Purple lightning tore through the night sky, ripping open the heavy, somber firmament. A torrential downpour roared from the heavens, scouring the palace towers and pavilions over and over again.
Interlocking eaves, nestled under sycamore leaves, cast twisted, clawing shadows upon the rising water in the ponds.
Peals of thunder followed one after another, crashing from the horizon until the scalp went numb. The rain, which had persisted for a day and a night, showed no sign of stopping as the sun and moon shifted; instead, it grew even more ferocious.
Chapter 143