Boom!
A silver-white bolt of lightning suddenly fell from the sky, striking a roadside tree beside Fountain Square and erupting in a burst of silver light.
The tree immediately caught fire, large sections of its branches blown away, turning it into a massive torch.
Inside the prayer room.
Leon flashed to the window, pulled back the curtains, and saw the burning roadside tree.
His expression turned grave as he looked up and saw thick clouds had somehow gathered above the town, lightning flickering between them.
Then another bolt of lightning descended, this time striking the sloped roof of a nearby house and blasting it apart in a shower of debris.
Cries of alarm rang out from inside as the residents fled in panic.
More and more bolts of lightning fell upon the town.
Trees, houses, lamp posts, even people—all became targets of the lightning.
Trees across the town caught fire, houses shattered, lamp posts crackled with electricity, and people wept and screamed as though the Apocalypse had arrived.
Leon strode toward Mord, seized the middle-aged man's collar, and demanded, "What exactly did you do?"
Mord remained silent.
No matter how Leon questioned him, he refused to say a word.
At that moment, the door opened, and the priest who had lived in the town for many years walked in.
The elderly priest sighed. "Mord, I know you don't want to destroy this town."
"You only wanted it to become better."
"But now, if you don't do something, this town will become history."
"Think of Joanna. She wouldn't want you to do this."
Mord immediately became agitated. "Don't mention my wife!"
"If she hadn't tried to stop those bastards from dumping garbage into the sea, she wouldn't have fallen into the water, gotten tangled in fishing nets, and drowned!"
"As much