Susie crouched beside her, likewise gazing at the smog that had once been so commonplace. "Something's wrong."
Audrey murmured, "Is this why Edward was so anxious for us to leave Backlund? A catastrophe brought about by a High Sequence Demoness..."
"Susie, where are Mom and Dad?"
Susie wagged her tail. "They should be in the dining room. It's teatime now."
"Let's go."
Audrey hurried out of the room and headed straight for the dining room. Along the way, she saw the household maids and servants looking at the distant fog in surprise, quietly discussing how those damned factories were making Backlund's air worse and worse.
Just then, a scream rang out. It was her mother's voice. "Hibbert, what are you doing? Oh, Hibbert!"
Audrey immediately put everything else aside and Apparated into the dining room. Her brother Hibbert stood beside their father, holding a dagger. The blood that had sprayed out stained his body, face, and clothes red, and he wore a strange smile.
Earl Hall sat at the dining table, clutching his throat tightly with both hands in terror and disbelief. Crimson blood kept seeping between his fingers.
There were also four or five wounds in his chest, blood gushing from them like a fountain.
Several maids stood scattered around them in terror, all frightened out of their wits.
Only the head maid, Annie, was quietly picking up a stool, seemingly about to charge at Hibbert and fight him to the death.
Seeing Audrey suddenly appear, she hurriedly shouted, "Miss, run! Young Master Hibbert has gone mad!"
Audrey's heart lurched, and she shouted, "Hibbert!"
As though he had not heard her at all, Hibbert swung the dagger at Earl Hall again.
"Ah!"
But the next second, Audrey unleashed Intimidation and Frenzy simultaneously. Hibbert immediately fell into confusion, dropped the