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The storm grew fiercer, and with every flash of lightning, Stone's face disappeared into the darkness, only to be suddenly illuminated again. Outside, the sound of a torrent erupted from the clifftops, the muddy deluge sweeping away trees and leaving the forest animals with no escape from disaster. Ice-cold rain pelted the glass with a terrifyingly loud impact, as if in the next moment, the droplets would transform into hailstones, shattering the glass and bringing the chill into the corridors.
In such weather, sleep was utterly impossible.
In her room, Lily curled up in bed, unable to sleep. Ever since she had learned of Gaude's death, Lily had been filled with fear. She couldn't control the trembling sensation, her inner terror magnified to the point that she couldn't even think clearly.
Boom—