Chapter 94
A
Chapter 94 A Hairline Fracture
As the doctor reached to slide the cell window shut, Lyra pushed herself unsteadily to her feet, lear heavily on her cane. She bowed deeply and sincerely toward every Sentinel watching from their ce
Arthur frowned softly. “There’s no need for that. Sit back down and rest p>
“Seriously,” Rhys added, his tone warm with concern. “They only helped so you could get to the me wing faster. Don’t go hurting yourself worse p>
Cedric spoke gently. “You’ve always looked out for all of us. We’re just returning the favor however No thanks needed p>
Harlan advised warmly, “Good girl, stop moving around p>
Lyra bit her lip, holding back the sting in her nose, and nodded with emotion.
“Ah p>
The doctor moved to close the window of Cell 221, but a crow suddenly darted out of the opening, startling him badly.
Lyra’s eyes widened in equal surprise.
The crow locked its gaze on her and flew straight toward her.
Yet an invisible force seemed to tether it in place, yanking it to an abrupt halt just a few feet away, as if bound by an unseen cord.
It let out a pained, ragged cry.
Lyra’s heart lurched with worry. She hobbled forward slowly on her cane, desperate to reach it.
The crow stumbled back to its feet, letting out one distressed call after another as it dragged itself towar the closest point it could reach her.
“Lyra, watch your ankle-” Arthur called out in warning, the other Sentinels voicing their disapproval as well.
Ignoring their concerns, Lyra limped the rest of the way and carefully gathered the crow into her arms, holding it like she’d recovered something precious she’d lost.
She offered the watching Sentinels a faint, reassuring smile, silently telling them she was alright.
The crow nestled into her embrace like a long-lost companion, burying its head firmly in the crook of hex neck, clinging to her with obvious sorrow and reluctance.
Lyra stroked its stiff, rugged wing feathers gently, noticing multiple fresh wounds across its body.
No wonder its flight had looked so strained and unnatural earlier.
It had probably been hurt while resisting during the examination.
A wave of guilt crashed over Lyra, her eyes gradually glistening with tears.
A heavy, tender silence fell over all the cells as they watched the heartfelt scene unfold.
Still cradling the crow, Lyra lifted her gaze toward Cell 221’s window.
The space was empty, no sign of Felix at all.
Her shoulders slumped with quiet disappointment.
She held the crow close for a long, quiet moment of mutual comfort.
Eventually, the small bird lifted its head on its own, its dark eyes glistening wetly.
Lyra brushed a light finger across its cheek.
The crow stretched its neck and nuzzled the familiar spot on her neck one last time. Then it pulled free from her arms, glanced back once with lingering reluctance, and flew straight back into Cell 21 without hesitation.
Her arms felt empty, and so did her chest.
Lyra stared blankly at the distant cell window, overcome with quiet melancholy.
The doctor’s mood had sobered significantly after witnessing the tender moment, but he kept his tor steady and rational. “It’s time to go p>
Lyra’s eyelashes fluttered. She nodded slowly.
Above all else, she could not bear to watch any living creature fade away too soon.
Especially not this crow, which had always been so gentle and loyal toward her.
Felix’s contamination levels had spiked drastically because of her, pushing him closer to the brink of collapse and death.
If both Felix and his crow perished because of her, Lyra would carry that guilt forever.
She had asked before. The Sentinels on the first floor, if their conditions stayed stable, could last at least about a year.
But on the second floor, it could be months, days, hours… anything could happen at any time.
After stowing all supplies away, the doctor hurried back to Lyra’s side and helped her toward the medical wing for a thorough examination.
Lyra thought he was overreacting completely.
Back on Earth, she’d sprained her ankle countless times through carelessness, always recovering fully within a few days.
Yet the test results proved how wrong she’d been.
“You’ve got a hairline fracture!” the doctor said sharply, staring at her in disbelief. “How could y this off like it’s nothing?
Lyra leaned in closer, utterly confused.
The medical technology here operated far differently from what she was used to, and she couldn sense of the scan readings at all.
Seeing her blatant disbelief, the doctor let out an exasperated, amused huff
“Why would I lie to you? Do I get a bonus for forcing you to admit you’re hurt and check in p>
The usually timid doctor suddenly gained confidence, his tone far firmer than it had been back in block.
Lyra shrank back slightly, shaking her head guiltily.
Still confused, she wrote a quiet question.
