Aiko's thoughts were broken by a question, "Hey, Aiko, what's that shining ball of light?" Turning to face her questioner, Aiko replied casually, "Oh, that must be the ego of the owner of this realm. Now that most of the Spectres here have been eliminated, it can finally come out of hiding without worrying for its safety."

As the ego flew nearer to the pair, it suddenly metamorphosed into a figure, more specifically, a male student who Jin Kai recognised. The figure, who was surrounded by white light, expressed his gratitude, "Thank you for rescuing me from those monsters, even though they were technically my creations.

As I'm the only student from my polytechnic who has entered this course, I was so filled with apprehension on my ability to fit in with the rest of the cohort that I had dreaded going for lessons. Now, I know that this fear comes from my fear of solitude in my 4 years here, and the only person who can do anything about it is myself. I'm…going to try my best to socialise with my course mates!"

After his declaration was made, the figure slowly faded into nothingness, his face carrying a tranquil expression. Jin Kai stammered, "W-Wow, what was that all about? Was that really the person we helped? Would he know of us in real life?"

Aiko replied coldly, "No, that was only his Reflection, or inner self, so to speak. The real person won't know who we are, but the events that transpired in this realm would have real life consequences. He would probably feel less troubled now that the burden weighing on his heart has finally been lifted. Now, I believe it's time for us to return to the real world as well."

Before Jin Kai could open his mouth, Aiko pointed towards what appeared to be a portal. Aiko explained, "That was what I was looking for when I asked you to follow me. That's our ticket out of the cognitive world. I would explain to you how entry and exit of the cognitive world works another time. For now, we've got a lecture to return to."

Jin Kai nodded in silence as he followed Aiko's lead, stepping into the portal without hesitation as the world around him went bright before he blacked out once again.

Jin Kai slowly regained consciousness as his vision gradually became clearer. Feeling oozy, Jin Kai muttered to himself, "My head's all fuzzy…was that all a dream?" Jin Kai stole a glance at his watch and looked at the time. Despite spending what appeared to be at least a few hours in his 'dream', only 3 minutes had passed in the real world.

Jin Kai only knew it wasn't a dream when he saw Aiko staring straight into his eyes before nodding her head. Jin Kai interpreted her gesture as a request for them to meet up after the lecture, to which he responded with an 'OK' gesture with his fingers. Jin Kai then stole a glance at the student they had helped and noticed that he was looking a lot more refreshed, which brought a smile to Jin Kai's face.

When the lecture was finally over, Jin Kai waited patiently for Aiko at the benches outside the lecture theatre. It wasn't long before Aiko arrived as she snapped, "Jin Kai, lend me your IC to take a few snapshots, it's for the Foundation." Jin Kai drew his identity card from his wallet without hesitation before handing it over to Aiko, who swiftly used her smartphone to take a few photographs of the front and back of Jin Kai's IC.

Aiko then said matter-of-factly as she returned Jin Kai's IC, "I'm done, thanks. We should exchange contacts, since we'll be getting in touch rather frequently from now on, now that you're going to be a full-fledged member of the Foundation. Oh, speaking of the Foundation, I've just received a potential mission, so, if you want to come along, meet me at 1400H outside Kent Ridge Station, assuming you've no lectures in the afternoon of course."

Jin Kai felt a strong sense of delight bubbling within him as he replied jovially, "S-Sure, of course! I'm free tomorrow afternoon, so see you outside Kent Ridge Station, 1400H!" After exchanging contacts on their mobile phones, Jin Kai waved goodbye to Aiko as she walked away from him, eventually disappearing out of sight.

Jin Kai waited patiently for Aiko, having arrived a good 5 minutes earlier in his excitement. Aiko soon showed up nonetheless, dressed in a simple polo shirt and tight-fitting jeans, which served to accentuate her curves and shapely legs. Jin Kai was mesmerised momentarily before his daze was broken by a voice.

