Global Ghost Stories: I'm Investigating Ghosts in My Nightmare!

Chapter 40 Patient Number Seven
The return of consciousness is not dramatic; it is more like a drop of ink silently dripping into a glass of water that has been settling for a long time, spreading out slowly and gradually.

The first thing to recover was the sense of smell.

A strong, almost pungent smell of disinfectant aggressively invaded his entire nasal cavity. The smell was oppressive, as if it wanted to completely cleanse his soul of any remaining traces of the outside world.

Next comes touch.

The skin felt the rough, gritty texture of starched fabric.

He could feel himself lying flat on his back, the sheets beneath him were also excessively washed, tightly wrapping around the mattress, each wrinkle feeling like a blade digging into his back.

The air was somewhat chilly, and a faint breeze was blowing in from some unknown gap, brushing against his exposed neck and bringing a slight shiver.

Then comes hearing.

"Tick-tock...tick-tock...tick-tock..."

A monotonous, persistent, yet highly rhythmic sound came from a corner of the room.

It sounded like the ticking of an old-fashioned wall clock. Each tick of the second hand was like a cold steel needle, precisely piercing his chaotic sea of ​​consciousness, attempting to forcibly establish the order of "time" in this void.

Bai Yu slowly opened her eyes.

What comes into view is a pure white expanse, devoid of any impurities.

The white ceiling was as smooth as a mirror, without any patterns or decorations. He turned his stiff neck, and all he could see were the same white walls, with a delicate texture, even reflecting a cold halo under the faint daylight filtering in from the window.

He sat up and looked down at himself.

He was no longer wearing the familiar dark gray Bureau of Investigation combat uniform, but a loose-fitting, pure white outfit made of rough material.

A simple Arabic numeral was embroidered in black silk thread on the chest of the garment.

7.

Where is this place?
An Mu... Mo Fei... Lan Ce... Lu Yueqi...

Those familiar faces and names struggled to rise from the depths of his memory like bubbles sinking into the deep sea, but whenever they were about to touch the surface of his consciousness, they were pushed back into the abyss by an invisible pressure.

He remembered being in an activity room filled with bizarre graffiti; he remembered touching a huge mural…

And then... then what happened?
A sharp pain shot through his head, as if someone were poking at his temple with a rusty awl.

Those memories belonging to the "Bai language" have become blurred, like watching an old black and white film through a thick layer of frosted glass, full of noise and broken fragments.

Conversely, another unfamiliar memory began to seep out from every corner of his consciousness like a trickle, trying to fill the void created by the sting.

He "remembered" that he really liked the sycamore tree outside his window, especially in autumn when the leaves turned yellow.

He "remembers" that every afternoon at three o'clock, the nurse would bring him a cup of warm milk.

He "remembered" that he... had lived here for a very, very long time...

"No...that's not right..." Bai Yu muttered to himself, supporting his forehead with his hand. His voice was hoarse and dry, sounding unfamiliar even to himself.

I am Baiyu.

I am an investigator from Team One of the Nightmare Investigation Bureau.

My purpose in coming here is... is...

The stinging pain intensified.

"Heh...what a hospitable host." A mocking voice lazily echoed from the deepest recesses of his consciousness, like a bolt of lightning cleaving through the chaotic sky. "It didn't even bother to prepare a grand welcome ceremony for you, and just started crudely revising the script. Bai Yu, I have to admit, this drama called 'Identity Swap,' while clumsy in its techniques, does have a somewhat commendable idea."

It's black language.

His voice was like a stabilizing force, instantly giving Bai Yu's self-awareness, which was about to be overwhelmed by the torrent of unfamiliar memories, a solid anchor.

"Black Words..." Bai Yu cried out in her heart, "Where...am I?"

“Where else could it be? Of course, inside that painting.” Hei Yan’s tone was full of connoisseur’s pleasure. “A perfect ‘bonsai’ constructed from fragments of memory and clay of obsession. We are now, a little insect trapped in this bonsai. And that self-proclaimed gardener is trying to clip our wings and turn us into specimens like his pathetic collection.”

Just then, a soft "click" was heard, and the door to the ward was opened from the outside.

