Chapter 112
Chapter 113 An Unexpected Visitor
Arthur acted like a biased guardian.
Strangely enough, his favor was not reserved for his own spirit animal–it belonged to her.
Lyra could not wrap her head around it.
Was it because she took her duties seriously, treated everyone kindly, and kept things running smoothly?
Lyra scribbled a note on her lap and handed it to the ferret to deliver.
“Can their injuries be treated with medication p>
Arthur replied, “They heal faster if they return to their Sentinel’s mindscape p>
So treatment was possible, then.
Lyra nodded.
She gently stroked the lynx’s and hyena’s cheeks, then wrote another question.
“Can you stop them from fighting in the future p>
Arthur explained, “Skirmishes like this barely count as a warm–up. If you truly hate seeing it happen, I will order my spirit animal not to start fights p>
His words carried an unspoken addendum: if another creature picked a fight out of recklessness, that would be a separate matter.
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Lyra missed the hidden meaning beneath his tone and nodded gratefully at him.
“Lyra! Lyra p>
At the sound of Jessa’s voice, Lyra stood quickly.
Jessa pushed the door open a crack and peered inside.
“Wow, still this lively p>
Lyra walked forward with a helpless smile.
Noticing the odd way Lyra shifted her weight as she walked, Jessa asked, “What’s wrong with your foot p>
Lyra shook her head. “I walked too fast and strained it. Did you bring the thing p>
Jessa nodded, pulled a tightly wrapped object from her pocket, and held it out.
Lyra took it swiftly and tucked it away.
“Thank you p>
Jessa waved off her thanks. “It’s almost noon. Have you wrapped up your work p>
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Lyra glanced at the wall clock. She had lost track of time completely.
She had not even picked up the meals yet, so she shook her head.
Jessa shrugged. “Alright then, I’m heading off. Should I wait for you p>
Lyra shook her head again, gesturing for her to go eat.
Before leaving, Jessa glanced at the messy painted markings across the floor and the two blood–streaked spirit animals.
Lyra let out a quiet breath and glanced toward the empty window of Cell 104.
She waved her hands at the spirit animals.
Playtime for the morning was over; it was time for lunch and rest.
The spirit animals obediently headed back toward their cells.
Only the large beasts on the second floor stared at her hopefully.
They could not fly, nor were they small and nimble like the ferret.
Lyra would need to call the lift to carry them upstairs.
Once they reached the second floor, each spirit animal wandered toward its Sentinel’s quarters.
The hyena paused outside cell 201 and tilted its head upward.
Lyra sighed at the fresh wounds covering its body. She knelt down and stroked its head, her lips pressed together with remorse.
The hyena had endured quite a lot of unfairness today.
Every spirit animal here held its own stubborn will. She had seen clearly that none of them believed they had wronged the hyena.
Even if she had relied on her size advantage and forced the ferret into a rough apology pose, it did not truly think it was wrong.
Lyra did not know how to mediate the tension so all of them could get along like friends.
Seeing her lost in thought, the hyena scratched its cell door with a paw.
Lyra snapped back to reality. She squeezed its ear thoughtfully and pulled the door open just wide enough for it to slip inside.
Inside the room, Rook lay in the exact same position as before.
Lyra wondered if he ever shifted his weight.
The space was quiet; he had likely slipped back into a deep sleep.
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She turned and tidied the area to look as normal as possible before heading for the mess hall to collect
Junch.
When she returned, she spotted Hadrien. He had arrived without her noticing, staring down at the painted paw prints covering the floor.
Lyra groaned inwardly.
Why did he always show up at the worst possible moment p>
She had planned to grab two buckets of paint after delivering meals during midday rest to cover up the
mess.
Now she had been caught red–handed.
Hadrien did not turn his head when he heard her approach.
“What is all this p>
Lyra smiled awkwardly. “I intended to touch up the walls, and then things got a little out of hand p>
Hadrien twisted to face the stained wall and nodded cryptically.
“You are quite skilled at skirting the main issue p>
Lyra fell silent.
Seeing she had just retrieved her lunch, Hadrien dropped the subject.
“Get your work done p>
Lyra felt immense relief, as if reprieved from a weighty sentence.
Hadrien stood with his hands clasped behind his back, studying the flower–shaped paw marks on the wall.
“I have put in an order for a fleet of support robots. They will arrive soon p>
Lyra blinked, confused by the out–of–nowhere comment.
Rhys, who was eating his lunch nearby, spoke up directly.
“What’s this about? Are you planning to replace the cell block attendants with machines?
“I won’t stand for that p>
Hadrien turned his head, addressing Lyra.
“You mentioned previously that partially feral Sentinels cannot manage basic tasks like eating without assistance p>
Lyra’s eyes lit up.
So that was what he meant.
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This was wonderful news.
en with Hadrien present, the spirit animals continued coming out to seek Lyra’s company.
At first, Lyra felt anxious, but she slowly relaxed when she saw he did not seem angry.
He could easily guess from the paint smudges across the floor that she allowed the spirit animals to move about freely.
Black Spire guidelines discouraged such freedom, yet there was no explicit rule banning it–so long as no serious trouble broke out.
Besides, thanks to her special situation, Hadrien had long chosen to turn a blind eye to small violations.
After Lyra finished delivering every Sentinel’s food, Hadrien brought up the critical matter.
“Where is it p>
Prepared for this, Lyra handed over the tightly wrapped blade without hesitation.
Hadrien unwrapped it, glanced briefly at the weapon, then stowed it away.
He moved too quickly for the others to catch a clear look at what he held.
Kyren drawled dryly, “Taking bribes out in plain sight p>
Facing his casual probe and slander, Hadrien replied sternly, “Do not make baseless assumptions without evidence p>
Kyren shot back, “Evidence? It’s right there inside your pocket p>
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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.