Listening to Sophie, the tension in the air grew thicker by the second.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Sophie? Breaking ribs? Cutting off fingers?


    "Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on!"


    Robert, who wasn''t exactly the bravest soul, jumped in as soon as he grasped what these folks were nning for Spencer. "Come on, man, say something! The Silent Shadows aren''t your mom and dad. When things have hit the fan, have they ever really been there for us? Don''t be a fool! It''s your life that''s on the line!"


    Sophie knew boys their age often fantasized about being the heroes of the world.


    But really, how many heroes does the world need?


    When you''re staring down the barrel of life and death, your body kicks into gear long before your brain does.


    Clenching his jaw, Spencer shot back, "The Silent Shadows is a noble church poised to push humanity forward! I''ll never turn my back on my beliefs!"


    "Sophie, you''re wasting your breath on this kid. His head''spletely twisted!" Jenna''s frustration was palpable.


    It was like watching a starry-eyed teenager wave around the enemy''s g, chanting about world peace.


    "Faith? Do you even know what that means?" Sophie stepped up to Spencer, her voice steely. "Do you have any idea how many lives The Silent Shadows have wrecked? Have you seen it happen? A church for humanity''s progress? That''s just the line fed to you gullible kids. You can''t see the damage they''re doing to society! Do you know how many innocent people have suffered because of The Silent Shadows? They tell you to kill, and you just do


    it? That''s naive!"


    "Would a truly noble church ask a kid like you to do their dirty work? They''re just using you to spread their twisted beliefs! When pushes to shove, they''d dly have you sacrifice yourself, brainwashing you into thinking it''s some monumental service to mankind."


    Sophie poked Spencer''s forehead,


    driving her point home. "All those


    years in school, and for what? Did all that learning@ust vanish into thin air? ck market organ deals-where do you think those organse from? They''re from people! What kind of people, you ask? You can''t seriously think they''re all willing donors, can you? Do you have any clue how many lives a ck market like that destroys? How many families are ripped apart? Would you want your future daughter to be snatched off the street, limbs severed, organs harvested while she''s still breathing?"


    Spencer''s face paled, the reality sinking in.


    "Understand this: all those so-called benefits are just for the rich, handed out by The Silent Shadows. Their so-called progress only serves the wealthy Do you really think a kid from your background could fit into The Silent Shadows? Wake up. Once they''ve used you up, they''ll have no qualms about silencing you for good."


    Robert stood there, dumbfounded.


    The Walsh family was well-off in Summerfield, with a business pulling in millions each year. But they''d never brushed against the shadows Sophie was talking about.


    Maybe it wasn''t that the Walsh family couldn''t touch it; maybe they just hadn''t had the chance yet.


    "Elliott got what wasing to him. He''s ruined countless lives; his end was fitting. But it shouldn''t have been you, just a kid, handling it. You''re not delivering justice; you''re being yed. Take him out, and you''ll be the one to pay the price." Jenna chimed in, "Sophie, save your breath. Colby''s got more than enough tricks up his sleeve to get them talking."