Bai Yu suddenly raised her head and looked warily toward the door.

A young woman dressed in a pristine white nurse's uniform walked in. She wore a matching white nurse's cap, and all her hair was pulled up into a bun.

She wore a textbook-perfect smile, and her eyes were gentle.

"Number Seven, you're awake?" Her voice was soft, but her tone was flat, like a pre-programmed voice player. "How are you feeling? Did you sleep well last night?"

Number seven?

Bai Yu did not answer. He just looked at her quietly, trying to find even the slightest flaw in her.

The nurse seemed used to his silence. She went to the bedside and placed a tray with a water glass and two white pills on the bedside table.

"It's time to take your medicine." She said in a gentle tone that left no room for argument. "Dean Wen said that taking your medicine on time will help you stabilize your emotions and make those bad fantasies disappear faster."

fantasy?

Bai Yu understood. In this world, all his memories of the Investigation Bureau, his teammates, and his missions were defined as "fantasies" that needed to be treated.

And this nurse, this ward, these medications—these are the tools the world uses to "correct" him.

“I’m not called Number Seven,” Bai Yu said slowly, her voice a little hoarse. “My name is Bai Yu.”

The nurse's smile froze for a moment, a hint of confusion flashing in her empty eyes. But just a fraction of a second later, that perfect smile returned to her face.

"Number Seven, you're talking nonsense again." Her tone carried a hint of helplessness, like soothing a naive child. "'Baiyu' is the name of that new 'hero' you've just imagined, isn't it? We all know that. But, fantasy is just fantasy, and indulging in it for too long won't do you any good for your condition. Here, take your medicine first, and you'll feel better after you take it."

She picked up the water glass and the pills and handed them to Bai Yu.

Bai Yu stared at the two unmarked white pills. This was far more than just an ordinary tranquilizer. It emitted a faint, corrosive mental energy. If he were to ingest it, his already fragile sense of self would likely be completely shattered.

He didn't answer.

The atmosphere in the room instantly became subtly tense. The ticking of the old-fashioned wall clock sounded particularly jarring at that moment.

The nurse's smile gradually faded, and a cold emotion began to emerge in her empty eyes.

"Number Seven," she repeated, her voice still gentle but now carrying a hint of command, "take your medicine."

Bai Yu knew that he absolutely could not confront the "rules" of this world directly. He knew nothing about this place, and any impulsive action could lead to utter destruction.

He slowly reached out and took the water glass and pills from the nurse.

Under the nurse's emotionless gaze, he put two pills in his mouth and then tilted his head back to drink a sip of water.

He made a swallowing motion, but in reality, he cleverly used his tongue to firmly press the two pills against the base of his tongue.

After seeing him take the medicine, the nurse's cold expression was replaced by a smile. "Good boy," she said, as if praising an obedient pet. "Alright, now it's free time. You can rest in your ward or go to the activity room outside. But remember, you must be back in your room by 1 p.m. to prepare for your afternoon nap. Don't break the rules, otherwise... Dean Wen will be unhappy."

After she finished speaking, she turned and left the ward, closing the door behind her.

"Click."

With a soft click, the door was locked from the outside.

Bai Yu immediately went to the simple sink in the corner of the room, spat out the pills hidden under her tongue, and then rinsed her mouth repeatedly with water.

"What a brilliant performance. You deserve an Oscar." Hei Yan's praise rang out at the right time. "However, do you intend to keep using this kind of clever trick to get by? The host here probably has far less patience than you think."

Bai Yu ignored his teasing and walked straight to the only window in the ward.

The windows were fitted with iron bars, and outside stretched an overly meticulously manicured lawn. Several other buildings of the same style could be seen in the distance. The entire mental hospital was like a secluded island, eerily quiet.

He knew he couldn't just sit and wait to die. He had to get out, he had to explore the mental hospital, find the core of this prison of memories, find the missing Ruan Bo, and find a way out.

He walked to the door, grasped the doorknob, and tried to turn it.

The door didn't move.

"What a thoughtful 'cage'," Hei Yan chuckled.

Bai Yu did not give up; he carefully examined the old-fashioned door lock.

The structure is not complicated.

