The Change of Worlds

Prologue

The room was cloaked in silence, save for the steady ticking of the clock on the wall.

Tick...

Tick...

Tick...

Qin Xiaoling sat on her bed, her gaze fixated on the clock's relentless progress. The pale light of her phone screen cast an eerie glow on her face, amplifying the darkness of the night. It was 2:45 a.m., and the minutes seemed to crawl by as she stared at the blank screen, lost in her thoughts.

A creeping sense of madness seemed to grip her with each passing second. Why? Why did those voices persist within her mind? The therapist's words from her morning visit echoed in her memory. It had been a friend who had convinced her to seek professional help, someone who understood the torment she was experiencing. Maladaptive daydreaming, her secret sanctuary, was both a curse and a blessing—a refuge from the harsh reality she wished to escape.

The memory of her parents' tragic car accident at the age of 21 still haunted her. An anti-social demeanor had isolated her throughout her life, leading to misunderstandings, judgments, and resentment. She despised it all. Why couldn't she have a normal life?

Becoming an idol and trainee in South Korea had its challenges. Being Chinese in a foreign land marked her as distinct, and her beauty only exacerbated the differences. A society obsessed with beauty standards made her a target for envy and scrutiny. Her beauty felt like a burden, her classmates resenting her perceived arrogance. The weight of it all made her detest her existence.

Yet, time moved on, and with it, her communication skills improved, her shyness lessened. Her enchanting voice garnered admiration when she sang at her university, earning the favor of fellow students. Under pressure, she had auditioned for a K-pop idol spot, reluctantly accepting the industry's beckoning. Fate seemed to smile upon her, or so she thought, until...

The pace of life quickened, leaving her little time for family. Living independently, the separation gnawed at her. And then, the cruel twist of fate—an accident, snatching her parents away as they journeyed to see her. Regret overcame her, a missed encounter haunting her existence. Life became a torrent of remorse.

Confidence waned, her self-assuredness shattered like broken glass. Isolated, she contemplated suicide. What was the point of living? Her parents were gone, friends moving on, leaving her isolated in the abyss of her torment.

Then, a voice, once a whisper, arose within her. A voice that halted her from descending further into despair. An ethereal figure, shapeless yet consoling, materialized in her psyche, offering comfort. It was the voice that guided her through the storm of public judgment, granting her a sliver of hope amidst the chaos.

But it was all a mirage, a manifestation of her own psyche, a coping mechanism. She knew it, and that knowledge weighed on her sanity. The line between reality and fantasy blurred as more voices joined the chorus in her head. It wasn't just one voice; it was many—a confidant that painted her world with solace, a respite from the cruel reality.

Yet, confronting the truth of her own imagination left her feeling unhinged, drowning in hours spent in a make-believe realm. She felt pathetic, trapped in a cycle of maladaptive daydreaming. She became a nobody, a mere victim of a mental affliction. Yet, the comfort it brought her overshadowed the stigma she'd receive from the outside world.

Eventually, a friend intervened, recommending a therapist. Dr. Richter's advice was to transform her imaginative conversations into a story and channel her energy into other activities. However, translating her sanctuary into a story proved challenging. Frustration welled up, and she flung her phone aside, tears streaming down her cheeks.

A familiar voice echoed in her mind, "Perhaps, it's time for you to begin anew."

The voice trailed off, and darkness enveloped her as consciousness slipped away. When her eyes blinked open once more, she found herself in an unfamiliar place—a new chapter of her journey about to unfold.