“How did a simple fall cause something this serious p>
The doctor fixed her with a stern look and launched into a firm scolding.
“What, do you think you’re built like reinforced armor?
“You’re so slender, there’s barely anything but thin muscle and skin covering your bones.
“You fell down multiple stair steps with zero cushioning at all.
“And you still refused to rest! You kept walking around like nothing was wrong. If you keep this up, the fracture will heal improperly, and you’ll be stuck with permanent chronic pain for the rest of your life p>
Lyra fell completely silent, unable to argue with his reasoning.
The doctor treated her injury thoroughly afterward and completed her inpatient admission paperwork.
Lyra stared down at her heavily bandaged right foot, then wrote a hesitant request. “Can I stay in the room next to Jessa p>
The doctor shot her a cold look. “You still want to go visiting while you’re hospitalized?
“You’re stuck on bed rest for at least seven or eight days. No exceptions p>
Lyra didn’t dare push for more favors.
Now firmly in his professional element, the doctor was unshakably assertive.
He fussed over every detail of her condition, lecturing her thoroughly from head to toe about proper rest and recovery.
Before leaving her hospital room, he left one final strict reminder. “Only I’m allowed to change your bandages. Don’t let anyone else touch your injury.
“Do you understand p>
Lyra’s heart tightened slightly. She nodded quietly in acknowledgment
It was her first time staying in the Black Spire medical ward, and she couldn’t help feeling curious a the unfamiliar equipment/surrounding her.
She studied every button and switch, quietly guessing their functions without daring to touch anyth
But boredom settled in quickly as she lay alone in the sterile room.
Staring blankly at the plain white walls, Lyra’s mind began to wander, spiraling into quiet thought.
576
B
12:39 pm
Feral Sentinels Obey Only Her
Chapter 97 Seeds of Curiosity
“People like Rook-would there be fewer of them?
“He grew up on a Grade-four planet. He never got the same moral and legal education we received.
“So why do we demand he grow into the person we want him to be p>
Finis
These were the most words Lyra had written at one stretch, outside of official assessments. Her wrist ac once she finished.
Hadrien read over her notes like an examiner grading a test.
She slid each sheet toward him as soon as she filled it out.
Only after she stopped writing did he reach the final page.
Lyra rolled her sore wrists, then froze at a low, soft chuckle.
The sound rumbled pleasantly, sending a faint tingle through her ears.
She glanced over in confusion.
Hadrien tilted his head, studying the handwriting in his hands.
The script grew messy toward the end, proof that she had grown urgent and impassioned as she wrote.
He had assumed earlier that when she nodded after hearing Rook’s history, she was merely stubborn, refusing to back down to save face.
Instead, she had cut straight through to the core of the problem.
A flicker of admiration stirred in his gaze.
Still, two doubts lingered in his mind.
First, her naive, boundless compassion.
She believed men entrenched in lifelong brutality could fully change with time.
Second, his mounting curiosity about her origins.
No world on the fringes of Hophrin raised someone so untainted and pure.
Hadrien turned his head to look at her.
Lyra sat quietly on the bunk. Her jaw-length short hair framed her small face, making her look even more delicate. Her clear eyes were unclouded, gentle and harmless, like the plush dolls girls often kept beside
their beds.
Her emotions were plain to read at a glance.
Chapter 97-Seeds of Curiosity
Worry suftened her features whenever she spoke of Sentinels in need.
When questions turned to her own past, she instinctively dropped her gaze and shied away.
Faced with things she failed to understand, she lifted her brows slightly, eyes widening with innoce confusion.
Logically, a person with such an unguarded mind left little room for speculation. Her expressions r everything.
Yet caution stopped him from tearing down that thin barrier between them.
Until
every truth came to light, nothing could be taken for granted.
Even so, without his own awareness, his inner scale was slowly tipping toward Lyra.
His mind crafted convenient excuses to explain his thoughts and actions.
She was only a vulnerable, lonely girl. If she was being manipulated by someone, it would not be by choice.
The moment he learned she held Guide potential, his first thought had been securing loyal, protectiv Sentinels for her.
With powerful guardians at her side, no one could coerce her anymore.
Outwardly, he maintained his usual formal, impartial demeanor.
“Rest well. I will take my leave p>
Hadrien might not even realize it himself, but a seed tangled of pity and quiet curiosity had sprouted inside him, growing unseen.
Fine roots spread through his veins, destined to sink deep within his heart.
