The Raven Kings - 3

Silas’s eyes, the color of a stormy sea, held a glint of85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPek70geJnR

amusement that didn't quite reach the hard set of his jaw. He85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtpbr12wyc8

was a man sculpted from granite and shadows, his broad85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLPlxSI4B5

shoulders hinting at the strength he possessed, the strength85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSY1GBuEQaC

that had earned him the unquestioned leadership of the85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUVLyhw4iWR

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

against his pale skin, told a story of rebellion, of defiance, a85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ838gVysXth

testament to a life lived on the razor’s edge. They spoke of85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx2eDDzdfDz

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

into his soul.85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI27ttUpUhM

He didn't speak for a long time, simply observing Joshua, his85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU4ihwgST3s

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

became a palpable entity, heavy with unspoken expectations.85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBtpMJJsL2B

Joshua felt the weight of it, the pressure of Silas’s85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5MjHPlWNBg

unwavering stare. He was being assessed, judged, weighed85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfG4fvp7TUo

against some internal yardstick that only Silas understood. It85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGIvVCt7dcb

was a silent interrogation, far more intense than any shouting85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7oIAPtIb98

match could ever be. The only sounds were the distant,85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2xofDCHTJS

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

precarious existence.85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkgC9YIMLpr

Finally, Silas spoke, his voice a low rumble that resonated85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQwWsG5aXzn

with an unexpected melody. "So, the furry gets fifteen years85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3y11lCNnmf

for a Tumblr post," he said, a hint of irony lacing his tone.85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGxP6qHWWI2

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

words, a mix of derision and a surprising empathy that both85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUdU4PChsa2

disarmed and unsettled Joshua.85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5V2JDKDvxq

Joshua swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. "It wasn't what it85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOec6FyQTQX

looked like," he mumbled, the words barely audible above85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXhGiTurY39

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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMlQvZm3bP8

explanation, the absurdity of his predicament.85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RCcVcBytX

Silas chuckled, a sound that seemed to shake the very85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDu7knac94

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

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

convenient villains. Convenient scapegoats." He paused,85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9gRofPUzGv

letting his words hang in the air, heavy with meaning. "And85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2eB65ddkYe

in this place, the only justice you find is the justice you make85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8biYPwAxFh

yourself."85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjbbS1qXesy

Joshua felt a prickle of apprehension. This was far removed85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Z88iVeAQd

from the online arguments and debates he was used to. This85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFs2V1Xk08z

was raw, visceral reality. The Raven Kings. He’d heard85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg5ggi0zdyB

whispers, rumors, legends – stories of swift justice, ruthless85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfr8kGDaXTN

efficiency, and an unwavering dedication to their own85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1veWqNVnh1

twisted code.85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLoemg3fdbr

"The Raven Kings," Silas continued, as if reading his85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9gAa3CN6Jx

thoughts. "We’re not interested in petty crimes. We deal in85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡORTmacWu2V

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

executioners of those who deserve it. Nazis, pedophiles,85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfzm7NfAubs

zoophiles, abusers... the dregs of humanity who slip through85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFo911VtSuM

the cracks of a failing system." He spoke with a fierce85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL43mHPlS9i

conviction, his words imbued with the weight of his beliefs.85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo8SonMU2q6

His ideology was not merely words; it was a lived85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCiwJvt3B2C

experience, a burning fire in his eyes.85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ32PgO4aENF

Joshua felt a complex mix of emotions—fear, apprehension,85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa37MCf977G

but also a strange flicker of something else, something that85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk9R4vbDHcq

felt like grudging admiration. He knew that Silas’s methods85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCWAiBa6GJ

were brutal, unforgivable by most standards. Yet, there was a85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡApedRczSB3

certain undeniable logic to his words. The system had failed85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPdnsYBd8d

Joshua; perhaps it failed others even more profoundly.

