Eldritch Horror Theatre

See? As long as enough pressure was applied, a report would always be handed in.

While it wasn’t strange for someone to occasionally have a lapse in memory, Fu Qian placed great importance on the enthusiastic Ms. Qiu’s opinion.

True empathy was always incredibly difficult; words could capture only a fraction of it.

Since she had immediately sensed something was wrong during her interaction with her close friend, there had to be a powerful emotion backing that intuition.

”But what’s so strange about that? Do you think you’re missing a chunk of memory?”

Clearly, not everyone possessed the same powerful empathy as Expert Fu.

The guy with the messy, bird’s-nest hair looked rather confused by Qiu’s explanation, struggling to follow along.

”No, it’s not missing. I’m completely sure of that.”

Unfortunately, his effort was instantly shot down as Qiu shook her head, her gaze firm.

”It felt abnormal because when I reviewed the whole process, I realized that despite remembering every single detail, there was a moment when I just walked away without any communication whatsoever.”...

This time, not only did Qiu explain it clearly, but her tone and expression were completely invested.

So much so that, even though it wasn’t an easily grasped concept like memory loss, her friends exchanged glances, faintly moved by her conviction.

”This... if Qiu isn’t remembering it wrong, it’s actually quite disturbing when you think about it.”

Hao Ke, always one to expect danger in times of peace, was the first to speak up, scrutinizing the other two.

”Do you guys still think this is all just my imagination?”

”It’s definitely bizarre... but don’t we need to confirm this with Yuri?”

Facing Hao Ke, who finally looked a bit vindicated, the remaining two exchanged a glance before Brother Decent spoke up, cautiously agreeing.

Of course, his final question wasn’t aimed at Hao Ke, but at Fu Qian.

Even as the situation grew increasingly bizarre, his mind remained remarkably clear.

Without a doubt, everything right now was still up to Excellency Grimshaw.

Even taking a step back, if the theory about the Shadow was true, they had every reason to follow the lead of this potential savior.

”Makes sense.”

The next moment, as everyone nervously watched his reaction, Fu Qian gave a mild nod, signaling that a passing answer had been submitted and the others could pause their brainstorming.

...

Though no one dared to sigh in relief out loud, the break from their intense mental exertion visibly lightened the mood.

Even the team’s atmosphere improved as a result.

”Are you sure? Yuri actually wanted to live in a place like this?”

A moment later, the messy-haired guy hurried up beside Qiu, who was leading the way, looking around as he voiced his disbelief.

”She always hated being in the middle of nowhere, where you can’t even see another person outside.”

It wasn’t an exaggeration. Although the area before them boasted beautiful scenery of lakes and mountains, and the houses further down the road were exquisitely designed, it clearly lacked a bustling population. It looked exactly like a quiet, exclusive suburban villa district.

Beautiful as it was, it was far from a good choice for someone who loved a lively crowd.

”That’s why she rarely stays here. Her boyfriend was around yesterday, too.”

Naturally, Ms. Qiu had little patience for such dull questions. She simply scoffed and answered bluntly.

”That’s another reason I find it weird. Even if I didn’t say bye to her, I should have at least said goodbye to him. Otherwise, it would have been incredibly rude.”

Her subsequent reasoning left the messy-haired guy completely speechless.

”So, which way is it?”

Taking in the scene, Hao Ke—who had been constantly monitoring Fu Qian—quickly pushed the topic forward under the psychological pressure, even though Fu Qian’s expression hadn’t changed in the slightest.

”Just up ahead.”

Glancing back at the mysterious figure who had been exaggeratedly mild-mannered for the entire trip, Qiu didn’t dare to dawdle either.

”I’ll take the lead in a bit.”

The moment she spoke, Brother Decent proactively stepped forward, clearly more confident in his own strength.

”If there really is a problem, it’ll be a bit easier for me to handle.”

...

Despite their bickering, they were actually a solid team.

Fu Qian quite appreciated the swift communication and decision-making the group displayed under his pressure.

Their Ranks might not be high, and each had their own quirks, but they knew each other inside out and never slacked off when it was time to act.

No wonder Hao Ke had never left on his own despite the lingering ominous premonition in his heart.

”Something’s wrong!”

Even right now, his performance was remarkably proactive.

After they followed Qiu’s directions into a courtyard, Brother Decent, who was walking at the very front, had barely set foot on the black stone path before Hao Ke’s expression drastically changed.

”The stench of blood!”

Before his startled friends could even ask, he rushed out an explanation.

”I’m not mistaken, it’s coming from the room right ahead. Wait a—”

Even so, he couldn’t keep up with Qiu.

The moment blood was mentioned, her face had drained of color. She sprinted straight to the front, throwing their formation into chaos.

”Excellency?”

Forced to follow suit, the group hurried along. Brother Decent, however, fell back from the front to keep a careful eye on Fu Qian, not wanting the situation to devolve into total anarchy.

”There’s no danger, but there is indeed the smell of blood.”

To his surprise, Fu Qian just shook his head and offered a very clear assessment.

Brother Decent breathed a momentary sigh of relief, his expression shifting rapidly before he finally rushed after the others.

...

When Fu Qian arrived, there was no sound behind the white wooden door, but a heavy aura of tragedy washed over them.

It was no misjudgment. This was indeed a murder scene, thick with the stench of blood.

To be exact, it was the blood of two people.

Inside the simple yet uniquely styled living room lay more than one bleeding corpse.

Both were neatly dressed, and both were decapitated.

Two bodies, a man and a woman, could be seen sprawled across the dark red carpet. The blood that had spurted from their severed necks dyed the floor beneath them a glaring crimson.

The woman was slightly better off; her cleanly severed head had merely rolled to the side.

The other head, which was wearing glasses, had rolled all the way into a corner.

With thick but slightly greying hair, the man’s face was quite refined and elegant, bearing a lingering trace of confusion.

As Qiu clutched the woman’s corpse with an ashen face, Hao Ke and the others gathered around the man’s head, inspecting it closely.

Without a doubt, one of the victims was Yuri, the fifth person who had failed to show up.

Yet, amidst their shared grief, the faces of the remaining three also carried varying degrees of eerie disbelief.