Chapter 9: A Glimpse of Truth
The familiar voice echoed in Yu Sheng’s mind, jolting him out of his daze, the cold wind whipping through the valley as though it was trying to pull him deeper into the strange place. He blinked, startled, and then, the voice cut through his thoughts for a second time, forcing him to snap back to reality.
“Yu Sheng! Are you even listening to me?”
“Irene?” He spoke aloud without thinking. His feet crunched lightly against the gravel as he cautiously approached the dilapidated, half-collapsed temple within the valley. He had been searching for some kind of shelter, scanning his surroundings for anything unusual. Now, hearing her voice inside his head, he could barely believe it. “How… How are you talking to me like this? In my head, I mean.”
“Is it really that surprising?” Irene’s voice was filled with confidence. “I’m one of Alice’s dolls, remember?”
Yu Sheng blinked again, trying to connect the dots. Did all of Alice’s dolls have this kind of ability? Could they all just slip into people’s minds whenever they wanted?
“Remember,” Irene continued, her tone a bit lighter now, “I slipped into your dreams once already. After that, it’s pretty easy to find my way back.”
That made sense, Yu Sheng thought, although he wasn’t sure how comfortable he was with someone being able to just pop into his mind whenever they liked. But before he could say anything, Irene’s voice sharpened.
“Hold on a second… Where are you? I can’t sense you at all.”