Eldritch Horror Theatre

Amira was visibly overwhelmed by the returning tenant's concern.

She had been sitting by the window in deep thought, and she remained exactly where she was upon hearing his words.

Her body, however, instantly went entirely rigid. Without making a sound, she clenched her fists, subtly shifting into a defensive posture.

At least she wasn't being too impolite; the patterns symbolizing a commandment hadn't surfaced on her skin.

With that silent assessment, Fu Qian stepped aside and threw on a coat.

"Your body... what happened to you?"

Only then did she seem to notice his wretched state. Staring at the parts of him left exposed by the coat, Amira's gaze flickered before she finally spoke, her voice noticeably dry.

"I suffered a minor injury on my night shift," he said.

His tone perfectly natural, Fu Qian shut the wardrobe and rummaged around for a leftover dessert from yesterday.

This was the whole point of the coat. Otherwise, it would be hard to explain away the fangs on his chest as an oddly shaped wound.

...

Night shift? An injury?

Fu Qian's casual answer was clearly tearing at Amira's sanity.

And so were his actions.

Watching him pull out a fork, genuinely acting as if he were about to enjoy a midnight snack, Amira felt like her brain was splitting. Even so, she couldn't stop her gaze from drifting down to his plate.

"You were injured during your escape? The intel I received didn't mention that."

With her sanity blaring frantic alarms, she relied on sheer willpower to wrench her gaze away, carefully weighing her words.

Given their past two joint operations, treating him like a normal human was already impossible.

Especially during the finale in the Small Town, where that violent power had forcibly ripped out a Flesh and Blood Cavitation. Even someone like her, who constantly dealt with Nightmares and pollution, was nearly left with psychological trauma.

Crucially, even when facing the projections of so many discarded pieces, she had never seen this man shed a single drop of blood.

Yet now, just from the parts she could see, she could sense how terribly broken his body was. This was absolutely no ordinary injury.

Had he clashed with someone from The Order during his escape?

She had indeed heard that a saint was injured. But honestly, even with her absolute confidence in the Harmonic Sanctuary, she found it hard to believe a single saint could inflict this much damage on him.

And what did he mean by a 'night shift'?

Did he treat escaping from his imprisonment as the teachings of a shepherd, too?

"So, is this an interrogation or a casual chat? If it's a chat, we should probably take turns asking questions."

While these thoughts raced through Amira's mind, Fu Qian had already stuffed a piece of dessert into his mouth. He countered with his own question as he carefully savored the taste.

Interrogation... that word was noticeably too heavy.

Remembering that the Sanctuary hadn't even managed to accomplish such a thing, and considering her own current situation, Amira's slightly relaxed expression stiffened again. She forced a smile.

"A casual chat, of course. I'm not so oblivious to the situation. Honestly, I never expected you to come back. You startled me."

"I applied for a leave of absence from The Order, so I won't need to participate in the Night Patrol for a while."

Remembering something, she proactively answered his earlier question to show her sincerity.

"Understandable. Escorting prisoners is a bit too intense for you."

Fu Qian nodded slightly.

"But isn't that a bit of a contradiction? You completely didn't expect me to come back, so what were you planning to do when you sneaked in?"

...

The counter-question was undeniably sharp, leaving Amira momentarily speechless.

"More importantly, given how leisurely you were sitting there, it's hard to believe you came to search the place."

Fu Qian didn't let her off the hook.

"Of course, regardless of your purpose, I have to praise you. You didn't mess with my food, and it looks like you didn't disturb Mrs. Harper."

He popped another piece of dessert into his mouth as he spoke.

"Honestly... I don't even know why I came here."

Met with the shepherd's approval, Amira finally let out a helpless sigh.

"Even if we bumped into each other like this, obviously the only outcome is me being silenced. I must have lost my mind."

As she spoke, Fu Qian's movements drew her gaze unconsciously down to his plate again.

One glance was enough to tell the food had been sitting out for a while. Yet the man's overly enthusiastic chewing noises were inexplicably infectious.

The human mind was truly bizarre. Coupled with the strange situation before her, saliva actually began to pool in her mouth.

"Be a bit more optimistic. Do you remember what I said? Self-doubt is the First Step of Sublimation."

Swallowing his bite, Fu Qian offered a word of comfort, implying her behavior might not have been completely irrational.

"Is it possible that some deep-seated impulse inside you drove you here, pushing you toward the truth of the world?"

...

"The truth that I am actually a blind lamb?"

When it came to leading people astray, Fu Qian had always made it look effortless.

Clearly, after witnessing his miracles several times and enduring his relentless questioning, Amira—the rising star of The Order handpicked by Pfeiffer—had been successfully manipulated into completely doubting herself.

Her confused gaze landed on the plate again. It sounded as though Amira was asking the question of herself.

"It's hardly health food, but eating a little after a night shift is definitely good for the mood."

Fu Qian seemed to have misunderstood her gaze, raising a hand to gesture at the food.

"I didn't offer you any because it's not very fresh, but do you want a bite?"

"No... I'm fine."

Her sanity thoroughly battered, Amira repeatedly waved her hands, hastily declining out of politeness.

At the same time, his second mention of a night shift cut through her daze, sending a jolt through her brain.

"Did you go to the Art Gallery?"

"Where else? Is there a second place paying my salary?"

Fu Qian gave her a strange look.

...So, when he asked for time off back then, he was actually trying to confirm the situation at the Art Gallery?

She truly couldn't afford to let her guard down around him.

Amira seemed to put the pieces together, and then jolted in shock.

"So you got your injuries there? What about the people at the gallery?"

"Use your brain before you ask. The people there are fine."

Fu Qian looked at her like she was an idiot.

That was true... How could the people there possibly inflict this level of injury on him? Her excessive concern had clouded her judgment.

Prompted by his remark, Amira quickly reflected and realized her question had been foolish.

"Then I—"

"Relax, I'm not going to kill you either. That wouldn't be enough to wake you up. Sometimes, it's just a very helpless situation."

Having completely polished off the dessert, Fu Qian set down his fork, cutting Amira off.

"In all the Nightmares you've experienced, have you ever felt this way?"

Given everything that had led up to this moment, his words seemed to strike a deep chord within Amira. Her gaze blurred as she sank into her memories.

"You aren't going to kill me... so can I leave?"

After a few breaths of silence, her tone became noticeably stiff.

"Of course. Just remember not to wake Mrs. Harper."

Fu Qian didn't mind her tone at all; in fact, he looked quite pleased.

"Keep at it, Ms. Amira. I hope you find the answer soon. Or the question, for that matter."

...

It seemed this lady's night off had just been canceled.

Amira departed quickly, her morale at rock bottom. She even took care to lighten her footsteps as she went downstairs, prompting a satisfied assessment from Fu Qian.

It wasn't out of some malicious sense of humor, but rather an appropriate way to motivate her to prove her worth.

Once she returned, there was a high chance she would seek out some special Nightmares to reflect on and analyze the questions he had just posed.

It wouldn't necessarily yield results, but time was tight, and sparking a little extra initiative in her certainly wouldn't hurt.

Who knew? It might even lead to some interesting discoveries.

Harboring bright expectations for tomorrow, Fu Qian cleaned up his dishes. He waited silently for a few more minutes before walking over to open the front door.

A letter sealed with red wax lay quietly on the floor.

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