Eldritch Horror Theatre

'Not a single one of these five sisters is normal!'

Fu Qian thought, studying Souffle's unusually solemn expression.

Her read on the situation was a bit off, but she was right about one thing: there was definitely something wrong with this place.

"How could this be? I still can't quite believe it. You..."

To match Souffle's mood, Fu Qian looked up, fixed a flawlessly shocked expression on his face, and let his words trail off.

"Are you worried I've ended up like Margaret?"

Souffle caught his meaning and offered a bitter smile.

"I'd honestly rather that were the case. Unfortunately... come with me."

After taking a moment to ensure no one was watching, Souffle took the lead, guiding Fu Qian up to the second floor of a roadside building.

"Follow me!"

Stepping up to the edge of a balcony, Souffle whispered the instruction, then took a step forward into the open air.

A moment later, instead of falling, she stood perfectly suspended in mid-air.

What the—

Maintaining his shocked expression, Fu Qian mirrored her movement and stepped off the ledge.

Sure enough, though his eyes saw only empty space, his foot met solid ground.

"Good! You're braver than I thought."

With a look of appreciation, Souffle grabbed his hand.

She clearly knew the route by heart. Undeterred by the invisible path, she marched forward until the faint outline of a door emerged within the shadow of a wall.

It was incredibly well hidden in a normally inaccessible spot. Unless someone stood exactly on this invisible platform, they would never suspect a door existed here.

Without hesitating, Souffle pressed her hand against it and slowly pushed it open.

The wall swung open silently, revealing a downward staircase.

It looked deep, but at least the steps weren't invisible this time.

They followed the spiral stairs all the way to the bottom, coming to a halt before a red door.

Fu Qian reached out and brushed his fingers against it. The icy surface confirmed it was a solid metal door.

Mounted on one side of the frame was an old-fashioned electronic keypad.

"Hold on."

Souffle paused and glanced back at him.

"The first time I found this place, I thought I'd lost my mind."

Click!

Before he could answer, Souffle operated the keypad, and the door clicked open.

'Isn't that password a bit too simple?'

Standing right next to her, Fu Qian saw it clearly: Souffle had only pressed a single digit.

But it was clearly correct. The door was now open, and Souffle pushed it inward.

Nothing could be seen inside the open door. The darkness churned within, almost tangible, without a single trace of light spilling out.

"This is it."

"What a bizarre door. How did you even find this place? And that password..."

Fu Qian asked as he studied the doorway.

"Finding this place was a pure accident, but the password wasn't."

Souffle let out a long, heavy sigh, her voice dropping low.

"In fact, I knew the password before I ever found this place."

"There's something I haven't told the rest of you. I've fallen asleep, too."

"Sometimes, I even have very peculiar dreams."

"In those dreams, there is no desperate struggle to find an exit, nor are there monsters trying to keep you inside forever. I just search for a number every time, and every time, the result is the same."

"After it repeated so many times, I had to think about the meaning behind the number. Unfortunately, I could never figure it out—until one day, I found this place."

She pointed at the keypad.

"After the initial shock, I casually gave it a try. I never expected it to actually open!"

"In that moment, I couldn't help but think that the dream guiding me to that number might have come from Mother!"

...

'You can get a password like that?!'

Listening to her explanation left Fu Qian momentarily speechless.

He had reason to believe this place was likely a passage out of the cage.

But Souffle's process for cracking the password was a bit too fantastical.

On the other hand, it was understandable why Souffle would have thoughts akin to Truman's world. The scene before them was indeed enough to shatter anyone's worldview.

"I was even more stunned than you are when I first got it open."

Seeing Fu Qian remain silent, Souffle chuckled softly and continued.

"I hesitated for a long time, but I was worried about how you all would react, so I kept it to myself."

"Have you been inside?"

Fu Qian nodded, pointing at the pitch-black expanse before them.

"Yes, but unfortunately, it is almost impossible to find your bearings inside."

"Just venturing a step or two in gives you the feeling that you'll never be able to come back. I've tried many times, always retreating without getting very far. Even now, I still don't know where it actually leads."

"So during the day, you were looking for a chance to go back in?"

"Yes, I wanted to see if things would be any different during the day. Unfortunately, people kept walking by, and since I didn't want to arouse any suspicion, it was hard to find an opportunity."

'So that's how it is.'

Fu Qian was not surprised by Souffle's reasoning.

"Alright, that should satisfy your curiosity now?"

Souffle clapped her hands and crouched down.

"I wasn't intentionally keeping this from you all. I just didn't want to cause you any more distress before I figured things out."

"So after we go back, don't tell Bella and the others just yet. Let's keep this as our little secret, okay?"

"This is also why you don't need to worry too much. Once we leave this place together, I believe both Margaret's condition and yours will get better."

"I understand that, but I think... how about I give it a try."

To Souffle's surprise, Fu Qian dodged out from under her hand and stared at the door beside them.

"What did you just say?"

Souffle's tone was instantly alarmed.

"I know my own condition. The time I spend lucid is already getting shorter and shorter."

Fu Qian wore a smile.

"Actually, I haven't told you this either. Even though you've reminded me many times, I can't even remember that I need to follow the Scarecrow anymore. If not for a friend's help last time, I wouldn't have made it back."

"So I think I can give it a try. If I succeed, I will definitely bring you all out."

...

"Violetta, don't think nonsense!"

After Fu Qian finished speaking, Souffle fell silent for a long time, ultimately shaking her head with resolve.

"I will absolutely not let you take this risk, and you shouldn't lose confidence. We still have time."

"Really? Look at Margaret, look at everyone—how much time do we still have?"

Fu Qian did not give Souffle the chance for self-deception.

"Actually, have you ever considered that by bringing me here today and letting me see this door, your subconscious might have been thinking exactly this?"

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