Ever since her latest session with Dr. C.C., Vera had been constantly turning the doctor's words over and over in her mind.
Following Dr. C.C.'s advice, she began going for walks more often around the neighborhood, trying to practice what C.C. called "evoking emotions through scenery." Maybe, just maybe, she could awaken a sliver of lost memory that way.
But the more she thought about it, the more the image of the man wearing the exact same glazed dragon mask as hers haunted her thoughts.
Could that really be just a coincidence?
Or was he someone she used to know… someone important?
Vera had asked both her parents and Dr. C.C. about him. All of them gave her the same answer—firm, unwavering:
She had never known anyone named Jin Xiu.
Yet despite their certainty, that name stirred something deep within her, something that felt inexplicably familiar, almost sacred.
No matter how many times she tried to reason through it, the questions only circled back, unresolved. And every time that happened, the title of the book Jin Xiu had given to Dr. C.C. would suddenly surface in her mind—
"Past Lives and Present Souls: Reincarnation Therapy for the Human Spirit."
Just the thought of that book sitting in C.C.'s hands made Vera feel inexplicably restless. Anxious. As though something precious had been taken from her and placed just out of reach.
She didn't even know why.
After all, it was a free ebook available online. She had found it. Downloaded it. Flipped through it.
But it wasn't the same. It felt like that copy, his copy, the one in Dr. C.C.'s possession—was hers. Had always been hers.
Then, her phone buzzed.
A message from Dr. C.C. appeared on screen:
"I've reread the book—'Past Lives and Present Souls'—so many times now. And since you seem to want it so badly, I've decided to do what Dr. Jin Xiu did for me. I'm giving this book to you. Next time we meet, it's yours!"
Vera stretched her arms overhead with joy, a soft triumphant smile blooming on her face. She felt an unfamiliar sense of satisfaction—as if something long overdue had finally come full circle.
It caught her off guard. Since losing her memories, this might be the happiest she had ever felt.
And she couldn't explain why.
Why was this small promise of receiving a book more satisfying than passing all those grueling memory tests?
Why, for some reason, were tears welling up in her eyes?
As if her soul had remembered something before her mind could.
Suddenly, a flash of light streaked before her eyes. Instinctively, Vera reached out, trying to grasp it—whatever "it" was.
And then she saw her.
A small-framed girl with short brown hair, dressed in a violet academy-style uniform, cat ears perched on her head like a crown. Her deep amethyst eyes glowed with quiet intensity.
The girl stood beside a group of terrified children. In her hand, she had just seized a man—dirty, hunched, with a rat's tail protruding from his back.
"Die," the cat-eared girl declared coldly.
And just like that, the men disintegrated into dust, vanishing into the breeze.
The children screamed in terror.
"Monster! Monster!" they cried as they scattered in every direction.
But Vera didn't run. Instead, she walked closer, drawn to the girl's lonely eyes.
"Hey," she said gently. "What's your name? What just happened?"
The girl pulled out a packet of wet wipes from her pocket and silently began to clean her hands. For a long moment, she said nothing.
Then—
"…That's rare. Someone actually dared to come near me."
She glanced sideways at Vera.
"I'd advise you to stay away. I'm a Wordcaster—Ling Ji."
"A Wordcaster?" Vera blinked.
Ling Ji nodded, wiping her fingers with precision. "My words hold power. Dangerous power. When I say 'die,' they die. Just like those monsters you saw earlier—they vanished the moment I cursed them."
Vera watched her quietly. Then, with a bright sincerity, she said, "Really? But I think your words can also be a blessing."
Ling Ji paused.
"And besides," Vera continued, "if those were monsters, then you saved those kids. That makes you a hero, doesn't it?"
She smiled warmly. "A big-hearted one, at that."
Ling Ji blinked, a little stunned.
"I've lost my memories recently," Vera went on. "Honestly, I wish someone like you could say to me, 'Regain your memories,' and boom—I'd get them back in an instant. It'd save me the agony of those endless memory exams."
Ling Ji clicked her tongue, scoffing. "You're being naive. Any kind of power—especially strong power—comes with a price. And responsibility."
She stuffed the used wet wipes into her small side-bag.
Still, the corner of her mouth tugged up. Just a little.
"You're the first person who's ever said something like that to me. What's your name?"
"Vera." She offered her hand with a hopeful smile.
But Ling Ji didn't take it.
"You shouldn't shake hands with someone like me," she murmured. "These hands could be soaked in blood at any moment."