Psychiatric Hospital of the Gods.
In the spacious, tidy courtyard, Nyx sat on a rocking chair, holding a vase and staring blankly into space.
A young man in a white coat walked down the corridor carrying several bottles of medicine and came to her side.
"You came to see me, Danaus, my child." Nyx turned to Lin Qiye, a smile blooming on her lips.
Lin Qiye sat down beside her and gave a soft grunt.
"It's time to take your medicine."
He poured out the pills from the bottles, carefully separating them into small piles before placing them in Nyx's hand.
"Be good. Take your medicine first."
Nyx did not hesitate. She swallowed all the medicine in one gulp, then gazed at Lin Qiye with eyes full of motherly affection.
"Danaus, you seem to have something on your mind?"
Lin Qiye froze. He had not expected Nyx, a psychiatric patient, to see through his state at a glance. After hesitating for a moment, he nodded.
"Sort of."
"Is there anything I can help you with?"
"Unfortunately, this isn't something you can help me with." Lin Qiye shook his head.
How could someone else help with something like leaving home and nursing his wounds alone?
Nyx looked somewhat dejected. Then, as if she had thought of something, she spoke again.
"If that's the case, Danaus, I'll give you a gift."
"A gift?" Lin Qiye was taken aback.
"Yes, I'll give you my bracelet. Keep it with you from now on, and you'll be able to..." Nyx reached up and felt around her wrist...
Then she felt around again.
She lowered her head to look at her bare wrist. Where was the bracelet?
"My bracelet... where is my bracelet?"
Lin Qiye: ...
Sure enough, Nyx was seriously ill!
Nyx tilted her head, frowning as though she were pondering something.
Just as Lin Qiye was about to get up and leave, Nyx suddenly spoke. "I remember now."
"What do you remember?"
"My bracelet was won by someone."
"Won?" Lin Qiye froze. Thinking it over, he could not recall any myth involving a bracelet. "Which god won it?"
"Not a god." Nyx shook her head and pointed at Lin Qiye. "She was like you."
"Like me... also one of your children?" Lin Qiye tried to think along Nyx's train of thought.
"No. Like you, she wore this white outfit."
Lin Qiye's pupils contracted, and his brow furrowed tightly.
"You mean that before me, someone else wore this outfit into your room and won your bracelet?"
Nyx nodded.
Lin Qiye's expression gradually turned solemn.
By accident, he had obtained such crucial information from Nyx.
From her description, before he had knocked open the doors of this Psychiatric Hospital and released Nyx, someone else had come here—and had opened Nyx's door as well!
He... was not the only owner of this place?
But this hospital was clearly inside his mind. How could anyone else have entered it?
Lin Qiye suddenly recalled that the first time he had dreamed of knocking on the Psychiatric Hospital's doors had been five years ago...
Five years ago, it had abruptly and mysteriously appeared in his dreams.
Could it be... that before he dreamed of the hospital five years ago, someone else had been here?
At that thought, Lin Qiye immediately sat back down and asked solemnly, "How did she win your bracelet?"
Nyx recalled for a moment before speaking. "She said she wanted to compete with me. If I won, she would return my child to me. If I lost, I would give her my bracelet."
"What did you compete in?"
Nyx slowly uttered two words. "Creation."
"Creation? And you lost in the end? How is that possible?" Lin Qiye's eyes were filled with shock. "You're the Goddess of Night, one of the five gods who created the world. How could you lose to someone else?"
"I don't know, but I really did lose." Nyx shook her head.
"Do you remember what she looked like?"
"I do. She seemed to be only twelve or thirteen at the time, with long black hair. She was very pretty, and there was a strange pattern here." Nyx pointed to the back of her hand.
"A twelve- or thirteen-year-old girl beat you at creation?" Lin Qiye's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "Even with your divine status damaged now, that shouldn't have been possible, right?"
Nyx sat there, seemingly sinking into her memories again.
Lin Qiye calmed himself and continued asking, "What else do you remember about her? Her name?"
"I don't know... I only know that her surname seemed to be... Ji?" Nyx said uncertainly.
"Ji..." Lin Qiye repeated the name.
"Before I returned to my room, she went that way." After thinking for a while, Nyx raised her hand and pointed toward a room on the third floor.
"I understand. Rest well." Lin Qiye looked up at the room, gave her a reminder, then turned and ran toward the stairs.
A moment later, Lin Qiye arrived outside the room Nyx had pointed out.
Three large characters were written on the plaque: Director's Office.
Lin Qiye frowned slightly and pushed the door open.
Beyond it was a modest-sized office that looked rather messy.
He had entered this room before. He had even taken this white coat from the coat rack inside, but he had not seemed to find anything back then.
Since Nyx said that girl had entered this room, she might very well have left behind some important clues.
This time, he was going to search the place thoroughly!
He did not start rummaging through drawers and cabinets. Instead, he sat down where he was and slowly closed his eyes.
With the divine realm Seraph had given him, he could easily sense every object in the room. It was far more efficient than searching through everything by hand.
A few seconds later, he suddenly opened his eyes.
He rose and walked to the desk. After feeling around inside the false bottom of the last drawer, he pulled out a somewhat yellowed letter.
There really was something!
Lin Qiye swiftly opened the envelope and took out the letter. His expression suddenly turned strange.
Hiss... this handwriting was kind of ugly!
It was crooked and uneven, like an elementary school student who had just learned to write.
"To someone:
I don't know who you are, but I know that you are the true owner of this place.
By the time you find this letter, several years should have passed. Don't laugh at my handwriting for being ugly right now. I'm still young, after all. It'll get better once I grow up.
Sorry for forcibly keeping your hospital with me for a while. But since it has now been returned to its rightful owner, don't blame me, okay! (tongue-out doodle)
Also, I borrowed a few things from some of your patients. When I find you again, I'll return them to you. Don't worry!
One last reminder: there's another place beneath this office~
When I grow up, I'll come find you, stranger. After all, you are my hope of going home.
Bye-bye~
—Jinian"
Before you continue