Eldritch Horror Theatre

So she was just making an empty show of strength earlier?

Ten minutes later, Fu Qian stood before the sofa again, his brow furrowed.

Given the small size of Nancy’s apartment, he had already searched the place from top to bottom in that short time, yet he still had no clue about the irrefutable reason she had mentioned.

The only thing related to Kelly was an old photograph of the two of them looking noticeably younger. It was obvious they were very close.

But that carried absolutely no persuasive weight. The photo didn’t come with a label predicting which of them would go crazy eight or ten years down the line.

Since that was the case—

Fu Qian never dwelled on things. If he couldn’t find it, he was done searching. He turned around, opened the door, and prepared to report back to the doctor.

Also, out of professional ethics, he securely closed the door behind him, respecting Dr. Nancy’s request.

...

At some particular moment, an eye will open inside this thing?On his way back, Fu Qian studied the streams of light filling the sky, recalling Nancy’s words.

Although the sky did look unusual, it was truly hard to imagine such a scene.

Moreover, Nancy was currently confirmed to be mentally unstable, which greatly impacted the credibility of her claims.

However, Fu Qian was concerned about something else.

She had mentioned learning this information from a certain patient. If that was true, could it be one of those three? And which one?

Loretta was undoubtedly the least likely candidate. Right now, her account was much more reliable than Nancy’s.

As for the remaining two, both were possibilities. He could test the waters a little when the time was right.

Knock, knock!

Amidst his thoughts, Fu Qian had already returned to the Clinic. After swiping his card to enter, he headed straight for the doctor’s office and knocked.

”That fast?”

Kelly was clearly a bit surprised by Fu Qian’s quick return to the office.

The medical records piled on the desk in front of her had only grown in number since he left. It seemed she hadn’t taken a single break.

”Why is the medicine still in your hands?”

Before Fu Qian could answer, Kelly noticed the paper bags he was holding, her eyes going wide.

”I ran into a slight problem. I didn’t manage to deliver a single one.”

Fu Qian looked completely calm, showing zero shame over his failure to complete the job.

”What problem?”

”Nancy told me that she’s the actual doctor of this Clinic, and you are the one with the problem. The current situation is just an arrangement she carefully set up to help treat you.”

Fu Qian chose to relay Nancy’s account just to observe Kelly’s reaction.

”Nonsense. Why would I have a problem?”

Kelly’s reaction was rather intense; she glared at him as if looking at a deranged child.

”Because your previous work environment was far too hostile, causing you to suffer severe psychological trauma. You came here to relax with Nancy—your former classmate—but suffered a sudden breakdown, forcefully occupied her Clinic, and accused her of being insane.”

”Most of what you said... is true.”

Unexpectedly, faced with these detailed and severe accusations, Kelly didn’t maintain her previous outrage. Instead, she abruptly calmed down and decisively admitted it.

”I really did come here carrying trauma, and even now, I’m still not sure why I saw those things...”

”Nancy is a very good friend of mine. She invited me over to relax on multiple occasions. I stayed at The Monastery for a while, and when I got bored, I accepted her invitation—all of that is correct. But there’s one crucial point: there really is something wrong with her mind.”

Kelly stared at Fu Qian’s face.

”When you went to Nancy’s place, did she make her room completely pitch-black, hiding inside, too scared to come out?”

She even knows this?

Fu Qian nodded.

”Yes.”

”So how did Nancy explain that behavior?”

”She told me the streams of light in the sky outside are highly dangerous. That at some particular moment, an eye would open inside them, causing anyone it looks at to go mad and lose their rationality.”

”Just as I thought.”

Kelly sneered.

”One of her patients said the exact same thing.”

”Who?”

Fu Qian’s interest was immediately piqued.

”Toshima Shiki.”

It’s actually that guy who insists he isn’t sick?

At Kelly’s answer, Fu Qian naturally thought back to the self-righteous Toshima Shiki.

”He also claimed an eye would open in the sky?”

”It was worse than that. He could even hear indescribable voices. He said he was constantly being tortured and that his head felt like it was splitting open.”

Kelly picked out a medical file from the cluttered desk and patted it.

”Oh, can I take a look—”

”No.”

As expected of classmates, both of their professional ethics were equally firm.

”Understood.”

Fu Qian didn’t try to force the issue.

”So, do you still think she doesn’t have a problem now?”

Kelly scoffed at his reaction.

”That’s right, this is indeed Nancy’s Clinic. But when I got bored and volunteered to help out, I quickly realized something wasn’t right.”

”At first, she refused to admit it. But after I pointed it out, she had a near-total breakdown. It took a lot of effort just to get her home.”

”Her condition was terrible. Even for me, it’s hard to describe. It was like some kind of madness had flowed straight from her patients into her brain.”

”Not only that, I soon discovered traces of altered medical records. She had covered up some severe conditions.”

”That’s why I need you to deliver the medication to the patients as soon as possible.”

”I see.”

Fu Qian listened very closely, finally giving a nod.

”Does that include Loretta’s file?”

That makes a lot of sense, but no matter how you spin it, Loretta’s exact words were that she had never met you.

...

Sure enough, Kelly hesitated briefly.

”Loretta’s file isn’t here.”

After a moment of silence, she actually shook her head.

”She’s not Nancy’s patient. She is my patient.”

Hmm?

”She probably doesn’t even know I’m here, but I know she’s there, and I know her condition... she really needs this.”

Is that so?

Kelly could actually explain even this. Her credibility seemed just a tiny bit higher than Nancy’s.

”So, do you believe me now? Isn’t it time you went to do your job? I don’t have time to waste on psychological counseling for my employees.”

Kelly sneered as she spoke. The trace of mockery at the corner of her lips was enough to make anyone with a shred of self-respect die of shame.

”I hope this time you won’t be stupid enough to let Nancy send you back with another excuse.”

”Actually, her last excuse didn’t get rid of me either.”

Unfortunately, Fu Qian didn’t have words like shame in his dictionary. The next moment, he smiled, opened one of the paper bags, and pulled out a small brown bottle, giving it a shake.

It was clearly empty.

”Dr. Nancy has already taken her medicine.”

...

This scene was obviously beyond her expectations. Kelly stared wide-eyed at the empty bottle in Fu Qian’s hand, speechless for a moment.

”Then the other three...”

A long while passed before she finally spoke, her voice considerably softer.

”Not the other three yet.”

”Why?”

”Just as you said, their symptoms are far more severe than I imagined. It looks like I need you to come with me, Doctor.”