Lin Qiye was really tired.
Both physically and mentally.
Never in his wildest dreams did he expect all this to happen on his first day at a new school — encountering monsters, being betrayed by his classmates, engaging in desperate combat, suddenly being able, for the first time, to open his eyes, then having a superhero-like stranger leap out of nowhere, and finally slipping away unseen…
Lin Qiye wasn't foolish. He understood that what happened tonight must be tied to the secret side of this world — the face-eating monster, the golden light that came off his body, and that man who single-handedly took down the beast.
That man was anything but ordinary. Judging by the way he reported in over his walkie-talkie, there must have been a powerful organization behind him — one that lurked in the shadows, dedicated to handling these bizarre, supernatural incidents.
He had witnessed the golden light that erupted from Lin Qiye, and might have even seen him single-handedly defeat the monster. No wonder he wanted to recruit Lin Qiye to their organization.
It would have been a lie if Lin Qiye said that he was not even a bit interested in the mysterious side of the world. He wanted to understand just what kind of world he'd stumbled into and to learn the truth about himself. Even so, he didn't want his curiosity to get him caught up in this mess.
Some mysteries, once uncovered, one can never escape.
Lin Qiye had no desire to become some hero fighting for the sake of mankind. The only thing he truly wished to protect… was his own family.
Before long, he drifted off into a deep sleep.
***
Once again, the familiar mist descended.
Within the dream, Lin Qiye looked around and let out a helpless breath: "Won't give me a break, huh? Facing monsters while awake, and even more trouble knocking while asleep. What a life…"
Familiar with this dream, Lin Qiye strolled forward. Soon, the outline of a mental hospital came into view.
On an ancient plaque to his right, a bold inscription caught his eye:
— Asylum of the Gods
Stopping before the door, Lin Qiye stretched out his hand for the iron ring of the door. As soon as his fingers made contact, the ground began to shake ever so slightly!
Around him, mist suddenly started to swirl and churn.
Clutching the knocker, Lin Qiye stood there, completely bewildered.
What the hell?! I haven't even knocked yet — why is everything shaking already?
It was never like this before, was it?
Suddenly, a thought struck Lin Qiye like a bolt of lightning.
Could it be… because today he opened his eyes?
Glancing down at his dream-self, Lin Qiye's eyes began to glimmer with realization.
Normally, in his dream, his body had always appeared semi-transparent — fragile as drifting mist.
But tonight, his body felt far more solid than before. Even though it still lacked true substance, it was no longer see-through.
In a sudden surge of hope, Lin Qiye snapped his head up and stared at the massive door that had kept him out for five long years. His eyes blazed with determination.
Tonight… it might work!
He drew in a deep breath, clutched the heavy knocker tight, and slammed it hard against the door!
"Dang—!"
An ancient bell rang out from deep within the asylum, far louder than ever before. Thankfully, Lin Qiye's current form lacked any flesh and bone — otherwise, that deafening sound would have split his eardrums wide open.
As the peal of the bell echoed, the entire asylum began to quiver violently once again!
There was hope! Lin Qiye's eyes lit up.
"Dang—!"
"Dang—! !"
"Dang—! ! !"
Without a moment's hesitation, Lin Qiye banged the knocker three more times, and the asylum shook as if caught in a quake!
At last, with the final strike, a thunderous boom rang out from deep inside the asylum — then everything fell utterly silent…
Just as Lin Qiye was about to raise his hand to knock once again, the heavy door before him creaked with a low, guttural groan and slowly began to move.
The door was open.
"Vmmm — THUD!"
When the doors swung fully open, an ancient and shadowed corridor appeared before Lin Qiye.
The floor, made of some mysterious material, glowed faintly with a soft phosphorescence. Along the walls, clusters of burning lights hung in midair, casting a strange and unsettling aura.
Lin Qiye continued down the corridor. Soon, he reached a fork where, overhead, a modern-looking sign was suspended — out of place and filled with that unmistakable contemporary flavor.
"Left side, wards. Right side, recreation area…" Lin Qiye muttered to himself as he studied the sign. "Why does this layout look just like that asylum I lived in all those years ago?"
Lin Qiye paused for a moment, then decided to head into the recreation area first.
There weren't many rooms in the recreation block, but it had everything you'd expect: a multimedia room for watching TV and movies, a lounge for board games and relaxation, a study for reading and learning… Deep within the building, there was even a circular outdoor lawn with all kinds of sports equipment scattered across the grass.
"Just as I thought — exactly the same. This dream is really bizarre." Lin Qiye frowned and shook his head in confusion.
After finishing his tour of the recreation area, he turned around and headed toward the wards.
But as he reached the entrance to the ward block, Lin Qiye suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"This place… isn't the same anymore." He gazed at the dull, shadowed corridor before him, murmuring to himself.
He remembered clearly: back when he'd stayed at Sunshine Mental Hospital, the wards spanned several floors. The facilities weren't luxurious, but at least everything was clean and orderly.
But the ward area before Lin Qiye now had only a single floor, and just six rooms in total.
Every door was covered with a mass of strange symbols and patterns, scrawled in dense, tangled lines. They resembled some kind of seal or ward — just a fleeting glance made Lin's head spin and his vision blur.
Forcing himself to look away, Lin Qiye steadied his mind and shifted his gaze elsewhere.
Above the right side of each ward door hung an old, weathered plaque, and every door had its own unique symbol.
For instance, the number one ward — where Lin Qiye was now standing — bore the image of a large black circle on its plaque.
Ward number two had a symbol that looked like a staff or a brush.
Lin Qiye continued down the hallway, passing each room in turn all the way to the sixth. Despite examining all these signs, he still couldn't make sense of any of them.
Staring at the strange, ominous doors before him, Lin Qiye slipped into deep thought.
In this dream hospital, only the wards didn't match his memories of Sunshine Mental Hospital.
So… did these rooms actually house patients?
Or, as the name 'Asylum of the Gods' suggested, were there truly gods behind these doors?
Lin Qiye hesitated for a moment, then slowly reached out, his hand moving towards the doorknob of the sixth room.
It wasn't that Lin Qiye was being reckless. For one, this place was only a dream — no matter what went wrong, nothing here could actually harm him. Besides, after five long years of knocking, finally breaking into this asylum, he wasn't about to turn away now without any answers.
Somewhere deep inside, he also felt there might be secrets hidden in this asylum — truths connected to himself.
Otherwise, why would everything here be arranged exactly like Sunshine Mental Hospital, the one he'd lived in before?
Lin Qiye's hand inched closer, his fingertips brushing lightly against the doorknob — a faint, cool sensation spread up his skin.
There was no sudden jolt, no shock or sting as he'd imagined. His hand simply, naturally, closed around the handle.
Lin Qiye gave a forceful pull!
The door didn't budge.
He steadied himself and tugged again with all his might.
Still, it refused to move.
Lin Qiye gave up on the sixth door and moved to the fifth, gripping its handle and pulling with all his strength.
Still, it wouldn't open.
He tried the fourth, the third, and then the second one — each time, the result was the same: none of the doors would budge.
Finally, with a sense of inevitable failure weighing on him, Lin Qiye stopped before the door to the first room.
Certain it wouldn't work, he braced himself and pulled the handle anyway.
"Click—!"
A soft click issued from the doorknob. The intricate patterns and symbols carved onto the door suddenly split apart, then slowly faded and dissolved into the air.
Startled, Lin Qiye stumbled back a few steps, his gaze glued to what lay ahead.
The door… was open.