Chapter 78
Chapter 78 The Spirit Animal Barrier
A flash of red cut across her vision.
Finished
A graceful, gorgeous red betta and the dhole surged forward from opposite sides. One sank its teeth into Felix’s arm, while the other aimed the sharp spines along its fin straight at Felix inside the cell.
Driven by a Sentinel’s instinct to evade danger, Felix lurched backward.
The dhole’s fangs still raked deep, lengthy gashes across his forearm: Droplets of blood welled and spilled onto the floor.
He released his grip abruptly. Lyra stumbled backward under the momentum, nearly collapsing onto the ground.
In that same instant, a pale shape darted swiftly through the window.
After several quick bounds, it reached her in time and caught her weight.
Still shaken to her core, Lyra sank against its soft fur.
She turned her head and met the lynx’s steady gaze. Its usual pale, distant eyes now held quiet, reassuring calm.
When she leaned into its body, its short bushy tail twitched gently.
The orca arrived a moment later. It kept its form compact instead of shifting into its massive full size, hovering above her head. Its cool side fin brushed lightly against her crown, a quiet gesture meant to soothe the girl who had nearly been harmed.
Once Lyra was out of danger, the dhole and the red betta closed in, circling around her.
Several distinct spirit animals huddled around her, forming an impenetrable protective ring.
Seeing this, Lyra’s eyes stung.
Panic tangled with overwhelming gratitude, and tears spilled free before she could hold them back.
The red betta shrank down to a tiny form and swam up to her face. It brushed her cheeks clumsily with its soft tail, trying to wipe away her tears.
Their gentle kindness only made Lyra cry harder.
A warm weight touched her chin-the dhole was licking her skin.
Above them, the far larger orca could not squeeze into the tight space even in its reduced shape. It let out low, echoing calls and continued patting the top of her head in comfort.
The lynx felt the girl trembling and stayed perfectly still, acting as a solid furry wall for her to lean on.
Inside Cell 120, Felix stared at the pale, weeping girl sheltered tenderly among the spirit animals.
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Chapter 78-fre Spirit Animal Barrier
Sharp remorse crashed over him.
Finished
But the feeling faded fase Agony and restless fury flooded his mind, threatening to tear him apart.
Felix clutched his head hard. The crimson haze in his eyes darkened further.
His vision warped and swirled. The sight of Lyra crying helplessly, mixed with the scent of fresh blood, assaulted his senses relentlessly.
The pain spread through every limb. His sight blurred, dizziness washing over him, and he crumpled weakly to the floor.
Outside the cell, Draven and the others spoke soft words to calm Lyra.
“You’re safe now. Don’t be afraid p>
Cedric’s ferret darted out like a wisp of white magic. It hopped over to Lyra, stood upright on its lithe white body, and tilted its head, scanning her anxiously for injury.
Thud.
A clatter of metal echoed as a dark green crocodile covered in tough scales smashed through the window and scrambled out in frantic haste.
Traveling between the first and second floors required the lift, which the spirit animals could not operate. The crocodile lacked the ferret’s agility, so it had taken a shortcut-leaping straight over the second-floor railing and landing heavily below.
Lyra flinched at the noise. She looked down to see the dog-sized crocodile scurrying toward her on stubby limbs.
She had never seen one so small. Like the red betta, it must have shrunk its form to move freely.
“You weren’t hurt, were you p>
Harlan’s gravelly voice drifted down from the second floor.
Knowing this was his spirit animal, Lyra was not so afraid.
She nodded and brushed the moisture from her cheeks.
When the crocodile reached her, she stroked the top of its long snout to show her thanks.
The crocodile froze. Its milky nictitating membrane flickered across its eyes, and it stood there dumbfounded, jaws hanging slightly open.
Lyra’s legs still shook as she stood upright.
Marcel suggested, “Talk to Hadrien. A man like this belongs on the third floor long before something worse happens.
“He can stomach raw meat all the same anyway p>
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Chapter 78-7fre Spirit Animal Barrier
The cells fell silent at those words.
The air hung heavy for a heartbeat.
The surrounding spirit animals watched Lyra with obvious concern.
Lyra bowed her head without speaking.
The red betta swam into her line of sight, round eyes wide and innocent.
Finished
Her eyes were ringed red from crying, streaked with smudged leftover tears; she looked utterly pitiful.
After a long pause, Lyra slowly lifted her gaze toward Cell 120.
Felix was no longer visible through the window.
She stepped forward, intending to approach, yet the dhole caught the hem of her trousers and shook its head gently, holding her back.
The red betta flicked its tail, swam over to the fallen meal tray, and pushed it back toward her with its head.
Then it shook its body toward Lyra, as if to say: Don’t give him food.
This childish behavior would normally have made Lyra smile, but right now, she could not.
The orca floating above her drifted to the Cell 120 window and peered inside.
Shortly after, Rhys’ voice rang out.
“Speak to Hadrien. Move him either to the second floor or straight up to the third p>
Lyra stiffened upon hearing this.
Ignoring the others’ attempts to stop her, she walked straight to the iron door.
Felix lay on the floor with his eyes tightly shut, his face pale, his condition unknown.
Yet Lyra spotted something strange. Thick black feathers poked out from the collar of his uniform around his neck.
Where his arm had been, long dark plumes had sprouted in its place.
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Feral Sentiaefs Obey Only Her
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.