I’ve never done anything really bad in my life. Never broken the law. Never gotten into trouble with the authorities. I don’t even litter. Just the occasional jaywalk. Oh, and that fight in my teens. Other than that, I’ve lived my twenty-three years as a careful citizen. Until now.

Jail. I never thought I’d ever end up in one. And I’ll never want to be in another ever again.

Darkness. So complete. So entire. Not a prick of light.

Alone. There is no warmth. My thoughts unheard. My words unheeded.

Afraid. Fear descends like a seed planted. It germinates. It takes root. It doesn’t let go.

I cling to the chain that holds up the bed I’m sitting on. There is nothing else. I can’t see the chain. I can’t even see my hand. But the only thing—person I really want to see is Ms Pink. She has been taken away from me and I, her. She can’t hear my thoughts and I can’t hear hers. Nothing is scarier than this. Nothing is lonlier than this. It’s only been a month but Ms Pink has entered every inch of my life and made it hers as much as it is mine. From chairs to beds to toiletries, she’s moved in. Irrevocably.

Where is Ms Pink now? Is she still alive? Is she getting better?

I close my eyes and call out to Ms Pink. There is no answer. How far away is she from me?

Ms Pink. Ms Tiffany Pink. Tiffany Pink. Pink. Tiffany. Tiffany. Pink. Pink. Pan Ni. Princess Pan Ni. Tiffany. Pan Ni.

Stupid vampire. Stupid princess vampire.

No matter what I call Ms Pink, it isn’t working. My tears brim. Roll down my cheeks. And I lack the strength and motivation to wipe them.

X

Taeyeon . . .

My muscles are stiff from lying on the rock-hard bed. But my mind isn’t stiff and I’m sure I heard my name being called. And who else but Ms Pink can mindspeak to me? My eyes fly open and I spring up into sitting position.

Ms Pink!

Stop yelling, stupid human.

My tears almost fly out of my eye sockets at the sound of Ms Pink’s voice in my head.

Ms Pink, you’re alive!

I’ll skin you alive if you yell one more time.

I’m sorry, but I’m so happy to hear your voice again.

Stop being dramatic.

Are you alright now? Have they freed you?

Of course not.

You’re not alright? Or did you mean they haven’t freed you.

What you need is a good spanking.

I miss you.

A potent pause sits me as my heart thumps hard.

Stupid human.

Yes. A smile plays on my lips. I’m a stupid human.

Tell me what happened. Where are you.

I’m in jail.

Which jail.

Aren’t you shocked that I’m in jail?

No. Are you in the Feds jail.

How did you know that?

Go back to sleep. They will come to get you soon.

Ms Pink must be crazy. I can’t go back to sleep. How can you expect me to sleep when you’re not dead and nothing makes any sense?

Taeyeon, I’m not expecting you to sleep. I’m telling you to sleep.

I’m not going to sleep. Not before you tell me what’s happening.

Taeyeon.

I can see Ms Pink’s warning glare in my mind but I don’t back down. Not after all we’ve been through. Ms Pink.

Another pause. You will not be able to school your expressions if you know what’s going on. Trust me.

My smile extends its reach. You only had to ask.

I promise you the spanking you deserve in my pink room. Soon.

I am grinning as I lie on my back and prop my hand under my head. I look forward to it, Ms Pink.

Closing my eyes, I don’t hear from Ms Pink anymore. But I’m at peace. Ms Pink is alive and she sounds strong. I don’t know how she survived but she did. Maybe it’s better that I don’t. Especially if what Seo said about the Federation is true. I probably shouldn’t look too happy when they come for me. But a pout would be overacting. I should keep a poker face. I’ve never played serious poker but I can pull it off if I have to. And not a moment too soon too. I hear footsteps coming down the hall.

Glaring white light much like a flashbang going off without the bang blinds me and I hear the door sliding open. These people really aren’t fooling around with security. Hands grab me and hoist me off the bed. Without saying a word, they hold me so that my toes can barely touch the ground and exit the cell.

