STG 37

Chapter 37: The Girl Who Defeated a God

The Gods’ Psychiatric Hospital.

In the spacious and tidy courtyard, Nyx sat on a rocking chair, hugging a vase, lost in thought.

A young man in a white coat walked through the corridor, carrying a few bottles of medicine, and approached her.

“You’ve come to see me, Thanatos, my child,” Nyx turned to look at Lin Qiye, a smile blooming on her lips.

Lin Qiye sat down beside her and nodded.

“It’s time for your medicine.”

He poured the pills from the bottle, carefully dividing them into small piles and placing them in Nyx’s hand.

“Be good, take your medicine first.”

Nyx didn’t hesitate. She swallowed the pills in one gulp, then gazed at Lin Qiye with eyes full of maternal affection.

“Thanatos, you seem troubled?”

Lin Qiye froze. He hadn’t expected Nyx, a psychiatric patient, to see through his state so easily. After a moment’s hesitation, he nodded.

“I suppose so.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“I’m afraid this is something you can’t help me with,” Lin Qiye shook his head.

Something like running away from home and nursing a broken heart—how could an outsider possibly help?

Nyx looked somewhat dejected. Then, as if remembering something, she spoke up:

“In that case, Thanatos, I’ll give you a gift.”

“A gift?” Lin Qiye was taken aback.

“Yes. I’ll give you my bracelet. If you keep it with you, you’ll…” Nyx reached for her wrist, feeling around…

She felt again.

Then she looked down at her bare wrist. Where was the bracelet?

“My bracelet… where is my bracelet?”

Lin Qiye: “…”

As expected, Nyx is seriously ill!

Nyx tilted her head, frowning as if deep in thought.

Just as Lin Qiye was about to stand up and leave, Nyx suddenly spoke: “I remember now.”

“What do you remember?”

“My bracelet was won by someone.”

“Won by someone?” Lin Qiye was puzzled. He thought for a moment but couldn’t recall any myths involving a bracelet. “Which god won it?”

“Not a god,” Nyx shook her head and pointed at Lin Qiyue. “She was like you.”

“Like me… also your child?” Lin Qiye tried to follow Nyx’s train of thought.

“No, she was like you—wearing this same white coat.”

Lin Qiye’s pupils contracted, his brow furrowing tightly.

“You mean, before me, someone else wearing this coat came into your room and won your bracelet?”

Nyx nodded.

Lin Qiye’s expression grew increasingly serious.

Unintentionally, he had just stumbled upon crucial information from Nyx.

From her account, it seemed that before he knocked on the psychiatric hospital’s door and released Nyx, someone else had come here—someone who had also opened Nyx’s door!

He wasn’t the only master of this place?

But this hospital existed within his mind. How could someone else enter?

Lin Qiye suddenly recalled that his first dream about knocking on the psychiatric hospital’s door had occurred five years ago…

Five years ago, it had abruptly and mysteriously appeared in his dreams.

Could it be… that before he started dreaming of the hospital five years ago, someone else had already been here?

With this in mind, Lin Qiye immediately sat back down and asked solemnly, “How did she win your bracelet?”

Nyx thought for a while before answering, “She said we would compete. If I won, she would return my child to me. If I lost, I had to give her my bracelet.”

“What did you compete in?”

Nyx slowly uttered two words: “Creation.”

“Creation? And you lost? How is that possible?” Lin Qiye’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You’re the Goddess of Night, one of the five primordial deities who created the world! How could you lose to someone else?”

“I don’t know, but I did lose,” Nyx shook her head.

“Do you remember what she looked like?”

“Yes. She seemed to be only twelve or thirteen, with long black hair. Very pretty. She had a strange mark here,” Nyx pointed to the back of her hand.

“A twelve- or thirteen-year-old girl beat you at creation?” Lin Qiye’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull. “Even with your divine authority damaged, that shouldn’t be possible!”

Nyx sat there, seemingly lost in memory again.

Lin Qiye took a deep breath to calm himself and continued, “What else do you remember about her? Her name?”

“I don’t know… I just recall her surname might have been… Ji?” Nyx said uncertainly.

“Ji…” Lin Qiyue repeated the name.

“Before I returned to my room, she went that way,” Nyx thought for a moment, then pointed to a room on the third floor.

“Got it. Rest well,” Lin Qiye glanced at the room, gave a quick instruction, and immediately sprinted toward the corridor.

A short while later, Lin Qiye arrived outside the room Nyx had indicated.

On the doorplate were three large characters:

—Director’s Office.

Lin Qiye frowned and pushed the door open.

Inside was a modestly sized office that looked somewhat cluttered.

He had been in this room before—the white coat he wore now had been taken from the rack here. But during his previous visit, he hadn’t noticed anything unusual.

Since Nyx said the girl had entered this room, there was a high chance she had left behind some important clues.

This time, he would search the place thoroughly!

Instead of rummaging through the drawers haphazardly, he sat down on the floor and slowly closed his eyes.

Thanks to the divine power granted by the Seraph, he could effortlessly sense every object in the room—far more efficient than tearing the place apart.

A few seconds later, his eyes snapped open.

He stood up, walked to the desk, and reached into the hidden compartment of the bottom drawer, pulling out a slightly yellowed envelope.

There really is something here!

Lin Qiye quickly opened the envelope and took out the letter inside, his expression turning odd.

Hiss… this handwriting is… really bad.

Sloppy and crooked, like a child’s first attempts at writing.

“To Someone:

I don’t know who you are, but I know you’re the true master of this place.

By the time you find this letter, several years will have passed. Don’t laugh at my handwriting—I’m still young, and it’ll improve when I grow up.

Sorry for ‘borrowing’ your psychiatric hospital for a while without permission. But since I’ve returned it now, don’t hold it against me! (Tongue-out doodle)

Also, I borrowed a few things from your patients. I’ll return them when I find you again, promise!

One last thing—there’s another space beneath this office.

When I grow up, I’ll come looking for you, stranger. After all, you’re my hope of going home.

Bye~

—Ji Nian”