Lin Xiao sat on the couch in the living room, both Lil' Blackie and Xiao Bai nestled comfortably on either side of him.
The television was tuned to the news, but to his surprise, there was no mention of the office worker or the ongoing kidnapping threats.
It was as if the entire situation had been wiped from the public's memory.
"What's going on?" he muttered under his breath, a sense of unease growing within him.
As he continued to flip through the channels, hoping to catch any mention of the case, Lin Meiying walked into the room.
She raised an eyebrow at the sight of her brother watching the news. "Why are you watching the news? You never watch the news."
Lin Xiao glanced at her, then back at the TV. "I was trying to find out what happened with that office worker who was getting those weird balloon threats. But there's nothing on it like it never happened."
Lin Meiying raised an eyebrow, confusion evident on her face. "What kidnapping? What balloons? Are you finally going crazy?"
Lin Xiao stared at her, stunned. "The serial kidnappings! The ones we talked about this morning. People getting balloons for a week and then disappearing. You don't remember?"
Lin Meiying shook her head, looking genuinely puzzled. "I don't know what you're talking about. We never had that conversation. Are you sure you're not imagining things?"
A chill ran down Lin Xiao's spine. This wasn't just about missing news reports; even his own sister seemed to have no recollection of something they had clearly discussed.
He turned back to the screen, his mind racing. What was happening? How could something so significant just disappear from everyone's memory?
"Meiying," he said slowly, trying to keep his voice steady, "we talked about this. Just this morning. You said you'd heard about the kidnappings too."
She frowned, shaking her head again. "No, Lin Xiao. I think you need to take a break. Maybe all that running and worrying is getting to you."
Lin Xiao leaned back, feeling a mix of frustration and fear. He wasn't going crazy. He knew what he had seen and heard.
But if the news wasn't reporting it and people were forgetting, then something far more sinister was at play.
was it the so-called supernatural association? But why was he not affected? is it cause of the system?
"Okay, maybe you're right," he said, trying to sound casual. "I'll take a break."
Feeling a knot of anxiety tighten in his stomach, Lin Xiao decided to check with his mother next. He found her in the kitchen, finishing up the dishes from dinner.
"Mom," he said, trying to keep his voice steady, "do you remember the news about the serial kidnappings? The ones where people were getting balloons before disappearing?"
Mother Lin paused, looking up at him with a puzzled expression. "Serial kidnappings? Balloons? No, Xiao, I don't remember anything like that. Are you sure you're not confusing it with something else?"
Lin Xiao's heart sank. "No, I'm sure. We talked about it this morning."
His mother shook her head gently. "I'm sorry, but I really don't remember. Maybe you dreamed it?"
Feeling increasingly unsettled, Lin Xiao hurried up to his room. He closed the door behind him and turned to his cats, who were lounging on his bed.
"Lil' Blackie, Xiao Bai, do you remember me talking about the kidnappings?" he asked, his voice urgent.
Xiao Bai's thoughts echoed in his mind, clear and affirming. "Yes, Xiao Xiao, we remember. You were very worried about it."
Lil' Blackie nodded in agreement. "You were trying to find out more about the office worker receiving balloons on the computer."
Relief washed over Lin Xiao. At least he wasn't entirely alone in this.
He turned on his gaming computer, a sleek setup with a large curved monitor, neon-lit mechanical keyboard, and a high-end gaming mouse.
He quickly navigated to his browser and began searching for any news about the kidnappings.
Page after page yielded nothing, as if the events had been scrubbed from existence. Frustrated, he refined his search terms, digging deeper into forums and obscure news sites.
Suddenly, a post caught his eye. It was dated six days ago and was written by a user named Ping'an. The post read:
"Someone has been sending me balloons every day for a week. I'm really scared. Has anyone else experienced this?"
Lin Xiao's heart raced as he clicked on the link, only to be met with a stark message: "This forum does not exist."
"How can that be?" he muttered, refreshing the page to no avail. It was as if the post had been erased from the internet just like the news reports.
Lin Xiao sat back, thinking. If this Ping'an's post was real, then the phenomenon was too. But who had the power to erase events and memories? And why was he still able to remember when everyone else seemed to forget?
Lin Xiao stared at his computer screen, the unease gnawing at him. Could it really be that the system had protected his memories? He decided to ask the system directly.
"System, why do I still remember the kidnappings when no one else does? And why do my cats remember too?" Lin Xiao queried, his voice laced with tension.
The system's response was immediate.
[Due to the host's elevated intelligence attribute and the unique powers possessed by Lil' Blackie and Xiao Bai, you and your pets were able to resist the memory-altering effects that have affected the general populace]
Lin Xiao sat back, trying to digest this information. "Memory-altering effects?" he muttered. "This is insane."
A thought crossed his mind, and he felt a chill run down his spine. "System, is it possible this has happened before, and I just don't remember it because I didn't have the system then?"
The system remained silent for a moment, then responded.
[It is within the realm of possibility. Memory alteration can be applied retroactively, meaning that past occurrences could have been erased from your memory without your knowledge prior to acquiring the system]
Lin Xiao felt a shiver of fear. How many events, how many critical moments of his life had been tampered with? The idea that he could have forgotten important parts of his past was deeply unsettling.
He looked at Lil' Blackie and Xiao Bai, who seemed to sense his distress and moved closer to him, their comforting presence a small balm to his troubled mind.
"I have to find out what's going on," Lin Xiao said