Eldritch Horror Theatre

He didn't even need to use his imagination.

The two people standing on either side of the doorway were undoubtedly the focal point of the night.

In just a single exchange, their conversation—held as if there was no one else around—delivered an explosive amount of information.

An invitation to come inside and see a cat that had been dead for decades?

As someone with a fairly vivid imagination, Fu Qian took one look at their ages and could easily picture them as lovestruck teenagers with racing hearts.

And the cat could probably even do backflips.

What? The Old Man's age didn't seem to match? He looked far too old in comparison?

Didn't you notice Madam Lucy's gasp of shock when she first recognized him?

It was obvious that, to her, the Old Man's appearance was abnormal.

In short, it seemed the Old Man's first stop was to find his childhood sweetheart.

Even after decades had passed, she actually hadn't moved.

Had he investigated and learned of this beforehand, or was it pure luck?

Logically, the former made more sense, but the Old Man hadn't even known the motel on their route had closed down, which directly led to them breaking down halfway here.

Regardless, it was ultimately a touching reunion after half a lifetime of wandering—provided Lucy's family didn't object.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

From Fu Qian's position, as mentioned earlier, he could see a long table full of food—enough to feed roughly ten people.

In fact, there were nearly ten spectators gathered around the dining table. Young and old alike were staring blankly in their direction, completely dumbfounded.

They had certainly come at an opportune time. Not only was Lucy home, but a family gathering was visibly underway.

One of them—a burly man around Lucy's age—finally stood up and made it clear they weren't welcome.

...

This was most likely Lucy's husband.

Based on where he was sitting, Fu Qian had already guessed as much.

Coupled with the man's tone and demeanor at this moment, his identity was glaringly obvious.

"I don't know... We haven't seen each other in decades."

His words snapped the dazed Lucy out of her trance. She turned back to look at him, explaining in a flustered manner.

"There's nothing here for you. You should just leave."

Before anyone else could say a word, Lucy turned back to Kadon and urged him in a low voice.

She even subconsciously stepped toward the door, clearly not wanting Kadon to come inside and disturb their peace.

It was actually a very normal reaction.

Enjoying his premium spectator seat, Fu Qian was in no rush to interject. At the same time, he deeply understood Lucy's behavior.

People always loved to dramatize their own lives, getting moved by reunions after long separations, delayed confessions of love, or feeling that Lucy was being too cowardly and heartless.

But did your own feelings demand that others be moved as well?

Someone who had feelings for you at a certain moment many years ago was under no obligation to soothe your regrets decades later—especially after having been rejected.

It was perfectly clear from their brief exchange that Madam Lucy's past invitation had been gently declined by Kadon, ultimately preventing them from getting together.

When one's life was coming to an end, feeling remorse over the past was completely normal.

Actually tracking her down and showing up at her door could even be praised as decisive, but if you ended up getting kicked out by her entire family, you had nothing to complain about.

...

"I believe you."

Especially since the couple seemed to have a rather harmonious relationship.

After hearing her explanation, Lucy's husband actually suppressed his emotions, unwilling to put his wife in an awkward position.

"But this guy has to leave... right now!"

He wasn't nearly as polite to Kadon, however. Fixing his glare on the Old Man outside the door, Lucy's husband even took a few steps forward as he spoke.

"I know the cat is dead... It doesn't matter."

Unfortunately, the uninvited guest's eyes were utterly vacant. His gaze swept right past the husband, completely ignoring him.

Nodding, Kadon emphasized that he had expected what Lucy said, and that it wasn't a problem.

"I remember you mentioning that your bedroom was the first room on the left upstairs?"

His gaze fell on a flight of stairs in the corner, and he casually asked for confirmation.

The stairs were visibly well-maintained, but the traces of time were still etched into them.

Who knew if this scene had appeared countless times in his dreams as a young man.

"I need you to leave... Mr. Kadon."

But there was no time to lament over life. Following the Old Man's question, the anger of Lucy's husband had evidently reached a boiling point.

Not only were the veins throbbing visibly on his face, but he even implicated Fu Qian standing nearby.

The glare he shot in Fu Qian's direction was downright ferocious, seemingly demanding to know why he hadn't dragged this lunatic away yet.

"Just call me Anke."

Why would Fu Qian mind? He just smiled back, his attitude absolutely impeccable.

Thud!

This dereliction of duty shattered the last line of psychological defense for Lucy's husband. In the next moment, he fiercely slammed the door shut.

However, the resulting sound didn't quite seem right. The heavy wooden door had slammed directly into Kadon, who had just happened to take a step forward.

...

"Relax... Everyone, relax."

Amidst the muffled thud, the Old Man was almost knocked completely off balance.

Then, over the sounds of screaming, Kadon didn't retreat but advanced instead, stepping right past the couple and into the house.

The youngest diner at the long table was only three or four years old. However, the little boy with somewhat sparse hair just stared in their direction without crying.

Kadon met his eyes, then made a soothing gesture to signal to everyone that there was no need to be nervous.

After doing so, he completely ignored the crowd's reaction and walked straight toward the stairs.

"That is Wendy's room now..."

It wasn't until this moment that Madam Lucy seemed to snap out of it, reminding him that things remain while people change.

Unfortunately, her voice was a bit too soft, instantly drowned out by the creaking sounds of Kadon walking up the stairs.

"He probably won't touch anything... Do you need me to wait inside?"

Fortunately, Fu Qian was standing a bit closer. He casually comforted her, telling her not to worry, and then asked with a smile.

...

The atmosphere was incredibly eerie. In an instant, the originally peaceful and joyous family gathering felt as if it had been shattered.

You...

It was obvious that Lucy's husband, still gripping the door, desperately wanted to repeat his earlier action and slam it right into Fu Qian's face.

However, after a stalemate lasting only a few breaths, the man turned his back and walked away toward the dining table, not even closing the door completely.

"Please come in... Anke."

The first to break the ensuing silence was Lucy. Looking completely distracted, she ultimately extended an invitation to Fu Qian.

As expected, this was a family that understood the principle that those with happy lives should yield to avoid trouble.

When no one had gone to drag the Old Man back down the stairs, Fu Qian wasn't surprised by this outcome.

It was easy to invite a God in, but hard to send him away. If he, as the Old Man's companion, didn't go inside, who was going to drag the guy out later if he refused to leave?

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