From suspicion sprouted understanding; understanding bloomed into empathy; and empathy would ripen into the urge to protect.
Early the next morning, the cell block doors slammed open. Heavy footsteps echoed deliberately down the corridor.
Several Sentinels used to sleeping in grumbled irritably.
“What’s this? Someone come chasing debts at dawn p>
Draven laughed. “We get free meals and lodging here. Might be we owe something after all p>
Marcel sounded sharp with impatience. “Owe them? Who’s going to give me back all those wasted years of my youth p>
Lucian replied, “Youthful restlessness, huh? The Greywarden feeds on that. Go take it up with it p>
The Greywarden, a type of psychic monster, often appeared in lively, celebratory places.
he sank into quiet
Outside the hospital room, the doctor crossed paths with the nurse assigned to care for Jess She eyed him curiously, wondering which patient warranted his personal, hands-on care. She’d tried to peek inside the room as she passed, but the door remained tightly shut, blockin She memorized the room number, planning to come back and check later when she had the
Back inside the ward, Lyra stole repeated sideways glances at the silent man standing in her roc
Hadrien’s tall, imposing frame dominated the space. His sheer presence felt overwhelming, and shoulders blocked most of the natural light streaming through the window.
“Cough… cough p>
She faked a light cough to break the heavy silence.
Hadrien’s gaze landed on her face in an instant.
“Does it hurt p>
Lyra shook her head, her eyes downcast.
She pulled a notepad and pen out from under her pillow and jotted down a question.
“Do you have something to discuss with me p>
Hadrien glanced at the closed door behind them.
“I assumed you had questions for me p>
Lyra fell momentarily speechless.
She’d thought he was lingering because he had something important to say.
But outright saying she had no questions now felt like rudely dismissing him.
She decided to voice the doubt that had been lingering in her mind.
“Earlier, you said you would take care of Building Three personally. Is that correct p>
“Yes,” Hadrien replied simply.
Lyra’s eyes widened in surprise. Her intuition had been right after all.
“You have countless important responsibilities. Why take the time to handle such trivial, routine work yourself p>
She tilted her head up to look at him, clearly confused.
palled over a nearby chair and sat down beside the bed
“It is not trivial p>
He added in a quieter tone “And you don’t need to speak so formally with me p>
The overly respectful tone she used felt jarring and unnatural to his ears.
“I need to recollect updated contamination readings for all Sentinels soon,” he explained. “It’s to take care of this now p>
Lyra stared at him silently, inwardly skeptical.
Convenient how?
He’d been completely swamped with work and nowhere to be found today.
Hadrien paid no mind to her silent inner complaints. His decision was fully calculated.
By tracking recent contamination fluctuations, he could map out exactly which Sentinels Lyra had interacting closely with-and more importantly, which Sentinels were actively seeking her out.
He planned to run full background checks on every single one, verifying they had no ties to Core P political factions.
He would analyze every detail of her interactions with the Sentinels to confirm she held no hidden ulterior motives p>
Additionally, stepping back from strict oversight for a few days would give the hidden watchers lurkin the shadows room to move.
It was the perfect chance to lure them into revealing more of their traces.
A strategy with multiple advantages.
Lyra rolled her eyes subtly, her mind racing with suspicion.
This sudden, uncharacteristic kindness felt far too deliberate. Was he simply using this as an excuse to investigate her?
“Mr. Vale, cell block attendant work is tedious and low-level. You have far more critical duties to attend to. Could you assign this work to someone else p>
After reading her note, Hadrien replied flatly, “There is no one else available p>
Lyra froze in shock.
“All unqualified attendants have been dismissed recently,” Hadrien elaborated. “There are no spare staff members to fill the position right now p>
576-
Feral Sentinels Obey Only Her
Chapter 96 The Caterpillar’s Truth
Lyra’s brows lifted faintly.
So that explained all the recent inspections and assessments. Major reforms were on the way.
She wholeheartedly supported the initiative.
Still, cutting staff before backup candidates were fined
up
felt risky.
FM
Hadrien noticed her silence. “Do you have further questions p>
Lyra lifted her gaze, thought for a moment, then nodded.
“Mr. Wale, I wanted to ask-for Sentinels like Rook and Felix who slip into partial feral states so severel they can no longer feed themselves properly. Is there anything we can do to help them p>
Hadrien’s gaze paused as he read the words scrawled across the slip of paper.
