Chapter 172
Chapter 173 Standing Her Ground
He had not expected to see such a stubborn, rebellious side of her.
89
Fisher
Lyra ignored him entirely. She scooped a small portion onto her own plate, then gestured for Hadrien to send the rest of the food over to the Sentinels.
It was bad enough that he had annoyed her once.
Now he would not let her find a moment’s peace.
Even trash cans eventually get emptied.
Once she had eaten just enough to feel full, Hadrien pushed her wheelchair away.
Zev waved his men forward to clear away the dining setup.
When he saw Lyra reaching out for the spirit animals again, he launched straight back into the same repetitive lecture.
Lyra slipped on the headphones delivered by Hadrien’s men. She tuned him out completely, listening to music while she leaned against the fluffy spirit animals.
Zev rambled on for a while. When he realized she could not hear a single word, his voice slowly died away.
Lyra did not even notice when he fell silent.
All her attention belonged to the music in her ears and the gentle, well–behaved spirit animals gathered before her.
She only had these two days. She would do everything she could to pull each Sentinel’s contamination level down as far as possible.
If their readings dropped outside the danger zone, she might find a way to come back and help them later.
But her power had limits.
For now, she could only assist the Sentinels housed within this cell block.
A new thought crossed her mind.
What if she won the loyalty of every Sentinel imprisoned inside Black Spire… then p>
She shot a sideways glance toward Zev, who never took his eyes off her movements.
1/5
10:42 Sat, Sep 12
Chapter 173 Standing Her Ground
89
Finished
If that plan succeeded, she would never end up trapped in such a passive position as she was today.
Before anyone realized, daylight faded and darkness settled across the facility.
Hadrien walked over and signaled to her.
Lyra pulled off her headphones.
“Where would you like to rest?” Hadrien asked.
Lyra’s gaze drifted toward the rows of cell blocks.
She pointed toward the third floor.
Zev rejected the idea without hesitation.
“That is impossible. Ferally shifted Sentinels lose all rational awareness. Anyone who draws near will agitate them further. Not only will it ruin your rest, it creates severe safety risks p>
Lyra twisted her head toward him. Her face blank, she typed on her Star Brain.
“I have not officially departed for Core Prime yet. Why are you already ordering me around p>
“As an oversight officer, I hold authority to warn, supervise, and correct dangerous behavior from any Guide,” Zev replied. “No matter the location p>
It was nothing but shameless bully logic.
Lyra was overwhelmed by irritation.
“Hadrien will be with me. His spirit animal can guarantee my safety p>
“Even so, Federal law prohibits Guides from interacting with feral Sentinels p>
Rules. Always rules.
Lyra felt close to breaking.
Setting aside the fact she was not even a citizen of this Federation–even if she were, parents would never be this rigid and unyielding.
What right did he have to control her every move?
her own
2/5
89
Chapter 173 Standing Her Ground
Lyra gritted her teeth and stared fiercely at Zev.
Zev stood firm, refusing to back down.
Finished
Around Lyra, the spirit animals slowly closed in. Their eyes turned cold, united against the shared threat.
Behind Zev, the Sentinels from Core Prime responded in turn, summoning their own spirit animals into the open.
The air grew taut and still.
Lyra’s sharp gaze softened. She reached out and stroked the heads of her spirit animals.
She chose not to force a direct confrontation.
She turned her head away, her chest rising and falling rapidly with suppressed anger.
This constant suffocating surveillance and restriction was unbearable.
Hadrien knelt beside her, his large hand rubbing gently along her back.
He watched Lyra’s eyes burn bright with rage, and spoke in a calm, flat tone.
“I could kill him for you p>
Lyra jolted and snapped her head toward him.
Behind Hadrien, his nightmare beast scraped restless hooves against the floor.
Lyra grabbed his hand at once and shook her head firmly.
Hadrien’s body stiffened.
His voice dropped low and heavy.
“As your personal guard, it is my failure to stand by and watch you be treated this way. Even if it is only to give you some small measure of satisfaction p>
Lyra clung tightly to his wrist, determined to stop him from acting recklessly.
She typed quickly against her Star Brain screen.
“Do not do anything foolish. If you get yourself into trouble, I will not have a single ally to speak for me once we reach Core Prime p>
Hadrien lowered his head, grinding his back teeth.
3/5
Chapter 173 Standing Her Ground
“If only the Commander were here p>
89
Finished
The Commander was fair and uncorrupted, and hated abuse of authority above all else.
If he stood in this room, he would never allow Oversight Council officials to bully others relying on their official power.
Unfortunately, the Prime Minister had listened to misleading reports from the Judicial and Legislative Departments and ordered him to patrol the isolation zones where contamination
ran worst.
If not for that assignment, these men would never dare behave so brazenly.
Lyra filed that information quietly away in her mind.
She squeezed Hadrien’s wrist and typed another message.
“We live to fight another day p>
She had to stay calm.
At the very least, Hadrien and all the Black Spire Sentinels stood on her side.
That meant she was not completely alone.
Hadrien’s eyes turned red, heavy with guilt.
Lyra patted the back of his hand, then turned to face Zev with a cold expression.
“I dislike being watched by crowds. Tell your men to step outside and close the door p>
Zev lifted a hand to signal.
The Sentinels recalled their spirit animals and filed out of the room.
Only Zev and three others remained inside.
Lyra typed her question, “So you will agree to any request from me that does not put me in direct danger p>
Zev hummed an acknowledgement.
Lyra continued, “Then where do you draw the line between what counts as safe, and what label dangerous? ”
you
Zev opened his mouth to answer after a moment of thought, but Lyra cut him off by pointing
4/5
10:42 Sat, Sep 12
Chapter 173 Standing Her Ground
directly at him.
“When Sentinels feel frustrated and irritable, does their contamination value climb p>
Zev nodded.
89
Finished
Lyra typed again, “Does that mean Guides, who carry no contamination risk of their own, can be bullied and manipulated at will?
“You claim you exist to protect us, yet you, force your idea of what is ‘right‘ onto every single Guide.
“Are Guides human beings, or mindless puppets p>
“That is not our intention,” Zev said.
“But that is exactly what you are doing!” Lyra shot back.
Zev said, “Then you have misunderstood p>
Lyra almost laughed out loud from sheer exasperation.
She felt ridiculous for wasting energy arguing.
These people had grown up inside this system their entire lives; their minds were locked into rigid patterns.
There was no point in reasoning with them.
576
M
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.