626. Speechcraft Level

The storm grew fiercer. With each flash of lightning, Stone's face vanished into darkness, then suddenly emerged again. Outside the window, the sound of a torrent burst from the cliffs. The murky floodwater scoured the trees, leaving the animals in the forest with little chance of escaping the calamity. Cold rain hammered against the glass with terrifying force, as though the droplets might turn into hail the next moment, shatter the window, and bring the chill into the corridor.

There was no way anyone could sleep in weather like this.

In the room, Lily curled up on the bed. She had not fallen asleep. Ever since learning of Gaud's death, Lily had been terrified. She could not control the trembling that seized her, and the fear in her heart had been magnified infinitely, leaving her unable even to think clearly.

Rumble--

A bolt of lightning exploded across the sky. Lily hurriedly covered her ears and curled into a ball. Her throat felt dry and nauseated, while something in her stomach seemed almost alive, as though it wanted to crawl out of her mouth.

Forcing down the urge to vomit, Lily's eyes were bloodshot and her muscles spasmed. Fear had even made her unable to feel the pain.

Knock, knock, knock--

Someone was knocking outside the door. Lily could not hear it at all. She only wanted to find a hole to hide in on this night of raging wind and rain.

Knock, knock, knock--

The knocking continued, accompanied by faint calls.

Those calls entered Lily's ears and turned into whispered murmurs.

"They're going to kill you. You're a threat to them. Think of Gaud—they're capable of it!"

"No one from the Browning family is any good. Remember how you ended up like this. You should have had a better future."