Six

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Xiao Ai followed the address given by Dr. Zhao and found the psychotherapist, Eddie Ming. The place was located near the outskirts of the city, on a tree-lined avenue adjacent to the countryside park, housed within a standalone apartment building.

Stepping into the lobby, she was greeted by walls adorned with all manner of wall paintings—classical, abstract, hazy impressions—an array of styles dazzling in their diversity. It hardly resembled a private clinic for psychological treatment; rather, it felt more like an art gallery. After traversing a corridor of moderate length, she came upon a spiral staircase. Ascending step by step, she slowly turned and gazed upward. She noticed that outside the main entrance of the upper floor hung a large vintage wall clock. The second hand ticked steadily, the pendulum swung, but no matter how it moved, the hour hand seemed fixed at eight o’clock, and the minute hand at forty-eight. Xiao Ai didn’t pay much attention to these details; before she could take in her surroundings, a middle-aged man of about fifty-five stood before her, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, his gaze deep and welcoming, a faint smile on his lips as he approached. He appeared to have been anticipating her arrival, perhaps notified in advance by Dr. Zhao.

Upon reaching the duplex’s second floor, the environment felt comfortable and tranquil. They entered the hypnotherapy room, which was even more spacious, illuminated by a bright chandelier, the east-facing window open, letting in gentle, non-intrusive light, and delicate white gauze curtains lent an air of dreamy repose.

The man introduced himself, “Hello, I am Eddie Ming.”

Xiao Ai wanted to introduce herself, but before she could speak, Dr. Ming said, “I know you are Xiao Ai. I’ve been expecting you.”

A strange sense of familiarity stirred in Xiao Ai, reminiscent of her first encounter with Dr. Zhao—an inexplicable intimacy, as if they knew her well. Neither seemed surprised by her peculiar appearance; her injuries were not alarming to them. Even with the white gauze still wrapped around her head, exposing only a pair of clear eyes, Dr. Ming greeted her with a smile. Before she could say anything, he spoke, “No need to explain. I know everything.”

Xiao Ai was bewildered. “Everything?”

“Yes, all is within my grasp. Thirty minutes ago, I sensed you would arrive at this exact moment. I have a gift of foresight.”

“Really?” Xiao Ai was skeptical.

“I’m not lying. You carry a necklace, and on the pendant are the letters 'A.W.'—am I right?”

Xiao Ai was startled; she did indeed have that necklace in her pocket, the one she’d found. How could he know?

“You needn’t worry about how I know. Just trust that I do.”

Even Dr. Zhao knew nothing of the necklace—Xiao Ai had never mentioned it. So it couldn’t have been him who told Dr. Ming. Despite his gentle appearance, how could Dr. Ming know such details when they’d never met before? Claiming to be a prophet—how could she believe that?

“Dr. Ming... How can you know?” she couldn’t help but ask.

“As I said, it’s hard to explain. I simply know, and I can sense things a bit sooner than most.”

“What do you mean?” She grew more confused.

“Not much sooner, just a little ahead of others.”

“I still don’t quite understand.”

“I know about events before others do—but only about thirty minutes ahead.”

“So, half an hour before I arrived, you sensed I would come to see you?” Indeed, Xiao Ai hadn’t made an appointment; she’d come directly, hoping for luck—if Dr. Ming was busy, she would book for another day. But now, it seemed she wouldn’t need to wait and could proceed with hypnotherapy at once.

“Yes, you’re quite right.”

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“You can’t explain your foresight?”

“No, I can’t.”

Was it that he didn’t wish to explain, or was it truly inexplicable?

“Let’s begin the hypnotherapy,” he said, inviting Xiao Ai to sit upright on the sofa.

“Don’t you need to know why I’m seeking hypnotherapy first?”

“You lost your memory in a car accident, didn’t you?”

“You can be so sure it was a car accident?”

“My ability gave me the answer. Yes,” he said softly. “Child, there’s no need to panic. With us here, you’ll recover quickly. Trust me.”