He forcefully broke off a small, extremely thin piece of wire from an inconspicuous corner of the bed frame, then walked back to the door and inserted the wire into the keyhole.

In the Bureau of Investigation, lock picking is a basic skill for every investigator.

He held his breath, pressed his ear tightly against the door, and felt the subtle structural changes inside the lock cylinder.

"Click...click".

A few minutes later, with a barely perceptible click, the door lock was opened.

Bai Yu gently opened the door a crack and peered out warily.

Outside was a long, seemingly endless corridor, exactly the same as the one they had walked through before. Only this time, it was no longer dilapidated and gloomy. The walls were painted snow-white, the floor gleamed, and the ceiling lights emitted a soft glow.

The corridor was quiet, but not empty.

There are other "patients".

They were all wearing the same pure white hospital gowns as Bai Yu, with different numbers embroidered on their chests in black thread. Some of them wandered aimlessly back and forth in the corridor like sleepwalkers; others sat blankly on the benches by the corridor, staring at the ceiling with lifeless eyes; and a woman was squatting in the corner, repeatedly drawing the same shapeless symbol on the wall with her fingernails.

They all ignored Bai Yu's presence, as if he were merely non-existent air. They were all immersed in their own worlds, or rather, they no longer had a "world." They were just empty shells, stripped of their souls, leaving only basic physiological functions.

This is not a mental hospital.

This is a living tomb.

Bai Yu took a deep breath, concealed his aura, and silently walked into the corridor, merging into the group of "patients" who were like walking corpses, like a drop of water merging into the ocean.

He began his own exploration.

He dared not walk too fast, and could only imitate the pace of the other patients as he moved slowly through the corridor. As he walked, he carefully observed everything around him.

The ward doors on both sides of the corridor were tightly closed, and the observation windows on the doors were also completely covered by iron plates.

Every so often, a framed photo hangs on the wall. Instead of landscape paintings or famous quotes, the photos contain portraits of Dean Wen Maoran.

In the photo, he is wearing a pristine white doctor's coat, gold-rimmed glasses, and a gentle smile on his face.

He was like an omnipresent "god" in this world, watching over all the lost souls here with his fake smile.

Bai Yu walked past a middle-aged man sitting on a bench. The man was muttering to himself in a very low voice.

"...Where is my face? Where did they put my face? That's not my face...The person in the mirror...is not me..."

His words strikingly overlapped with the voice in the drone recording that Lancer had played earlier.

Everything here is built upon the final obsessions and memories of the deceased. Each patient is a real person who once existed.

He continued walking forward.

The corridor seemed endless, with the scenery on both sides repeating itself endlessly, giving one the illusion of being trapped in an infinite loop.

Just as he was about to lose his sense of distance and direction, a fork in the road appeared ahead. Above the left passage was a sign that read "Area A," while the right passage read "Area B."

In the very center of the fork in the road stood a man wearing a white doctor's coat.

The man, tall and with his back to Bai Yu, was looking down, seemingly examining a medical record held between his fingers.

Bai Yu's steps froze instantly, and all the muscles in her body tensed up in an instant.

"doctor".

In this world, they are the enforcers of the "rules".

Bai Yu immediately lowered her head, averted all her gaze, and disguised herself as a blank, empty shell like the other patients, slowly walking past the doctor.

Just as he brushed past the doctor.

"stop."

A voice devoid of any emotion rang out from behind him.

Bai Yu's body stiffened abruptly, as if his blood had frozen at that moment.

He turned around slowly.

The doctor turned around as well. He wore thick, black-rimmed glasses, and his eyes behind the lenses were sharp and scrutinizing.

He looked at Bai Yu and slowly opened his mouth, his voice carrying a familiar calmness based on data and logic.

"Patient number seven. According to the records, this should be your free time. However, your heart rate fluctuation is 12.7% higher than the normal threshold. Your mental stress index has also shown an abnormal peak."

The doctor looked at the number on Bai Yu's chest, pushed up his glasses, and the lenses reflected a cold light.

Tell me what you're nervous about?

Bai Yu's pupils suddenly contracted.

The face of the "doctor" in front of me was incredibly familiar.

That face was actually Lan Ce's!

(End of this chapter)