Eldritch Horror Theatre

This was completely absurd!

The sight before him left Fu Qian so stunned that it took him quite a while to recover his senses.

He found himself looking at a rather small room, its walls painted entirely red.

At this moment, four girls were gathered around Violeta, keeping her in the center.

Compared to Violeta, all four looked a bit older. The tallest among them appeared to be sixteen or seventeen.

But the most shocking thing was their faces.

While Violeta merely bore a resemblance to Su Gao, these four girls were practically carbon copies. Furthermore, the older the girl, the more identical she looked to Su Gao.

The scene was undeniably bizarre, which was exactly why Fu Qian had internally marveled at seeing a room full of Su Gaos.

At the same time, Fu Qian noticed another issue—he seemed to be observing from a god’s-eye view.

He was watching everything from an indescribable angle. Not a single shadow could hide from his sight.Which brought up the question... where was his body?

Every detail of the room was laid bare before him, yet there was no sign of his physical form.

Was he in some kind of spiritual state, devoid of a body?

The moment that thought crossed his mind, Fu Qian felt his vision violently spin and rapidly collapse inward.

When he regained his bearings, he saw four faces looking down at him.

This was... Fu Qian instantly realized what had happened. He was currently possessing Violeta, attached to her like a phantom.

Meanwhile, the girl herself was in a dazed, groggy state.

Realizing this, Fu Qian immediately reined himself in and refrained from making any movements.

”Violeta.”

The oldest of the four girls spoke softly.

At her call, the hazy look in Violeta’s eyes slowly gave way to clarity.

”You’re safe. Don’t be afraid.”

She continued in a gentle tone.

”It was just a dream. Now that you’re awake, there’s nothing to fear.”

”Are you... Sister Soufflé?”

Violeta shook her head, a dry, hoarse voice escaping her throat as she struggled to remember.

”Yes, it’s me. Don’t force it. Just stay calm, and it will all come back to you.”

The girl named Soufflé comforted her softly.

”Mhm!”

Violeta nodded subconsciously.

”Where did you go?”

Seeing that she had recovered some of her senses, another girl beside her couldn’t wait to ask.

Judging by her height, she was the third of the four sisters, likely in her early teens.

She was also the only one with short hair, exuding a playful, lively vibe.

”Hani...”

Violeta murmured her name, her expression twisting in pain as she tried to piece the details together.

”...A lot of places. Someone was chasing me... I took a carriage. It was raining on the way to find Mother... Then I stayed in a really big place. I ate a lot of delicious food... and there was a house made of cookies...”

”Then I kept walking and walking, for a very, very long time... and finally, I found Mother’s room—”

The next moment, Violeta jerked upright and scanned the room.

”Where’s Mother? Where did Mother go?”

”Were you being Snow White again?”

The young girl named Hani didn’t answer her question; instead, she let out a cheeky giggle.

”You always love having this dream. You followed the Scarecrow this time, right?”

Hani asked, pointing toward a corner of the room.

In that inconspicuous spot stood more than just one Scarecrow.

They all had round faces and wore red clothes, looking exactly like the one seen before.

So that thing really was a guide? Guiding Violeta to ”Mother’s room”?

And after opening that door, her consciousness would arrive here, just like waking up from a dream?

Fu Qian rapidly analyzed the information, thinking silently to himself.

It doesn’t feel like a dream at all. Rather, it seems like some special world of consciousness.

But this does explain one thing—why Violeta answered that she wasn’t the most beautiful person in the world when questioned by the Mouth of Truth.

While in the dream, even though she couldn’t remember her four sisters’ names, she must have still faintly sensed their existence.

”Mhm!”

Faced with Hani’s question, Violeta pondered for a moment before giving a firm nod.

”The Scarecrow kept appearing. I was a little scared of it at first, but in the end, I took the path it marked... A kind friend was helping me the whole time. I wonder where he went... And where is Mother?”

Theoretically speaking, that friend is currently inside your head. Also, calling me ”kind” is really giving me too much credit.

Fu Qian replied in his mind.

Mother...

At Violeta’s question, the four sisters exchanged uncertain glances.

”Violeta, Mother has been gone for a long time.”

Ultimately, it was Soufflé who answered her.

”Think about it carefully. You’ve always known.”

”You must separate the fairy tales Mother told us from reality. Otherwise, once you fall asleep, it will become harder and harder for you to wake up from them!”

Mother is dead...

Violeta was clearly shaken by this news. Under the intense shock, her eyes grew vacant once more, and her breathing quickened.

Along with her intense reaction, Fu Qian felt a bizarre sensation wash over him.

It felt as if his consciousness was rapidly sinking, on the verge of plunging into a bizarre, kaleidoscopic world.

Why does this feel so similar to what I experienced after looking at that portrait—the Rabbit Grady Family?

Violeta seems to be dragging me back into that Fairy Tale World.

Realizing this, Fu Qian instantly focused his mind, fighting back against the strange mental assault.

After a long while, the disorienting feeling finally dissipated, and clarity returned to Violeta’s eyes.

Throughout the episode, the four sisters had stood quietly around her, seemingly afraid to disturb her.

”I remember now... Mother really is gone. I know that, but I always forget...”

Having recovered her wits, Violeta hung her head, her voice low and somber.

”It’s good that you remember.”

Soufflé didn’t offer any extra comfort this time. Her expression was more serious than ever.

”You must remember it clearly. Otherwise, it’s very easy to sink back into it.”

”Yes, yes!”

Before Violeta could respond, Hani eagerly chimed in.

”The time you spend awake has been getting shorter and shorter lately. You absolutely cannot let this continue, or one day you’ll get lost in there and never wake up again!”

Mhm...

”Anyway, we’re just glad you’re back. You’ve been dreaming for so long. Rest for a bit, but remember—whatever you do, do not fall asleep.”

Seeing Violeta gradually regaining her lucidity while looking utterly exhausted, Soufflé waved her hand, signaling Hani to stop scaring her.

”And that goes for the rest of you, too. Not just Violeta. None of you can fall asleep.”

”If you do end up dreaming, whatever you do, don’t forget to follow the Scarecrow.”

”Mhm.”

At Soufflé’s warning, the remaining three girls agreed in unison.