Page 111 of Galactic Sentinels: Vol 2
He turns to the crowd like some kind of ringmaster.
“Tonight, my friends, we’re going to play a little game. Here’s how it works: for every scream one of these two lets out”—he points to us—“she gets shocked.”
He grins wider. “Place your bets, friends! Fifty credits per round!”
Two guards flank Sam and force her to kneel.
She tries to resist, but they hold her down. Her worried eyes find mine, then Noviosk’s.
Let’s see how much that so-called friend of hers actually cares. He made it clear that his own interests always come first. That he only watched over her out of gratitude.
And now? Now I’m afraid he won’t lift a finger to spare her what’s coming.
At a signal from one of his men, Danuk steps toward Noviosk.
The first hit comes without warning.
A sharp crack, a flash of blue, and a sizzling sound.
Noviosk jerks, his jaws clenched tight—so tight they might snap.
But he doesn’t make a sound.
Sam, though, lets out a strangled cry, recoiling violently.
Danuk turns to me, beaming.
“One point for the Srebat. Your turn, Human.”
The whip hisses through the air, its bluish ribbon almost hypnotic.
The impact knocks the wind out of me.
A searing pain shoots through my chest, like my muscles are being twisted under my skin. The scream rises in my throat—but I swallow it down. I’m shaking, but I don’t cry out.
“Yikes. That stings,” I say a few seconds later, trying to sound casual.
Danuk raises an eyebrow. He clearly wasn’t expecting a comeback. After the brutal day we’ve had under the blazing sun, he probably thought I’d fold.
Guess he doesn’t know Galactic Sentinel training… or how stubborn I can be.
“Oh ho!” he laughs. “Tougher than I thought. But how long can you last? Ten lashes? Twenty? Thirty?
Take all the time you need—works in my favor.”
“You’re confusing power with cruelty,” Noviosk growls. “A Srebat is proud and strong. Ruthless when needed. But this? This is just pointless brutality.”
“Oh, but it’s not pointless,” Danuk replies with a grin. “Every round resets the bets. Your pain is making me richer!”
He raises the whip again.
His twisted little game is just beginning.
The third blow lands on Noviosk.
He stumbles, muscles twitching, eyes shut, jaw locked. Not a peep.I feel a strange relief. He cares about Sam more than he lets on. In theory, her fate shouldn’t affect him… but his actions tell a different story.
I glance at Sam. Still kneeling, she’s sobbing silently.
