The Raven Kings - 3

Silas’s eyes, the color of a stormy sea, held a glint of44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtP5BKggK4p

amusement that didn't quite reach the hard set of his jaw. He44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVIk85r98sO

was a man sculpted from granite and shadows, his broad44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoqm9yJnsPO

shoulders hinting at the strength he possessed, the strength44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlDTlgoQy5h

that had earned him the unquestioned leadership of the44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSATE7wxpqI

Raven Kings. His tattoos, a swirling vortex of black ink44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW0Blk0NX2w

against his pale skin, told a story of rebellion, of defiance, a44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxNRGx418xL

testament to a life lived on the razor’s edge. They spoke of44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJDQpiS2zcr

ravens, of kings, and of a violent philosophy etched deep44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdggMyXODnQ

into his soul.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ80gU2Rxgrw

He didn't speak for a long time, simply observing Joshua, his44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡisL6kSMwMN

gaze penetrating and unnerving. The silence in the small cell44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvlHtctlz8a

became a palpable entity, heavy with unspoken expectations.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHvpfyvyk5

Joshua felt the weight of it, the pressure of Silas’s44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcirivPVh8Q

unwavering stare. He was being assessed, judged, weighed44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6LJbDqK76F

against some internal yardstick that only Silas understood. It44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqV5MVRqIIT

was a silent interrogation, far more intense than any shouting44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw1WNS54ihy

match could ever be. The only sounds were the distant,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZWz7NApkQO

muffled clamor of the prison, a constant reminder of their44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYWqtneIyl

precarious existence.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPBKQsXri4B

Finally, Silas spoke, his voice a low rumble that resonated44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9iqyWYql3V

with an unexpected melody. "So, the furry gets fifteen years44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5CttRBxTS0

for a Tumblr post," he said, a hint of irony lacing his tone.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3osh7Dezv7

"That's… efficient." There was a strange quality to his44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNR2SG1ezQk

words, a mix of derision and a surprising empathy that both44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0971QGGbUQ

disarmed and unsettled Joshua.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ5fKWbjcOg

Joshua swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. "It wasn't what it44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdNXRYtVP9c

looked like," he mumbled, the words barely audible above44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP2dTKszyri

the hum of the prison. He tried to explain, to justify, but the words caught in his throat. He felt the inadequacy of his44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa7HriqlE3H

explanation, the absurdity of his predicament.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3pCGD2juCr

Silas chuckled, a sound that seemed to shake the very44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1AdxyhZ9JR

foundations of their cramped cell. "Oh, I'm sure it wasn't.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡifNUNabb5Z

But the system sees what it wants to see, doesn't it? It sees44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgV5HHdZ29f

convenient villains. Convenient scapegoats." He paused,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmGH4fk8l1S

letting his words hang in the air, heavy with meaning. "And44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡncm7BDhE9n

in this place, the only justice you find is the justice you make44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbJ8SP9cPwB

yourself."44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfAnENfHY0Z

Joshua felt a prickle of apprehension. This was far removed44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuoMEXQllXa

from the online arguments and debates he was used to. This44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54rlJH7uj2

was raw, visceral reality. The Raven Kings. He’d heard44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXt5GsNbIaM

whispers, rumors, legends – stories of swift justice, ruthless44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfbB8k4Q9PG

efficiency, and an unwavering dedication to their own44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFoTKwQpfNX

twisted code.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVEWeywzr5

"The Raven Kings," Silas continued, as if reading his44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfIbUafoljH

thoughts. "We’re not interested in petty crimes. We deal in44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmuSr9swvTb

larger matters. We’re the judges, the jury, and the44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqkrSvxkvfW

executioners of those who deserve it. Nazis, pedophiles,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWgQH2bNSgR

zoophiles, abusers... the dregs of humanity who slip through44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ThSCPFTcF

the cracks of a failing system." He spoke with a fierce44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPE4z13yEo

conviction, his words imbued with the weight of his beliefs.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMvGS2vcpwm

His ideology was not merely words; it was a lived44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI7HBCf9bBf

experience, a burning fire in his eyes.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVA7HZkfBk0

Joshua felt a complex mix of emotions—fear, apprehension,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ36m6P8DrEv

but also a strange flicker of something else, something that44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTlgM7CrbB6

felt like grudging admiration. He knew that Silas’s methods44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSylZ2SDc95

were brutal, unforgivable by most standards. Yet, there was a44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡApME5AZZoO

certain undeniable logic to his words. The system had failed44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4LeZgOEGnM

Joshua; perhaps it failed others even more profoundly.

