Chapter 142 “Inquiry and Treatment”

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Duncan’s face displayed an unmistakable sense of earnestness, which was paired with a unique blend of self-assurance and resolve. It was as if his expression alone could communicate, “If I were in the business of scamming customers at my shop, I’d make sure to cheat them in the grandest way possible. If you could find even a single authentic item hidden away in my storage room, I’d willingly forfeit my entire shop to you.” This level of candor was not lost on Vanna, who found herself pausing for a considerable length of time before finally saying, “Your frankness is not just refreshing; it’s almost startlingly impactful.”

Switching topics, Duncan seemed unfazed by Vanna’s unusual tone as he asked, “Regarding the fire at the museum, do you have any additional questions for me? I’ve heard rumors that the museum was completely cordoned off that day. Is that accurate?”

“Actually, we’re working on a strong suspicion that supernatural forces were involved in causing the fire at the museum,” Vanna disclosed openly. Rumors about the supernatural angle had already swept through the streets like wildfire. Local experts in the occult had even gone public, cautioning the citizens to avoid the area around the museum. For the people living in the city-state of Pland, the occurrence of supernatural phenomena was no secret. What was confidential, however, were the specifics and the truths that lurked behind such uncanny events. “The fire was put out much faster than what would be typically expected. Can you remember noticing anything unusual after you entered the museum on the day of the fire?”

“No,” Duncan replied, furrowing his brow. “Given the chaos and urgency of the situation, I didn’t really have the capacity to focus on the details of the fire. I’m just an average person, not some trained protector of the city.”

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

“Actually, it’s more of a personal suspicion I have,” Vanna clarified sincerely. “As a inquisitor, it’s my responsibility to be vigilant about unregulated supernatural risks that could pose a threat within the city-state. I’m not implying that you orchestrated the fire or anything of that sort. I’m just concerned that you may have been unknowingly influenced or affected by some form of supernatural entity during the fire, and this concern extends to your own safety as well.”

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

“To be honest, I haven’t detected anything abnormal,” Vanna admitted, shaking her head. “There doesn’t seem to be any trace of supernatural energies in this location. Both the distribution of shadows and the flow of energy inside and outside this building appear to be entirely normal. It seems to me that you and your associates are just ordinary people who unfortunately found yourselves ensnared in a supernatural occurrence.”

Taking a moment to ponder, Duncan then couldn’t help but suggest, “Why don’t you conduct an even more exhaustive investigation? What if there are still residual traces of supernatural energies lurking in this place, unbeknownst to us? As you mentioned, considering this aspect is important for our safety as well.”

“I want to make it clear that I have complete trust in my own judgment,” Vanna interjected, cutting Duncan off. As she spoke, she puffed out her chest, exuding an almost otherworldly sense of confidence. Her tone was resolute, unyielding. “I’ve been granted a special blessing by the goddess. My eyes serve as an unparalleled tool for detection, especially in the light of day. There’s not a chance that heretical forces or hidden shadows could elude my vision. Even gods and demons, no matter how craftily they conceal themselves, are unable to escape my scrutiny!”

Just as Vanna finished her declaration, a loud crashing sound emanated from nearby. Shirley, who had been fiddling with the base of a wooden carving earlier, had finally managed to knock it over.

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

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

“Your assistant seems rather clumsy,” Vanna observed, casting a glance at Shirley. “And she appears to be noticeably anxious, doesn’t she?”

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

Vanna nodded, finding this to be entirely reasonable, before shifting her gaze back to Duncan. “I’d like to ask you another question. After 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 had, and together they had witnessed unimaginable events at the fringes of those unsettling dreams. But this was a topic he couldn’t possibly discuss openly.

Vanna might be a inquisitor, a figure of authority tasked with upholding the law and order in the city-state, but Shirley could be deemed a heretic by both the church and the state. Given the tension-filled atmosphere in their world, even inquisitors who strove for justice and fairness might struggle to extend tolerance or understanding toward 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 to have? In case anything of that sort happens, I’d like to be able to recognize it and seek aid from the nearest church immediately.”

