Eldritch Horror Theatre

'Was it really that lifelike?'

He had to admit, Miss Winslow spending half a minute working up the courage to answer had yielded quite a surprise.

A voice had actually spoken directly to her, telling her to send her mother away.

Looking at it that way, however, the logic made far more sense than her simply wanting some peace and quiet.

Furthermore, an answer extracted under the influence of Lucid Dream was entirely trustworthy.

Jane's confession plunged the already quiet bedroom into dead silence.

Under the combined scrutiny of the doctor and her parents, even she couldn't help but lower her voice.

"How could that be? I didn't hear a single sound."

Mrs. Winslow was understandably the one who found this the hardest to accept.

Even with her husband standing right beside her, the horrifying image made her shudder.

She stared at her daughter, carefully proposing an alternative explanation.

"Did you perhaps fall asleep at some point... and mix up a dream with reality?"

Was the power of a mother's love truly that immense? She had actually guessed it right on the money.

Before Jane could answer, Fu Qian mentally applauded the woman.

"No. I am absolutely certain I wasn't asleep."

Unfortunately, Jane completely missed her mother's wisdom, shaking her head with absolute certainty.

"Rather than a dream, I'd sooner believe I was hallucinating."

"That can't be..."

Sadly, this explanation was equally unacceptable to Mrs. Winslow. Shaking her head in a daze, she subconsciously looked to her husband for support.

"Doctor, what is going on?"

Mister Winslow likely shared his wife's dread, but he had far more respect for the professional in the room. Rather than jumping to his own conclusions, he immediately turned to Fu Qian.

"There is nothing to be alarmed about. Young adults her age are bound to have vivid imaginations."

The professional in question waved a hand, dismissing the issue with his usual nonchalance. Then, dropping his voice to a gentle, coaxing tone, he asked,

"Did the voice say anything else?"

"Just that one sentence."

Her emotions settling slightly, Jane shook her head.

"What did the voice sound like? Was it young or old? Male or female?"

"I don't know..."

Jane furrowed her brow, taking another half-minute to search her memory before a look of pain crossed her face again.

"I had no concept of its voice. It was as if the words were stamped directly into my mind, carrying an irrefutable persuasiveness..."

"It never even occurred to me to check who was speaking... Of course, I have to agree with my mother on that point. There was no third person in the room with us."

"Understood."

Jane's answer offered little substance, but Fu Qian maintained his utmost professionalism and listened to the very end, even taking the opportunity to observe his other two audience members.

Sure enough, even the ordinarily composed Mister Winslow had turned pale.

It was easy to understand why. This was no longer a matter of whether their daughter was lying or telling the truth.

With such a vividly detailed description, regardless of its truth, the only logical explanation was a severe hallucination.

If she was telling the truth, she had genuinely hallucinated a voice earlier. If she was lying, she was hallucinating the memory of hearing one right now.

Either way, the situation was leaning closer and closer to a Transcendent explanation.

...

"It is nothing serious. She likely experienced a significant shock, and this is just the resulting emotional turbulence."

Yet, in the face of the despair radiating from the patient's family, the medical professional still delivered an unfathomably optimistic diagnosis.

Hmm?

The three members of the Winslow Family looked as if they had no words left to describe how they felt.

Under their stares, the doctor was already packing up his tools.

"Forgive me, doctor, but I find it incredibly hard to imagine what kind of shock could produce such an effect."

Mister Winslow could no longer hold his tongue. He refused to accept that he had paid good money just to be fed empty platitudes.

"A substantial shock, naturally. In fact, it might not even be related to the minor issue with her eyes."

Despite his professional competence being questioned, Fu Qian remained perfectly unfazed. He methodically packed his Medical Visit Box and seamlessly deactivated Lucid Dream.

As Mister Winslow snapped out of the trance, his dissatisfaction flaring up instantly once again, Fu Qian simply pointed a finger past Jane.

Not because of her eyes?

Taken aback, Mister Winslow followed his gaze.

It was an oil painting with soft hues, depicting dead trees under a moonlit sky along a muddy street. Rather than being terrifying, the image carried a profound sense of tranquility.

He knew the painting well, of course. It wasn't the work of a famous master, but his daughter loved it.

But what did that mean? Was there something wrong with the painting?

"For someone with a true talent for appreciation, the impact of art can be staggering."

Having a rare moment of mercy, Fu Qian didn't keep them guessing.

"If I recall correctly, your daughter's last outing was to an art salon, yes?"

"Yes, though I didn't attend it myself."

The logic behind the "impact of art" was far too bizarre for him to follow.

Even as he answered, Mister Winslow wore an expression that plainly said, 'Are you joking with me?'

"And who else attended it, aside from your wife and daughter?"

Fu Qian completely ignored the man's expression.

"Jane's tutor was there as well."

This time, Mrs. Winslow hurried to answer.

"But we don't recall seeing anything unusual at the salon."

"The appreciation of art is highly subjective."

Fu Qian looked thoroughly pleased with her answer.

"Since you are concerned about your daughter's condition, would it be possible to call her tutor in? I'd like to ask her a few questions."

This...

Mister and Mrs. Winslow simultaneously hesitated. They clearly didn't want to drag another person into this confidential treatment, especially over such an absurd reason.

"We could also go find her ourselves. I respect your choice."

Fu Qian betrayed no emotion at their hesitation, speaking as if he were perfectly content leaving the decision in their hands.

"I will go get her."

His love for his daughter won out. Proving his decisiveness, Mister Winslow hesitated only a few seconds before agreeing to the nonsensical request.

"Good."

Fu Qian smiled in satisfaction and rose to his feet.

"I will wait in the outer room."

With Mister Winslow gone, a potentially dangerous man like himself remaining alone in the bedroom with two women would undoubtedly cause some anxiety.

Sure enough, the moment he said that, Mrs. Winslow's expression relaxed slightly, her estimation of his professional ethics clearly rising.

Even so, Mister Winslow did not make him wait long. He returned just moments later.

Following him through the door was Nathalie, who had changed into a plain dress and gave off an air of intellectual refinement. She shot a glance toward them, doing her utmost to ensure the look in her eyes appeared perfectly normal.

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