The eccentric doctor never makes a misdiagnosis!

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Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

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Chapter Sixty-Four: Sharp Blade and Silver Mirror

Seeing that the hotel maid did indeed have some knowledge of this, Fran then inquired about the specific details.

"Miss waitress, could you please describe in more detail why room 408 'does not exist'?"

When "non-existent" is used as an adjective, it makes things seem quite abstract.

Since it no longer exists, how could others know that something was amiss? Therefore, it is difficult to form a concrete understanding of it, and a more detailed description is needed to deepen the understanding.

The maid's eyes were glazed over as she obediently recounted everything she knew.

“The room layout is the same on every floor. 208 and 308 are both at the corner at the end of the corridor, but there is no 408 in the same location. And... 407 is directly followed by 409.”

"The head maid said it's because there are several large suites on the fourth floor reserved for VIPs, so some rooms were combined. But why skip the room numbers?"

"The manager said it was to add some mystery to the hotel and attract young customers... But I, and some of my colleagues who often work on the fourth floor, have dreamed about that room."

"Behind that door, there was only white light... only phantoms I couldn't see clearly. They were chaotic, just like my face..."

"despair."

The sound of fingertips lightly tapping a pocket watch.

With that crisp metallic sound, the waitress's dazed look in her eyes gradually faded, and her pupils regained focus.

Her mental state had begun to become somewhat unstable, so Fran appropriately ended the hypnosis.

"what."

The maid, now fully conscious, had forgotten everything that had just happened, but seemed somewhat flustered, as if afraid she had done something impolite.

"Madam, what happened to me just now? I seemed to have been a little distracted. I'm very sorry, did I offend you?"

"Miss waitress, you seemed a little dazed just now. You might be too tired from work."

Fran maintained his friendly business smile and then handed her the Norrington silver coin in his hand.

Remember to get some rest!

"Yes, thank you..."

After accepting the Norrington silver coin, the girl recalled the last scene in her memory. Hmm... it was the scene of the doctor giving her a tip.

How could I have let my mind wander in that situation? It's so embarrassing...

After thanking him again, the waiter turned and left.

Fran casually closed the door, then looked at Haida and Vivian beside him.

"So, are you interested in the ghost stories of the Dream Flower Hotel?"

"Hmm. It must be some kind of secret realm, or the influence of the relics."

Haida's eyes dimmed slightly as she began to speculate, relying on her professional habits.

Vivian didn't have a strong desire to explore places that were obviously potentially dangerous. Her previous work usually involved gathering information on the periphery and then reporting the findings to the Confidential Court.

Although the agents are eager to uncover secrets, that's something only the living can do. No matter how alluring the secret, you need to be alive to know it.

However, with Dr. Fran and Sister Heda by her side, she no longer had this concern.

“But… how should we explore? Mu Ning has already checked, and this hotel definitely doesn’t have room 408.”

Vivian was somewhat puzzled.

Generally speaking, secret realms have corresponding "entrances." It might be the unusual moonlight in an alleyway, the darkness without light inside a door, or even the gray mist summoned by Dr. Fran.

“That maid said she dreamed about that door. So, I need a sufficiently stable dream to observe that door.”

Fran already had a plan for this.

Luara is a mythical creature born from dreams, naturally possessing the ability to open the doors to dreams. This is a spiritual awakening beyond the reach of mortals, and it would be a great waste not to make good use of it. Moreover, she herself intends to go there.

Vivian gently raised her finger and touched her chin, still puzzled by some details.

"Dr. Fran, if you can observe that room simply by entering a dream, how has it been maintained until now?"

Many esoteric practitioners view entering dreams as a way to catalyze spirituality, so it is common knowledge that almost every beginner needs to know, similar to clairvoyance.

How can something so easily observed be called a ghost story?

Furthermore, if that room truly posed an undeniable danger, how could the Star Abyss Society of Foy City tolerate its continued existence? They even allowed the Dream Flower Hotel to continue operating normally.

"Dreams are chaotic and fragmented; even if you enter one, it may not lead to a specific room. Like a door lock, to open it correctly, the key in your hand must precisely fit into every slot of the lock cylinder."

"Catching a glimpse of that dream might not be difficult, but touching and unlocking it within the dream itself is a completely different story..."

Fran had a profound understanding of thought and dreams, and he could explain them with great familiarity.

Vivian could roughly understand what she meant, but there was still a problem that needed to be solved.

"But isn't it a bit unsafe for three people to enter a dream together?"

Entering a dream is equivalent to ascending the mind and spirit beyond reality through a state of deep sleep.

While most of the time one can escape by "waking up suddenly," in certain special circumstances... waking up suddenly can severely damage one's sanity and even trigger madness.

At the same time, entering the dream together also signifies that all three will be in a vulnerable, sleep-like state in their real bodies, making it difficult to avoid danger from reality.

Therefore, under normal circumstances, there should always be a sober person standing by the lock to prevent any unexpected situations from occurring.

"That's right."

Fran agreed with Vivian's idea, but she didn't need anyone to watch over her.

“However, you don’t need to worry about safety this time, Vivian. I have a loyal and strong enough ‘guardian’ to ensure the safety of all living things in this room.”

"ok, I get it."

Vivian pursed her lips, somewhat curious about what kind of guards she was referring to, but she didn't ask.

Of course, her goal of "letting me guard it" was not achieved either...

Fran got up and placed his doctor's coat on the coat rack, then took off his thick-soled leather shoes, rolled up his black velvet socks, and put them inside.

