Backlund, East Borough, a two-bedroom room.
Several police officers in black and white checkered uniforms followed the landlord inside as Door Opening, each covering their mouths with their hands.
The air was thick with the pungent smell of blood!
"Officer, I don't know what happened either. Other tenants said there seemed to be a lot of blood here, and they could smell it through the walls and door." The landlord, wearing a silk hat, looked around timidly, unwilling to linger in the room for even a second longer.
The black-haired, Blue Eyes officer with the inspector's epaulettes waved his hand and said:
"Please wait at the door; I have something else to ask you."
As he spoke, he put on white gloves and turned his gaze toward the wooden door to the bedroom.
However, he didn't rush in. He slowly looked around, taking in all the surroundings:
A pile of coal, a cabinet for storing tableware and ingredients, a small stove, a clean iron pot, a slightly greasy table, two round stools lying on the ground, two chairs leaning askew, several glass bottles containing unknown powder, and a stack of scattered tarot cards.
"An occult enthusiast with average financial means?" The inspector, with dark hair and Blue Eyes, nodded slightly, made his judgment, and then gestured to one of his subordinates to open the bedroom door.
With a creak, more of the stench of blood wafted out.
The police officer who Door Opening glanced inside, then suddenly let out a short scream and stumbled back several steps.
The lead inspector frowned slightly, pressed down on the shoulder of the officer who was backing away, and pushed past the obstacle to approach the bedroom.
His gaze swept over them, and his expression immediately changed.
Inside the bedroom, on a wooden bed, a man lay with his hands tied to the overhead railing.
He was naked, his body covered in fine, deep cracks, the blood long since drained, staining the sheets beneath him and the blankets beside him a dark red.
At first glance, the deceased appeared to be tightly bound by iron wires, which had torn through the skin and flesh and dug into the bone.
Even for police officers who had witnessed numerous murder scenes, such images still possessed a powerful impact and carried a certain eerie, ritualistic quality.
Just as the chief inspector was about to say something, two men suddenly rushed into the room; one tried to take pictures, and the other bombarded him with a series of questions:
Another murder?
Have there been several murders in the East Borough recently?
"Officer, do you think it's a serial murder case?"
The inspector, with his dark sideburns and Blue Eyes, frowned even more deeply. He waved his hand and said:
"Don't disturb the crime scene, or I will consider you accomplices of the Criminal."
He then said to the officer from before:
" Calis, please have those two reporters leave. Tell them that if they have any questions, they should contact the press office at the Sivellaus Yard."
After the reporters were asked to leave the crime scene, the inspector sighed deeply and said:
"It's going to be in the papers again, damn it!"
Inside the Earl Hall's luxurious villa in Queens Borough.
"Another murder has occurred in the East Borough. The victim is suspected of being tortured before his death..." Audrey, who had finished dinner, casually flipped through the Backlund Evening News in the living room.
Hearing his daughter's soft murmur, Earl Hall shook his head and sighed:
"In the East Borough, this is nothing new. Statistics show that people die there every day, and not just one."
Audrey didn't pay much attention to the matter. After chatting with her father, mother, and brother for a while, she took her golden retriever, Susie, and returned to her room.
The woman and the dog were perfectly in sync. Without exchanging words, the dog stood guard at the door, while Audrey locked the door from the inside, sat on the bed, and silently recited the name of " The Fool ".
After a few seconds, Red Light surged forth before her eyes, engulfing everything.
Audrey arrived above the Gray Fog and entered the magnificent and ancient palace.
She then noticed a small room to the side, its mottled door slightly ajar, not fully closed.
"It's much better than that old confessional room from the last treatment... However, this doesn't quite fit Mr. 'World's' character. Has his mental state become distorted?" Audrey entered the room thoughtfully and closed the mottled door.
She had previously conducted a follow-up examination for "World" Gehrman Sparrow and concluded that he had recovered, but today she suddenly received a message from him requesting treatment again.
This surprised her, and also a little curious.
In the fairly spacious, dark room, Audrey leaned against the wall behind her, where there was clearly someone, and slowly lowered herself down, kneeling diagonally.
In the calm and peaceful atmosphere, she composed herself and spoke in a light tone:
Good evening, Mr. 'World'~
Before the words were even finished, Audrey's Spirituality intuition had already sensed the other person's Mental Body state, that is, their emotions or mood in the common sense.
Gloomy, downcast, confused, depressed, and uninterested in anything... Mr. "World's" problem this time was completely different from the last... What had happened to him this time? Audrey bit her lip lightly, calmly made a judgment, and used a " Placate " at the right time.
This is one of the most useful skills of a " Psychiatrist," and in ancient times it was called " Psychoanalysis."
