Chapter 16
Behind the helmet’s visor, Hadrien’s gaze went rigid.
He pulled his eyes away sharply, tossed out a single line, and turned to leave.
“Go find the cat p>
Later, Lyra carried the plump cat back and handed it over to Cedric.
The pure, unmasked relief lighting up his face filled Lyra with a quiet surge of pride.
“Mochi, you’re finally home!
“I can’t thank you enough, Lyra p>
Cedric cradled the cat, his eyes soft with gratitude as he looked at her.
Lyra shook her head and held out a slip of paper.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll head back to my rounds p>
“Wait a second p>
Cedric set Mochi down and hurried off to grab something from his cell.
“I’ve put you through so much trouble, and I don’t know how to repay you–take this p>
He paused, studying her expression nervously. “I hope you don’t mind fuzzy little trinkets p>
The gift was a tiny hand–felted puppy figurine he’d crafted himself from loose fur shed by his pets.
Lyra shook her head hard, instantly fixated on the vivid, grinning little pup balanced in her palms.
She scribbled a quick note right away.
“Thank you, this is amazing! It’s so cute, you’re really talented p>
Finshec
Seeing how delighted and complimentary she was, Cedric pressed his lips together and smiled faintly.
“You’re far too kind. It’s just a tiny token of my thanks p>
Lyra tucked the delicate figurine safely into her pocket and waved goodbye to him.
Cedric knew she still had work to finish, so he spoke a gentle farewell.
As Lyra walked down the hall, one hand brushed the soft little toy tucked away in her pocket, her mood light and warm.
Bang!
A brutal, deafening impact echoed from the third floor, rattling the heavy metal cell doors hard enough to shake their frames.
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Chapter 16 Feral Chaos
Lyra nearly jumped out of her skin from the sudden noise.
Finished
She rushed upstairs to check and saw the metal door warped with deep dents, bent thin as scrap sheet metal.
It still latched shut for now, but the raw strength of the transformed Sentinel trapped inside made her swallow hard, stunned.
Nearly every door along this wing bore matching deep indentations from repeated slamming.
She dared not draw any closer.
The damage had been logged earlier that morning, and maintenance wouldn’t come to install reinforced. replacement doors until tomorrow.
A cold worry pricked at her–if the feral Sentinel kept slamming against the metal all night…
She had no desire to swing open that door tomorrow and stare down a bloodied, snapping maw.
Lyra turned and hurried to find Jessa to report the damage, hoping new doors could be fitted sooner.
But Jessa had no bandwidth to handle the issue right now.
A staff member had made a critical mistake during a routine check–in, and a suddenly enraged Sentinel had slashed a deep gash straight through his abdomen with his claws.
By the time medics arrived, the thick, metallic scent of blood had unraveled every Sentinel housed in that cell block.
The transformed Sentinels grew even more volatile; those on the second floor with advanced psychic contamination began fully unraveling, their minds splintering into chaos.
Sentinels who’d maintained fragile control minutes before slipped one after another into full feral shifts.
Snarling, roaring cries shook every wall of the cells, loud enough to drown out all other sound.
Jessa and the rest of the staff scrambled to deploy calming protocols for the second and third floors, everyone rushing around in frantic chaos.
Lyra got shoved roughly aside by harried workers as they darted past.
She stood frozen, staring at the streaks of bright red blood seeping out from under the cell doors.
Shouted urgent calls and the unhinged bellows of feral Sentinels rang nonstop in her ears.
For a moment, Lyra’s mind went blank with shock.
Inside the cells, the Sentinels kept throwing their weight against the doors, desperate to break free.
These veterans had fought through wars, with far more brutal combat experience than any of the Black Spire’s security detail.
In their feral state, pain and fear barely registered to them, leaving the guards too afraid to move in and
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Chapter 16 Feral Chaos
intervene recklessly.
en a familiar dark silhouette cut through the crowd.
Every staff member’s face lit up as if they’d spotted a lifeline.
Lyra stood apart from the fray, watching him quietly.
Fushen
He stepped forward with unhurried, steady strides toward the worst–damaged cell on the second floor+the one no one else dared approach.
Hadrien took a syringe of sedative from the medic’s grasp and spoke in a low, heavy tone.
“Open the door p>
A senior supervisor stepped forward cautiously, shot one quick glance at Hadrien, then threw the lock wide and stumbled backward fast.
ROAR!
The second the metal creaked open, Lyra gasped in terror.
A lion nearly as tall as a full–grown human lunged straight out.
Its body was covered in fresh, bleeding gashes from slamming itself against the door over and over, soaked through with its own blood, yet it paid no mind to the injuries as it snapped its jaws straight for Hadrien.
Lyra sucked in a sharp breath, horrified.
In the next heartbeat, a massive jet–black horse materialized out of thin air, broad leathery wings sprouting from its shoulders.
Waves of unnerving crimson fire swirled constantly around its towering frame.
Just staring at it made Lyra’s blood run cold, rooting her to the spot, unable to move an inch.
It was only a horse, yet it carried an overwhelming, bone–chilling aura that left her terrified.
The horse darted forward to intercept the lion’s deadly charge at the last second, lifting one powerful hoof to send the lion flying several yards backward with a single blow.
Blinded by unbridled rage, the lion snarled and tried to scramble back to its feet for another attack.
The black horse beat its enormous wings, whipping up a gust of wind, and the scarlet flames swirling around its body surged forward to wrap the lion completely.
Whatever subtle pressure the horse exerted shifted the lion’s feral frenzy instantly. The enraged beast froze, then slowly lowered itself to the ground in a clear posture of submission, as if facing something far more terrifying than itself.
The winged horse stepped forward with slow, graceful strides, planted one heavy hoof firmly across the lion’s torso to pin it down and block any sudden strikes.
Only then did Hadrien stroll forward unrushed, driving the sedative syringe straight into the lion’s nape.
3/4
Finished
Chapter 16 Feral Chaos
The lion’s strength drained away fast, its consciousness slipping as it went limp against the cold floor.
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Olivia Harris is an emerging author celebrated for her captivating romantic and steamy novels. With a talent for crafting deep emotional connections and fiery chemistry between her characters, Olivia’s stories offer readers an escape into worlds filled with passion, intrigue, and heart-stopping drama.