Aiko smiled brightly before speaking hurriedly, "Did you wait long? Come, let's talk more on the train, there are quite a bit of stuff I've to explain before we formally begin the mission per se, such as some administrative details as a new recruit of the Foundation. We're heading towards Raffles Place today." Kai nodded as he followed closely behind Aiko, the Central Business District their next destination.

Onboard the train, Aiko took out a small hardcover book as well as a singlet wrapped in a plastic packaging from her bag, handing them over to Jin Kai. Aiko swiftly explained, "Okay, before you start raining me with questions, let me just update you with what's going on now.

Using the photo of your IC, I've sent your particulars for registration with the Foundation, which should be responding with your Foundation identity card in about a week's time. The card looks something like this."

Aiko then flashed out her own Foundation IC, which was white in colour. Jin Kai noticed that it displayed her rank very clearly, and instinctively asked, "Wow, the card shows off your rank too? What will my rank be? How fast does it takes to climb ranks?"

Aiko sighed as she replied weakly, "Well, what do you expect? All recruits start off as Privates, and promotion is dependent on merit, like in all other organisations. I'll explain the significance of ranks another time, but just note that it's relatively similar to that of an Army. You served in the Singapore Armed Forces before right, as all male citizens in your country is required to?"

Jin Kai answered proudly, "Yup, I did, as a conscript. Left full-time service as a 1st Lieutenant. Guess I'm back to being a recruit, haha. Please look after me, Mdm!" Aiko appeared slightly embarrassed before continuing, "Okay, I'll now explain the 2 things that I've just handed over to you, which are part of your enlistment package together with your Foundation IC.

Firstly, the book. Well, if you read the title now, you might think it's blasphemy, but I'll demonstrate the significance of its content in the Reflected World later, assuming we do find a suitable Psyche to dive into."

Jin Kai scanned the cover of the book in his hand. Its title read, "Tier 1 Spells for the Reflected World" and it was written by a Japanese by the name of Yamamoto Rika. Certainly looks like an interesting work of fiction, but as Aiko had pointed out, it was probably something of substantial importance.

Aiko resumed, "Next, the singlet. I want you to wear it within your clothing before we meet our client later. Like the book, you'll understand its significance only in the Reflected World. Moving on, let me explain what we'll be doing this afternoon. As noble as the Foundation might be, its true mission must be kept a secret from the rest of the world, for any knowledge of the Reflected World by non-divers would result in public outrage and chaos.

Thus, the Foundation goes by the name of "Psyche Seeker Foundation" where our public front is that of an organisation committed to funding and conducting research into psychology. Thanks to our numerous business partners, we've been able to attain a wide network which we can tap on to reach out and help more people with troubled psyches, albeit in the shadows.

Sadly, one of our key business partners, Mr Mark Francis, has fallen into a coma recently. Though the Foundation hasn't publicly released any news amongst its members, I suspect foul play is involved, and it's probably the doing of some rogue Diver, as you've brought up the possibility before.

Sorry, I got too excited about what had happened to Mr Francis. Today, we'll be visiting one of our partner firms. It's a counselling centre that specialises in helping troubled office workers. Through our partner firms, we hope to reach out more effectively to people who need our help in cleaning their psyches from the influence of the Spectres. Do you have any questions up to this point?"

Jin Kai shook his head, having clearly understood the situation. Most likely, they would be allowed to sit close to or even within a counselling session, on the pretext of being interns at the firm. If the client is indeed similar to how that male student was like the day before, they would then be able to enter his psyche and purify the Spectres within.

Now, the question which couldn't be answered presently was, how would he be able to tell exactly whether a person is a hit or not? And even if it was a hit, how exactly was he going to perform a "Psyche Dive", so to speak?

Jin Kai realised that his first question was rather pointless now that he was sitting together with Aiko outside the counsellor's room at the waiting area. When Aiko and he entered the centre, the counselling session was already underway and Jin Kai immediately picked up on something amiss in the environment.