“The dreams you should be wary of would involve fire,” Vanna replied. “You’d see enormous, raging flames emerging from a dark abyss, contorting in the air to form a grand, sweeping arc. Given that you’ve recently escaped a fire, it’s possible that you could 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. So, if you find yourself dreaming of fire, I strongly advise you to seek help from the nearest church right away.”

Duncan’s brow furrowed in deep thought.

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

This description didn’t align with the dreams that Nina had mentioned, nor did it correspond to the nightmares that had tormented Shirley. It was also distinctly different from the scene of a burning wasteland he himself had witnessed just last night.

However, something about Vanna’s gravely serious tone as she described these 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 level of potency she described, a potency that could make even a seasoned inquisitor like Vanna appear so solemn.

Being mindful of his self-projected persona as a “concerned average citizen,” Duncan took a moment to carefully select his words before cautiously asking, “Might I inquire if this has any relation to the Suntists who have been creating disturbances in the city lately? Those cultists seem perpetually involved in sun-related rituals, flames, and even sacrifices. It’s as if they’re plotting to set the entire city ablaze.”

The activity of Suntists within the city was common knowledge, and authorities were openly on the hunt for them. Vanna nodded without a second thought. “It’s certainly possible that they might be behind this. However, you should be cautious and avoid delving too deeply into the matter. Information like this is hazardous for ordinary citizens to possess.”

As a high-ranking inquisitor, Vanna was aware of a recent operation that had dismantled a cultist hideout in an abandoned factory. She had even personally overseen part of the investigation. What she didn’t know, however, was that the “concerned citizen” who had initially reported the cultists was none other than Duncan, the antique shop owner standing right before her.

Duncan chose not to disclose his role in reporting the Suntists. Vanna’s response had been enough to validate his suspicions, and now he found himself lost in contemplation.

If even the church’s high-ranking members suspected the Suntists were involved, then this matter likely had a direct link to the sun fragment. The fragment’s mysterious power had momentarily manifested itself into the real world during the museum fire, which probably triggered Vanna’s subsequent heightened vigilance when she investigated the incident.

Could the “dream imagery” that 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 what Duncan had initially conceptualized when he first encountered the term “sun fragment.”

In his original interpretation, he’d thought of a “sun fragment” as some kind of “anomaly”—a tangible object possibly buried deep within the city that bore a vague yet substantive connection to the sun but was fundamentally different from the celestial body we see in the sky. Yet, if Vanna’s description was to be believed…

Duncan’s mind raced, his imagination fueled by his earthly understanding of the sun as a star. The more he pondered, the more he started to wonder: could this “sun fragment” actually be something akin to a “solar flare”?

Pushing all other thoughts to the side and focusing purely on the visual description, what Vanna had outlined bore an uncanny resemblance to a solar flare that had been propelled into the cosmos.

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

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

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

Through her inquiries, Heidi had largely verified that Nina’s dreams weren’t mere products of ordinary nightmares or recurring dreams stemming from emotional or psychological stress. Whether these dreams were influenced by otherworldly elements, however, would necessitate additional scrutiny.

“We might have to engage in a brief, moderately intense session of hypnotic therapy,” Heidi said softly, her fingers wrapping around the amethyst pendant she held. Speaking in a soothing voice aimed at calming the young girl seated before her, she continued, “There’s no need to be anxious. Simply adhere to my instructions, respond to a series of questions, and we’ll navigate through this together.”

As Heidi held the amethyst pendant, her own thoughts also briefly touched upon the broader mystery at hand. She pondered the intricacies of dreams, the uncertainty of otherworldly influences, and how all these disparate pieces might eventually coalesce into a clearer picture. For now, though, her immediate focus was on Nina, on peeling back the layers of the young girl’s consciousness to discover whether 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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