Nocticadia

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of illness, death, child death, sexual violence and harassment, child abuse, gender discrimination, and sexual content.

Lilia receives a failing score on a major assignment from Professor Gilchrist, with the marks against her all being formatting related. Gilchrist condescends to her when asked about it, saying that someone underprivileged shouldn’t study there and accusing her of cheating.

Lilia leaves, humiliated, but is pulled into an alley by a frantic Spencer, who sports his black eye. He asserts that Devryck assaulted him that night, even if nobody believes him, and says that he didn’t drug Lilia. He admits to drugging Mel and trying to kiss her, but he says that he was trying to get information about Jenny Harwick and Devryck.

Spencer explains that Gilchrist came onto him sexually because she threatened to fail him if he didn’t sleep with her. He also says that Devryck is a threat and that Lilia should leave school.

At Devryck’s lab that evening, she causes Devryck to drop a glass and allow a worm to escape down the drain. When he presses her, she cries and tells him about Gilchrist. She says that she’s sick of the class difference at school and wants to leave.