Chapter 285
Chapter 286 The Greywarden Strikes
Before that, there was another person who deserved to pay for the kitten’s death.
His father. Such a cold-blooded man had no right to keep living in this world.
The attendant rose, hatred burning in his eyes. He staggered forward on unsteady feet, heading straight for his target.
Not far from him, a pale grey limbless creature oozed and slithered across the floor.
It was a Greywarden.
It had appeared completely undetected.
The Black Spire’s monitoring systems seemed to fail entirely. No magnetic anomalies were flagged, no alarms went off.
By the time guards noticed something was wrong, ordinary staff and imprisoned Sentinels throughout the facility had already fallen under its influence.
Sobs of remorse, cries of agony, and venomous curses echoed everywhere.
Under the Greywarden’s mental corruption, trivial everyday frictions swelled into consuming
rage.
Someone grabbed a heavy object and smashed it savagely into a coworker’s head.
The victim crumpled, bleeding heavily, yet trapped inside overwhelming grief and despair, he felt almost no pain. He let his deranged coworker beat him to death.
“Ahhh p>
One woman screamed at the sight. Blaming herself for failing to intervene, she rushed forward and grabbed the attacker.
“It’s my fault! Kill me! Just kill me p>
The attacker snapped back to partial clarity. Staring at the bloody ruin they had made, his mind shattered all over again.
“What have I done p>
“What have I done… I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!
“I’ll give you my own life to make amends p>
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Chopok The dyeyworkES STOKES
Everyone lost their capacity for rational thought. Despair, fury, and madness hung over the entire Black Spire like a heavy storm cloud.
Guards mobilized in full force.
Some moved to separate brawling, self-harming staff.
Others rushed to track down the Greywarden.
A third group contacted the chief to report the catastrophe.
On top of everything else, another disaster caught them off guard.
Several attendants, trapped in trance-like stupors, unlocked the Sentinels’ cell doors.
Violently feral Sentinels poured out. More bloodshed erupted.
Screams and wails filled every corridor, and the guards were hopelessly outnumbered.
Amid all the chaos, Cell Block Three remained eerily quiet.
Boom!
The orca threw its full weight against an iron cell door and smashed it open. Rhys stepped out.
The other Sentinels followed one after another.
Once outside, Cedric looked at the rest of them and spoke slowly.
“You guys go on. I’m not coming p>
All heads turned toward him.
Leif asked, “You don’t want to leave p>
Cedric usually carried a gentle, comforting smile. But now, as he listened to the commotion outside, his features were filled with worry.
Cedric lowered his eyes slightly.
“I know Core Prime has treated us unfairly. But I am a Sentinel. I have long been ready to sacrifice myself for my comrades and my people. I cannot stand by and do nothing while this unfolds p>
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Claire The Greywider takes
He glanced at the group.
“Co. Seize the target the rebels want, and keep Lyra safe p>
With that, he lowered his helmet visor. With his ferret at his heels, he charged out without hesitation.
Silence fell over the remaining men.
After a beat, more Sentinels stepped forward.
“What do we do now?” one asked.
Arthur and Gideon started toward the exit and tossed back a single line.
“Lyra is in your hands p>
Harlan’s voice stayed flat and emotionless.
“I’m going too p>
Several more followed behind him.
Rhys looked over at Draven. Draven gave no visible reaction.
Lucian stepped forward, grabbed two men by their arms, and pulled them along.
“Come on. A few minutes won’t make any difference p>
Most of the key players had left. Rook let out an excited snort.
“When I grab that person the rebels want and head back to Core Prime-Ow! Damn it p>
Sharp pain shot through his neck.
He looked down to see Marcel’s colorful spider sinking its fangs into him.
Marcel stood with his arms folded, haughty and arrogant, staring straight at Rook.
“You piece of p>
Rook’s anger flared, and dizziness washed over his head.
Marcel swept his leg and knocked Rook flat on the floor. Then he seized Rook by the ankle and dragged him roughly outside.
“You deranged mutt, stay out of normal people’s business p>
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23
If that person fell into Rook’s hands, what good could possibly come of it?
He would only wreck their whole plan.
Felix tore his gaze away, ready to move out alone, when someone blocked his path.
The figure had soft, youthful, and androgynous features, flowing pale-purple hair, and eyes cold as frozen ice.
This was the Sentinel who, acting on Hadrien’s orders, had delivered a mirror to Lyra after her hospital discharge to set up a trap.
Felix narrowed his eyes. “Evin, what is this p>
Evin’s tone was frigid. “I know what you intend. You cannot pull this off alone p>
Felix scoffed, “How would you know p>
Evin replied, “Rhys never told you where to go, did he p>
Felix froze. That was exactly right.
That fool had gotten dragged off easily by Lucian.
“I checked the device.” Evin went on. “The rebels never gave him the exact location or target either p>
Felix frowned. “Quit beating around the bush. What are you getting at p>
Impatience darkened Felix’s expression. Evin’s face remained as still as frost.
“Before Hadrien left, he told me about a holding site. One prisoner is kept there p>
Felix lifted an eyebrow. “Then spit it out p>
The others who had not yet departed fell silent, waiting for the answer.
Evin’s icy eyes swept across the whole group, then settled back on Felix.
“I do not trust you. If you mean to reach Lyra, we go together p>
Felix’s expression darkened. He immediately felt as though he had been toyed with.
“And why should I believe you aren’t lying through your teeth p>
Evin said, “That location has nine successive doors. One requires a fingerprint, the next a
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The Greywante
passcode, then an iris scan, then another passcode, and so on down the line.
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Lucia Morh
Lucia Morh is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.