Lilac blinked. She turned her gaze from side to side. One question prevented her from speaking out.

What if she was watched?

The screen flickered, displaying a small paragraph of text.

Don’t worry about the cameras. At this moment in time, they are merely recording a sleeping girl. As far as they are concerned, you’re not even sitting up. I’ve also dealt with the hidden microphones. They won’t hear you, just ambient noise.

Lilac nodded. “Okay.”

Words shifted. Before you say anything, I have something important to tell you. The messages you see here are based on a digital model of my personality. The level of information I can give is minimal. I am only a shadow of the true inquisitor. That said, I have a pre-set message from them. Do you want to read it?

Lilac frowned. “Yes.”

The cursor flashed for a second and backtracked, leaving a blank screen. Then, the text wrote itself once more, this time in purple.

Message: Date of creation Selenial Laystos 1772

First off, I want to say I’m sorry. It’s my fault you are in this situation in the first place. I enabled your existence in a way, protected you but also shoved you in the face of danger.

Please believe me when I say we were friends. When you fell through the spatial rip, I helped you navigate Elusyia. In return, you agreed to help me with my plans. Truthfully, knowing that you may never be able to see this, that you may have perished, never fails to weaken my resolve. However, the old you would want me to continue. I need to continue.

Oh, and don’t worry too much about your past. You will learn in your own time. Once you do, please don’t hate me too much. Please try to understand as your old self did. I’m only doing this to achieve the best outcome for you and the future.

Lilac shook. The fires and the blinding lights flashed through her mind. Then her thoughts whirled and tumbled back to herself and Chickadee. If this Inquisitor was the cause of this situation, then, by all rights, she should hate them.

The girl grasped the duvet. Yet, for some reason, a sense of deep sadness spread over her very being. It was like reading a bittersweet and sad message from a treasured individual, yet not even knowing who that was. It was confusing.

Lilac looked down, relaxing her hands. “What does that even mean?”

The cursor moved slowly, typing in pastel red.

I’m sorry, I don’t really have an answer to that. I am based only on a surface level of their neural network map.

Lilac nodded. She buried her face in her hands. “Okay. I get it. You’re not the one who can answer most of my questions anyways.” Her mind flashed back to the conversation before. The girl looked up.

“What happened to me on the day I supposedly died?”

The cursor flashed. A big block of purple text appeared.

Hidden message 1: Unlocked. Date of creation April 27th 2449

You fell to the other side. You traversed the boundaries between universes to a very different version of Earth. I can’t fully say the details yet, but you were a victim of a large explosion. You were one of the lucky ones.

In Elusyia, I found you before you were discovered by other forces, and we slowly agreed that you would be sent back after fifty years.

Lilac frowned. “Why fifty years?”

Sub message: Unlocked.

I can’t tell you. You’ll see soon enough. Now there are a few last things I must say to you before I go. First, you don’t have to worry about the interface when lying about your past. I’ve got that covered; on that note, you need to find a way to escape the Founders’ families’ grasp. I cannot help you with that, but I have created an opportunity at the right time.

Now, I need you to rest. Otherwise, the strain will get to you. The rest will reveal itself in your memories.

Lilac gasped as sudden fatigue invaded her mind. Then, vaguely, she saw the red screen flicker and then dissolve into the sea of blue.

Darkness laid its claim on her consciousness once more.

…

“Ms Mellows, you need to get up and meet Manager Mestiire at patient room 706. Ms Mellows, you need to get up and meet Manager Mestiire at ER 7. Ms Mellow-”

Lilac opened her eyes with a sharp inhale. Greeting her vision was a metallic cylinder with the word NURSE printed vertically on its curved surface. The girl frowned and then pushed herself up, flinching as the small cylinder hovered out her door.

A meeting? Lilac sat up. Chickadee! She looked down at her legs, willing them to move.

This time, they did.

The girl breathed a sigh of relief. She shifted her body, peeling off the white duvet and letting her feet touch the cold, hard surface of the ground. Then, with shaking legs, she stood up, shivering at the sudden lack of warmth. The cylinder hummed.

“Ms Mellows, if you would kindly follow me.”

Lilac watched as the NURSE cylinder hovered out the door. With unsteady legs, she followed, turning her head from side to side.

The corridor was featureless, aside from the doors, which varied in colour. Red, pink, yellow, and green. Occasionally, there was a metallic door with a big red EMERGENCY flashing in its centre.

The cylinder stopped at the seventh one. It pushed itself against the words before hovering off.

Lilac watched at the door, perplexed. Was Chickadee supposed to be behind this door? The girl jumped as a loud beep resounded through the hall. A second later, the emergency room door slid sideways with a loud hiss.

Lilac looked though, searching through the blue-lit room. Her eyes widened as she saw Chickadee suspended in a large tube of liquid.

“Go on. You wanted to see it, didn’t you?”

Lilac looked to the side, frowning at Mestiire sitting in the corner of the room. She stepped forward, entering. At that, the door closed and hissed once more. Lilac glanced backwards and took a deep breath.

The room was warm. The girl ignored the various tools lining the side of the walls, focusing on the tube in the centre of the room. She took in Chickadee’s peaceful face but gasped at the wound.

The cut on her heel was much deeper than she thought. Jagged flesh revealed white bone, and purplish-black lines covered her entire leg.

Lilac reached out to the tube, flinching as Chickadee suddenly shifted. Bubbles drifted upwards from Chickadee’s mouth.

“The fluid has put its body into a surgery-ready state. It’s also slowed down the infection. Treatment will start once the new medicinal formula has been finalised, about two hours from now.”

Lilac looked down, fighting the urge to scream. She really didn’t have a choice. The girl blinked away tears. No matter what, she couldn’t let Chickadee die.

If that meant playing along with the Founding Families’ plans and being used by someone known as “The Inquisitor”, then so be it. She looked back at Chickadee’s frail form. She must protect the only person she could trust, the only person she considered family.

Lilac looked up. She turned around, feeling a tear slide down her face. For that, she would do anything.

“Tell me what I have to do.”