The evening felt heavier than usual. Neizo sat on a cold metal bench outside a small clinic, his fingers tightly gripping his phone, his leg shaking slightly. The sign above the glass door read Psychiatric Consultation. People passed by like nothing was wrong, like the world was still normal. But for him—nothing was normal anymore. "…I need this…" he muttered under his breath. His mind replayed everything again and again. The book. The changing cover. Toshi. The repeating night. The woman in white. The lecture. The whispers. "You saw me too…" His grip tightened. "…If I don't do this…I'll lose myself…" He stood up and pushed the door open.
The clinic was quiet. A faint smell of antiseptic filled the air. A receptionist sat behind the desk, typing slowly. "Name?" she asked without looking up. "Neizo…Neizo Kuri…" "Appointment?" "…Walk-in." She glanced at him briefly, noticing his pale face and tired eyes, then nodded. "Sit.Doctor will call you." Neizo sat down, his eyes wandering around the room. Plain white walls. A clock ticking loudly. Tick.Tick.Tick. Each second felt heavier. "Neizo Kuri." He looked up. A woman stood near the door. Calm expression. Sharp eyes. Long hair tied neatly. "Come in."
The room was warmer. More controlled. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with psychology texts, case studies, and human behavior analysis. A desk, two chairs, and a faint lamp glow. "Sit," she said. Neizo sat slowly. "I am Miss Alena Rosy.You can speak freely here." Her voice was steady. Grounding. Neizo stayed silent for a few seconds. Then—"…I think I'm losing my mind." Miss Alena didn't react immediately. She simply nodded. "Why do you think that?" Neizo swallowed. "…Because things are happening…things that shouldn't be possible." "Explain." His fingers tightened. "…I saw a book in the library…it was about an entity…something that devours souls…controls dreams…makes people kill themselves…" He looked down. "…but when I looked again…it changed…into a normal book…" Miss Alena leaned slightly forward. "Go on." Neizo's breathing became uneven. "…Then I started seeing things…my dead friend…Toshi…he died…but I saw him…smiling…holding a knife…" His voice trembled. "…I saw a woman…in a white dress…she appears…disappears…she talks to me…" A pause. "…She says…'you saw me too'…" Silence filled the room. Miss Alena observed him closely. No interruption. No judgment. Neizo continued. "…The night repeats…or maybe it doesn't…I wake up…then I wake up again…I don't know what's real anymore…" He looked at her. "…And today…in class…Professor Yoshino…he was talking about four-dimensional beings…about how they can see everything…how they can appear as people…" His eyes widened slightly. "…And it felt like…he wasn't talking to the class…" A pause. "…He was talking to me."
The room became silent again. Miss Alena finally spoke. "Have you experienced trauma in the past?" Neizo froze. "…Yes." "Toshi?" she asked calmly. Neizo nodded slowly. "…He killed his own mother…in front of me…" Miss Alena wrote something down. "Severe psychological trauma can manifest in various forms," she said."Hallucinations.Dissociation.Repetition of events.The brain tries to process what it cannot accept." Neizo clenched his fists. "…So this is all in my head?" Miss Alena looked at him directly. "I did not say that." Neizo froze. "…What?" "The human mind," she continued calmly,"is not fully understood.Perception is not absolute.What you see…what you experience…is filtered through your brain." She tapped her pen lightly. "Sometimes the brain creates.Sometimes…it reveals." Neizo's heartbeat slowed slightly. "…Reveals…?" "Yes.Let me explain." She leaned back slightly. "Your brain does not show you reality as it is.It shows you what it can process.There are frequencies you cannot hear.Light you cannot see.Information your brain ignores." Neizo listened carefully. "What if something exists outside your normal perception…and for some reason…your mind is beginning to perceive it?" Neizo's eyes widened. "…That sounds exactly like what Professor Yoshino said…" Miss Alena paused for a brief moment. "…Professor Yoshino?" Neizo nodded. "He explained about higher-dimensional beings…how they appear as fragments…how they interact…" Miss Alena's expression remained calm, but her eyes sharpened slightly. "I see…" She wrote something down again. Neizo leaned forward. "…So what is happening to me?" Miss Alena looked at him. "You are experiencing a breakdown of perceived reality boundaries." Neizo frowned. "…Meaning?" "Your brain is unable to distinguish between internal and external stimuli." She continued. "Your trauma has weakened your mental filters.That allows suppressed fears,memory fragments,and constructed images to appear as real." Neizo looked down. "…So it's hallucination…" Miss Alena tilted her head slightly. "Partially." Neizo looked up again. "…Partially?" "Yes.Because hallucinations usually do not maintain consistent patterns across different environments." Neizo's body stiffened. "…What do you mean?" "You saw the same entities in different places with consistent behavior.That is not typical." Silence. Neizo's breathing slowed. "…Then what is it?" Miss Alena leaned slightly forward. "There are two possibilities." Neizo's heart started pounding again. "One,this is a highly advanced psychological projection created by your mind." A pause. "Two…you are perceiving something that others cannot." A cold sensation ran through Neizo's body. "…Which one is it?" Miss Alena stared at him for a few seconds. Then said softly—"That depends." "On what?" "…On whether it is aware of you." Neizo froze. The room felt colder. "…Aware…?" Miss Alena's gaze didn't break. "Yes." A long silence followed. Then—Neizo spoke slowly. "…It talks to me." Silence. "…It says…'you saw me too'…" Miss Alena's pen stopped moving. "…And today…" Neizo continued,his voice lower now,"…it said…'you're the last'…" Miss Alena looked at him. For the first time, there was a slight pause in her composure, but it vanished instantly. "What about the woman?" she asked. Neizo swallowed. "…She smiles…but doesn't move…not at first…her presence feels wrong…like she's not supposed to be there…" "…And her hands?" Neizo's eyes widened. "…Cold…" Miss Alena nodded slowly. "I see." She closed her notebook. "Neizo,for now,I want you to follow three things." Neizo listened carefully. "Do not isolate yourself." "…Okay…" "Do not trust your perception immediately." Neizo hesitated. "…And the third?" Miss Alena looked directly into his eyes. "If you see it again…do not respond." Silence. Neizo felt uneasy. "…Why?" Miss Alena's voice became slightly lower. "Because acknowledgment strengthens connection." Neizo's breath stopped for a second. "…Connection…?" Miss Alena leaned back again. "For now,that is all."
Neizo stood outside the clinic again. The sky had turned darker. The air felt colder. But his mind was heavier. "…Not respond…" He looked at his trembling hands. "…But it already knows…" A faint thought surfaced. If it knows…then what's the point of ignoring it? A cold breeze passed by. Neizo slowly looked up. Across the street—a figure stood. A woman in a white dress. Hair covering her face. Not moving. Not blinking. Just watching him. Neizo froze. His heartbeat rose instantly. Miss Alena's words echoed in his mind. Do not respond. The woman tilted her head slightly. A faint smile formed. And in a soft whisper—even from that distance—he heard it clearly. "You told her." Neizo's eyes widened in pure terror. His body refused to move. "…No…" The woman took a step forward. This time—she moved. "You told her…" Her voice echoed again. Neizo stumbled back. "This…this isn't real…" Another step. Closer. "But you still see me…" Neizo turned and ran. His breathing became chaotic. Footsteps behind him—or was it in his head? He didn't look back. He couldn't. Because deep inside—he already knew. Ignoring it—was no longer an option.