There is no light, no sound, only endless darkness and silence.
Li Baiyu felt as if her heart was being tightly gripped by something, she couldn't breathe, couldn't think.
"What's wrong? What did you see?" Professor Chen's voice sounded beside her ear, but Li Baiyu could no longer respond. She was engulfed in extreme fear and despair.
Just then, Professor Chen suddenly raised his voice, "Li Baiyu! Wake up! Hurry, wake up!"
Like a bolt of lightning tearing through the night sky, Li Baiyu suddenly opened her eyes. She found herself still lying in Professor Chen's consultation room, everything around her unchanged. But inside, she had experienced an unprecedented storm.
"Are you okay?" Professor Chen asked with concern. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ NovᴇlFire(.)nᴇt
Li Baiyu nodded, but her face was still pale as paper. She tried hard to recall the experience just now, but that darkness and silence seemed to leave a deep imprint in her mind, one she couldn't erase.
"What did you see?" Professor Chen asked again.
Li Baiyu hesitated for a moment, then said, "I saw... darkness. Nothing else."
Professor Chen frowned, clearly surprised by Li Baiyu's answer. He remained silent for a moment, then said, "It's alright, we'll try again next time. But remember, no matter what you see, don't be afraid. Because those are the secrets and unknowns deep within you, they won't harm you."
Li Baiyu nodded, but her heart was still full of doubt and fear. She didn't know what that darkness represented, nor whether she could face it again.
"Why? Why would I see that darkness?" Li Baiyu couldn't help but ask.
Professor Chen was silent for a while, then said, "That darkness might represent some fears and anxieties deep within you. They are suppressed in your subconscious and were released through hypnosis. But don't be afraid, because they are a part of you. Only by facing them can you truly understand yourself and find inner peace and tranquility."
Li Baiyu nodded, but her heart was still full of doubt. She didn't know if she truly had the courage to face those fears and anxieties.
However, after experiencing so much, she knew that no matter what that darkness represented, she must have the courage to face it.
"Professor Chen, I want to find the answer to that darkness." Li Baiyu's voice was firm and clear.
Professor Chen looked at her in surprise, then smiled and nodded, "Very well, you are very brave. Now, let's enter hypnosis again and face that darkness together."
As the music started, Li Baiyu entered the hypnotic state once more.
A gentle piano melody flowed out again, wrapping around Li Baiyu as softly as a stream.
"Relax, relax your body, starting from your toes, little by little upwards, until the top of your head." Professor Chen's voice, like a hypnotic spell, guided Li Baiyu to gradually relax.
Following Professor Chen's instructions, Li Baiyu felt her body soften bit by bit, as if lifted by an invisible force. Her heartbeat gradually steadied, her breathing became long and deep. She closed her eyes, allowing her consciousness to gradually sink into that mysterious and unknown world.
"Now, a darkness appears before you. In this darkness, what do you see?" Professor Chen's voice gently echoed in her ear, like a distant wind, soft and mysterious.
Li Baiyu tried hard to find something in the darkness, but all she saw was a blur. She was not in a hurry, for she knew that this time she would not be shackled by fear. She took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly, letting herself slowly calm down.
"It's okay, take your time. Deep within, there's a door. This door is locked, but now, I want you to imagine you have a key that can open this door." Professor Chen's voice remained calm and firm, like an old friend, providing her endless comfort and support in the darkness.
Li Baiyu imagined a key in her mind, felt its shape, texture, could even feel its cold touch. She tried hard to fit the key to that elusive door, then, gently, turned it.
With a "click", it was as if something deep within Li Baiyu shattered. She felt a familiar current surge from her soles to the top of her head, but this time, she did not feel fear or anxiety. Instead, she felt a powerful force rushing through her body, as if to tell her: you are ready to face everything.
Li Baiyu came to that door once again, but this time, she no longer felt fear or anxiety. She took a deep breath, and then forcefully pushed open the door.
It was a world full of darkness and mist, seemingly never-ending.
Li Baiyu groped her way forward in the darkness, her heart filled with fear and unease. She didn't know what awaited her ahead, nor whether she could return safely. But she knew she had to courageously face it all. Because only this way could she find the secret of Lin Xiaocan's disappearance.
She moved forward resolutely, trying to find traces of Lin Xiaocan. However, just when she was about to give up, a familiar figure suddenly appeared in front of her.
It was Lin Xiaocan, standing there quietly, her eyes filled with confusion and perplexity. A surge of inexplicable excitement and joy filled Li Baiyu's heart. She finally found Lin Xiaocan!
"Lin Xiaocan! What are you doing here?" Li Baiyu asked urgently.
However, Lin Xiaocan did not respond. She just stood there quietly, as if she hadn't heard Li Baiyu. An ominous premonition surged in Li Baiyu's heart. She realized the Lin Xiaocan before her might not be the real Lin Xiaocan, but only a phantom in her inner world.
"Who are you? Why are you here?" Li Baiyu asked cautiously.
The figure slowly turned around, revealing a face identical to Li Baiyu's. But her eyes were filled with indifference and despair.
"I am Lin Xiaocan... but also not Lin Xiaocan." The figure's voice was low and hoarse, "I am a soul trapped here, unable to escape forever."
Li Baiyu was startled. She hadn't expected the figure to say such things. She tried to approach the figure, but was blocked by an invisible force.
"Who... who are you really?" Li Baiyu asked in horror.
The figure did not answer, just slowly raised a hand, pointing toward a black hole in front. That black hole seemed an endless abyss, devouring everything around it.
"There... is my destination." The figure's voice carried a trace of despair, "I am trapped there, unable to escape forever. And you... will also become the next soul trapped here."
Li Baiyu looked at the black hole in horror, her heart filled with fear and despair. She didn't know if she, like the figure, would be trapped in this dark world forever. Just then, a familiar voice suddenly sounded in her ear: "Senior! Don't be afraid! I'm here to save you!"