The "dark clouds" that had been gathering behind the wall dissipated considerably, Gehrman Sparrow finally spoke in a hoarse voice:
Good evening, Miss Justice.
Leaning against the wall, Audrey thought for a moment, then cancelled the planned activity, maintaining her previous lighthearted tone as she said:
I'm curious about what you've been through lately; it seems like you've had so many experiences.
"Don't think about anything else, let's talk first, let's talk like friends."
"If you're interested in my life, I'd be happy to share some interesting things."
On the other side of the wall Gehrman Sparrow paused for a moment, then asked instead of answering:
What are your expectations for the future?
Audrey's eyes flickered slightly, and she answered earnestly:
"Improve myself and strive to become Demigod so that I can better protect my father, mother and brothers."
"Well, I've been accompanying Foundation staff to visit several scholarship applicants lately. Their living conditions are truly beyond my imagination. Although I had read some reports and was somewhat prepared, I was still deeply shocked when I actually faced it. There was a girl who was only a few years younger than me, but she was very thin and short. She was always hungry and only had two very tattered dresses. When she talked about wanting to study, her eyes were so pure and full of pleading. I still can't forget it to this day..."
As she spoke, Audrey keenly sensed a shift in Gehrman Sparrow's mental state; it was no longer like a completely still lake, but rather rippled and undulated.
After a moment's thought, the " Psychiatrist," seemingly oblivious to everything, continued speaking:
"I used to dream of a wonderful marriage, hoping my 'prince' would arrive like those in popular movies. However, after becoming an ' Spectator,' I've realized I'm afraid I'll find it hard to achieve that dream. I can always read men's true thoughts, see through their Lies one after another, and confirm that many people aren't as wonderful as I imagined. This disappoints me a bit. Hmm, maybe in a few years I'll learn to appreciate other people's flaws, but it's really hard to do now..."
Seeing that Gehrman Sparrow, who was standing back-to-back with her only separated by a wall, finally seemed to want to laugh, Audrey promptly offered another Placate gesture. Then, she heard him ask:
"You once obtained information about the Dragon from the ' The Sun,' so you should have some understanding of the ' Dragon of Imagination.'"
"If, and I mean if, you discovered that your father, mother, and brothers were all figments of the Angel King's Envisioning through the ' Spectator ' pathway, and didn't actually exist, how would you react?"
He would definitely break down on the spot, or even lose control... Did Mr. "World" realize that his main expectation or ultimate goal could never be achieved, thus causing psychological problems? Audrey was first inexplicably frightened by Gehrman Sparrow's questions, and then realized the essence of the problem.
She didn't answer, but instead asked a leading question:
"You seem to have witnessed the shattering of hope."
"Ha." A self-deprecating laugh came from the wall behind Audrey. "Indeed, I once thought I still had a family, but I later realized that was just wishful thinking."
"Why do you say that?" Audrey asked casually.
Gehrman Sparrow paused for a few seconds before saying:
"Have you heard of the fairy tales that Emperor Roselle used as tutors to enlighten children?"
"These are my childhood memories." Audrey hummed in agreement.
At the same time, she noticed that Mr. "World" on the other side of the wall was experiencing a significant emotional fluctuation, with suppressed pain surging forth.
This time, Audrey didn't use " Placate." Her Spirituality intuition and professional knowledge told her that the other person needed some catharsis.
"Then you should know the story of Sleeping Beauty and the Prince," Gehrman Sparrow said in a low, hoarse voice. "There was a man who also fell into a deep sleep, until one day he suddenly awoke... He thought his family was still alive, and he worked hard to improve himself, hoping to find them one day. This became the main meaning of his life. In the end, he discovered that he had been asleep for at least three hundred years, perhaps even a thousand years, or longer, and everything he once possessed was gone forever..."
The intense pain and confusion were so vivid in Audrey's perception that it suddenly made her realize something:
The gloomy, repressed, seasoned, and ruthless "World" also has his own goals to pursue and the meaning of his existence!
This aligns with his gentle heart... How pitiful... Although he only gave an example based on a fairy tale, his emotional reactions when mentioning certain words were genuine... When he mentioned "sleep," "family," "three hundred years," "thousands of years," "longer," and "never to be found again," his pain was clearly greater... Does this mean he is an ancient person who survived to the present due to some experience? This matches the idea that Mr. The Fool is a resurrected ancient god, no wonder he could become Blessed... Audrey quickly grasped the crux of the matter.
She pursed her lips, hesitated for a moment, and said:
Did his family leave any message? Did they say what they hoped he would do after he woke up?
P. S.: Thanks to loyal servant Wangcai for the silver reward!