Chapter 394
95 Clashing Views on Friendship.
Marcel squeezed his fists so hard that his mails dug into his palms, yet he felt no pain at all.
“So what!” he snapped. “If someone won’t stand completely on my side, what kind of friend are they p>
His stubborn retort made Yoren’s features clarken, and he nearly struck him again.
Lyra stepped in to hold him back.
She was starting to understand where Marcel was coming from.
Back on Earth, this exact kind of conflict had sparked countless online debates.
‘Is it normal to feel betrayed when a friend stays close to someone you hate p>
One group argued real friends ought to take your side unconditionally.
If your friend messed up, you forgave them. To them, neutrality toward your enemy was the same as aiding them—and neutrality from a friend meant they had turned against you.
Others believed every person was an independent individual, even your friends. They got to choose who they spent time with.
Your quarrel with someone was your own business. You could not force a friend to burn other relationships just to please you.
If the hurt lingered, you simply had to lower the weight of that bond.
Lyra herself had never over–analyzed it.
She had spent time with both Marcel and Felix, and both had helped her in their own ways.
Grateful to them both, she had quietly counted them as her friends.
Marcel might have seen her as a friend too–but only on the condition she cut Felix off.
Pushing her to shun one for the sake of the other would be unfair to everyone involved.
Yoren’s perspective was straightforward.
Friend or not, Lyra was first and foremost a Guide.
No Sentinel had any right to speak to her with such hostility.
Second, the Silks were an old, prominent family that drilled manners and propriety into their children from childhood.
In his eyes, Lyra was innocent. Marcel should not dump all his rage toward Felix onto anyone who associated with him.
Marcel was a grown man; he could not keep demanding others bend entirely to his feelings like a spoiled
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Chapter 395 Clashing Views on Friendship
child
That was selfishness.
Caught between three clashing mindsets, Lyra fell quiet.
At the root of Marcel’s hatred for Felix lay that strange, long–past incident.
Moody as Marcel could be, he was loyal and cared deeply for his comrades.
Every clue pointing toward Felix for his old teammate’s death had settled deep in his mind.
Then fate locked them inside the same Black Spire cell block.
Listed
Being forced to live near the person he blamed for his friend’s death piled old grief onto fresh irritation.
If she could untangle that core conflict between the two men, many other troubles might resolve themselves.
With that thought, Lyra typed, “Mr. Silk, hold your temper. Will you let me talk to Marcel alone p>
Marcel spun his back toward her in defiance. “I have nothing to say to you p>
He had given her chance after chance, yet she still chose Felix’s side.
If that was how it would be, he did not want her friendship at all.
Seeing how he spoke to the Guide, Yoren frowned and stepped forward again.
Lyra planted herself between them and gently guided him toward the door.
“Do not act in anger, Mr. Silk. Marcel is caught in his temper. Please wait outside and let me speak with
him p>
Yoren shot a heavy look at his brother.
He could not well refuse Lyra’s request.
He left Marcel with one sharp warning. “Speak respectfully to the Guide p>
Lyra offered a smoothing smile. “He knows. We have talked before; rest assured p>
Outside the cell, Yoren found Nael waiting.
Heavy–hearted, he stepped further down the hall and lit a cigarette.
Another worry gnawed at him.
If Marcel kept running his mouth and offended Lyra, he might never leave Black Spire.
Worse, word would spread among other Guides, and none would treat him well.
A Sentinel who alienated Guides risked spending the rest of his life lonely, dependent only on
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Chapter 395 Clashing Views on Friendship
suppressants.
Sentinels treated Guides with reverence for good reason.
Yoren would rather knock sense into his brother today than watch him regret it for decades.
Inside the cell, Lyra walked slowly toward Marcel, who kept his back turned.
He shifted his body, refusing to face her.
“Get out. I do not want to talk to you p>
To Lyra, he was nothing more than a sensitive, temper–stricken boy.
She typed, “But I need to talk to you. I’ll leave as soon as we are done p>
Marcel fell silent, pressing his forehead flat against the wall as if doing self–penance.
Lyra tilted her head and pulled something from her pocket, holding it out toward him.
Marcel glanced sideways.
It was healing ointment for bruises and swelling.
He wondered where she had gotten it, yet he turned his head away and refused to take it.
She had packed this when she learned the Sentinels were being transferred to Black Spire from the Oversight Council.
She had expected to see fresh injuries, yet everyone had appeared unharmed upon arrival.
She had kept the tube handy alongside her pen and paper for emergencies.
The scratch of writing on paper filled the quiet room. Marcel stared hard at the floor.
The spot on his cheek where his brother had struck him throbbed hot and sharp.
Soon, a folded note was held out to him.
When he refused to take it, Lyra had the tiny jumping spider carry it into his line of sight.
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Ruby Walker
Ruby Walker is a rising voice in the world of romance and spicy fiction. With a gift for weaving deep emotions, sizzling chemistry, and unexpected twists, her stories are a blend of passion and drama that captivate readers from start to finish. Ruby’s writing style is bold and irresistible—perfect for those who crave intense, addictive love stories.