Jin Kai couldn't really describe how he felt, but there was this sense of discomfort tugging away at his heart, and when he turned to face the direction where the sensation originated from, he could make out some sort of reddish hue from behind the door which led into the counsellor's room.

Aiko probed, "You can sense it too right? The distortion you're sensing in the environment is the excess psychodynamic energy released from an imbalanced psyche. This tells us that this person's psyche is open for us to enter via the 'Psyche Dive'."

Jin Kai swiftly responded, "How are we going to perform the 'Psyche Dive' exactly? Sorry, I had no clue as to how I did it the first time." Aiko replied coolly, "Well, it's pretty simple actually. All you need to do is focus your mind on the source of the reddish hue, and imagine yourself injecting your consciousness into it You can close your eyes to aid the process. See you in there."

Aiko quickly fell silent as Jin Kai realised that her eyes were closed and her body still, implying that she had most likely already projected her consciousness into the target. Drawing a deep breath, Jin Kai closed his eyes as well as he concentrated on the reddish hue with all his might, eventually being rewarded with the feeling of being siphoned into the hue, as his world swiftly went black…

< Reflected World of Unknown Client>

When Jin Kai regained his consciousness, his first sight as he opened his eyes was that of the blinding sun, as Jin Kai instinctively shielded his eyes from the harmful glare of the sun before slowly opening his eyes.

Upon recovering his complete vision, Jin Kai realised that he was in the middle of what appears to be a desert, which sands are regularly shifted and carried by the wind. Trudging through the sand that made walking, never mind running, difficult, Jin Kai could feel the immense heat of the sun beating down on his body.

The arid air added to Jin Kai's discomfort as his throat became parched near instantly. Mustering what little voice he had left, Jin Kai shouted, "Aiko! Where are you!" To his surprise, he heard someone giggling behind him as a voice replied, "Hehehe, has the scorching sun dulled your senses? I've been standing behind you this whole time."

Jin Kai swiftly turned around to see Aiko, dressed in the white uniform he had seen her wear the last time they entered the Reflected World. Aiko asked, "Look at your own body. Notice anything different?" Jin Kai looked down at his torso and arms, before realising that he was now completely dressed in white as well, in an attire similar to Aiko's. However, the only noticeable difference was the fact that his shoulders lacked any epaulettes.

Before Jin Kai could even open his mouth to stammer, Aiko remarked, "Surprised, aren't you? You can thank the singlet for this. The singlet contains a device that is linked to our ICs, which purpose is to stimulate your nervous system into creating a personalised uniform without expending further psychodynamic energy. Don't ask me to explain the specifics behind it, I'm no engineer."

Jin Kai nodded in acknowledgement as he muttered, "I see, the information regarding rank can also be transmitted via the device on the singlet, which is why I don't have any epaulettes now. Before we start our mission proper, I've got a burning question.

You mentioned that the Psyche Dive can only be performed on imbalanced psyches, and that is usually the case for people with distorted desires or the overly conscientious. In that case, how do rogue divers access the psyches of their targets? Not everyone would possess an imbalanced psyche, right?"

Aiko grinned slightly as she replied, "You're pretty sharp for a recruit. You're right, rogue divers do go after seemingly ordinary people with no clear imbalance in their psyche. However, there are 2 main ways in which rogue divers enter the psyches of such people. Firstly, the balance between the id and the superego is not static, but rather, in dynamic equilibrium.

This means that while in the long run, the id and the superego counteract and keep each other in check, there would be occasional lapses of imbalance between the two, which are opportunities for rogue divers to enter a person's psyche.

The second method, which has been branded as illegal by the Foundation, is to artificially induce an imbalance in a person's psyche. This can be done by various means, such as provoking a person etc. This method may seem cumbersome, but it's the most potent used by rogue divers. Anyway, enough about rogue divers, let's begin your Orientation."

