmed and unsettled Joshua.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoF46DPheNS

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

looked like," he mumbled, the words barely audible above98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8TKhPIi7Kb

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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZReKfSFlwT

explanation, the absurdity of his predicament.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz2EHLwfgbQ

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

foundations of their cramped cell. "Oh, I'm sure it wasn't.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8p6Uf7WxR4

But the system sees what it wants to see, doesn't it? It sees98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgHNNVq7hRG

convenient villains. Convenient scapegoats." He paused,98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuefiaMup7R

letting his words hang in the air, heavy with meaning. "And98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaSjeG8Loik

in this place, the only justice you find is the justice you make98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOppjaeJU8S

yourself."98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6PjZfgw72B

Joshua felt a prickle of apprehension. This was far removed98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4el16Jp0jL

from the online arguments and debates he was used to. This98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAFZbQDY165

was raw, visceral reality. The Raven Kings. He’d heard98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGmBcjWAdo7

whispers, rumors, legends – stories of swift justice, ruthless98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyV8x8hrMDK

efficiency, and an unwavering dedication to their own98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAbCacu4cOt

twisted code.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDVnDPeaHIh

"The Raven Kings," Silas continued, as if reading his98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnBjm75bRmw

thoughts. "We’re not interested in petty crimes. We deal in98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi8SX3jODlW

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

executioners of those who deserve it. Nazis, pedophiles,98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFz1ImLuG8A

zoophiles, abusers... the dregs of humanity who slip through98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvEzbLoF5x9

the cracks of a failing system." He spoke with a fierce98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbqsfwO8fHj

conviction, his words imbued with the weight of his beliefs.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcpyaTasS6h

His ideology was not merely words; it was a lived98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8n9kYaEga

experience, a burning fire in his eyes.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6YJnXc9MbN

Joshua felt a complex mix of emotions—fear, apprehension,98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU5jkhdYUE4

but also a strange flicker of something else, something that98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDGJudwqtG7

felt like grudging admiration. He knew that Silas’s methods98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK2HNK3Xa9h

were brutal, unforgivable by most standards. Yet, there was a98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwdOdw8TSko

certain undeniable logic to his words. The system had failed98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNDEcpvhK6k

Joshua; perhaps it failed others even more profoundly.

"We have our own rules," Silas continued, his gaze98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIN6NEKKSin

intensifying. "Our own justice. We don't care about the98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8wwnO60OLB

legalities, the niceties of the law. We deal in consequences."98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY9bHWLohpx

He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCPv2Z5mfKY

whisper. "We operate in the shadows, unseen, unheard. But98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZDttvMnX4N

our influence is felt. We are the silent guardians, the unseen98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1GNRQtoUGu

hand that keeps this place from sinking into complete98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyxDGbJ2aOP

chaos."98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvT8zSOly8Y

His words were carefully crafted, a blend of intimidation and98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuEg1Br1eRG

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

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

actions. He spoke of revolution, of a twisted form of social98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF1ucglKjPl

justice, of a world where the weak were protected and the98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4nCaLSISq2

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

intoxicating brew of ideology and brutal pragmatism.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxf4MRH1fiZ

"You're new here," Silas said, his gaze shifting, assessing98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsG73FxIymx

Joshua once more. "You'll learn the rules. You'll learn the98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpROoMhnjK3

game. Survival here isn't about playing by the book. It's98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDwLd6Mv8yU

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

power." He paused, letting the silence hang heavy once98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv3POcJKhE1

more. "And sometimes," he added, a chilling smile playing98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡii6vA1k7wr

on his lips, "it's about choosing sides."98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdEEkBSvb1y

Joshua stared at Silas, unsure of how to respond. He was in98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcy1stX4J1h

the den of the wolves, surrounded by brutality and violence,98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCYb79NtZR9

yet there was a strange allure to Silas’s words. The idea of a98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPCRIi0TKTj

system that dispensed instant justice, regardless of legal98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZGgsuXra6Q

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

appeal, especially given his own unfair trial.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbXXIin8N1B

Silas’s grip on the power dynamics of Martin Correctional98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwy8Qkg5gxb

was evident. His casual manner, the way he commanded the98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHMnwTi2Req

cell, the way he looked at Joshua – it all spoke of years spent98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ94Z9O4BLC8

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

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

perhaps to break him.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDGWrYbArJ

Silas rose from his makeshift bed, his movements fluid and98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1B9m3wA8lJ

precise, despite his hulking size. He walked to the small,98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt4Fz6ncuy3

cracked window, the bars obscuring the outside world. He98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHY6hVR1LR1

looked out into the prison yard, a vacant stare that seemed to98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3EHBdqueye

encompass the entire institution, its cruelty, and its despair.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ29cGDdx8TY

"The world outside is sick," he said, his voice barely above a98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFan6LIpOWl

whisper, his tone more reflective than threatening. "Corrupt,98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡapaBRvt6H9

unjust. This place is just a reflection of it, a more98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMHNeSNxF4y

concentrated form of the same sickness. We are the disease's98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4DyEDgNoGy

antibody, a counterforce to the rot. We cleanse what the98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5NEXOiuqWP

system cannot, and will not."98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjjDyvWR8dp

He turned back to Joshua, his eyes sharp, scrutinizing. "Tell98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4bBIPAnv56

me, furry," he said, his voice regaining its forceful tone.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFxECpr1P5F

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

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

Joshua knew that his response would determine his future98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCks6XgJkII

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

alliances, his survival, and perhaps, even his soul. He looked98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2UfBfNwAaL

at Silas, this imposing figure, this leader of a criminal98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ob0o4B0WF

organization who believed himself to be a purveyor of98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX55Tvawoli

justice. The weight of the choice hung heavy on his98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJsVdZRaRi2

shoulders, the pressure almost unbearable. He knew, in that98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfdS6MdbgQG

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

begun. And the stakes were higher than he had ever98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxIlNQTMH1L

imagined. His fifteen-year sentence for a Tumblr post had98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkVj7GpjINp

just become infinitely more complicated.

98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr1Ma1iSAeO

ns216.73.216.82da2

3

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