Chapter 25: The New Nightmare
Silence reclaimed Penitentiary-18 as the chaos subsided. Prisoners groaned to their feet, guided by the hydraulic hiss of Cyber-Wardens now marshaling the yard. Like worker ants under a steel sky, inmates began righting overturned tables and scrubbing away the remnants of violence. Near the mess hall entrance, Kuo Hu sat cross-legged on the concrete floor, eyes closed as if in deep meditation. Silas Locke surveyed the litter of spent rubber rounds and snorted. "Gods brawl, mortals bleed. The fighters walk away unscathed, while bystanders take the hits." He called out to the giant, "Thought you were some merciful saint out in the Wastes, Kuo Hu? What about these 'collateral damages'?" Kuo Hu didn’t bother opening his eyes. "Talking about innocence? In this pit? Every soul here’s earned th
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