SummaryHollowed out by the portrait's cruel resurrection of her grief, Elara reaches her breaking point. Deciding she would rather be homeless and free than tormented by the painting, she resolves to destroy it. She tries to slash the canvas with a kitchen knife, but the blade refuses to bite, gliding off as if the surface is made of stone. The portrait’s face then contorts into a silent, convulsing laugh, its eyes gleaming with triumphant malice. Defeated and terrified, Elara realizes the artifact is not merely sentient; it is indestructible, and she is its permanent, helpless prisoner.---The Laughing Portrait: Chapter 5The