What Yin Xiu did in the consultation room is known only to him; the other players did not want to say a word.
As the clock struck nine, the bells rang throughout the mental hospital, their constant chimes seemingly reminding all the patients that it was time to go back to their rooms and sleep.
Yin Xiu endured his headache and lay down on the bed. As he listened to the chimes, his dizziness continued to worsen.
Mental Hospital Rule 5: Please take your medication once before bedtime to ensure you wake up safely.
With this rule in place, sleep doesn't seem to be a normal part of life, but Yin Xiu refuses to take medication and wants to see just how far his so-called mental illness can drag him down.
After taking a deep breath, Yin Xiu closed his eyes.
His consciousness was somewhat hazy, as if the darkness in his mind was constantly twisting and pulling, making him float as if he were falling into a whirlpool.
Amidst the faint dissipation, Yin Xiu seemed to hear subtle murmurs mixed in with the tolling of the bell, gentle and fragmented.
"It's starting, it's finally starting."
"After letting him wander around for so long, it's finally time to begin Lady Ye's plan."
"I'm so excited! No one has ever woken up before. Even the God of Slaughter must be asleep inside."
"Mental hospitals and drugs are just introductions, distractions. The real plan is only just beginning."
"I bet Yin Xiu will also fall into this trap."
"Then I bet he won't be able to leave unscathed."
The soft laughter and muttering gradually faded away, and Yin Xiu finally fell into a deep sleep amidst the sharp ringing in his ears.
The sound and dizziness lasted for a long time, so long that Yin Xiu felt he was in constant discomfort.
He didn't sleep very comfortably; it felt like he hadn't slept well in a long time.
I opened my eyes, sat up in bed, my whole body ached, and my head was dizzy.
Yin Xiu sat up, clutching his head. It was completely silent outside, and he felt a little uneasy.
Isn't it always noisy in a dungeon? Even if there are no eerie sounds, there are at least player voices, but waking up now gives Yin Xiu a hazy feeling of leaving the dungeon.
He rubbed his eyes, turned his head to look around, and froze the moment his gaze fell upon the surrounding scene.
The bright morning light shone through the old window onto his pale sheets. The walls of the room were gray and the floor was dilapidated. Moss grew on one side of the wall, giving off a damp smell.
He wasn't in his usual clean and tidy hospital room, but in a somewhat unfamiliar, dilapidated room.
Yin Xiu instinctively reached for the knife hanging at his waist, but his hand missed its target as he swung it; the knife was gone.
He looked down in surprise, then suddenly realized something was off.
His clothes are wrong, his hands are the wrong size, and even... his body shape is wrong.
As if sensing something, Yin Xiu touched his face and hurriedly got up to pick up the mirror in the unfamiliar room.
The face in the mirror was still the same, but it looked a little younger. A boy who looked a little younger than Yin Xiu, who was in his twenties, stood in front of the mirror wearing tattered clothes and looking tired.
His eyes were dull and weary, his pupils lacked any of the vitality that one would expect at his age, and even showed an unnatural gloom.
Yin Xiu touched his face; without a doubt, this was himself from his time in the orphanage.
Having weathered many storms, I thought I had finally found a small group and a family, but in this dilapidated environment, I faced even sharper exclusion and indifference than before.
Even the few vague memories still made Yin Xiu grit his teeth.
"Wasn't I running a dungeon? How could this be..." Yin Xiu frowned, and the bitter face in the mirror also frowned, revealing a hint of weariness towards this world.
He thought about it carefully in his mind and remembered the rules.
Rule five requires taking medication before bedtime, which he did not take.
The symptoms of a level three psychotic disorder include hallucinations and an uncontrollable urge to attack those around the victim.
He probably developed level three symptoms after falling asleep. At the moment, he was only experiencing hallucinations and wouldn't attack anyone. So, these were his own hallucinations? Something like a dream.
After a brief analysis of the current situation, the turmoil in Yin Xiu's heart subsided slightly, but he remained vigilant about his surroundings.
Although this was a hallucination from his time in the orphanage, his memory of it was completely hazy. Even now, he felt completely unfamiliar with the place, as if it were a brand new place, and he had to be on high alert.
The faint sound of footsteps outside the door interrupted Yin Xiu's thoughts. He quickly turned his head to try to find some weapons in the room to defend himself, but before he could find any, the door was suddenly opened.
A beam of light from outside pierced into the drab room, and a little girl skipped in, carrying a bunch of flowers. "Brother, the flowers outside are blooming! I got up early to pick some for you."
She wore a white dress that had faded to gray from washing, and had two braids. Although her clothes were simple and worn, her expression was bright, and she was full of energy, just like the sunlight behind her, which made Yin Xiu lose his senses.
The little girl came over with flowers in her arms and placed them in Yin Xiu's arms. Behind the beautiful flowers was her smiling face, even more radiant than the blooming flowers. "Brother, do you like them?"
Whether it was the infectiousness of her smile or the vibrant red of the blooming flowers, Yin Xiu's gloomy mood instantly lifted.
"Xiaoxiao…" Yin Xiu reached out and touched her hair, his eyes filled with tenderness, "Thank you for the flowers."
No matter how hazy his memory is, he will never forget his sister, who gave him spiritual support and was the most radiant flower in his life.
"Hehe, I'm glad you like it, brother." Xiaoxiao happily hugged him and took Yin Xiu's hand. "Brother, let's go eat. I prepared breakfast for you."
Yin Xiu couldn't hide the bitter smile on his face. "Next time, just wake me up and I'll make it for you."
"Xiaoxiao can also work hard on her own." She held Yin Xiu's hand and swayed it back and forth, which was particularly bright and lively in this gloomy orphanage. "Brother looks so tired lately… Xiaoxiao doesn't want brother to be too tired."
She was trying very hard to care for Yin Xiu, but Yin Xiu couldn't remember why he was so tired.
The tired face in the mirror was definitely not something that could be achieved from living in an orphanage.
He looked down and gripped the small, delicate hand tightly. He couldn't remember why he had lost his sister. Perhaps this hallucination arising from his memory would give him the answer.
Regardless of the past, he must hold onto these hands tightly now and never let go.