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Some time passed before Jin Kai and Aiko finally encountered some Spectres. This time, they took the form of vultures which skulls lacked any flesh whatsoever, giving them an undead appearance. Aiko commanded, "Well, I'll give you this opportunity to demonstrate what you've learnt thus far. Go and eliminate those Spectres, they should be no match for you at your current state!"

Jin Kai nodded as he recalled the sensation he had felt when he fought against that giant lizard. Instinctively conjuring his trustworthy spear, Jin Kai rushed towards his targets, which took notice of his presence as he drew nearer. Sensing Jin Kai's hostility, the vultures screeched as they took flight, soaring towards him with the intention to impale him with their sharp beaks.

Even though the vultures were fast, Jin Kai was even faster as he nimbly avoided their charge with his instinctive use of psychodynamic energy on his feet to increase his mobility. Jin Kai then swiftly retaliated with successive slashes across his assailants, successfully destroying them in the process as they disintegrated into black vapour.

Jin Kai was about to heave a sigh of relief when a tingle of electricity shot down his spine. Jin Kai immediately dived out of the way as sharp feathers pierced the ground where he once stood. Turning around swiftly, Jin Kai realised that his new assailant was also an undead vulture, but it was much bigger in size and had the luxury of attacking from a distance.

Jin Kai cursed, "No fair, not only can it fly, it can also attack from such a huge distance? How am I going to bring it down?" The Spectre denied Jin Kai any opportunity to catch his breath as it flapped its wings relentlessly, raining its feathers like shrapnel in hot pursuit of Jin Kai, who was forced to run around it in circles, much to the laughter of Aiko.

Jin Kai screamed, "Hey Mdm, shouldn't you step in now to save your poor recruit? Why isn't this big bird attacking you anyway?" Aiko struggled to stop laughing before finally composing herself, "Well, I'll explain that later. In any case, this opponent is perfect for conducting my lesson. Remember that I told you that the most basic method of fighting the Spectres is the use of weapons fashioned from our cognition? Nobody said that you were only limited to one type."

Catching Aiko's drift instantly, Jin Kai quickly sought cover behind a huge stone he could find, as the feathers from the vulture rooted itself into Jin Kai's cover. The vulture, recognising that it couldn't hurt Jin Kai from its current position, started to fly towards Jin Kai's location as it sought to strike its target from above, beyond the protection afforded by the stone.

Just as the vulture flew across the stone, ready to finish off its hapless target with a volley of feathers, it was greeted by the barrel of an assault rifle as Jin Kai pulled the trigger without hesitation. A bullet whistled through the air before striking the vulture through the head, dealing substantial damage as the huge bird fell towards the ground.

To ensure the kill, Jin Kai threw aside his SAR21 assault rifle before re-summoning his spear, lopping the monster's head off as it descended. As the carcass of the Spectre dissolved into nothingness, Jin Kai muttered, "Wow, the recoil from shooting the SAR21 here felt really real, this uniform ought to be complemented with a vest that can absorb the shock. An idea for another day, I suppose."

As Jin Kai emerged from behind the stone, his new weapon in tow, Aiko clapped as she offered some praise, "Well done, you've obtained another weapon which you can use against opponents at a distance. I see that your military training has paid off, giving you the inspiration to conjure a weapon you're familiar with. That is Lesson 1 of your Orientation completed."

Before Aiko could continue speaking, she noticed that Jin Kai's face was turning grim as the grip on his rifle tightened. Jin Kai shouted quickly, "Get down!" as he raised his rifle towards the sky. Aiko complied as Jin Kai took a few shots before pulling Aiko away, just before far larger feathers crashed into the location where they once were.

