Eldritch Horror Theatre

”You actually...”

Kelly’s eyes went wide at the sight of the open door.

She was clearly well acquainted with Nancy’s apartment. Yet the moment they arrived, before she could even offer a word of caution, this unreliable assistant stepped right up and had the door open in exactly two seconds.

”After you.”

Unfortunately, this particular talent had zero interest in explaining himself. He simply gestured for her to go in and check.

Forced to swallow her shock, Kelly glanced at the tightly sealed windows and stepped inside.

Since Fu Qian hadn’t turned off the lights when he left, Nancy was immediately visible lying on the sofa.

Her posture hadn’t shifted an inch since his departure. She didn’t even look like she was sound asleep; she looked dead.

These sedatives were far from simple.

As Kelly stood before the sofa inspecting her, Fu Qian sighed inwardly.These sedatives, handed out like a panacea, were truly bizarre. They likely did much more than just quiet a person down.

”She was actually willing to drink it?”

Kelly had finished checking Nancy’s condition. It was obvious her suspicions had largely vanished.

”She was made willing.”

Fu Qian pantomimed the action.

...

”Thank you!”

After a brief silence brought on by his gesture, Kelly finally let out a long sigh.

”Let’s go.”

”You’re welcome. Though before we do, Nancy said something rather interesting.”

Fu Qian spoke up suddenly. He hadn’t objected to Kelly wanting to come here to verify her suspicions, because he had questions he wanted to verify himself.

”Like what?”

Kelly’s confusion looked completely genuine.

”She said that once I followed the plan and brought you here, she would present an irrefutable reason to make you realize your own ’problem’.”

Fu Qian hadn’t forgotten about this missing item. He was very curious to hear Kelly’s take on it.

”Any idea what that might be?”

”An irrefutable reason...”

Kelly muttered subconsciously.

”No.”

But she immediately shook her head with absolute certainty.

”I don’t believe she has anything that could make me doubt myself.”

Seeing the photograph Fu Qian held out to her, Kelly took it, her voice dropping lower.

”Thank you, but this doesn’t prove anything. Even if she produced a medical report on me, it wouldn’t mean a thing. Anyone can whip up as many of those as they want.”

”My thoughts exactly.”

Fu Qian nodded, not questioning her answer in the slightest.

”In fact, I searched this place top to bottom and came up completely empty-handed.”

Meeting Kelly’s startled gaze, Fu Qian smiled.

”My memory hasn’t been great today. And as a professional, paranoia is absolutely unacceptable. I needed something to convince myself, and I ultimately decided to believe you.”

”Now then, we should go see Brother Sam.”

...

”Nancy and I were classmates, and very close friends. I was actually extremely grateful when she invited me to stay here.”

As they left Nancy’s apartment, Kelly clearly trusted Fu Qian much more, and she slowly began to explain her situation.

”But shortly after that, what I saw at her Clinic made me suspect my condition had worsened. It was just too bizarre. Her patients...”

”Which patient?”

”Toshima Shiki.”

”You have no idea how I felt when I discovered a recording of a conversation between Nancy and this patient... hearing them speak in incredibly natural tones, yet uttering nothing but completely incomprehensible ravings...”

Kelly let out a long breath as she recalled the memory.

Incomprehensible ravings.

Fu Qian naturally thought of the cotton wadding in Toshima Keiji’s ears.

”But according to Nancy, she was only terrified of the light in the sky. She didn’t seem to notice any unusual sounds.”

”Perhaps it just hasn’t progressed to that stage yet. Anyway, I made several attempts to probe further later on, and the results only terrified me more and more...”

”And what about this guy?”

Fu Qian hit the brakes, bringing the car to a halt as he pointed his chin toward the upstairs apartment.

The two of them had successfully arrived outside the building where Brother Sam lived.

”He has no connection to Toshima Shiki, and their paths never crossed. But we can’t rule out the possibility that Nancy acted as a medium and affected him too, so we need to be careful.”

”Understood.”

Fu Qian acknowledged her warning. Instead of immediately getting out of the car, he patted his pockets, fished out a pen, and handed it to her along with the paper bag.

”Sign this.”

”What do you mean?”

Kelly was visibly confused.

”You’ll see in a minute.”

Given Fu Qian’s performance thus far, his words carried a bit more weight now.

Though still puzzled, Kelly took the pen and scribbled her name onto the bag.

...

”Hello, Mr. Sam.”

As it turned out, Sam had strictly followed his doctor’s orders and stayed cooped up inside.

When Fu Qian knocked on the door, the man peeked out from behind it in the exact same posture as before.

”Hello.”

He still seemed to recognize Fu Qian. Although he appeared somewhat sluggish, he returned the greeting.

”I brought a guest with me. Mind if we come inside to chat?”

Fu Qian asked with a smile, stepping aside to reveal Kelly standing behind him.

”Sorry, the doctor told me to stay at home and not let anyone in.”

”But I didn’t tell you to refuse your medication. Why didn’t you take the pills delivered earlier?”

Kelly couldn’t wait any longer. She stepped forward and pointed coldly at the sedatives in Fu Qian’s hand.

”I’m sorry...”

Sam stared blankly for a moment, offering an instinctive apology before firmly shaking his head.

”I can’t take medication that doesn’t have the doctor’s signature on the packaging.”

That was the reason?

Kelly glanced back at Fu Qian in surprise, finally understanding the point of his earlier request.

”There we go, it’s already signed.”

Fu Qian offered the paper bag bearing Kelly’s signature, smiling with a much gentler tone.

”...I’m sorry, but I can’t take medication that doesn’t have the doctor’s signature.”

Yet after inspecting the bag carefully, Sam still refused to reach out and take it.

”You...”

Kelly looked like she was about to resort to violence.

”Is that so? Let me take a look.”

His smile unwavering, Fu Qian gestured that Sam could close the door.

”You know how to forge Nancy’s signature, right?”

He turned back to a fuming Kelly and handed her the pen once again.

...

Kelly instantly caught his drift.

”Of course. Back in school, we forged each other’s signatures all the time.”

Taking the pen and another paper bag, Kelly swiftly scribbled down Nancy’s name.

”Perfect.”

Fu Qian took it back in satisfaction, knocked on Brother Sam’s door again, and handed over the newly signed bag.

”Sorry about the mix-up earlier.”

”This one is yours.”

”...I’m sorry, but I can’t take medication that doesn’t have the doctor’s signature.”

Unfortunately, Sam gave the exact same response.