In the room, Sarah's mental transmission abruptly cut off for a moment, as though the memory itself carried such terrible trauma that she could barely continue.
When her "voice" sounded in Yu Xing's mind again, it was trembling uncontrollably, steeped in fear that reached down to the bone:
"I... I kicked the door open in the end that day..." Her account was muddled. "No, that's not right... Maybe Funai Er... she let me in..."
She fell silent for a longer time, as though trying to gather the courage to say what came next. But that courage was as fragile as a sandcastle.
At last, in a voice almost like a dream-filled murmur, heavy with uncertainty and horror, she asked:
"Do you know... what I saw?"
Yu Xing could clearly sense the violent turmoil in Sarah's mind. It wasn't just fear. It was also the shock and bewilderment of having her understanding of reality overturned.
He leaned toward her slightly and placed a hand on her shoulder, pressing down gently to offer a solid, reassuring presence.
"Don't be afraid." His thoughts were steady and firm, touched with a smile. "I don't know. You have to tell me. I'm the only one here with you, and you're safe... Tell me, what did you see?"
Sarah's thoughts seemed to gather a little under his reassurance, but her dazed fear did not fade. Instead, it peaked when she spoke of what she had seen.
Her voice grew distant, as if she were describing a nightmare she couldn't understand. "I saw Professor Anthony's head turn into a black cocoon, with Funai Er riding on top of him."
"She... I don't know if that was really Funai Er..." Every word Sarah spoke was thick with confusion and struggle. "She was a... inescapable... nest."
In the