Multiple Personalities

"Teacher Xia, Wang Zhichen is inside."

A tall male student stood at the doorway.

"Thank you for your efforts. Open the door and let's go in."

Beep~ Beep~

The security door opened.

Shen Jingqi saw a thin boy with a buzz cut, messy hair, and eyes filled with fear.

His whole body was curled up, clutching his head, shouting loudly.

An information bar flickered above his head:

[Senior in Biology, Inferiority Complex for 4 Years].

"Classmate Wang Zhichen, I am Teacher Xia Kang."

Xia Kang said to Wang Zhichen.

"Teacher Xia."

Wang Zhichen calmed down slightly, but his whole body was still trembling.

"This is Dr. Shen, he is also your senior and is very skilled in diagnostics, especially adept at mental health issues. Would you be willing to talk to Dr. Shen? Those things you fear are nothing in his eyes."

Xia Kang spoke patiently to Wang Zhichen.

To make sure he could hear clearly, Xia Kang even bent his knees a bit.

Shen Jingqi could clearly see him enduring the pain.

Wang Zhichen hesitantly scrutinized Shen Jingqi's face, nodded, then shook his head:

"It's too terrifying, save me."

Shen Jingqi looked at Wang Zhichen, speaking slowly:

"Classmate Wang, don't be afraid."

The deep voice had an inexplicable calming effect, and Wang Zhichen suddenly quieted down.

Shen Jingqi dragged a chair from the side.

"Teacher Xia, please sit for a while."

Xia Kang gratefully glanced at Shen Jingqi.

Ever since he took the lead into various situations, he had been enduring discomfort in his legs, but no one ever noticed his pain or offered him a chair.

Wang Zhichen also sat at the bedside.

"I think perhaps you've encountered someone or something frightening; would you be willing to tell me?"

Wang Zhichen nodded.

"At first, she appeared very gentle and was very kind to me, making me unexpectedly favored. I noticed some journals around and talked with her about some biology topics because my thesis was starting, and I hadn't found a good topic yet. That person seemed to know a lot and illuminated my jumbled thoughts with just a few words, making everything clear. In that moment, I felt like I could master a cutting-edge field and was filled with joy. I thought about my classmates; they are all deranged. I struggled to come out of my small town and got here, but always felt oppressed. This time, I wanted to make them look at me with new eyes. I wanted them to show me respect and astonishment; I was eagerly reading those printed journals wanting to jot everything down. But when I looked at the cover date, I was shocked."

"The journal was dated June 2004. I suddenly felt a strong unease. I looked at her. She was still smiling, looking at the journal in her hand. I suddenly felt a sense of superiority. Such a beautiful girl willing to be with me greatly satisfied my self-esteem and vanity. I could overlook the journal's date; it didn't matter. What mattered more was the communication between her and me. I looked at her profile, my heart full of happiness. I wished time would stop, and we could exist in that room forever."

"Just like that, I stared at her, forgetting everything. I forgot the meeting I was supposed to attend, forgot I shouldn't have come here. This building contains a locked-off area of the biology department. At the start of the semester, during orientation, our advisor mentioned it. But at the time, I didn't realize it. I kept looking at her, feeling more and more delighted. She seemed engrossed, and I didn't speak; the whole room seemed frozen. Suddenly, she vanished before my eyes."

"She disappeared without a sound. I thought it was an illusion, but I was sure it actually happened. The surroundings turned decayed and silent, as if there was no sign of life. I even vaguely smelled a hint of rot. I tried to push the door open, but it was locked tight. I struggled to push it, but the door didn't budge an inch. I fell to the ground and glanced at the journals on the walls and shelves. The latest dates only went up to 2004, with many even older. The journals had turned yellow with age. I lay next to them feeling the musty smell."

"In my confusion, not knowing what I touched, suddenly, some voices started resounding in my mind. One of them said: 'Mental linkage, Mu Zili, mental linkage, Mu Zili, mental linkage, Mu Zili.' In a daze, I saw some images that completely differed from what I learned in textbooks. They were life forms born from thin air, not formed through evolution like those in Petri dishes. Those lives could come into being all at once. All my biology knowledge was overturned, yet I felt thrilled. But in my excitement, I realized I was locked in the room and couldn't get out. My entire being was enveloped by these voices; I felt my ears were about to explode. Helpless, I reached out for help in the class group chat. My relationship with my classmates was average at best; when it mattered, I didn't have a single phone number. I didn't want to seek help; I wanted to be a discoverer, to earn their envious gazes. Yet now, I was worse off than before, appearing to them as a helpless, small, fragile, and humble person. I waited a long time before the door finally opened. But my mind had already been tortured by those voices and images, no longer under my control."

"After coming out, from time to time, I still see that girl's figure, and the voice keeps whispering in my ears. But no one else can see or hear it. Only when I'm in the boys' dormitory do that figure and voice disappear. Whenever I go out to classes, passing by the biology building, I see that girl's image appearing in that room, along with those notes whispering in my ears. I could no longer bear the torment. One time, while in a class at the biology building, I saw that girl again. She smiled at me and walked over. I got up and ran, all the way to the rooftop of the biology building. She followed me and said, 'It's clearing up; let's go out to play on the slide.' I was frightened senseless, slipped, and was about to fall. She remained nearby, my brain, my ears overwhelmed. Later on, a teacher from the psychological center came, and she vanished again out of thin air, allowing me to feel a bit better."

This was the psychological journey of a diligent student from a small town.

"Teacher Xia, is there any kind of taboo regarding that biology professor's room?"

Shen Jingqi asked Xia Kang.

"Actually, there is no taboo. It's just that after the biology professor left, the room was locked. Because the biology department is well-resourced and has enough offices, the room was left unused."

"What was the name of that biology professor?"

"Li Yuanshin."