After completing the preparations, she placed her hands on her chest and lay down on the bed in a rather peaceful posture.

"...Luya, we can prepare to depart."

Her lips moved, uttering a barely perceptible whisper.

As she finished speaking, a light and ethereal fragrance of dream flowers filled the room.

Vivian sat on the bed, quietly watching the doctor skillfully complete the series of preparations.

The whole process was so smooth that she even suspected Fran might take out his pajamas from the medicine box and change into them...

"Dr. Fran, is it not necessary to use any sleep aids or similar medications?"

Having caught up on sleep for almost two weeks aboard the Leviathan, she felt no sleepiness whatsoever. Even if she lay down like the other person, she probably wouldn't be able to fall asleep.

"No need?"

As he spoke, Fran got out of bed again, put the black stockings he had taken off back on his legs, and then put on his shoes.

Upon seeing this, Vivian narrowed her eyes in slight confusion.

Why put it back on after taking it off? Does it have some special meaning? Or is it some kind of ritual I don't understand? No, it can't be some kind of ritual...

"Vivian, you're already in a dream."

Seeing that the agent seemed a little confused about the situation, Haida began to explain.

"Huh? When was that..."

Vivian was somewhat shocked. She reached out and touched her shoulder; the crow Munin had indeed disappeared.

She surveyed her surroundings; the decor and atmosphere were identical to her original hotel suite. The only difference was that her callbird had vanished, and beside Sister Haida… stood a snow-white deer, its color like alabaster.

"Na?"

Noticing that someone was watching her, Luyara turned her body slightly to the side, as if she wanted Sister Haida to block her view.

But in reality, only the head was blocked; most of the body was still within Vivian's line of sight, and she could even see a fluffy white tail behind her.

“Vivian, let me introduce you. She is my messenger. You can call her Luyala.”

Fran had already put his doctor's coat back on, picked up his medicine box, and was ready to go out.

"Um... It's nice to meet you, Luyala."

Although still somewhat dazed, Vivian steadied herself and greeted the little deer behind Haida.

"Na."

Luya cautiously peeked out to observe Vivian, and only after not feeling threatened did she gradually emerge from behind Haida.

Vivian appears to be the kind of person who is harmless to humans and animals, so she has a certain talent for getting along with animals... otherwise she would not have been able to win the favor of the crow Munin and be transformed into a callbird through ritual.

"Um, Dr. Fran, what is Luara's...gender?"

She was inexplicably concerned about this.

Luyala is a rather feminine name, but she has long, branch-like glass antlers on her head. And apart from reindeer, it seems that only male deer have antlers... However, mythical creatures cannot be judged by common sense.

"Although she has horns, Luara possesses complete female primary sexual characteristics. Physiologically speaking, she is female."

Fran had thoroughly examined her body more than once, so answering these basic questions was a piece of cake.

"Is that so..."

Vivian's face showed a look of understanding.

Fran raised his hand and scratched the fur on Luya's chin, and the latter squinted her eyes, clearly enjoying it.

"If you have any other questions, we can discuss them on the way. Let's go check out room 408 first."

"Mm," Vivian replied.

At the same time, she couldn't help but feel a strange sense of envy towards Fran. The fact that Luara allowed herself to be touched so freely and without any reservations clearly showed that the two were quite familiar with each other. (Six)

The snow-white, satin-like down looked incredibly soft to the touch… Si

At the same time, in reality.

Suddenly, Crow Muning felt the shoulder he was stepping on loosen, and Vivian immediately fell onto the bed. Her face was calm and serene, like that of a sleeping baby.

"Gah?" It flapped its wings lightly and landed to the side with a hint of confusion.

It seems... that everything in this room except myself is asleep?

Just as Mu Ning was still somewhat confused, it heard a rustling sound.

Something slowly emerged from the doctor's back, through the stitches and his tuxedo shirt, and then continued to extend across his overlapping body...

It was a cold, cast machine made of vertebrae and steel, with limbs as sharp as blades and a tail as long as a snake.

It was so eerie that it inspired fear, yet so solemn that it bordered on dignified, like the feathered serpent from ancient mythology.

The chimeric ridge "Sphinx" is capable of autonomous combat, thus possessing observational organs equivalent to eyes. At this moment, it gazes indifferently at the raven Munin, and the two remain locked in a silent stare.

-

"Such a stable dream, without a single illusion..."

Looking at the corridor decor, which was exactly the same as that of the Dream Flower Hotel, Vivian couldn't help but sigh.

Without special secret techniques or rituals as guidance, the scenes one sees in a dream are mostly fragmented memories or subconscious reflections, resulting in chaos.

Following that faint, almost imperceptible spiritual connection, the three people and the deer walked along the U-shaped corridor toward room 408.

Haida remained vigilant, occasionally sniffing the surrounding air. Hunters are quite sensitive to unusual spirituality and can detect, to some extent, any impure or restless activity in the air.

However... everything in the corridor was as usual.

If she hadn't known beforehand that this was a dream, she wouldn't have been able to distinguish it from reality.

"There was no pollution or strange spiritual energy... but it's possible that it was all contained within the room."

Fran gently shook his index finger, seemingly not believing that the things in the room could be contaminants.

“If what was in room 408 was contamination, it would probably have been removed long ago. I guess it must have been something much 'purer'.”

Haida's room 427 was also located on the fourth floor, so it was only a few steps to find room 408.