Chapter 58
Chapter 58 A Wary Serpent
Finished
“Exactly. Have you seen how soft and delicate she acts? Every man gravitates toward that sort p>
“Maybe I should try that trick sometime. Even if I can’t catch the Administrator, I could wrap a guard around my finger to handle all my chores p>
“Go give it a shot first. If it works, hook us up p>
“You know I will p>
The
group wandered past, laughing and teasing one another.
They caught a quick glimpse of the figure weighed down by bulky sacks, her face hidden, but paid her no real mind. Still chattering over their crude jokes, they stepped inside the commissary.
Lyra trudged away from the spot, burdened with packages in her arms and slung over her shoulders, quiet as a retreating turtle.
She could not pretend the gossip left her untouched.
Still, she had endured cruel talk her whole life, and her tolerance had grown thick. Slanders and sneers like these felt no worse than a bitter gust of cold wind against her skin. She let the words fade away.
Unsure which flavors each Sentinel preferred, she grabbed one bag of every variety of bread.
The stacks looked massive, yet they were surprisingly light. The real weight came from the two crates of milk in her grasp.
They called it milk, but it was actually just a white drink synthesized from various nutrients.
Lyra simply habitually called it milk.
She hauled everything back to Building Three and stretched her sore, strap-indented fingers.
Lyra tapped open the small window for Cell 101 and slid a note through.
“Fruit-filled bread or meat-and-sausage roll. Which would you like p>
Arthur glanced down to see the mound of assorted bread piled outside, looking like a wholesale shipment, plus the two crates of drink.
Carrying all of this alone must have been a grueling trip for such a slight young woman.
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Few people would go out of their way to care for strangers like them.
Arthur fell silent for a moment.
“Thank you p>
Lyra blinked, then offered a faint smile.
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Cruel words were like nails hammered into timber-painful, and they left lasting marks long after being pulled free. But small kindnesses from others acted as the best remedy she knew.
These little glimmers of warmth were more than enough.
Lyra held up each type of bread so Arthur could pick what he wanted.
Arthur had never been picky about food. What moved him was the genuine consideration she showed them.
He chose one casually.
“This one, thank you p>
Lyra handed over the milk and also left two pieces of candy.
“Hope your day feels brighter p>
This time, she intended to treat everyone fairly.
The window slid shut. Arthur stood quietly where he was, gaze drifting back and forth between the two foil-wrapped sweets and the handwriting on the scrap of paper.
Over at Cell 102, the red viper coiled itself along the small window as it heard the commotion.
Lyra felt an instant chill run down her spine at the sight.
Strange as it was, she had watched countless educational videos documenting creatures like this once. Back then, she’d only seen them as quiet, beautiful, deadly predators.
Yet face-to-face with one now, her body reacted with primal fear regardless.
The viper lifted its upper body, flicking its black tongue in a steady rhythm. Its cold eyes glowed with the dim, endless light of a deep abyss.
Lyra swallowed hard and stepped backward a little.
She knelt beside her pile of supplies, holding up each package in turn to signal it to choose.
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The viper stared down at her for several heartbeats, then shifted its body silently.
Its will mirrored Kyren’s own-the Sentinel did not want any of the bread.
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Lyra peered past the spirit animal into the shadow-dim cell, unable to make out any clear details.
She lifted the milk again.
What about this?
The viper’s tongue flicked more rapidly.
Lyra stretched her hand forward cautiously.
The serpent did not pull away, nor did it hiss or flare in warning.
Even so, fear lingered sharp in her chest.
Every wildlife documentary warned that a raised serpent torso almost always signaled unease, rising anger, or an impending strike.
When she hesitated, the viper extended its body closer.
Lyra jerked her hand back in fright.
A low, magnetic chuckle echoed from inside the cell, as if her startled reaction amused whoever sat within.
Lyra blinked in confusion, watching the viper slowly curl back into position.
Logically, she told herself it would not attack her. They were at least familiar acquaintances
now.
Logic did nothing to calm her nerves, though. She was not willing to gamble on it.
“Kneeling outside my door. Are you begging for scraps p>
Kyren’s calm, taunting voice drifted out.
Lyra’s eyes widened. She snapped back to awareness and pulled on a helpless, grim smile.
She nodded toward the viper, signaling she was far too timid around the creature.
Kyren could see every flicker of her miserable smile through his spirit animal’s senses.
A quiet spark of amusement flickered deep in his eyes as he looked down.
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“It’s growing hungry. If you don’t bring offerings soon, it really might bite p>
Lyra scratched her head awkwardly.
Taking his words at face value, she picked up a meat-stuffed bread roll and a carton of milk, then rose slowly.
She watched the viper’s posture closely as she crept nearer.
Growing impatient with her hesitation, the viper lowered its body and coiled neatly into a heap, resting its head atop its loops.
The sight eased some of Lyra’s anxiety.
She nodded toward it, silently thanking it for cooperating.
Still, she moved carefully; the serpent’s head remained pointed straight at her.
She rarely spoke with Kyren. From what she overheard between him and Draven, he was not as wildly unpredictable as Felix, yet his mood could shift without warning.
Lyra had also noticed a pattern. Whenever she opened the window to hand out food and ask questions at Kyren’s cell, every other Sentinel stayed quiet.
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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.