So she took a deep breath. "Alright, Stella, let’s not talk about this now. At the end of the day, we’re both still alive, and that’s a very good thing."

She wanted to step forward and take her hand, but after just a few paces, she remembered how Stella had backed away from her earlier, so she stopped.

"Claire Xavier is still injured and needs looking after, so I’ll get going. We can talk later!"

With that, Lydia Magnus turned and left quickly. She was afraid that if she stayed any longer, she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from asking more questions, and it would just lead to a fight.

Watching Lydia’s dejected figure retreat, Stella Sterling didn’t try to stop her.

’Now that some things are out in the open, it’s actually a relief.’

She knew the other woman had a lot of questions, but that didn’t matter anymore.

’It’s better to let her think our relationship has faded. Eventually, she’ll come to accept it.’

It was still early. Although it was only around four or five in the afternoon, the sky had already grown completely dark.

Even from inside the ship, Stella Sterling could feel the current quickening again.

She took out a book.

RUMBLE!

Another deafening clap of thunder echoed as the ship lurched violently, extinguishing the candle she had lit earlier.

She went over to relight the candle, but a gust of wind immediately blew it out again.

A fierce wind began to howl even inside her room, sending things clattering. Lighter objects were lifted into the air, only to crash back down onto the floor.

She immediately grabbed onto something nearby to steady herself.

AHHHH!

Screams rang out from outside, one after another, punctuated by the sharp crash of objects hitting the floor and the dull thud of heavier things toppling over.

Tonight was not just a thunderstorm with flashes of lightning; a gale-force wind had also kicked up.

The transport ship was thrown off balance on the water’s surface by the wind.

"Everyone, stay calm! Don’t run around, or you’ll cause a stampede!"

"Everyone, stay put! Do your best to keep your balance."

The voices of Meridia Base members rang out, trying to maintain order.

Their voices managed to soothe some of the passengers, helping them calm down.

But it was only a few.

In the pitch-black darkness, a sense of fear and helplessness had already taken root. Now, with the ship shaking violently and no one knowing what was happening, the terror of death left them feeling suffocated and desperate.

Their survival instinct screamed at them to do *something*.

Some people even tried to run out onto the deck, bumping into many others in their chaotic scramble.

Others lost their balance and were lifted off their feet by the wind, only to be pulled back down by those nearby, falling hard onto the floor.

With one incident after another, and the ship rocking more and more violently, even those who had remained relatively calm could no longer keep their composure.

No matter how loudly the base members shouted, it was useless. In such a violent storm, even they could barely look after themselves.

The wind was so powerful that even inside her room, Stella Sterling struggled to stay on her feet. She grabbed onto a nearby object for support, but the wind promptly ripped it from its place.

She staggered, and if not for her solid footing, she would have been slammed against the wall by the force of the wind.

The small pieces of furniture in the room began to "dance" in the gale, and some objects flew past, grazing her cheek.

She decisively pulled a helmet from her personal space and put it on. She then retrieved and donned an isolation suit. Once prepared, she headed outside to assess the situation.

She hadn’t expected her room’s door to be so flimsy, however. It broke free in the gale and came flying straight at her.

It was moving too fast to dodge. At the critical moment, she launched a kick and followed up with a powerful punch.

Her fist punched a hole straight through the small metal door, knocking it aside. She steadied herself and walked out.

Outside was absolute chaos. It was unclear if they were being blown by the wind or just running blindly in a panic, but as soon as her door was gone, a crowd of people surged in her direction.

She carefully avoided them and moved quickly toward the outside.

A single glance outside revealed a sky that looked as if a hole had been torn in it. Rain poured down in relentless sheets as bolt after bolt of lightning struck down from above.

Each bolt was accompanied by an explosive crack, as if trying to tear the very heavens apart.

Enormous waves crashed over the ship, one after another.

This made the ship, already battered and teetering in the wind, even more unstable.

By now, a significant amount of water had already flooded the ship, including the cargo hold. If this kept up, the vessel would sink even if it didn’t capsize.

Stella Sterling saw Ethan Young organizing people to rescue passengers and save the ship. Louis Grant was there helping him.

As for the injured Basil Xavier, he was standing in a corner, his face pale, desperately clinging to something behind him for support.

A member of Meridia Base stood guard, staying firmly by his side.

As for the others on the ship, some had found a relatively safe spot and were frozen in place, too scared to move. Others were just running around in a panic.

Debris whipped up by the wind would periodically slam into people, and some were lifted right off their feet by the gale.

The lucky ones were caught by others or managed to grab onto something the moment they were knocked over.

But some were blown completely overboard.

A ceaseless barrage of screams filled the air.

The wind had come on so suddenly that no one had been prepared.

However, after the initial panic, many people quickly calmed themselves and focused on keeping their balance. Those with energy to spare joined the rescue effort, and some began using whatever tools they could find to bail water.

Another group, under Ethan Young’s command, was trying to figure out a way to stabilize the ship.

Everyone was fighting for their own survival. They knew full well that if anything happened to the ship, none of them would make it out alive.

After all, they had left Mirefall behind. There were no tall buildings, nothing but water in every direction. The chances of surviving a fall overboard were slim to none.

"Ah, my child—"

"Mama, save me!"

A woman’s desperate shriek pierced the air, followed by the terrified cry of a little girl.

A mother had been holding tight to her daughter’s hand, huddled with several others in one spot. But when a sudden, powerful gust of wind made the ship lurch, the mother stumbled. She lost her grip on her daughter’s hand, and the little girl was swept away by the wind.

"Save her! Please, save my daughter!"

She screamed in despair, lunging in the girl’s direction. But she lost her balance and fell heavily to the floor. The people around her wanted to help, but the moment they tried to move, they too were thrown off balance. Terrified, they immediately shrank back, gripping tightly onto anything they could reach.

The mother closed her eyes in utter despair, unable to bear watching any longer as tears streamed down her face.

"Hold on tight! Don’t let go again!"

Just then, a crisp, clear female voice sounded in her ear.