The Goddess of the Night
1170 Words
Among the six wards, only the door to the first one could be opened.
Was it because only this one was set to be "openable," or was it like the gate he had knocked on for five years—his current strength could only open the first door?
Lin Qiye had knocked on that gate for five years, and only after opening his eyes and having his spiritual sense strengthened could he enter the hospital.
So, for the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth wards, would he need to grow stronger to open them as well?
Lin Qiye wasn't sure, and he didn't have time to dwell on it now.
Because right in front of him, the door of the ward that had been covered in seals was slowly opening.
The space inside was small and dimly lit. In the center of the room sat a single chair, and on that chair, a woman in a stardust-black dress sat blankly staring ahead.
Aside from this one person and one chair, there was nothing else in the shadowy room.
Lin Qiye carefully walked up to the door. After a moment's thought, he put on an overly polite smile and waved at the woman inside.
"Hello, I'm Lin Qiye."
It didn't matter who she was—it was always safer to be polite first. As the saying goes, "One doesn't hit a smiling face." Even if this was a god, maybe she wouldn't make things hard for him.
But Lin Qiye's smile almost froze on his face. The black-clad woman didn't move at all, like a statue.
Gritting his teeth, Lin Qiye stepped inside.
The moment he crossed the threshold, lines of text suddenly appeared on the wall behind the woman.
"Ward No. 1
Patient: Nyx
Task: Help Nyx treat her mental illness. When treatment progress reaches the set values (1%, 50%, 100%), you may randomly draw part of Nyx's abilities.
Current progress: 0%"
"Nyx?" Lin Qiye gasped when he saw the text.
He wasn't well-versed in mythology, but as one of the five primordial deities of Greek myth, the Goddess of the Night was someone even he had heard of.
She stood at the very peak of the mythological hierarchy!
So this dazed-looking woman before him was the famed Goddess of the Night?
Her aura was cold and regal, her features flawless, her long black hair flowing down her back like a waterfall. Her black stardust dress was as deep as the night sky, setting off her pale skin like snow-lit jade.
Even without any light in her eyes, her presence was far beyond anything a human could possess.
Not even the greatest empress in history could compare.
Nyx—she was both god and sovereign.
The sovereign of the night!
Lin Qiye rubbed his chin, studying her closely. He had seen gods before, but compared to the seraph on the moon, Nyx seemed to be missing something.
Divinity? Power? Authority?
Or all of the above?
He didn't know, but he could guess that her current state had something to do with her illness.
But this was a god—a god at the very top of the mythological ladder!
How could she fall ill?
Was it a natural illness… or caused by someone?
If it was natural, he didn't believe it. But if it was caused by someone, what kind of being could make the Goddess of the Night mentally ill?
And mentally ill, no less.
According to the wall's instructions, he needed to treat her illness. But what illness was it exactly?
Having been a "mental patient" himself, Lin Qiye knew a bit—depression, OCD, schizophrenia, delusions…
To treat her, he first had to figure out what she had.
He thought for a moment, then squatted down in front of her and waved a hand before her eyes.
"Can you hear me?" he asked softly.
Suddenly, Nyx's body trembled, startling him into taking several steps back.
Then, with stiff movements, she turned her head toward him, her blank eyes locking straight onto his.
Lin Qiye swallowed hard, frozen in place.
One second… two… three…
Just as his scalp began to tingle from her stare, her expression changed.
From blankness to confusion…
From confusion to shock…
From shock to tearful joy.
Her body trembled, tears welling in her eyes. Her lips parted with effort, and after a long, choked pause, she spoke in a hoarse voice:
"I've finally found you… my child!!"
Lin Qiye felt like a bolt of electricity shot from his feet to his brain, leaving his mind completely blank.
She?
Me?
Child?
Huh???
He had no memory of his parents—they'd left him with his aunt after his birth and vanished.
But…
He was pretty sure his mother was human.
Not the Goddess of the Night.
Wait… and how was a foreign goddess speaking fluent Chinese?
Oh, right—this was his dream. He could understand the language of gods. Probably brainwave transmission or something.
While he was still lost in thought, Nyx stood and opened her arms, staggering toward him.
Her pace quickened, her expression more and more emotional.
His mind was a mess, but instinctively, he spread his arms to receive the goddess's embrace.
However—
She ran right past him and hugged…
The small flower vase on the windowsill behind him.
Clutching the vase, tears streaming down her face, she cried, "My child… you're still alive. I've finally found you!"
Lin Qiye: …???
Then her eyes fell on the chair she'd been sitting on for who knows how long.
After a brief daze, she rushed forward, hugging both the chair and the vase as she cried again.
"Hypnos! My child, you're here too!!"
Lin Qiye stood frozen, watching as she one by one recognized the vase, the chair, the wall, and even thin air as her children, weeping over each in turn.
Lin Qiye: I think… I know what's wrong with her now.
And it's not mild…
…
Morning came. Lin Qiye slowly woke from his dream, staring at the bare ceiling with a sigh.
After spending the whole night with Nyx, he felt mentally drained.
Just as he was about to get up, he froze.
In his mind, the fog-shrouded Mental Hospital of the Gods was floating there, and between it and him, a strong connection had formed.
Now, even without sleeping, he could send his consciousness into the hospital at will.
So this was the benefit of opening the door…
He tested it—he could immediately sense everything happening inside the hospital.
Of course, the five sealed wards were still inaccessible.
At the moment, Nyx was in the courtyard, hugging the vase and chair, talking to the empty air beside her.
Rubbing his eyes, Lin Qiye muttered in frustration,
"Treat her… treat her… I'm not even a doctor. How am I supposed to treat her?"
Suddenly, his eyes lit up, as if he had just thought of something.
His eyes narrowed, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.
- Writer