He turned toward Lyra. “To you, what are these Sentinels you barely know p>
He leaned back slightly, long legs crossed, the paper resting loosely upon his thigh. The natural weight. authority rolled off him in waves.
The question confused Lyra at first.
What did that have to do with what she’d just asked?
She scribbled her reply quickly, her expression steady and unguarded.
“They are lives.
“Every one of us is just another living being adrift in the vast cosmos, Sentinel or ordinary person like my If someone needs help and I am capable of giving it… I will. It costs so little.
“Beyond that, I hold deep respect for soldiers who defend peace with their lives p>
Sincerity shone clearly on Lyra’s face.
Hadrien fell quiet for a beat.
Through the face shield, the young woman on the medical bunk showed no trace of evasion or deceit. Her eyes were clear enough to lay bare her heart.
A strange flicker of amusement stirred in him.
He had asked similar questions before. He was wasting his breath now.
“Is this merely an idealization of their occupation p>
Lyra wrote her answer straight away.
“Courage to step forward even when danger leoms is rare. That alone commands respect p>
Hadrien tapped the stack of growing notes idly between his fingers.
“Not every person lives up to the image you hold in your mind p>
Lyra tilted her head.
“Take Rook, for example. He was never recruited from a formal military academy. He started out on a Grade-four planet-constant brawls, theft, armed robbery. Hardly a crime he didn’t commit.
“If full-scale war hadn’t erupted across multiple regions on Hophrin, demanding endless troops fc frontlines, a rogue newly awakened Sentinel like him would have been locked away and executed]
“Even within the military, he followed no rules. Ignored orders constantly, stirred up trouble time again. Once the fighting died down, he served no purpose and only brought chaos. They shipped h straight to Black Spire.
“Do you still believe he deserves your respect p>
Lyra did not answer immediately.
She weighed Hadrien’s words, picking up on the sharp cynicism in his tone. It dawned on her that th civilization bore countless flaws.
According to records she had read, Hophrin was far more advanced than the surrounding worlds.
Yet beneath its banner of neutralizing threats, it waged wars to seize resources from neighboring plan
After wiping out the interstellar monsters, it would take the devastated planet into its possession.
Hophrin expanded steadily, evolving into a star system orbited by dozens of planets.
The original Hophrin planet became known as Core Prime.
Conquered worlds were categorized by distance: Grade-one, Grade-two, and so on.
The farther a planet sat from Core Prime, the more isolated, impoverished, and brutalits societies grew
The boundary at Grade-three worlds formed the isolation belt.
Within the isolation belt lived privileged citizens with access to education, welfare, and stable livelihood: alongside ordinary hardworking civilians.
Beyond the isolation belt were slum populations scraping by to survive, limited development, and rampant crime.
These outer territories were also the most vulnerable to incursions by psychic monsters.
When the military needed disposable foot soldiers, they recruited men like Rook.
Once they deemed him “beyond saving,” they discarded him here without a second thought.
Chapter 96-the Caterpillar’s Truth
Humans of Hophrin cast people aside like broken tools.
It laid bare their arrogance and selfishness.
Lyra met Hadrien’s gaze and nodded firmly.
Surprise colored Hadrien’s voice. “Even knowing all of this, you still respect him p>
Lyra nodded again.
Hadrien frowned. “Why p>
After processing everything he had told her, along with scattered facts she had uncovered indepen Lyra’s focus did not settle on Rook’s past misdeeds.
All she could picture was a person hardened by harsh circumstances, raising his defenses simply to alive.
Wrong actions could be amended, yet the resolve was far harder to sustain.
She paused, then wrote, “Mr. Vale, have you ever seen caterpillars p>
Hadrien blinked. “Pardon p>
“Caterpillars are ugly in their larval stage. They devour plant leaves, sustaining themselves by consum other life.
“Once they mature, they become critical pollinators that help flora bear fruit. Beyond that, their brief add color to the wilds and provide sustenance for countless other creatures.
“From the plant’s perspective, the caterpillar is a pest. From the perspective of predators and plants tha need pollination, it is indispensable.
“Rook has committed terrible mistakes, yet he fought bravely on the battlefield. I do not know how to judge him fairly.
“But what if Hophrin had never seized other planets by force? What if they had not stretched their reach so far they could not govern every territory, creating this stratified system where nearly all resources rés in the hands of a tiny elite p>
576
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.