The Raven Kings - 3

Silas’s eyes, the color of a stormy sea, held a glint of81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOh33VJrZAi

amusement that didn't quite reach the hard set of his jaw. He81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYwyGfq38PJ

was a man sculpted from granite and shadows, his broad81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsso9L92ZMm

shoulders hinting at the strength he possessed, the strength81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFsTswDaTPO

that had earned him the unquestioned leadership of the81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlkCtnuJeUY

Raven Kings. His tattoos, a swirling vortex of black ink81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3q9R2tzewa

against his pale skin, told a story of rebellion, of defiance, a81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGOuk2vV4Wy

testament to a life lived on the razor’s edge. They spoke of81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpH2Jvf92xz

ravens, of kings, and of a violent philosophy etched deep81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVq1h0jh47E

into his soul.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd7QMVFtsP8

He didn't speak for a long time, simply observing Joshua, his81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYtW1uKN7D

gaze penetrating and unnerving. The silence in the small cell81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKerVEEBSuJ

became a palpable entity, heavy with unspoken expectations.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQgtPEGqqZo

Joshua felt the weight of it, the pressure of Silas’s81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrEkhIMzT9h

unwavering stare. He was being assessed, judged, weighed81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUepLdi6hFw

against some internal yardstick that only Silas understood. It81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC3CM7ATAUD

was a silent interrogation, far more intense than any shouting81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWWgLWqKIiB

match could ever be. The only sounds were the distant,81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBUlMXX6kjh

muffled clamor of the prison, a constant reminder of their81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEzJZxvQB6S

precarious existence.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYhlOnaDAwx

Finally, Silas spoke, his voice a low rumble that resonated81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjMgVLANCmd

with an unexpected melody. "So, the furry gets fifteen years81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEhoKzIdFAm

for a Tumblr post," he said, a hint of irony lacing his tone.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO96RYXhQd0

"That's… efficient." There was a strange quality to his81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxo9N1mbOEY

words, a mix of derision and a surprising empathy that both81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU4wpSE4fjG

disarmed and unsettled Joshua.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡARLyNxZKIt

Joshua swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. "It wasn't what it81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3P2VK0eDk

looked like," he mumbled, the words barely audible above81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbae8D0XWxI

the hum of the prison. He tried to explain, to justify, but the words caught in his throat. He felt the inadequacy of his81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6qyLzX3i3P

explanation, the absurdity of his predicament.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡektToPKzwY

Silas chuckled, a sound that seemed to shake the very81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwurhhBx17

foundations of their cramped cell. "Oh, I'm sure it wasn't.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVcZbzOdGCc

But the system sees what it wants to see, doesn't it? It sees81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtgeH30leut

convenient villains. Convenient scapegoats." He paused,81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ22QeOZyoU

letting his words hang in the air, heavy with meaning. "And81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Q6uuokSAL

in this place, the only justice you find is the justice you make81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhjbdpZZtQz

yourself."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFvWIB7JiMv

Joshua felt a prickle of apprehension. This was far removed81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTnjHORWXMY

from the online arguments and debates he was used to. This81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3zabAD6DYa

was raw, visceral reality. The Raven Kings. He’d heard81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn71kYqQVHN

whispers, rumors, legends – stories of swift justice, ruthless81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47qsmZI6oy

efficiency, and an unwavering dedication to their own81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgg2UlA8Pis

twisted code.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzPIpwaZbN5

"The Raven Kings," Silas continued, as if reading his81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjo0UXefD4p

thoughts. "We’re not interested in petty crimes. We deal in81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn2vFy2Dmpt

larger matters. We’re the judges, the jury, and the81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4vq1rAnpP5

executioners of those who deserve it. Nazis, pedophiles,81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡICzRNoNUhn

zoophiles, abusers... the dregs of humanity who slip through81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvyIc1LIu4j

the cracks of a failing system." He spoke with a fierce81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡheb8KDxr99

conviction, his words imbued with the weight of his beliefs.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuOlvbbpHwp

His ideology was not merely words; it was a lived81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7b0N0bzCEq

experience, a burning fire in his eyes.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmcLLZ4Kk43

Joshua felt a complex mix of emotions—fear, apprehension,81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl54cf14JLI

but also a strange flicker of something else, something that81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwSmtPKnFs0

felt like grudging admiration. He knew that Silas’s methods81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7GSKdEJxQO

were brutal, unforgivable by most standards. Yet, there was a81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB0HdzaeCjx

certain undeniable logic to his words. The system had failed81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMqbYFiBdzv

Joshua; perhaps it failed others even more profoundly.

