Eldritch Horror Theatre

A true expert only ever needed to point out the core of the issue.

The chaos and confusion clouding the bedroom cleared at Fu Qian’s single sentence, instantly escalating into pure horror.

The three members of the Winslow family were perfectly intelligent, and they quickly grasped why he had drawn a comparison between wanting some quiet and closing her eyes.

”Doctor, do you mean there wasn’t an actual problem with her vision?”

Although she directed the question at Fu Qian, Mrs. Winslow was looking at her daughter by the time she finished speaking.

Jane hadn’t been suffering from any actual physical discomfort back then. Instead, a voice had told her to close her eyes.

The implication was terrifying upon deeper reflection, and Mrs. Winslow instinctively refused to accept it.

However, given their prior experiences, that seed of thought proved impossible to suppress once it sprouted.

”...I can’t quite remember.”

The victim in question appeared to feel the same way.Faced with her mother’s questioning, Jane’s eyes lost focus as she sank into her memories.

”Itching, pain, soreness, numbness, dizziness... when your vision went dark, do you recall any accompanying physical discomfort?”

Seeing Jane struggle to recall, Lucid Dream flickered in Fu Qian’s hand to give her a little push.

”No...”

Youth truly held boundless potential. With just a tiny bit of assistance, Jane instantly broke through her mental block.

”Then what was there?”

Fu Qian continued his consultation with a smile.

”There was nothing... Even before I closed my eyes, it felt like I could still see every single detail of that painting...”

Jane’s voice dropped lower and lower as she spoke, until she was merely muttering to herself.

But considering the timbre of her voice had practically regressed to that of a child under ten, she just sounded like a little girl lowering her voice to scare people.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Nathalie had finally picked up on this discrepancy and was discreetly sizing the girl up.

”So... it was already there at that time, wasn’t it?”

The next second, Jane’s voice grew suddenly firm. She stared straight at Fu Qian, seemingly seeking his validation of this realization.

”It appears so.”

This series of changes had happened far too fast. Mister and Mrs. Winslow stared at him in horror and shock, desperately hoping their daughter’s claim wasn’t true. Unfortunately, Fu Qian ruthlessly shattered that fragile hope.

”So all these days, I’ve been... Doctor, what exactly is that thing?”

Jane absentmindedly touched her face, her fingers tracing her eyes. She looked as if she had completely accepted this diagnosis.

”Memories can be flawed. When it comes down to it, this is still just a possibility, right, Doctor?”

Before Fu Qian could answer, Mister Winslow spoke up, his expression dead serious.

The doctor’s seemingly nonsensical diagnostic methods had actually yielded a new discovery. This fact had left Mister Winslow deeply shaken.

Deep down, he was even inclined to accept the conclusion.

But the conclusion was simply too grim. Even if only to comfort his daughter, he hoped the man would play along.

”That’s right, it’s just a guess.”

To their surprise, the typically cold-blooded doctor actually played along.

”I understand... Then in your opinion, assuming this guess is correct, what is that thing?”

Unfortunately, this hollow comfort wasn’t nearly enough to convince Jane. Keeping her eyes fixed on Fu Qian, she pressed for the truth without a moment’s hesitation.

”Jane...”

Mrs. Winslow’s eyes were already brimming with tears as she gripped her daughter’s hand.

”The sheer impact of art. Haven’t we been discussing this the entire time?”

A moment later, however, that melancholic atmosphere was completely obliterated by his words.

Looking at the gloomy, miserable family of three, Fu Qian appeared slightly annoyed.

”Have you guys been listening to me at all?”

...

No wonder people always spoke of the profound grace of teachers. The moment Fu Qian said this, the person in the room who reacted most strongly was actually Nathalie.

The faint glimmer deep in her eyes scattered almost instantly. The look she gave him a second later was incredibly complicated.

It was obvious that she was once again deeply bewildered as to why Fu Qian had called her here.

”The impact... of art?”

Only then did Mrs. Winslow’s stuttering voice finally break the silence, her tone just as conflicted.

It was true that they had just been discussing this very topic, and her daughter being perfectly fine was the exact outcome she desperately wanted. But this explanation was simply...

”I was young once, too. I completely understand the sheer shock of experiencing it for the first time.”

However, under her intense gaze, Fu Qian’s tone remained completely serious.

”With a true masterpiece, the emotional impact of certain moments can strike so hard that you almost don’t dare open your eyes... It’s obvious that someone here has quite the talent in this regard.”

Nodding slightly, Fu Qian offered what was practically his first word of genuine praise the entire night.

”It seems your daughter took quite a bit away from that gathering. The sheer impact of that final masterpiece has resonated with her all the way up until today.”

”Jane really is quite perceptive when it comes to these things... but Doctor, do you honestly believe it’s entirely because of that painting?”

This was exactly why the easiest way to deal with parents was to relentlessly praise their children.

Mister Winslow had looked ready to throw him out just a moment ago, but the casual compliment Fu Qian had slipped into his absurd diagnosis was enough to soften the man’s tone just a fraction.

Only a fraction, of course.

It was obvious that he now needed to seriously evaluate his next course of action.

”Of course. Paintings can even make people dream.”

Under Mister Winslow’s gaze, Fu Qian smiled slightly, looking incredibly confident in his assessment.

Dreaming...

However, that response caused Mister Winslow’s breath to hitch.

This four-person brainstorming session hadn’t been entirely fruitless for him.

Regardless of whether it was the outcome he wanted, Mister Winslow was now inclined to believe that his daughter had genuinely closed her eyes because of a voice.

This effectively confirmed the presence of supernatural elements, which was exactly why he was currently locked in a fierce internal struggle over whether or not he should contact The Order.

But that raised a glaring question: why had the voice told his daughter to close her eyes in the first place?

Judging by everything that followed, nothing particularly unusual had happened immediately after.

This lingering doubt was instantly cleared up by Fu Qian’s response.

Paintings could make people dream—and even induce a Nightmare!

The recent surge of Nightmare victims in Laerdin—caused by contact with special Items—wasn’t exactly a closely guarded secret to someone of Winslow’s status.

There was something wrong with that painting. The voice had told his daughter to close her eyes to shield her from its influence!

And this guy had figured it out ages ago. He simply hadn’t spelled it out because Nathalie was in the room, and his words just now had been a veiled hint.