When Kadmien opened his eyes, he was suspended among what appeared to be millions of distant stars - some occasionally twinkling in shades of purple, green, red and blue - all inside the black void of what resembled a giant, transparent bubble-like amniotic sac. He reached out, finding that he could touch the surface. Ripples of light radiating from his fingertips through every part of the void. He blinked groggily a few times and, though exhaustion still filled him, he found sitting up was much easier than usual - his weight supported by an energy that surrounded him.


    Although Kadmien seemed to be in the same area of the world, judging by the exterior landscape, he still had no idea what had happened, where his friend had gone or how he ended up inside this “bubble”. Nevertheless, Kadmien felt an overwhelming sense of calm and peace in this space. His mind at ease, he lay back once more, briefly, enjoying the deeply serene, comforting feeling of simply existing here.


    “Hello there,” a euphonious voice broke the silence, “what can we do for you, my dear?”


    Kadmien looked up towards the source of the sound and saw two tall, dark figures. One with a frog-like shape and pale green light around it and the other a tall, lanky humanoid figure with horns and a glowing purple aura surrounding it.


    The purple knelt beside him and repeated the question with an even more demure tone to its voice; reaching out it’s long skeletal fingers to pet Kadmien’s head gently. The young man flinched away out of surprise, brow furrowed and questions in his eyes.


    “You seem confused but, you brought us here, did you not? To help you...” the creature paused momentarily “and we did rather well, didn’t we? Look...” it gestured to the lifeless bloody bodies, littered with oozing cuts and protruding broken bones.


    “W...where is he?” Kadmien questioned


    “He? Who do you mean?”


    “Sebetki.” he paused for a moment as the creature looked bemused “My friend. The one I wanted you to help”


    “Oh, I’m not sure where he is now...but, some soldiers took him away somewhere. You’re safe though, don’t worry. They won’t be able to see us in here.”


    Kadmien felt a rush of rage wash over him. “You just let them take him?”


    “We had to keep you safe first. There wasn’t time, we...”


    “Why do you think I asked you to help! To save him! I can take care of myself - you know I can! Take me to him, I have to get him back!” Kadmien’s hoarse voice cracked slightly “...please...I have to find him. They’ll think he did this...” He paused. “Do you even know the punishments for La Tari who kill Sacer guards!”


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    “Hmm, yes. We’ve heard that it’s torture or death...” the creature replied impassively “but you don’t need to worry about that now; you’re safe. We all are, they can’t find us in here...”


    Sebetki awoke to the feeling of freezing, needle-like stings all over his skin. At the same time, there was a searing heat burning him from within his muscles and bones that made him shift with discomfort constantly.


    Despite the excruciating sensations, his legs and left arm were all partially numb, rendering him unable to walk. He tried to look at his surroundings, but found that his sight was affected too - his lenses swirling in and out of focus every few seconds.


    When he did manage glimpses of the surrounding area, his visual cortex could only process the information for the flutter of an eyelid before he was overcome with an unnatural exhaustion. These sensations were unlike anything he’d felt before and he hoped that they were just the side effects of whatever Kadmien had done to him.


    “Kadmi…!” Sebetki gasped with a croak as he tried to speak, suddenly remembering his friend, but he could barely manage two syllables.


    Where was Kadmien?


    “Oh, you’re awake, good,” an overly cheerful sounding yet menacing voice came from the opposite side of the room, “how are you feeling?” The voice continued.


    Sebetki stuttered out fragments of words in reply but again his brain and vocal cords wouldn’t cooperate with each other. He tried to move his right arm but realised that it and his other three limbs were now strapped tightly in place. A wave of unsettled panic washed over him and he tried to pull against the heavy synthetic fabric of his bindings with his responsive arm and tingling legs.


    “Please don’t do that,” the unaffected voice spoke again, “the restraints are there for your own safety.”


    For a second time Sebetki strained to speak, but was once more only able to utter the first sounds of protest. Suddenly, he felt a piercing pain as his captor roughly broke through his flesh and jugular vein with a needle. Sebetki’s eyes filled with fear.


    “There there,” the voice comforted coolly, “it’s just something to wake up your body and calm your mind. I’m not going to hurt you.”


    Sebetki felt a warm sensation throughout his body and gradually the numbness began to dissipate.


    “Where’s Kadmien? What’ve you done to him?” the disoriented young man questioned.


    “Who?...Oh, you mean that boy you were assigned to in Erset?” The “doctor” raised his eyebrows slightly and sighed, “He murdered a soldier and two guards. I’m afraid that we had no choice but to…secure him,” he continued in the same clinically objective tone. Ignoring the gentle sobs that Sebetki was trying to hold back, in response to the news.


    “There, there. It’s alright. Try not to think about it. It’s better this way; he couldn’t even speak or communicate properly anyway...” the man paused briefly “You have a long day ahead of you tomorrow. Try to get some rest. And stop crying. It won’t change anything now...you’ll just dehydrate yourself,” he motioned to a glass of clear liquid on the table beside Sebetki’s bed, “Drink up, it’ll make you feel better” he finished before exiting the room, not allowing Sebetki to ask any further questions.


    After a while of staring at the blank wall, tears involuntarily streaming down his pale cheeks, Sebetki reached for the glass of what he assumed to be water and drank it in one swig. He was hit with an overwhelming urge to rest again and he let himself drift into a dreamless sleep.