Aiko now realised that they were up against a far more menacing Spectre than before, as this had to be the largest undead vulture they had encountered up till now, its size similar to that of the giant lizard Jin Kai destroyed the day before. Jin Kai hissed, "Darn, I'm sure my bullets found their target but they did nothing more than graze it! This creature can attack from a range as well, so using my spear would be pointless unless I can keep it restrained somehow…"

To Jin Kai's surprise, Aiko remained calm and was even smiling as she exclaimed, "Wow, things have been going rather smoothly today! Onto Lesson 2, recruit! For the purpose of this demonstration, I'll need you to keep it distracted for a while. Can you do it, Jin Kai?" Jin Kai sighed, before separating from Aiko as he taunted the Spectre to focus on him.

As Jin Kai was busy avoiding the attacks of the ridiculously large bird, he noticed that Aiko was murmuring to herself, as though she was reciting a chant. When Aiko was finally done, she declared boldly, "Burden thy enemies with the weight of their sins, Tier 1 Spell of Restraint, [Hundred Nails of Sin]!"

Upon the completion of her spell, Aiko instantly conjured a hundred small specks of light which were shaped like nails before releasing them towards her target. All hundred easily found their target due to its sheer size as Jin Kai wondered what a hundred small bolts could do to a monstrosity of its ilk.

To his surprise, the large Spectre started to struggle momentarily before it crashed resoundingly into the ground, the impact of its landing nearly sweeping Jin Kai off his feet. Jin Kai was stunned but soon recovered when he heard Aiko chanting again, this time more audibly as she was walking towards him.

Aiko chanted, "Sacred power descended from the heavens, derivative of the light, come swiftly and smite the forces of evil. Tear through darkness and vanquish evil, Tier 1 Spell of Destruction, [White Lightning]!" Jin Kai noticed that a huge amount of psychodynamic energy was gathered around Aiko, as they converged towards her open palm before being converted into cracking electricity, which sparks flew erratically.

Aiko swiftly released the stream of electricity gathered in her right hand towards her immobilised target, as white lightning arced rapidly towards its target before engulfing it whole, electrocuting it badly while leaving a badly seared patch at the point of incidence. Despite its size, the Spectre was fatally wounded by the spell, disintegrating into black vapour in mere moments.

Jin Kai's mouth was agape with incredulity upon witnessing Aiko's feat, before he stammered, "W-What was that? I thought you said nukes were near impossible but that was equally cool too!" Aiko sighed as she replied, "Remember the book I gave you prior to our visit to the centre? It contains all known Tier 1 Spells usable in the Reflected World, including the 2 which I've just utilised.

This is the second common method of fighting Spectres in the Reflected World, the use of Spells which can be generally classified into 'Restraint' and 'Destruction'. There's a reason why I don't use them so often in contrast to my trusty pistols. If you'd noticed earlier, it takes quite a bit of time to concentrate and shape my psychodynamic energy with the help of those lines I chanted, which seek to stimulate and direct my cognition in the right direction.

In the event where the battlefield is extremely heated, it's near impossible to find the time to prepare and cast spells. Thus, there are rarely any Divers who specialise in solely using Spells despite its huge potential, given the huge risks involved. I'm just letting you know that magic exists here in the Reflected World as part of your Orientation, but it's relatively unwieldy due to the fact that it doesn't exist in reality unlike our weapons."

Jin Kai nodded despondently as he was really intrigued by the intricacies behind spells in the Reflected World, but it would appear that they were extremely difficult to use by regular Divers, not to mention beginners like him. Before Jin Kai could contemplate any further, he was shaken literally out of his thoughts by the rumbling ground below him, as both Aiko and him struggled to maintain their balance.

Jin Kai swiftly sensed danger when he saw something gleaming heading towards him. Instinctively jumping out of the way, Jin Kai barely avoided what appeared to be the tip of a scorpion's stinger, as it buried itself deep into the ground just before him. Jin Kai's next action surprised even himself, as he couldn't comprehend what went over him.

Concentrating his psychodynamic energy into his right hand like how he had done for his feet, Jin Kai uttered, "Tear through darkness and vanquish evil, [White Lightning]!" To his disbelief, the Spell actually took form despite the shorter incantation, as the lightning bolt flashed across the air before colliding against the stinger, delivering an electric shock to the assailant while causing a conspicuous crack at the point of impact.