"We have our own rules," Silas continued, his gaze81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDnyhpF2f5j

intensifying. "Our own justice. We don't care about the81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFW4h2uGSm

legalities, the niceties of the law. We deal in consequences."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3CajzCUutl

He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjryyn7rAUA

whisper. "We operate in the shadows, unseen, unheard. But81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIqVPklOaP8

our influence is felt. We are the silent guardians, the unseen81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQr9ihiRnO

hand that keeps this place from sinking into complete81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2F5gCu2nzZ

chaos."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6IplFldgTP

His words were carefully crafted, a blend of intimidation and81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwYGDuJpMIY

subtle persuasion. There was a dangerous charm to Silas, a81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBo5KPCyzbg

charismatic magnetism that belied the harshness of his81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh4VOPMH1uD

actions. He spoke of revolution, of a twisted form of social81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwA84KEpOrX

justice, of a world where the weak were protected and the81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG1wDbkIM4g

wicked were punished. His words were seductive, an81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUXV8owIVaD

intoxicating brew of ideology and brutal pragmatism.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4ETgYMqJn

"You're new here," Silas said, his gaze shifting, assessing81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8M3lLHuxUD

Joshua once more. "You'll learn the rules. You'll learn the81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVFubhq9YBw

game. Survival here isn't about playing by the book. It's81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgsx8MjNkra

about adaptation, about understanding the dynamics of81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcATkDT7lJn

power." He paused, letting the silence hang heavy once81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG4P1Uyrfn1

more. "And sometimes," he added, a chilling smile playing81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUX91jVIwOl

on his lips, "it's about choosing sides."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8dEUoJbHqU

Joshua stared at Silas, unsure of how to respond. He was in81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhcBjOelJ9v

the den of the wolves, surrounded by brutality and violence,81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPVD3FyWo00

yet there was a strange allure to Silas’s words. The idea of a81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJCs49sGgsT

system that dispensed instant justice, regardless of legal81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGUgJrOhsrs

loopholes or bureaucratic incompetence, held a certain81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Ck5W5cxxU

appeal, especially given his own unfair trial.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiI63ogbIwC

Silas’s grip on the power dynamics of Martin Correctional81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡruC8Q4mSks

was evident. His casual manner, the way he commanded the81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡml2D5XXkN7

cell, the way he looked at Joshua – it all spoke of years spent81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx3dZkpqKWu

honing his skill in manipulation and intimidation. His demeanor was a masterful blend of charming and81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr894jxCwl3

threatening, a calculated strategy to gain Joshua’s trust, or81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoeLQHoldQZ

perhaps to break him.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCCbWN2FQH

Silas rose from his makeshift bed, his movements fluid and81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ612Gf9RmSf

precise, despite his hulking size. He walked to the small,81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7UetOJ8zg

cracked window, the bars obscuring the outside world. He81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmJShJlEEkg

looked out into the prison yard, a vacant stare that seemed to81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnAHg9u3CVu

encompass the entire institution, its cruelty, and its despair.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4PUtmBdBnd

"The world outside is sick," he said, his voice barely above a81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTBH8d5QUTr

whisper, his tone more reflective than threatening. "Corrupt,81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRfO8t2F9CS

unjust. This place is just a reflection of it, a more81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh2j1QxzOyq

concentrated form of the same sickness. We are the disease's81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeu16nvHO8f

antibody, a counterforce to the rot. We cleanse what the81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcnsPeRu7Ee

system cannot, and will not."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡInk4VZQpAm

He turned back to Joshua, his eyes sharp, scrutinizing. "Tell81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhduKxNt1dL

me, furry," he said, his voice regaining its forceful tone.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZbfT0RFM2s

"What side are you on?"81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTGEsBDQ9ut

The question hung in the air, a challenge, a proposition.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhxdXJXy1wL

Joshua knew that his response would determine his future81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKDq54O4qOS

within the walls of Martin Correctional. It would shape his81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXMwGFUO98W

alliances, his survival, and perhaps, even his soul. He looked81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJkEzBgf4Pa

at Silas, this imposing figure, this leader of a criminal81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZciYCOMeDp

organization who believed himself to be a purveyor of81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8H7V94wqEz

justice. The weight of the choice hung heavy on his81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4HiwcnLe5E

shoulders, the pressure almost unbearable. He knew, in that81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLtNfZUBwOQ

moment, that his life had irrevocably changed. The game had81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK2969q2VoC

begun. And the stakes were higher than he had ever81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiFWXcvwL7n

imagined. His fifteen-year sentence for a Tumblr post had81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAH1xtZsqhZ

just become infinitely more complicated.

81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ20z53qxSy1

ns216.73.216.124da2

3

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