Eldritch Horror Theatre

This guy looked like he genuinely needed some sedatives.

Standing outside the second recipient’s door, Fu Qian silently appraised the partial eye peering out through the crack.

It had a blue-green iris set in a massive, bloodshot white, and the entire eyeball darted frantically from side to side.

The man didn’t even need to speak; an overwhelming sense of anxiety practically rolled off him.

”What’s your name?”

This time, Fu Qian decided to let the recipient introduce himself.

”Sam.”

Surprisingly, the door wasn’t slammed in his face. After reflexively jerking back for a long moment, the man leaned into the crack again to introduce himself.

That matched up.

Fu Qian checked the list in his hand. Sam was indeed the second patient.”So why didn’t you show up at the Clinic on time?”

Despite the man’s cooperation, Fu Qian didn’t rush to make him open the door; instead, he asked his next question completely naturally.

”I...”

Sam fell into deep thought again, shifting his posture just enough to reveal more of his body and giving Fu Qian a complete look at him.

Judging by his appearance, he was noticeably older than Toshima Shiki. His clothes were heavily wrinkled, and he looked thoroughly haggard. His black-and-white hair stuck out in a messy, matted tangle, as though it hadn’t been brushed in a long time.

On every level, he looked much more like a patient than Toshima Shiki ever did.

”The doctor told me not to go.”

Just as Fu Qian finished his appraisal, the man finally seemed to remember his excuse.

However, the excuse was a bit...

”The doctor told you not to visit the Clinic?”

Fu Qian frowned.

”Yes. She said not to go anywhere lately. Just stay at home, and don’t let anyone in.”

Sam’s tone was dead serious.

Was that really true?

Given Sam’s current state, it was hard to imagine he was in any mood to crack jokes.

But if he was telling the truth, this sounded like a massive problem.

Doctor Kelly had sent him to deliver sedatives because the patients had failed to show up for their appointments on time. Yet, this patient had explicitly been ordered to stay away from the Clinic lately. The two facts completely contradicted each other.

If this man’s memory was sound, did that mean Doctor Kelly’s brain had broken down?

Should he save a bottle of these sedatives for her?

With four doses of medicine for five patients, the number of possible outcomes was rising exponentially.

Looking down at the four paper bags in his hand, Fu Qian sank into thought.

”Oh, I think I remember now. That’s exactly what happened. But you forgot your medication, so the doctor asked me to deliver it to you.”

Feigning a look of realization, Fu Qian plucked out one of the paper bags and held it out.

...

Staring fixedly at the paper bag, Sam stood rigidly in place, visibly waging an intense internal struggle.

”I’m sorry, I can’t take it.”

After a long pause, he gave a slow, strained shake of his head.

”Why not?”

Fu Qian wasn’t the least bit surprised by this reaction.

”I can’t take medicine if the packaging doesn’t have the doctor’s signature on it.”

Sam said with extraordinary seriousness.

He knew it wouldn’t be that easy. So now he had to go fetch a signature?

That strange sensation of triggering a quest objective surfaced again, and Fu Qian sighed inwardly.

But looking on the bright side, Sam’s requirement was far less troublesome by comparison. Plus, given the current circumstances, he definitely needed to make a trip back to the Clinic anyway.

In truth, offering the medication just now had solely been to test Sam’s reaction.

Even if the man had genuinely wanted to take it, Fu Qian wouldn’t have handed it over.

”You’re right. It must have been an oversight on the doctor’s part. I’ll head back.”

Without missing a beat, Fu Qian agreed with Sam’s reasoning. He offered a brisk farewell, headed downstairs, and continued his search for the next patient.

...

Was it really fine for a patient to live in a place like this?

This third patient was undoubtedly the most remote one yet. Fu Qian had trekked almost all the way to the edge of the residential district.

Staring out at the vast, empty wilderness in the distance, Fu Qian finally spotted a solitary building standing at the end of the long road.

The bad news was that it didn’t even look like a residence. It was a coffee shop.

The good news was that the coffee shop was open for business.

Knock, knock!

Walking right in through the open door, he found an empty shop. Fu Qian rapped on the counter while looking around.

It was incredibly clean, and the rich aroma of coffee still lingered in the air. It seemed as though a customer had been there just moments ago.

In fact, two coffee cups were still resting on a table a short distance away.

How strange. Why did this scene feel so seemingly familiar?

Fu Qian stared at the table, lost in thought.

”Welcome.”

A greeting drifted over, though it was delivered in a tone so flat that it almost sounded like an eviction. Simultaneously, a figure materialized without a sound.

Was it really her?

Although the voice was virtually devoid of emotion, it successfully triggered the last of Fu Qian’s neural circuits.

”Loretta?”

Fu Qian turned toward the voice and laid eyes on the owner of the coffee shop.

With a slender face and a serene expression, her white hair seemed slightly more prominent than the last time they met. It was shockingly Bernard’s close friend, Loretta.

The woman who had been cursed by her own unique talents, leaving her unable to distinguish between reality and illusion.

Although Fu Qian had seen the name much earlier, he hadn’t thought much of it since it was incredibly common.

”I am. Please, have a seat.”

Faced with his question, Loretta’s tone remained flat. She lowered her head and began pouring from a coffee pot into the two cups, not even bothering to ask why he had come.

At a glance, it was the perfect picture of someone who had completely seen through life and washed her hands of all worldly affairs.

But Fu Qian knew better. This was simply the reaction of someone whose long years of suffering and struggle had culminated in a state where all hope turns to ash, leaving her unable to care about anything anymore.

Which only made the situation stranger. Even though she used to be Doctor Kelly’s patient, Fu Qian couldn’t think of a single reason why she would need sedatives.

When someone already had a heart like dead ashes, did they really need to be calmed down any further?

”Thank you.”

Voicing his confusion inwardly, Fu Qian casually thanked her and sat down in the seat across from her.

At this moment, the reason for the two coffee cups was abundantly clear—the second cup was obviously meant for Bernard.

He remembered that Bernard shared this exact habit. Under the weight of endless psychological devastation, this was probably one of the few attachments they had left.

”Are you... Fu Qian?”

At this point, Loretta finally seemed to notice something. Her sluggish gaze studied Fu Qian for a moment before she let out an exclamation.

”How are you here?”

Good question. He actually wanted to ask the exact same thing.

”I am now Doctor Kelly’s assistant.”

With an inward sigh, Fu Qian lifted all four paper bags and placed them on the table.

”Delivering sedatives to her patients.”

Sedatives? Patients?

Loretta’s expression undoubtedly sank into deep confusion.

”This is quite good.”

Seeing her reaction, Fu Qian didn’t rush to explain further. Instead, he picked up the coffee and took a sip.

”But compared to the coffee you left behind in The Bookstore, it still falls a bit short.”

”You drank the coffee in The Bookstore?”

After realizing what Fu Qian was saying, an incredibly natural joy surfaced in Loretta’s confused eyes.

”That’s wonderful! I’m just glad you liked it.”