Eldritch Horror Theatre

Anyone who travels often knows the terrifying power of the phrase, "Since we're already here."

They had walked all this way to what seemed like the core of the entire Sanitarium; the Head Physician's Office now stood right before them.

Whatever his reasons for coming, and whatever mix of truth and lies brought him here, stopping decisively before a door like this was a rather extraordinary act.

Not that it deserved praise for sheer perseverance; "out of his mind" felt like a much more fitting description.

Especially since there was no one inside. Going in and stepping right back out wouldn't theoretically change a thing.

Even if he didn't want to go in, couldn't he just push the door open for a quick peek to satisfy his curiosity?

Yet after rapping on the wood three times, Fu Qian simply lowered his hand, showing absolutely no intention of peering inside.

This made his traveling companion—a neurologist with exceptionally strong empathy—feel his own OCD acting up.

"What's wrong? Was everything you just said a joke? Are you actually going to drag me inside after all?"

By the time Fu Qian turned to him with a genuinely puzzled look to ask that question, the doctor's eyes were already bloodshot from holding back his frustration.

Ring, ring...

But just as the saying goes—heaven always leaves a way out. Right as Brother Buyiren looked on the verge of an aneurysm, a peculiar bell rang out.

It was followed by the sound of a door opening.

Not the door to the Head Physician's Office, but one located further down the corridor—a room that looked like a laboratory.

As the door swung outward, several people emerged, clustered around a mobile hospital bed.

The peculiar ringing seemed to come from something hanging on the bed itself.

Lying on it was an elderly man in a worrying state of health. It looked like he had just been undergoing a physical examination.

It made perfect sense. This was the core area of the Sanitarium, after all.

Even if it was usually deserted, they had been standing here for a while. They couldn't exactly expect not a single soul to pass by.

No matter how much the Attending Physician treated this place like a personal playground, the basic operations of the Sanitarium still had to be maintained.

Unlike everyone else they had encountered so far, the body on the bed radiated a genuine sense of physical decay. The Old Man looked like a candle about to burn out.

Yet even with only that last fading glimmer of life, Fu Qian was certain of one thing: the Old Man had immediately glanced their way.

Sure enough, even empty, the Head Physician's Office was the undeniable core of the Sanitarium. No one could simply ignore it.

As Fu Qian marveled at this, the three people flanking the bed followed the Old Man's gaze and turned to look at them in unison.

...

"We should go."

It was undoubtedly a tense scene, but it had the exact opposite effect on Buyiren.

Thanks to this little interlude, the stifling atmosphere finally lifted.

Having gained a brief moment of redemption, his thoughts snapped back into motion, and he immediately spoke up to signal that it was time to leave.

"Indeed, otherwise we might scare someone."

Fu Qian actually agreed with that sentiment.

Although the lighting in the corridor was poor, they were standing in far too conspicuous a spot. The group stared blankly at them, their gazes sweeping over Fu Qian's face with clear confusion and bewilderment.

Judging by their reaction, not everyone knew about Mrs. Tracy's male companion being rescued. Otherwise, they would have shown far more alarm.

If nothing else, the Director's control over the situation was genuinely impressive.

It held true even now, despite them lingering here for so long and ultimately being spotted.

As long as they simply turned around and left, it wouldn't cause too much of a stir.

"Excuse us."

However, just as the Columnist showed such rare tact, and just as Brother Buyiren finally breathed a sigh of relief that the situation was under control, Fu Qian spun around and walked straight toward the group.

As if terrified they wouldn't notice him, he called out to them, leaving Buyiren utterly dumbfounded.

"We didn't scare you, did we?"

...

'Are you serious? Saying nothing would have been fine. Calling out like that is exactly what scares people!'

The corridor was dead silent, but that unspoken sentiment seemed to echo through the air.

And yet Fu Qian, usually a man of such "strong empathy," turned a blind eye to the mood. He walked right up to the group, his face a picture of pure amiability.

As he drew closer, their expressions made it clear that almost everyone had recognized his face.

Ultimately, no one offered any pleasantries. They merely exchanged bewildered glances, and one person even began to quietly back away.

"Just coming back from an examination?"

How could Fu Qian mind their reaction? After all, he was the main source of the problem here.

After exchanging a smiling glance with everyone present, his gaze landed on the Old Man's face as he offered a word of concern.

The Old Man's hospital gown was incredibly loose, exposing large swaths of dry, withered skin.

Judging from the bruises and needle marks dotting his arms, he really had just been undergoing tests.

Given his advanced age, even a routine examination had clearly left him thoroughly exhausted.

"Fu... Qian?"

Shockingly, however, with his eyes struggling to focus and his pale lips trembling, the Old Man was actually the first of the group to respond.

It wasn't just a meaningless greeting, either. He directly uttered a name that made the surrounding staff jump in terror.

...

Was this the legendary sharpness that came with age?

Despite being in the worst condition of anyone there, not only had he immediately noticed the intruder, but he had also accurately identified him.

Of course, this also indirectly proved one thing: the Columnist truly had harassed a massive number of people back on the 1st.

Even the Old Man, in this terrible state, hadn't escaped his "interviews."

Or perhaps his condition simply hadn't been this dire back then.

"That's me. The weather is nice today, so I came out for a walk."

Fu Qian let out a soft sigh, casually throwing out a completely absurd excuse for why he was wandering around.

"You... recovered so quickly. But I'm different..."

The Old Man didn't question the lie at all. Instead, he seemed incredibly envious of such a swift recovery.

"It's good to be young... I really wish I could go back in time—"

Without even paying attention to Fu Qian's reaction, the Old Man looked down at his own frail body, lamenting from the bottom of his heart that his youth was gone forever.

"He needs to rest. Let's not disturb him."

The Old Man's lament was quickly cut short. Having failed to stop Fu Qian in a momentary lapse of attention, Buyiren now hurried over.

Despite verbally reminding Fu Qian to consider the Old Man's health, Buyiren didn't even cast a single glance in the patient's direction.

"Of course!"

Unfortunately, Fu Qian refused to listen to the warning. He gave a soft snort and tapped his own temple, indicating that the Old Man had a good eye.

"I told them there was nothing wrong with me. It took all these days, but they finally believed me."

As he spoke the last part, he even pointed right at Buyiren, looking remarkably like an energetic young man on the verge of causing a scene.

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