Hu Lei looked out of the window and thought about Zhong Feng. She wondered if he was missing her as much as she was. She frowned when she thought about the dark shadows she had seen under his eyes when they had talked the previous night.

She knew that he was worried about her. But she could see it was probably more than that. There was a high probability that he was hiding details about the situation with the mercenaries from her. Unfortunately, she knew that she was not ready to go back and fight with him.

If she went back, she would be a burden. She could only wait.

There was a soft knock on the bedroom door before it opened. The middle-aged woman at the entrance smiled at Hu Lei, who immediately left her cosy chair to greet Dr Huo.

"Did we have a session this morning and I forgot?" Hu Lei asked with some guilt. She had been a little distracted and melancholic since she had woken up and had not even gone downstairs for breakfast.

"I am not here as your doctor but as your favourite aunt." Dr Huo smiled.

Hu Lei was not in the best mood, but she could not deny that this woman had helped her a lot so far. Since the sessions had begun, she had not experienced black-outs, and her nightmares had decreased a lot. Moreover, that feeling like she was two people in one was not as severe.

She still felt like she would switch between being Jane and Hu Lei sometimes, especially when she talked about her father or her past. But it was not to the point where she felt completely removed from the situation as she used to feel when her darker persona rose to the forefront.

According to Dr Huo, this was a good sign, even though the negative emotions sometimes overwhelmed her and caused her to go crazy, destroying the therapy office. At least, that had only happened four times, and she had not hurt anyone.

Dr Huo had said it was a sign that her dissociated identity was becoming more integrated. As long as she persisted with the therapy, she would be able to return to Supreme. It was this that had finally made her agree to deep hypnosis.

"Hey, where did you go?" The older woman waved her hand at Hu Lei.

"Sorry, I am just worried about Zhong Feng. I just want to get better and return home."

Dr Huo sighed. "You are doing well. It has been a little over a month, and the improvement has been exponential. Rushing things more could cause stress and have detrimental effects on your well-being."

"I know. But I just can't help worrying." Hu Lei responded.

"That is why your Aunt Mei is here to take you outside. It is good to relax a little bit before we intensify the treatment sessions. It will be good for you." Dr Huo, no, Aunt Mei linked arms with Hu Lei.

Hu Lei was not used to being that close to people and had an urge to back away, but she resisted that desire. Instead, she smiled at her aunt.

"What do you have in mind?"

"How about I take you to the Huo clan research institute? Your father used to spend countless days there without eating or sleeping. It is the pride of Herb Town." The older woman suggested.

There was a bit of rejection of the idea in Hu Lei's mind. But she knew that she needed to make peace with everything involving her father. If she did not, she would never be able to move from that darkness which constantly plagued her. Even though Dr Huo said that there was no session for the day, she knew that this was part of her treatment plan.

"Alright. Just give me a moment to get ready." She agreed.

The middle-aged woman nodded and left the room, leaving Hu Lei to dress in clothes suited for an excursion around the town. When she emerged, she was wearing simple black pants and a pink top. This was not her usual look, but she had to make do. After all, all her cute dresses were all in Supreme City.

Her grandfather and aunt had tried to make her as comfortable as possible, but she did not find it necessary to obsess over her lack of beautiful clothes. She could do that once she returned to Zhong Feng's side. That man acted cold, but he indulged her love for pretty dresses, bags and shoes.

After saying goodbye to the grandpa who felt like he had been ignored, Aunt Mei and Niece Lei set out to the research institute. When Hu Lei saw it, she could not help but be impressed. She had seen a lot of great research centres around the world, and the Huo facility was by no means the largest. However, for a fairly simple town, it was still state-of-art.

"Is this a private facility?" She asked.

"Yes, but the Huo clan often collaborates with both governmental and non-governmental organisations. It has been remodelled recently to suit more modern needs." There was pride in Dr Huo's eyes.

Hu Lei nodded as they entered the building.

The interior space had the classic plainness of such buildings. The walls were white, the floors were tiled and the indoor temperature rigorously controlled. Feeling that coolness, Hu Lei felt like she was back with her father, going into another institute.

She would always follow silently behind him as he looked around such facilities with anticipation. She had never understood why he would always be excited about soulless buildings. She still did not. But she knew he had always been genuinely happy about every visit.

For a moment, she seemed to feel his presence and even smell the comforting herbal scent which had always lingered around him. Her heart started beating fast and painfully, and she could not breathe. She also felt lightheaded and weak.

"Hu Lei, breathe." Dr Huo held her hand with worry. "If it is too much, we do not have to keep going."

Hu Lei forced her mind to calm down. She was overwhelmed, but she did not give in to the weakness. She would not get well if she kept avoiding things. She could not stash the memories of her father in the back of the closet like she had his ashes.

"No, it's fine. I would like to see this place."

She wanted to see what her father had given up.