While the inside of my cell is completely dark, the hallway outside is lit by electric torches. And it would appear that the designer who did up the dungeon-like passageway at High Society was inspired by this hallway. Or maybe it’s simply their medieval roots at work. I don’t have much time to observe my surroundings however. The tall guards who remind me of Darth Vader in the way they are dressed walk fast and make so many turns that I lose track of the number of left and rights.

“W-Where are we going?” I ask.

Stone cold footsteps on the stone cold floor are my only replies.

They take me to what looks like the inside of a dome-shaped parliament house. Down to the front of it, up high on the wall like in Reichstag, is a blown up version of the emblem that I saw on the sleeves of the Federation officers’ uniform. Black menacing horns embracing the blood-red moon. The inifinity twirl in the midst of it. I wonder what it symbolizes. Around the ‘parliament house’ are semi-circular lines of lecture-theatre-style seats and immovable writing surfaces. The seat cushions are red and the rest of it is black. There is no mistaking the colour theme of this place.

Right under the emblem, is a weird glassy structure that looks like a life-sized snow globe, but much narrower. And as soon as I think that, the guards move towards it and put me inside. I am locked in and the two guards stand to the left and right of the exit. We are the only beings in here so I take the chance to look around. This ‘parliament house’ appears to be able to sit something like one hundred people. Or beings. At the top of the dome are glass panels that reveal the sky. The sun is blazing down overhead so it must be about noon or the late morning. Funny how knowing the time helps to calm me a little.

The first new being who enters this room is a familiar face. Her hooked nose is distinct. I can make no mistake. It is Sesgo from the Sovereign. She takes a seat to the right of the emblem; the first seat in a row of eight. I remember Ms Pink’s wariness of her. What’s the history between them? And why didn’t Ms Pink want her to touch me?

Next to enter is the flawless beauty. I remember her kindness. She had helped, if only a little, by being supportive in her words. I smile and wave when she looks in my direction but she looks away as though she hadn’t noticed me. I frown in thought. Perhaps it is not appropriate for her to acknowledge me when I am being held for a murder in the first degree.

Have the Feds brought you to Demortams?

I jump in my skin. Ms Pink!

Taeyeon. Stop. Yelling.

I’m sorry. You gave me a surprise.

There is no time for childish delvings. Are you at Demortams.

If by Demortams you mean this parliament house place then yes, they brought me here and chucked me into a glass chamber.

Can you see through the glass?

Yes. I’m puzzled by her question. Why wouldn’t I be able to see through the glass?

Good. They don’t know the truth about you yet.

Really? Seo said—

They don’t know yet. But it won’t be for long. Now remember three things:

I am stunned. W-What?

Repeat what I said.

Blinking furiously, I recite in my head. We found out I’m the Erika after you fell off my bed. We can only sense each others’ feelings. And when they try to read my mind, I’ll think of you spanking me.

Good girl.

Ms Pink.

Silence.

Ms Pink!

Nothing. Nothing but an unfeeling wall. Ms Pink has done something to keep me out. I don’t know what it is but I still feel better after talking to her. She’s alive and thinking. She’s planning something. I trust her.

X

^ brilliant illustration done by @evildaoako of Demortams

Demortams, as Ms Pink called this place, is packed to the brim. All of the Sovereign is seated in the front row. I look with interest at the other side. The eight seated on the left have vastly less shocking appearances than members of the Sovereign. They must be the Feds, as Ms Pink likes to call them. Humans. And I, standing in the middle, am not sure which side I belong to today. Am I human or . . . human. I’m definitely human. I don’t know what kind of power lies within me but I’m still human.

More humans and beings sit in the rows behind, filling up the space with chatter but my interest is piqued when eight men and women decked out in—surprise surprise—red and black cloths wrapped around their bodies enter the room from both sides at the same time. I catch a glimpse of a long beard on one of the men and an elaborate skintight snakeskin suit doned by one of the women on the right. Another man with a colourful, crystal-like stick that’s rounded on both ends.

Intruiging.

What is int