Chapter 142 “Inquiry and Treatment”

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Duncan’s face displayed an earnestness that was hard to miss, combined with a unique blend of self-assurance and resolve. His expression seemed to convey, “If I were scamming customers at my shop, I’d do it on a grand scale. If you find even a single authentic item in my storage, I’d give up my entire shop to you.” This level of candor was striking to Vanna, who paused for a considerable time before finally saying, “Your frankness is not just refreshing; it’s almost startlingly impactful.”

Shifting the topic, Duncan, seemingly unfazed by Vanna’s tone, asked, “Regarding the fire at the museum, do you have any additional questions for me? I heard rumors that the museum was completely cordoned off that day. Is that accurate?”

“We’re working on the strong suspicion that supernatural forces caused the fire,” Vanna disclosed openly. Rumors of a supernatural angle had spread widely, and local experts in the occult had publicly advised citizens to avoid the museum area. For the people of Pland, supernatural phenomena were no secret, though the specifics and truths behind such events remained confidential. “The fire was extinguished much faster than usual. Can you recall noticing anything unusual after you entered the museum that day?”

“No,” Duncan replied, furrowing his brow. “Amid the chaos, I didn’t focus on the details of the fire. I’m just an ordinary person, not a trained protector of the city.”

After a brief pause, Duncan raised an eyebrow and asked, “Does the church suspect that survivors like me might be entangled with these ‘supernatural forces’ responsible for the fire?”

“It’s more of a personal suspicion I have,” Vanna clarified sincerely. “As an inquisitor, it’s my duty to be vigilant about unregulated supernatural risks within the city-state. I’m not implying you orchestrated the fire; I’m concerned you may have been unknowingly influenced by a supernatural entity, and this concern extends to your safety as well.”

“I see,” Duncan replied, visibly more relaxed upon hearing Vanna’s explanation. He understood she was merely fulfilling her responsibilities. “So, during your observation here, have you found any indicators or clues of supernatural activity?”

“To be honest, I haven’t detected anything abnormal,” Vanna admitted, shaking her head. “There’s no trace of supernatural energies here. Both the distribution of shadows and the flow of energy inside and outside this building appear normal. It seems you and your associates are ordinary people who unfortunately got caught up in a supernatural event.”

Taking a moment to ponder, Duncan then suggested, “Why don’t you conduct a more exhaustive investigation? There might still be residual traces of supernatural energies here, unbeknownst to us. Considering our safety, as you mentioned, this aspect is important.”

“I want to make it clear that I have complete trust in my judgment,” Vanna interjected, cutting Duncan off. She puffed out her chest, exuding a near otherworldly confidence. Her tone was resolute, unyielding. “I’ve been blessed by the goddess. My eyes are unparalleled tools for detection, especially in daylight. Heretical forces or hidden shadows can’t elude my vision. Even gods and demons can’t escape my scrutiny!”

Just as Vanna finished, a loud crash came from nearby. Shirley, who had been fiddling with the base of a wooden carving, had knocked it over.

“I was trying to move it to a safer location,” she mumbled, clearly embarrassed.

“Leave those things be! If you can’t manage that, then dust the windowsill or something!” Duncan cried, frustrated with Shirley’s ineptitude as a shop assistant. Turning back to Vanna, he hesitated briefly before conceding, “You’re absolutely right.”

“Your assistant seems rather clumsy,” Vanna observed, glancing at Shirley. “And she appears noticeably anxious, doesn’t she?”

Duncan sighed and explained, “Today is her first day helping here. She’s not officially on the payroll. Shirley is a friend of my niece and came to gain work experience and make some extra money. Kids from poorer areas often start working young.”

Vanna nodded, finding this reasonable, then shifted her gaze back to Duncan. “I’d like to ask another question. Since you left the museum, have you experienced any ongoing discomfort? Any unusual dreams, perhaps nightmares?”

Duncan hesitated before responding.

The truth was, someone had been plagued by nightmares—Shirley. Together, they had witnessed unimaginable events at the fringes of those unsettling dreams. But he couldn’t possibly discuss this openly.

Vanna might be an inquisitor, a figure of authority upholding law and order, but Shirley could be deemed a heretic by the church and state. Given their world’s tension, even inquisitors striving for justice might struggle to tolerate or understand someone labeled as a ‘heretic’ upon first meeting.