“With us?” Xiao Ai’s heart was full of questions. Nevertheless, she longed for the hypnotherapy, hoping it would help her recover her lost memories.

After a brief conversation, the hypnotherapy session officially began—

Eddie Ming swung the pendant of the necklace Xiao Ai had found at the Guanshan Lake scenic area. He believed this item held deep significance for the amnesiac and could stimulate latent memories.

As the pendant swung slowly, Xiao Ai closed her eyes and drifted into sleep.

Eddie Ming: “What do you see now? Can you sense where you are?”

Xiao Ai: “…I see… a thick fog, ahead… all fog. I can’t see anything.”

Eddie Ming: “Now try to walk forward a bit. Can you see anything?”

Xiao Ai: “Ahead… the fog isn’t as dense. I think… there’s something white… it’s moving…”

Eddie Ming: “What is it? Can you see clearly?”

Xiao Ai: “It’s that white business van…”

Eddie Ming: “And then?”

Xiao Ai: “It’s driving ahead, and before it… there’s a cliff shrouded in mist… The van keeps going forward…” Her body began to struggle, feeling danger she could not prevent, then came a sudden fright, and she cried out, “It’s falling! It’s falling!” Her breathing quickened, as if the event was happening in an instant.

Eddie Ming: “Don’t panic. You’re safe, you’ll be fine.” Dr. Ming kept comforting her, his voice guiding her panic. “Though you see the cliff, you’re unhurt. Now, keep looking—what’s around you?”

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Xiao Ai: “I walk toward the edge of the cliff, wanting to see how deep it is, but… ah!” She cried out again in terror.

Eddie Ming: “What’s wrong?”

Xiao Ai: “Someone pushed me hard from behind—I’m falling… I want to turn around and see who it was, but I keep falling, I can’t turn…?” She was frantic.

The situation was urgent; Eddie Ming was about to rouse her. But in the dream, Xiao Ai encountered something else—finally, she landed. She saw a person lying in the car, dressed just like herself. She approached and touched the person; they didn’t move. Checking for breath—none. She was dead—

Xiao Ai broke out in a cold sweat.

Recovering, she tried to see the face of the person, for since waking she had never seen her own appearance—always wrapped in white gauze, never knowing what she looked like. She slowly moved the body to see the face, turned it over—and found the face was a mess of blood and flesh, horrifyingly unrecognizable! This time, Xiao Ai was even more terrified. Unable to extricate herself from the dream, she could not awaken, as if trapped in sleep paralysis. Facing the corpse, how could she wake?

In the midst of fear and struggle, a sound arose, like the grinding of gears.

Xiao Ai tried to find the source, but couldn’t. The corpse suddenly raised an arm and pointed to a corner of the car. Following the direction, Xiao Ai found a hidden message, written in what looked like blood—dark red and blurry. She peered closer; it read: “Substitution mode, only one can survive…”

What did it mean? Who or what was it referring to? Suddenly, her vision blacked out, nothing visible. The grinding gear sound returned. Before her appeared a massive machine, impossible to describe—overlapping gears pushing one another…

Then, Eddie Ming’s voice suddenly rang out, “Xian Xiao Ai, wake up!” His words cut through the vision, and it vanished instantly.

Xiao Ai finally awoke from hypnosis, her breathing rapid and labored, struggling to utter, “What happened to me just now?”

Upon waking, she remembered nothing from the dream.

Eddie Ming: “You went too deep into the dream. I tried to wake you, but the first attempt failed. After three tries, you finally woke.”

“Was I asleep for long?”

“No, but from your expression, your state in the dream wasn’t good. Perhaps you encountered something.”

“I really don’t remember—nothing comes back after waking.”

“No need to worry. It’s normal not to remember the first time you dream. It always happens,” Dr. Ming paused and handed Xiao Ai a recording device. “This is the recording from the hypnosis. Take it home and listen; perhaps you’ll recall what you saw in the dream. We’ll stop here for today. Rest for a few days, then we’ll continue.”

Xiao Ai nodded in agreement. She had a vague impression that she had forgotten something important—strange and extraordinary clues that might be vital!