Aiko was impressed beyond belief at the scene which just unfolded. Jin Kai had only seen her use [White Lightning] a few minutes ago and he could replicate it so quickly with a shortened version, making it practical for battle. In addition, the power behind his [White Lightning] was only slightly weaker than hers, proving that his powers of cognition were very likely more superior than her.

Aiko had to put aside her thoughts as their unknown adversary began to reveal itself, a giant scorpion which emerged slowly from the sands behind her, its movement probably inhibited by the numbing effects of the electric shock which it had received. However, Aiko knew from experience that the paralysis is only temporary, and it would soon recover and resume its assault.

Seizing her chance, Aiko exclaimed, "Alright, listen up, Jin Kai! The next lesson I'm going to share is usually not for recruits, but for personnel of more advanced ranks. However, as I see that you have a lot of potential, I'll impart to you the 3 fundamental applications of raw psychodynamic energy right now.

First of all, the technique also known as [Void]. Earlier, you asked me why the Spectres didn't target me, right? Well, the answer is simple. Spectres detect foreign presences in the Reflected World by their ability to detect psychodynamic energy.

Thus, [Void] essentially refers to the ability to minimise emission of psychodynamic energy throughout one's body, essentially eliminating one's presence from the sight of Spectres. Why don't you try it now? Try imagining your psychodynamic energy as a jacket which you want to keep close to your body."

Jin Kai quickly complied for his own personal safety as he visualised sucking his psychodynamic energy deep into his body. As he opened his eyes slowly, Jin Kai was amazed that the huge scorpion before him had visibly relaxed despite recovering from its paralysis, as though he had disappeared from its sight. Jin Kai thought, "Looks like Aiko is right. I'm peering straight at those large beady eyes it possess and it's not even responding one bit."

Aiko then continued her lesson, "Well done, I knew that you could pick up [Void] easily given your exemplary use of [White Lightning] earlier. [Void] is usually used in scenarios requiring stealth, such as escape or espionage. Now, for the second technique, [Field], which is the complete opposite of [Void]."

Jin Kai noticed that the giant scorpion was visibly on guard as its eyes narrowed towards where Aiko was standing. Before Jin Kai could even open his mouth to warn Aiko, the Spectre's tail crashed into where Aiko stood, raising a dust cloud that clouded Jin Kai's vision.

Jin Kai panicked for a moment before a voice assured him from within the dust cloud, "[Field] is a technique involving an increased emission of psychodynamic energy in an area with one at its centre.

The purpose of this technique is to detect things that may elude one's other senses, and the smaller the area covered, the keener this technique is. At a more advanced level, this technique can also be used to predict the intentions of others, allowing one to respond with minimal effort to hostility."

When the dust cloud had finally settled, Jin Kai was stunned to see that Aiko had only shifted slightly from her original position, with the stinger of the scorpion barely inches away from her feet, her back still facing the Spectre. Realising that it failed to kill its target, the giant scorpion clicked its pincers menacingly before it struck relentlessly with its claws, pounding the sand rapidly in an attempt to maim Aiko.

Unfortunately for the Spectre, Aiko gracefully danced through all its assaults while barely shifting from her original position. What made this feat even more incredible was the fact that Aiko was not facing the scorpion straight on, and its attacks weren't slow. Becoming infuriated with Aiko's insolence, the scorpion launched a horizontal swipe with its right claw instead, which Aiko dodged with a leap off the ground.

The beast was no slouch, as it had intended for Aiko to jump into the air, so that it might strike her easily with its stinger, as it was difficult to manoeuvre while in mid-air. Before Jin Kai could say anything, Aiko remarked nonchalantly, "Okay, the 3rd technique which I believe you are already familiar with, [Augment]."