“Nothing unusual, everything has been normal,” Duncan finally said, shaking his head. “But could you describe what kinds of nightmares one might expect? In case they occur, I’d like to recognize them and seek aid from the nearest church immediately.”

“The dreams you should be wary of involve fire,” Vanna replied. “You’d see enormous, raging flames emerging from a dark abyss, forming a grand arc. Given you recently escaped a fire, you might experience dreams induced by short-term traumatic stress. For regular people, it’s challenging to differentiate between such dreams and those influenced by supernatural elements. If you dream of fire, I strongly advise seeking help from the nearest church right away.”

Duncan’s brow furrowed in deep thought.

Violent flames, shaped like a grand arc, bursting from an abyss of darkness…

This description didn’t match the dreams Nina mentioned or the nightmares tormenting Shirley. It was also different from the burning wasteland he witnessed last night.

However, something about Vanna’s grave tone as she described the flames struck a chord within him. It eerily reminded him of something specific—a fragment of the sun.

Only a fragment of the sun could possess the potency she described, potent enough to make even a seasoned inquisitor like Vanna appear so solemn.

Mindful of his persona as a “concerned average citizen,” Duncan carefully chose his words before asking, “Might this be related to the Suntists causing disturbances in the city lately? Those cultists seem involved in sun-related rituals, flames, and even sacrifices. It’s as if they’re plotting to set the entire city ablaze.”

Suntist activity in the city was common knowledge, with authorities openly hunting them. Vanna nodded without hesitation. “It’s possible they might be behind this. However, you should be cautious and avoid delving too deeply. Information like this is hazardous for ordinary citizens to possess.”

As a high-ranking inquisitor, Vanna knew of a recent operation dismantling a cultist hideout in an abandoned factory, an investigation she personally oversaw. What she didn’t know was that the “concerned citizen” who initially reported the cultists was Duncan, the antique shop owner before her.

Duncan chose not to disclose his role in reporting the Suntists. Vanna’s response validated his suspicions, and now he was lost in contemplation.

If even the church’s high-ranking members suspected the Suntists’ involvement, then this likely had a direct link to the sun fragment. The fragment’s mysterious power had momentarily manifested during the museum fire, probably triggering Vanna’s heightened vigilance when she investigated.

Could the “dream imagery” Vanna described actually represent what the sun fragment physically looked like?

A gigantic, arching flame erupting from an unfathomable darkness… this visual was wholly different from Duncan’s initial concept of a “sun fragment.”

Initially, he thought of a “sun fragment” as an “anomaly”—a tangible object, possibly buried in the city, with a vague connection to the sun but fundamentally different from the celestial body. Yet, if Vanna’s description was accurate…

Duncan’s mind raced, fueled by his understanding of the sun as a star. He wondered: could this “sun fragment” be akin to a “solar flare”?

Focusing on Vanna’s visual description, what she outlined resembled a solar flare propelled into the cosmos.

While Duncan’s face remained inscrutable, a whirlpool of thoughts swirled in his mind.

Could a sun fragment actually be a physical sliver of the sun itself?

Meanwhile, in the upstairs bedroom where Nina was, Heidi had just wrapped up the standard line of questioning and initial orientation for the “patient” in question.

Through her inquiries, Heidi largely verified that Nina’s dreams weren’t mere ordinary nightmares or recurring dreams from emotional stress. Whether these dreams were influenced by otherworldly elements would need further scrutiny.

“We might have to engage in a brief, moderately intense session of hypnotic therapy,” Heidi said softly, her fingers wrapping around an amethyst pendant. Speaking soothingly to calm the young girl before her, she continued, “There’s no need to be anxious. Just follow my instructions, respond to a series of questions, and we’ll navigate through this together.”

As Heidi held the amethyst pendant, her thoughts briefly touched on the broader mystery. She pondered the intricacies of dreams, the uncertainty of otherworldly influences, and how these pieces might coalesce into a clearer picture. For now, her focus was on Nina, on peeling back the layers of the young girl’s consciousness to discover if something truly supernatural lay beneath.

For those that just want to support me, you can follow the link to paypal donating. Sadly you won’t be able to get the benefit of reading ahead 

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