"We have our own rules," Silas continued, his gaze85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfbcT7gyus1

intensifying. "Our own justice. We don't care about the85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6QCn71158o

legalities, the niceties of the law. We deal in consequences."85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn3ZHKLqlOb

He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdAAYqZNwM2

whisper. "We operate in the shadows, unseen, unheard. But85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRPqEbQ16Qq

our influence is felt. We are the silent guardians, the unseen85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZCRCTq02lH

hand that keeps this place from sinking into complete85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmUX8uLk7LI

chaos."85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSbxTPrBSqa

His words were carefully crafted, a blend of intimidation and85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0lWTQsnGLa

subtle persuasion. There was a dangerous charm to Silas, a85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzB9slLyCTG

charismatic magnetism that belied the harshness of his85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrHGQNC82iW

actions. He spoke of revolution, of a twisted form of social85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7a1g1ImVi

justice, of a world where the weak were protected and the85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCnHT1NJSob

wicked were punished. His words were seductive, an85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVjtSk8a6q8

intoxicating brew of ideology and brutal pragmatism.85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Syfecx3mF

"You're new here," Silas said, his gaze shifting, assessing85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡslLKs2Zz1H

Joshua once more. "You'll learn the rules. You'll learn the85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFHa6p2VP5k

game. Survival here isn't about playing by the book. It's85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfmgory9LIp

about adaptation, about understanding the dynamics of85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ30b6mDdI66

power." He paused, letting the silence hang heavy once85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIVjXM6aPg5

more. "And sometimes," he added, a chilling smile playing85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMXDmBOkB48

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

Joshua stared at Silas, unsure of how to respond. He was in85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0l0zFkEiPY

the den of the wolves, surrounded by brutality and violence,85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ62nICIllff

yet there was a strange allure to Silas’s words. The idea of a85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ANQANQfhI

system that dispensed instant justice, regardless of legal85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX9QbQXtP9v

loopholes or bureaucratic incompetence, held a certain85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGcIzf4Skbc

appeal, especially given his own unfair trial.85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2zonOX6UJR

Silas’s grip on the power dynamics of Martin Correctional85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJygpAwB4S

was evident. His casual manner, the way he commanded the85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMXtXw1aRts

cell, the way he looked at Joshua – it all spoke of years spent85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVCq00xGgTi

honing his skill in manipulation and intimidation. His demeanor was a masterful blend of charming and85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs1OnmHXavn

threatening, a calculated strategy to gain Joshua’s trust, or85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAhfkXS2hEI

perhaps to break him.85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf8MlyD9WeZ

Silas rose from his makeshift bed, his movements fluid and85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Lk499VhVj

precise, despite his hulking size. He walked to the small,85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt4X6TogTAf

cracked window, the bars obscuring the outside world. He85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvaNXjh0RAJ

looked out into the prison yard, a vacant stare that seemed to85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvY0mLjY8os

encompass the entire institution, its cruelty, and its despair.85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡekMmhTufA3

"The world outside is sick," he said, his voice barely above a85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4FABgMkp3N

whisper, his tone more reflective than threatening. "Corrupt,85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX6mjupVx0L

unjust. This place is just a reflection of it, a more85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39fObmKGWM

concentrated form of the same sickness. We are the disease's85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsVOJpCzK2A

antibody, a counterforce to the rot. We cleanse what the85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImXPB5SRIv

system cannot, and will not."85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf19WkGH1L6

He turned back to Joshua, his eyes sharp, scrutinizing. "Tell85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUZkICPT4Nz

me, furry," he said, his voice regaining its forceful tone.85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP3KNo1jTLS

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

The question hung in the air, a challenge, a proposition.85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsRQE4Bt39N

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

within the walls of Martin Correctional. It would shape his85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4QVUzOdaMt

alliances, his survival, and perhaps, even his soul. He looked85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm5iJlNH2Eg

at Silas, this imposing figure, this leader of a criminal85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxqMivEUw8c

organization who believed himself to be a purveyor of85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmRua9Zzr8X

justice. The weight of the choice hung heavy on his85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhcEXSSh49h

shoulders, the pressure almost unbearable. He knew, in that85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBaEKcdQ4ey

moment, that his life had irrevocably changed. The game had85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywU6rtftgr

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

imagined. His fifteen-year sentence for a Tumblr post had85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO1Qh8RbzgC

just become infinitely more complicated.

85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuk7jpNWjG2

ns216.73.216.65da2

3

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