Just before the stinger could impale its target, Aiko countered with an overhead kick, her right foot reinforced with psychodynamic energy. Stinger and foot clashed head-on, and the resultant impact created a shockwave which blew in all directions, forcing Jin Kai to cover his eyes from the sand carried by the wind.

When Jin Kai recovered, he was shocked to see that Aiko and the Spectre were still locking horns with each other. However, the victor soon emerged as cracks started to emerge from the tip of the scorpion's stinger, which joined up with the cracks inflicted by Jin Kai's spell earlier, shattering the stinger into black vapour in the process.

The scorpion shrieked in pain but before it could bury itself into the sand to escape, Aiko slammed her augmented right fist into the back of its head as she descended, creating a crater in the process. The exoskeleton of the scorpion instantly cracked as the Spectre died instantly from trauma, its body dissolving into black vapour shortly.

Jin Kai could only stare in awe at Aiko's demonstration as he thought, "So this is the power of a Lieutenant of the Foundation…when would I reach that level myself?" Aiko swept her hair back casually as she quipped, "Well, I guess that's it. Destroying that scorpion should be sufficient to restore balance back to this psyche, given the amount of psychodynamic energy it possesses. This place should be collapsing soon, so let's head for the exit."

Witnessing the sands being sucked into what appeared to be a sandpit, Jin Kai swiftly followed Aiko as they headed for the exit portal, which appeared the moment the place began to collapse. Before Jin Kai stepped into the portal, he turned around to see a female figure enshrouded in white light waving her hand in appreciation. Jin Kai returned the smile and stepped right into the portal, experiencing that feeling of being drawn into the darkness once again…

Jin Kai's eyes slowly fluttered open as he struggled to regain his senses. Taking a glance at his watch, he noted that only 10 minutes had passed since they entered the Reflected World. Jin Kai then heard the sound of chairs shifting before the door to the counsellor's room swung open.

Out stepped a smartly dressed businesswoman, who remarked, "Thank you for taking the time to listen to my troubles with my boyfriend, I feel a lot better after this session with you, Mr Ng. Your guidance is greatly appreciated."

The counsellor, Mr Ng, replied, "You're welcome, I was just offering a listening ear. Relationship matters can be rather tricky, but I believe if you could also listen to what your partner has to say like how I did earlier, the two of you can enjoy more effective communication and your relationship can definitely flower."

The lady nodded as she swiftly walked past Jin Kai and Aiko without recognising them and exited the centre. Mr Ng then turned to Aiko and said, "Ah, you two must be the interns introduced by the Psyche Seeker Foundation! I'm sorry for making you guys wait, that client earlier was really troubled."

Aiko replied with a cheerful smile, "Not at all, sir. We kept ourselves meaningfully engaged, right, Jin Kai?" Jin Kai could only nod awkwardly as Mr Ng exclaimed, "That's great! Come, I'm still expecting some clients, so you two can come in first and prepare. Not to worry, I will ask if they're comfortable with your presence, if not, then I'm afraid you two would have to wait outside like earlier. Is that okay?"

Aiko answered politely, "Of course, sir. Your clients should take precedence over us. Let's go, Jin Kai." Jin Kai followed Aiko into the counsellor's room before closing the door behind him. Looks like the day won't be over so quickly after all, with potentially a few more Psyche Dives to be made…

The automatic glass doors slid open as a young woman stepped out of the air-conditioned airport into the taxi bay. The young woman was dressed in a simple blouse and skirt, with a straw hat resting atop her head with luscious black hair.

Pulling her luggage behind her as she swiftly hailed a taxi, it wasn't long before she was seating comfortably at the back of the taxi. Before the driver could ask, the woman said gently, "To Clementi Avenue 1 please."

The driver nodded silently as he drove them away from the taxi bay towards the woman's intended destination. As the taxi headed towards the city, the woman looked out through the window and muttered, "This greenery…and the sweltering heat, this is Singapore indeed. However, life in Singapore won't be that great without you…Jin Kai."