"We have our own rules," Silas continued, his gaze44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoF3Q17bdd5

intensifying. "Our own justice. We don't care about the44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm7gJdP7ndz

legalities, the niceties of the law. We deal in consequences."44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSKU5SqXbEx

He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDVtHXrmf3

whisper. "We operate in the shadows, unseen, unheard. But44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡofbQ2s5TK5

our influence is felt. We are the silent guardians, the unseen44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG1HMyNYJ4W

hand that keeps this place from sinking into complete44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnVnj1xOP27

chaos."44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0z0ctlOppq

His words were carefully crafted, a blend of intimidation and44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA0j4uOfX3v

subtle persuasion. There was a dangerous charm to Silas, a44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyRtzeQq28d

charismatic magnetism that belied the harshness of his44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡShrPLJYgmx

actions. He spoke of revolution, of a twisted form of social44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3pKcVoYJoN

justice, of a world where the weak were protected and the44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8BnoN90Wqo

wicked were punished. His words were seductive, an44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQGxSIbnuS

intoxicating brew of ideology and brutal pragmatism.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsBKnqe0Lxj

"You're new here," Silas said, his gaze shifting, assessing44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCAxjMvSAZH

Joshua once more. "You'll learn the rules. You'll learn the44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyasHvxtL2R

game. Survival here isn't about playing by the book. It's44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTzrAmgOFGM

about adaptation, about understanding the dynamics of44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡinkxZcibeG

power." He paused, letting the silence hang heavy once44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPYZzck2Uh3

more. "And sometimes," he added, a chilling smile playing44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaqKuP3zUgE

on his lips, "it's about choosing sides."44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEXRZCfYFnt

Joshua stared at Silas, unsure of how to respond. He was in44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkTF8RiTZeg

the den of the wolves, surrounded by brutality and violence,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnRAeX8HS9d

yet there was a strange allure to Silas’s words. The idea of a44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVYCCceuiH4

system that dispensed instant justice, regardless of legal44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb4V0UeAK9C

loopholes or bureaucratic incompetence, held a certain44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOdzSVNrZTE

appeal, especially given his own unfair trial.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx1C4duIFVU

Silas’s grip on the power dynamics of Martin Correctional44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLAgT1dz5et

was evident. His casual manner, the way he commanded the44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4xzjHC3Sdn

cell, the way he looked at Joshua – it all spoke of years spent44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu0FnySuWTI

honing his skill in manipulation and intimidation. His demeanor was a masterful blend of charming and44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIOsjfGF9Hu

threatening, a calculated strategy to gain Joshua’s trust, or44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡprvIFRL3vJ

perhaps to break him.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQNecWb2V6q

Silas rose from his makeshift bed, his movements fluid and44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvrVRfb9pGJ

precise, despite his hulking size. He walked to the small,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmKb1mQu43F

cracked window, the bars obscuring the outside world. He44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYUurDw5jZg

looked out into the prison yard, a vacant stare that seemed to44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhJ2th4Fee7

encompass the entire institution, its cruelty, and its despair.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsOVfjnd8IM

"The world outside is sick," he said, his voice barely above a44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrK4Xwwp5Iq

whisper, his tone more reflective than threatening. "Corrupt,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJVRsm8Scr

unjust. This place is just a reflection of it, a more44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIPBhuyVEmm

concentrated form of the same sickness. We are the disease's44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPOjOJ6hER

antibody, a counterforce to the rot. We cleanse what the44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF6wzzT3qVi

system cannot, and will not."44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡppx3YxAx9q

He turned back to Joshua, his eyes sharp, scrutinizing. "Tell44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMoPrLRsymW

me, furry," he said, his voice regaining its forceful tone.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhOofMtNWo

"What side are you on?"44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMH7xC0jJTs

The question hung in the air, a challenge, a proposition.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCxVWgWOBi9

Joshua knew that his response would determine his future44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRZTZVnH1qj

within the walls of Martin Correctional. It would shape his44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLFXm5XuvIT

alliances, his survival, and perhaps, even his soul. He looked44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzyMCGcwqC

at Silas, this imposing figure, this leader of a criminal44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhscU8mFFoA

organization who believed himself to be a purveyor of44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYneCRO2lRK

justice. The weight of the choice hung heavy on his44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNBXETRx9Y9

shoulders, the pressure almost unbearable. He knew, in that44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQNjvD4Xg9y

moment, that his life had irrevocably changed. The game had44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPaqTPyhg4N

begun. And the stakes were higher than he had ever44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEdKPlO3YPG

imagined. His fifteen-year sentence for a Tumblr post had44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX91leeR04F

just become infinitely more complicated.

44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡATIOQwpvKm

ns18.220.241.63da2

3

REGISTER

LOGIN

Interface Language:

Story Language: