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Utopia (yoo-toh-pee-a) is an imaginary community or society that possesses nearly perfect qualities. Those who dream of Utopia, the Haven and the council, turn into dystopian murderers. How many more people are you going to kill to achieve your utopia? It’s time to-

“Oh c’mon!” A small woman spun effortlessly in her chair, muting the large monitor in the room with the flick of her wrist. She rose from her seat, tossing the remote onto the large crystalised table before smacking both hands upon its surface to make an impact. Silence.

Arching a singular eyebrow to the other two occupying the room, her expression appeared unamused.

“This is the shit they’re broadcasting down there?” Voice an octave higher, she gestured with her hands to an area outside of the transparent ten-story building. Towards the borders. She seemed unfazed by the unanticipated interception, instead only slightly irked by the message it was conveying.

She shook her head, regaining posture and calmly buttoning up her ivory suit as she walked around the table towards the monitor. Her attention was trained solely upon the man and woman ahead of her.

“‘Imaginary community,’” she quoted, “fuck them.” Pause. “We are the Utopia.” Her hands clasped together. “The good ones!” Anyone with eyes could establish the sheer opposition in lifestyle between the Haven and the borders, from wealth to slums.

Her long raven hair contrasted the colourless attire that clung to her body. Although relatively short in height, Kim Bora was always viewed as one of the intimidating members of the council, a strong personification of power.

Even now she silently demanded both pairs of eyes in the room with just one look. A highly desirable leader. The board in itself was secure, fearless council members, some ruthless, all of the five individuals known by a representative colour and by name. The colour almost meant nothing, it simply distinguished oneself from another, especially the ‘lowlives’ that inhabited the borders. It was a sign of the hierarchy in an outwardly ostentatious manner, wearing the colour of a council member to display your superiority. There was red, black, blue, purple and last but not least white; white being Bora’s colour, hence the complimentary attire.

“Those scavengers … they’re gonna wish they were part of our world.” Bora grinned, rocking subtly back onto her heels as she spoke, “one day they’ll see what could be theirs. But until then-” she dropped her gaze as well as her clasped hands, “we continue to capture and imprison them.”

The man in a lilac suit nodded in agreement, his glasses firm upon his structured nose. Lee Donghun. Purple. “Damn right.”

Han Dong. Red. She raised an eyebrow at the older one's words but her side smirk said it all. She was in total agreement with Bora. All of the council held similar, if not the same, beliefs. They were a close-knit group.

“One thing I can’t wrap my head around,” Donghun shifted in his seat all of a sudden, pulling on the cuffs of his suit as he placed his arms upon the table, “is how the fuck someone in the borders can manage to hack into our intercoms to broadcast.” He frowned, his bushy eyebrows defined. “How does one in the borders have such technology?”

Bora kissed her teeth. “They steal from us.” Her arms folded across her chest. “They use our advances to rebel against our ideals.” She seemed to know a little more than she was letting on.

A sarcastic chuckle escaped her lips.

“Make it make sens-”

“Bora!”

The boardroom doors abruptly spat open, a taller silver haired girl stumbling into the meeting, her breathing erratic and eyes wide.

She seemed to frantically brush down her white playsuit all while her gaze darted across the council members. Bora’s expression shifted, concern lacing her brow as she held one hand out in front of Yoohyeon. The younger girl was trembling profusely.

“It’s Minji,” Yoohyeon breathed out in a hurried panic. Upon hearing the familiar name, Handong shot up from her chair, her face draining of any colour.

“Someone set fire to the left side of the district. H-her office. It’s in flames.”

30 minutes earlier:

The pungent stench of the lake is what Yubin smelt just before her peace was interrupted. She grimaced. First it was Apollo leaping through the beaded entrance to the shack, followed by a hooded figure dressed in a scuffed black attire. The chiming of the beads lightly clashing against one another also welcomed their presence.

Yubin moved her stolen laptop to the side of her bed and sat against her flat pillow, fragile arms assisting her up. She winced slightly at the action but smiled nonetheless when Apollo happily made his way over towards the girl, tail wagging and tongue stretching out from between his teeth. His auburn eyes were dazzling with excitement.

Must’ve been a good walk.

The lingering shadow-like presence at the entrance diverted Yubin’s attention. Small in height, lean as always. Dirty blonde locks of hair stuck out either side of the hood as the figure adjusted something upon her arm. Her watch.

Siyeon.

“How’s your leg?”

The younger girl raised an eyebrow as the monotonous question broke the silence between them, Siyeon’s gloved hands reaching up to unveil her familiar features.

She brushed her fingers leisurely through her hair before making eye contact, the unscathed brown soft yet attentive.

Yubin cleared her throat, “better than yesterday.” She nodded, Apollo accompanying her. She gently stroked his damp coal-coloured coat as he curled up beside her.

“Good.” Siyeon patted herself down, advancing towards the edge of her sister's makeshift bed. She slumped against it, careful not to crush Yubin’s foot.

They weren’t biological sisters. More like sisters by chance, or circumstance even. It had been a wordless adoption, a rescue.

Before the girl was even born, Siyeon’s father left the borders to be welcomed into the Haven. A kind of betrayal… ‘the easy way out.’ Her mother, however, was so against the so-called pristine ideals they claimed to hold. Even pregnant she never changed her mind. She believed there was something sinister about the lifestyle in the Haven district and she refused to join, to follow her husband, to give her daughter what was often described as the ‘perfect start in life.’ It was all indoctrination.

Sadly her decision to stay in the borders seemed to drastically backfire; it was too unhygienic as a place for a vulnerable woman to give birth alone. She never had the correct facilities, the medical team and treatment to help heal the excessive bleeding inside of herself during and after she gave birth.

In a matter of minutes, Siyeon was her first and sadly her last.

The newborn was discovered soon after the tragedy in the arms of her (then) deceased mother, a loose cradle in an attempt to keep her warm. One final act of motherly love. It had been Yubin’s older brother that had stumbled across the scene.

A few years later, Yubin was born. Siyeon acted as an older sister from the day she entered the world. Protective, fearless. Yubin had never known life without the blonde haired girl, although her mother had repeatedly informed her many times how they were never blood related. It was always when Siyeon was getting into trouble too… like she was ashamed of her actions. To Yubin though, it never mattered. They were sisters. Real ones.

They were all each other had left now.

Ever since Yubin’s brother was murdered by the Haven for rebellious activity on sight, Siyeon and Yubin have had a personal vendetta for the district. Specifically Siyeon… having witnessed the brutal homicide first hand.

Siyeon hated the Haven with her whole heart, hated the hierarchy and how they treated those from the borders. Like they weren’t human, like their lives were meaningless in comparison.

Well fuck them, them and their self-proclaimed ‘utopia’.

“Where did you go?” Yubin asked after a moment.

“To the lake,” Siyeon turned her head to grin at her sister, the white scar that ran through her top lip seeming to pull upwards, “can’t you smell it?”

The dark haired girl chuckled. “Yeah,” she arched an eyebrow, “you smell like shit.”

The oldest snorted, lightly slapping the soiled blanket that covered Yubin’s lower half.

“It was worth it though,” for a moment the laughter subsided as the blonde reached towards her bag that hung loose from her left leg, “found a glass. Look.”

The transparent bottle was held out ahead of Yubin, the natural sunlight from outside hitting its surface in a bright orange luminosity. The beautiful light was reflected upon the vacant bed sheets that shielded the younger one, painting the muted white like a hidden landscape.

“It was floating alongside the lake. Apollo jumped in to retrieve it.” She settled the mundane decoration carefully on the windowsill next to Yubin’s bed. Her fingers were cut and dirty, her hand slightly shaky with the action. She needed food, not just the leftovers they found on the daily. Something nutritious, high in sugar. Her levels were low.

Yubin suddenly felt a wave of guilt flood her. She was sick, her leg had an infection that was making her ill and the past few days any food that Siyeon would find, would immediately be hers. Without question.

“I’ve already eaten my half.”

“You need it more than I do.”

“I’ll manage.”

“I’m not hungry today.”

They were all excuses.

“Hey, maybe we could find you a tulip.” Siyeon pointed to the bottle, “fill it up with water, keep it pretty.” Tulips were Yubin’s favourite. She spun her head back to the girl who was smiling somewhat sadly at her.

“What?” She instantly dropped her hand, concerned.

“Nothing.” Yubin shook her head and etched her lips with a brighter smile, “that sounds great.”

Only the gentle snoozing of Apollo could be heard until Siyeon timidly trained her attention onto the grey laptop beside the youngest.

“How were you getting on before I came back?”

How this girl was a wanted criminal by the Haven was beyond Yubin. The girl was so… caring . Obviously she was a different person in their eyes.

Their blind eyes. They didn’t even know what she looked like, they only knew that she was the one responsible for causing havoc around the Haven district.

Siyeon’s somewhat smug smile prompted the youngest.

“Pretty well,” she responded, briefly hunching over to retrieve the laptop. She hoisted it onto her lap and opened the screen where she had left off from.

“Few clicks and I’ll be able to override their broadcast for a few minutes.” Her grin only grew with her confession as she watched her sister's eyes widened.

“No way.” Siyeon hoisted herself further up onto Yubin’s bed, almost squishing the smaller girl as her attention darted to the bright laptop screen. “You’re fucking crazy,” she snickered in disbelief, “how did you manage that so quickly?”

The smaller one waved a dismissive hand in front of herself. “You do the physical stuff, I do the computer stuff.”

“In other words, you’re the brain.”

“If you say so.” Yubin chuckled.

A crash from outside alerted both girls, Apollo’s ears also instinctively scouting the location of the abrupt noise. It was distant, probably somewhere in the forest. In other words, it wasn’t an issue, a threat.

Yubin continued. “Just give me the word and I’ll hit play.” She looked expectantly towards Siyeon, wordlessly awaiting her seal of approval but the brown eyes were faraway, elsewhere.

“There’s a council meeting today.” As if the blonde had just remembered something important, her eyes snapped back to the scene in front of her. It was like the sound of the distant commotion had implanted an idea into that cunning brain of hers. She gently placed her hand atop of Yubin’s.

“The left side of the district will most likely be empty… Or at least vulnerable for a while.”

The dark haired girl furrowed her eyebrows but listened intently. “How can you be so sure?”

“I’ve watched the members for some time from a distance. They all seem to congregate around the left side. At least Red, White and Black do. Sometimes Purple but mainly he’s with Blue…” She digressed slightly, “anyway, they should be in the main building right now. If they’re broadcasting, they’re having a meeting.”

“So?”

“ So I can have a little fun in the meantime.” Her infamous mischievous expression illuminated her pale features. Another one of her schemes.

“Wait five minutes before intercepting their meeting, okay?” Siyeon buttoned up her battered trench coat, the hood from her hoodie underneath firmly masking her bleach blonde locks once more. As she trudged towards the door of their shack, Apollo rose to his feet and whined. He twisted his head in her direction, confused, his eyes hopeful towards his master.

“Apollo. Stay .” Siyeon instructed, holding one hand out in his direction. Immediately, he sat back down. Well trained.

Yubin stroked his mane to act as a sort of ‘apology’.

“Five minutes.” The older girl's eyes locked with her sisters, a crucial glisten accompanying them.

Yubin nodded. “Five minutes.”

It had been three. Siyeon was already staring up at the fortress that surrounded the Haven; high brick walls, flamboyant buildings stretching high into the clouds. Cameras were dotted along the ledges of each construction. A palette of white, gold and the odd pastel colour to catch the eye. Besides the flying aircrafts, a textbook utopia.

Every time the blonde girl was near the Haven, a chill ran down her spine. The memory of her brother remained vivid, still stung like a wound behind the eyes.

She preferred to observe their lifestyle from afar, get to know their routine from their windows as opposed to face to face. Although Siyeon was dangerous (she knew how to fight), so were they, and the girl wasn’t stupid.

The security cameras never picked up her facial features when her hood was up. It seemed the Haven liked to place their eyes higher in the sky rather than ground level, an amateur mistake. That’s why all of the previous footage released from the Haven about Siyeon involved nothing more than a hooded figure, no face, no identifiable features. An enigmatic criminal.

The blonde girl, dressed in an all black attire, crouched in the bushes, the faint sound of her own breathing snaking into her ears. She steadily began to scale the wall, edging her way towards the left side, the corner of the district. Her fingertips, covered by her trusted leather gloves, grazed carefully along the stone. Her gaze was fixated solely on the office area furthest left.

Siyeon knew this area well… she’d often noticed a few of the council members hanging around in the office. Red. Black… White.

She’d spotted White a few times. For some reason, she’d taken particular notice of her.

Her long raven hair, her tight white bralette under her usual baggy suit. She seemed short, maybe a similar height to herself or a few inches smaller. Siyeon could recognise her well. She could also acknowledge Red and Black; they were often seen together, as a pair. They seemed close, a lot closer than what council members should be. Siyeon had a hunch.

But right now, Red and White weren’t here, the girl only halted still when her curiosity latched onto another raven haired woman, this time her suit coated black.

Black.

Why wasn’t she attending the board meeting?

The blonde squinted, pulling her hood further down to protect more of her forehead.

Whatever. It was nothing but a minor inconvenience; Black was way too high (sixth floor) in the ten-story ‘palace’ to even notice Siyeon beneath her. Not that she would even take the time to observe the borders from her pristine windowsill; wasted effort.

Siyeon took a sharp intake of oxygen, her shoulder pushing up against the hard rock. She swiftly retrieved a switchblade from inside one of her sturdy boots, temporarily removing one of her gloves too. Along the wall, the stone was cemented together in a rhythmic pattern. Flicking the blade with skilled fingers, the girl began to tap carefully across the dry cement. If Siyeon remembered correctly, there was already one stone out of place.

The wall had been damaged not long ago as a result of a miniature riot that had broken out at the gates. A family from the borders had been protesting against the Haven, and Blue was there to handle it. He must’ve hurt one of their own or something.

The dispute rapidly turned into a fight and part of the wall had been knocked into, some of the stone ultimately loosening as a result. Siyeon recalled hearing the tale by word of mouth while eavesdropping on some civilians in town.

The blonde continued tapping delicately along the stone until-

Clack .

The imperishable fortress had a weakness. Simply one large rock out of place and that rock would be the cause of a drastic domino effect.

“Utopia (yoo-toh-pee-a) is an imaginary community or society that possesses nearly perfect qualities...”

Five minutes.

Yubin had intercepted the Haven’s meeting to broadcast. Her little sisters voice, disguised as a maculine robots, was being sent to every device within the two districts. Even the huge moving billboard on the side of the Havens central building was displaying images that Yubin had personally arranged in a sort of slideshow.

It worked. Holy shit.

“...Those who dream of Utopia, the Haven and the council, turn into dystopian murderers...”

Siyeon’s heart leaped in her chest, her hand simultaneously pushing the stone through the wall, the hole agape. No time to lose, this was the perfect distraction.

“...How many more people are you going to kill to achieve your utopia? It’s time to-”

Static all of a sudden.

Fuck.

The broadcast was cut.

“ Shit .”

One of the healed cuts upon Siyeon’s finger began to bleed leisurely. Resisting the urge to wince, she continued with her plan, the ambiguous plan that she was making up on the spot. I mean, wasn't almost all chaos and anarchy spontaneous?

Siyeon managed to get her whole hand through to the other side, the cracks within the wall having widened. Without the security of her glove, she could feel the tall grass that resided against the bed of the wall brush against her fingertips. For a moment, she took the time to exhale, hand clenching around the plants. Dry. Dry enough to quickly catch fire.

And if this grass was surrounding the wall inside, the whole left district from two stories to ground would be up in flames. Hopefully .

A smile painted Siyeon’s lips.

Swiftly retracting her hand, her hurried fingers found the trusted bag tied at her waist. She slipped under, and instantly amongst the other clutter she felt the crisp metal of her lighter taunt her warmer skin. Without hesitation she pulled it from her satchel, peeking into the hole to estimate the distance between her and that tall grass on the other side. Perhaps lighting something first to toss into the area would be better.

She’d found a bottle today and instead of keeping it to possibly create a molotov, she’d brought it to her sister as a gift. That would’ve been great to use, to launch over the wall.

No use in ‘what if’s’ however. Acting on instinct, Siyeon grunted as she tore off a piece of dehydrated material from her trouser leg. The pants were scuffed and ripped anyway, it didn’t matter much to her.

Then, she flicked on the lighter, initially trying to minimise the oxygen to get a good flame going before the fire caught onto the cotton, engulfing the cloth in it’s burnt radiance.

It was swallowed in a matter of seconds, Siyeon meticulously lowering the weapon into the forgotten grassland of the Haven. For a few long seconds, she unconsciously held her breath. One… Two… Three… Four…

The flames rose to the hole, a sea of orange replacing the rock that rested there no longer than ten minutes prior. The fire was spreading, and much quicker than Siyeon had anticipated. The heat was travelling, the hairs on the back of Siyeon’s neck standing up at the feeling.

The blonde gasped inaudibly, backing away from the wall in an attempt to camouflage again in the forest behind. The glow was a spectacle in itself, reflections of destruction painting the transparency of the office building. Then, smoke. And plenty of it. Like reverse rain, mounds of grey ash drifted into the sky, some carrying flickering orange orbs as they travelled. Further and further.

Were they soaking their grounds in alcohol? Sure there was plenty of oxygen to keep the fire alight but even Siyeon hadn’t expected the excess of flames that had erupted before her very eyes.

“Shit…”

Her gaze scaled the office, a sudden pang of guilt hitting her when Black became the foreground of her vision. Right now she was clueless. Clueless of the danger that was progressing further up each story of the building, clueless to the fire that would (in a matter of seconds) consume her and her entire office.

“C’mon.” Siyeon’s teeth were gritted, her eyebrows furrowed. Impatient, she drilled her fingers along her satchel. But Black wasn’t budging, only presumably typing away upon her expensive laptop. Fuck. By now the flames had reached the fourth floor.

In an instinctive panic, her head flicked to the right. She spotted a stone, a small pebble-like stone that could be thrown high enough. She had a good throw, a powerful one too.

Hopefully this would be enough to alert Black.

Yeah, she hated the council but hate would never make her a murderer.

Crack .

Minji jumped slightly at the unexpected noise, something having impacted the window ahead of her. She saw nothing but a brief blur, her heart skipping a beat.

Pressing pause on the faint music that flooded her eardrums, she rose from her chair, cautiously approaching the window. It was either a bird or one of those bandits from the borders. Sure enough, when her eyes latched onto the greenland outside of the Haven she barely noticed a hooded figure fleeing from the scene. They were quick, too fast for Minji to get a good look at but she soon discovered that they were the least of her problems.

Her hands were gradually becoming warmer, a strange orange reflection tainting the unambiguity of her glasses. It didn’t take her long to realise. There was a fire.

It had started in the garden, in the left district grassland and had crept its way up the building.

“What the-” Minji gasped, eyes immediately widening. She scrambled backwards, her back hitting the table behind her as her eyes stayed unwillingly glued to the threatening palette of grey and orange that began to eat away at the sixth floor. Her brain finally kicked into gear, her parted lips shutting as she navigated herself around the table towards the exit.

Right on cue, the door flew open, a temporarily smiley girl on the other end, holding a tray bearing a solitary mug of coffee upon it. However, the girl's smile quickly dropped, as well as the tray. The mug shattered, coffee bleeding across the laminate flooring.

“Minji!” She yelled, rushing to the girl's aid as hungry flames followed her step. The woman in the black suit reached for Yoohyeon, protectively pushing her back as they both exited the contaminated office.

“What happened?” Yoohyeon’s voice wavered, shock influencing the trembling now evident in her gestures. She squeezed Minji as though relieved to see her unharmed by the surprising incident.

“Go get the others,” Minji exhaled, her brow knitted in stress, “I’ll alert the guards.”

“It’s Minji,” Yoohyeon breathed out in a hurried panic. Upon hearing the familiar name, Handong shot up from her seat, her face draining of any colour.

“Someone set fire to the left side of the district. H-her office. It’s in flames.”

“It’s what?!” Even Bora’s expression shifted to one of distress.

“S-she’s okay, she’s gone to gather the guards to settle the fire but-” Yoohyeon choked on how quick her words were fleeing her tongue, “what the fuck?” Her eyes became momentarily teary. Yoohyeon was not one for confrontation, that was down to the council members. Whenever it came to arguments and disagreements, Yoohyeon panicked. Bora was the best at handling those conversations.

Handong rushed out of the board meeting, her movements unnerved and sharp. Donghun adjusted his glasses further on his nose before running to catch up with Handong.

“Yooh,” Bora turned to the taller one, delicately caressing the side of her arm, “are you okay? You seem pretty shaken up.” Despite the situation, Bora’s voice remained unfazed, confident like it always was. She always was more soft-spoken with the younger one. Something Yoohyeon was thankful for.

“Yeah,” the silver haired girl exhaled, “I just- it wasn’t a pleasant sight to walk into. I thought Minji had gotten hurt.”

Bora made sure they maintained eye contact.

“We won’t let that happen.”

“I couldn’t let that happen.” Siyeon paced back and forth, Apollo and Yubin watching her frantic movements.

“No shit.” The younger girl exhaled, relatively out of breath from Siyeon’s report of events, “we don’t kill.”

Siyeon whipped her gloves off, stuffing them into the pockets of her trench coat before removing that barrier too. She then nervously scratched the back of her neck.

“Did she get out okay?”

“I don’t know.” The blonde stopped in her tracks, “when she looked out the window I could’ve sworn we locked eyes so I bolted right away. I didn’t stay long enough to watch that shit unfold.”

Yubin squeezed her eyes shut. “At least we sent a message.”

“I can’t stay here for a few days.” Siyeon blurted out.

“ What ?”

“Yubin.” She sighed, “I’m in trouble.”

That was obvious but the youngest held her tongue.

“If they find out I did this, and they finally track me down… I can’t put you at risk too. You’re unwell, god knows how they’d treat you.” Siyeon swallowed dryly at the thought, “I won’t do that to you.”

“Siy…” Yubin’s voice was softer.

“No,” she shook her head, “I need to leave for a little while. Apollo can stay with you, keep you company.” She glanced towards the curious pup whose golden eyes stared back through long lashes, “I’ll bring you food every day or so, I just won’t stick around for longer than necessary.”

The dark haired girl pushed herself up in her bed, finally exhaling a deep breath.

“Alright.” There was no use in arguing; Siyeon would only insist in the end anyway. “But please take care of yourself, okay?” Her eyes displayed nothing but genuine apprehension, “find somewhere safe and clean to sleep and if you can’t, just come back. You can sneak in.” Siyeon remained silent. “Please.”

Finally, she nodded slowly. “I will.”

On the wooden counter in the corner of the room, an empty rucksack rested, along with a folded pile of Siyeon’s clean clothes. She quickly shoved the bare minimum into the rucksack before zipping it up and throwing it over one shoulder.

“If you need me, signal me.”

With that, Siyeon wordlessly slipped out of the shack they called home, leaving a disheartened Apollo and an anxious younger sister behind.

Minji watched guards rush through the corridors towards the left side of the district, her arms folded from behind the safety of a window. There was commotion, and a lot of it. Muffled noise, confused running, frantic yelling at one another. A concentrated scowl decorated her features.

The fire had long dissipated, the collaborative work of those from the Haven having paid off and no further damage had been caused. Things had been destroyed of course, obliterated in the blaze, the fire managing to reach the seventh floor, no further. But everyone was safe, that was the main priority. Reconstruction could begin tomorrow at dawn, bright and early.

“Babe,” two gentle hands hesitantly found the raven head’s waist, “did you see anything?”

Bora leaned back in her chair, silently studying the couple from the other end of the room. It was just the three of them in the boardroom now, Donghun and Lucas (Blue) assisting the guards.

Slowly, Minji turned to tune back into the room, her hands dropping from a defensive position to reassuringly caress her girlfriend’s arm.

“I didn’t even notice the fire until I heard something hit the window.” Her eyes darted between both girls.

“I went to check what it was and- I saw someone run back into the forest.”

“So it was no accident.” Bora squinted although a strong part of her being already knew that this incident was intentional.

The woman in the black suit shook her head.

“Did you see what they looked like?” Handong questioned.

Again, another head shake.

“Unfortunately not. They were too quick, their hood shielding their face.”

“ Hood ?” Bora emphasised, her tone shifting as well as her posture. She sat up straighter. Fully engaged.

“Shit.” As if something had just clicked in her brain, Minji’s eyes widened. She should’ve known better.

In unison, the three council members each muttered the same name.

“ Siyeon .”

“That bitch.” Handong growled, running a frustrated hand through her blonde locks. “Stealing, wrecking our grounds and hacking our broadcast is one thing but attempted murder?!”

Bora clenched her jaw. She was just as angry as the younger girl.

“A step too fucking far.”

Minji remained silent, allowing her girlfriend to take control of the conversation for a moment.

“Bora, she needs to be hunted.” The red suited woman placed one firm finger upon the crystalised table, her pointed black nail making a statement in itself. “She can’t get away with this one.”

“And she won’t,” Bora finalised, tone stern as she rose to her feet to (somewhat) match Handong’s height, “leave her to me. I’ll have her arrested as soon as possible.”

A silence engulfed the girls, simultaneously reflective and tense. A plan was unravelling itself in Bora’s brain, there was just one person needed to fill in the blank space.

“But first, I need Yoohyeon.”

“Yoohyeon?” Minji cocked her head, Handong furrowing her exquisite eyebrows.

“But this is between the council.” The oldest continued.

“I’m pretty sure almost everyone in the Haven knows who Siyeon is. Her name is practically infamous here. This isn’t just between us.”

“If she can lead towards Siyeon’s capture then it’s worth her being involved.” Handong inputted.

“She’s just not like us Bora, she hasn’t been exposed to some of the harsh realities.”

“The point of our utopia, right?” Bora shrugged almost bluntly. “Look, I would never let Yoohyeon get hurt. I care too much about her.” Minji nodded slowly as though she already knew that fact. “And that’s the reason why I need her for this.”

Pause.

Minji groaned.

“I just don’t want my sister at risk.”

“You can trust me.”

Bora’s eyes showed no trace of uncertainty, and Minji believed in those chocolate iris’ more than most.

She sighed, the comforting feeling of Handong’s hand over hers easing her anxiety. “I do.”

Three sharp knocks on her dorm room averted Yoohyeon’s attention towards the door. It was late, getting to midnight now. Her brow furrowed. She was surprised Gahyeon wasn’t already asleep at this hour. Her best friend was always in bed before 11pm.

Dropping her shorts onto her bed, only a long t-shirt to cover her frame, she approached the door.

Twisting the doorknob, she slowly unveiled the shorter figure waiting on the opposite side.

“Gahyeon it’s lat- Bora .” Yoohyeon jumped when her eyes locked with the council member, her cheeks immediately flushing. She cleared her throat, pulling on her baggy t-shirt before speaking again.

“W-what’re you doing here?”

This was certainly unusual. Bora showing up at her dorm? And at this ungodly hour? Yoohyeon gulped.

“I need to talk to you.” Bora was still wearing white, of course, but her attire was baggier than her business outfit, much more casual and endearing.

“Uh- oh okay,” Yoohyeon nodded, unconsciously moving to the side of her door to invite the shorter girl inside. “I’m sorry, if I knew you’d be showing up I would’ve dressed a bit nicer.”

She heard Bora chuckle gently, waving a dismissive hand in the younger one's direction.

“It’s midnight Yooh, don’t be silly.”

The door closed behind them both, Yoohyeon mumbling. “Still…”

Bora took a subtle glance around the room, a dark blue palette immersed most areas, personalised touches from the possessor designing the walls. Yoohyeon had hand painted stars, constellations and celestial bodies onto her wall, scribed meaningful phrases all around. It wasn’t what Bora had been expecting upon entrance yet it made perfect sense. This room had Yoohyeon written all over it.

Realising that an unusual silence had fallen over the pair, the older girl snapped out of the admirable trance she had unintentionally fallen under.

“May I sit?” Bora pointed to the edge of the double bed.

“Oh,” Yoohyeon rushed forward hurriedly, grabbing the clothes that resided messily upon the sheets, “of course.” She bundled the clutter into her arms as Bora situated herself close upon the bed. The atmosphere shifted and Yoohyeon froze temporarily. Her silver hair fell over her face like a curtain, masking her features for a moment. When Bora’s smaller hand reached up to tuck her hair behind one ear, Yoohyeon’s cheeks burned again, eyes darting anywhere but the raven head’s face.

She put some distance between them, dropping her clothes onto her counter before anxiously playing with her fingers.

“Is Minji doing okay?” The youngest inhaled shakily, “I haven’t been able to speak to her since the incident.”

“She’s fine.” Bora’s posture was straight, her gaze attentive.

“Good.”

Instinctively, Yoohyeon began to move towards her windowsill, to the place where she would spend many lonely nights looking out into the sky, and occasionally into the borders. Her heart was always curious.

She sat upon the sturdy ledge, crossing her legs, hands in her lap as she observed Bora.

From there, Yoohyeon silhouetted like a pale angel against the dark emitting from the bitter night behind, she looked small, vulnerable. Bora almost dropped the topic lingering on the tip of her tongue. Almost .

She’d promised Handong she’d hunt down Siyeon. She’d promised the Haven.

“The one who started the fire today, the one who almost killed your sister…” Bora began, her voice barely above a whisper as she watched Yoohyeon’s eyebrows knit in concern, “it was Lee Siyeon.”

At the reveal of such a name, the younger one's lips parted in surprise.

“Siyeon?”

The council member nodded.

“Shit,” Yoohyeon shot a glance outside, towards the shadowed trees that carried a secret amongst them, “are you sure?”

“Minji said she spotted a hooded figure fleeing from the scene.” Bora confessed, “no-one from the borders is that cocky to get this close to us. She also hacked our broadcast with no trances. She’s the only one that’s previously stolen that kind of equipment from us.” She paused. “It’s definitely her.”

Without another thought, Yoohyeon was convinced. “You’re gonna arrest her, right?”

No-one should be allowed to injure others and get away with it, and it was more personal if the one almost harmed was family. Enough was enough. Siyeon had made her point, her hatred shining strong through her anarchist demonstrations.

“Yes. But we need to track her first.” Bora informed the younger one, “we’re gonna lead her right to us.”

The tallest shifted in her position. “We?”

Their eyes locked.

“You’re gonna be sent into the borders.”

Yoohyeon barely slept a wink, tossing and turning all night. Her brain was running on overdrive, uneasiness erupting in the pit of her stomach every time a threatening thought crossed her mind.

The borders.

Last night when Bora had unloaded the dense plan of action, her mouth had immediately turned dry, her world spinning. No doubt, it was a brilliant plan but Yoohyeon was scared. Terrified, even. She wasn’t a soldier like those who protected the Haven, she was simply a secretary, an ordinary girl.

But that’s why Bora has suggested she was perfect for the role.

Her eyes felt heavy as they opened upon hearing a demanding knock on her door. Was it really dawn already?

She groaned, painfully sitting up in her bed. Her hand reached for her forehead where a headache was beginning to form beneath the skin. Great .

Another knock interrupted the peace, this time a more impatient one.

“Just a second please.” Yoohyeon rasped loudly, frowning as she threw her exposed legs from the warmth.

Her toes grazed the rug beneath them first before she applied her weight to her feet, stretching her back. In the matter of seconds, she was face to face with a bulky male guard whose chest was almost distracting in Yoohyeon’s face. The girl arched a lazy eyebrow.

“Yoohyeon. Get dressed immediately, you’re needed in the office.” His voice was powerful, complimenting his appearance. The shorter girl instantly nodded, obeying the orders sent to her by the council as she momentarily closed the door.

“Good morning.”

Yoohyeon rubbed her eyes as she was welcomed by a familiar voice into the conference room. The same voice that had visited her last night. Bora. At the head of the table.

On either side of her was Minji and Handong, Lucas next to Handong and Donghun beside Minji. All eyes were trained on her, collected stares, confident expressions. Yoohyeon suddenly became aware of her heart beat.

She was immediately intimidated by the group, not so much her sister who offered her a sympathetic smile when their gazes met briefly. Yoohyeon cleared her throat, swiftly regaining a false resilience in her body language.

She gave a polite nod, hands clasping together. “Morning.” Despite her obvious weariness, Yoohyeon appeared very formal, carried herself exquisitely.

Lucas, who was leaning back slightly in his seat, looked the tall girl up and down before raising an eyebrow in Bora’s direction.

“ She’s the one we’re sending?” He pointed lazily to her, an almost sarcastic laugh escaping his lips, “your secretary?”

“What are you saying?” Minji barked, almost too defensively. Yoohyeon awkwardly lingered by the door, listening to the council debate about her as though she was not present.

Lucas shrugged, his blue suit comfortably hugging his biceps. “Thought maybe a soldier would be better. What if she runs into trouble?”

“A soldier could not enter the borders undetected. They’re trained to fight and imprison, and that’s what they would do.” Bora’s voice was calm, “Siyeon most likely knows all of our faces, has dealt with many of our guards before. Yoohyeon has never been exposed to that.”

Lucas shook his head, unconvinced.

“Besides, I trust her. Some people here, we don’t know if they would ever double cross us.” Yoohyeon’s eyes drifted to latch onto Bora’s, her gaze a little reluctant, “I know that Yoohyeon would never do that to us.”

The girl gulped. It’s true, she wouldn’t. Not with Bora and her sister as council members. She cared way too much about them to ever betray them in such a way. Even the thought was absurd in her mind.

“Okay,” Lucas tapped the table in front of him, “you’re leading this operation,” he stated matter-of-factly, “how do we go about this?”

“Yoohyeon,” Bora gestured to the seat at the other end of the table, opposite herself, “please take a seat.”

The silver haired girl did as she was told without a word.

“We send her out today-”

“T-today?” Yoohyeon accidentally interrupted, speaking her thoughts aloud.

“Today.” Bora confirmed, “the sooner we start the hunt the less time she has to settle. We need to make sure we can find her, she can’t be far from here already.” The explanation had begun, each individual intently listening to the raven head. Under the table, Yoohyeon’s hands started to sweat as she fumbled with them.

“I’ve prepared clothing for Yoohyeon to wear so she will blend in, as well as a backpack full of stuff she might need.” The woman in the white suit gestured to the corner of the room. “The goal is for Yoohyeon to track down Siyeon in disguise, or at least get some valuable information on her whereabouts from those in the borders, knowledge of any weaknesses within her character.”

She paused.

“So, what do we already know about her?” Bora asked the council.

“Yesterday she was wearing a black coat- like a trench coat, a black hood covering the top of her head.” Minji shared, a complimentary, static CCTV image of Siyeon illuminating the screen of the monitor over Bora’s head. The image was a little blurred, the small human outline almost blending in with the dark shadow of the treetops. Yoohyeon squinted. Black outfit and sure enough, her identity hidden by an oversized hood. The girl quickly became intrigued.

“Now she’s not stupid, so she’s most likely changed her clothes since then.” Bora stated, “but Donghun analysed something unusual that was found in the garden.”

The man firmly nodded once, pulling out a singed piece of material.

“Cotton. The cause of the fire. Siyeon cracked a hole in our wall, and threw this material through, already set alight.”

A video clip from the CCTV footage was shown to the council, Bora pausing when a hand could be seen through the wall. She manually zoomed in with one hand touching the screen.

“Right here.” The video resumed, “she pushes it through.”

“Unfortunately shortly after the footage was cut.” Lucas added, “I reviewed it earlier, the only evidence we could get was when she pushes the material through and when she's standing on the edge of the forest.”

There was quite a bit of information for Yoohyeon to take on board, she wasn’t used to being spoon fed inside knowledge. Her brow creased.

Cotton. Trench coat. Black hood. Nude nails, unpolished.

“We have no other information, except for the fact she could be wearing expensive jewellery or own equipment that no-one in the borders could ever get their hands on. Since she stole a lot from us, keep an eye out for that.” Bora addressed Yoohyeon.

“But…” the younger girl scratched the back of her head awkwardly, “what happens when I leave? I-I can’t just navigate around the borders alone. I-”

“You won’t be alone for a second.”

All heads turned to the raven head in the head chair, her arms resistant against the table. Before Yoohyeon could question her declaration, the shorter girl explained.

“There’s a tiny camera built into your outfit, stitched into the chest pocket.” She bent down to retrieve a small pearl box resting on the floor next to her chair. “It’s directly connected to my personal computer in my room.” She flicked open the box, gripping the transparent contraption inside between two fingers and holding it up against the light. A small ball. “We will both be wearing these earpieces, they mould to the ear once inside and are completely unnoticeable. They pick up every sound unless muted.”

Yoohyeon was shocked. Their technology was seriously advancing each day. It was no joke.

“I’ll be talking to you, guiding you as if I’m the one that’s there. Okay? You don’t have to worry. Only when you sleep, I sleep. And even then I’ll be on alert.”

The nerves that had compressed Yoohyeon’s chest seemed to subside slightly, more oxygen able to fill her lungs, although still shaky.

“Okay.” She breathed.

Minji looked down at her hands. She was nervous, there was no doubt, but this was Yoohyeon, she’d be okay. Under that soft surface there was a tough side.

When she looked back up, a timid smile painted her lips.

“You got this Yooh.”

“Obviously don’t talk to me if anyone is with you, or in sight.”

Bora gently placed the clear communication device comfortably into the ear of the younger one who was sitting on the edge of her bed. Her nerves were rising once more.

“We don’t want your cover blown.”

“I know,” the silver head whispered, “I won’t do anything silly.”

Once the device was fitted within her ear, the older one's hand moved to Yoohyeon’s chin. Two fingers delicately forced her gaze upwards. “Hey,” their eyes met, their proximity rather close, “you’re gonna be okay.”

For a moment, the air between them was vacuumed, compressed and Yoohyeon suddenly found all the oxygen congregating to her throat, forcing out a gentle choke. She cleared her throat, quickly averting her gaze downwards as she nodded, the warm feeling of Bora’s fingers soon dissolving from her skin too.

“I won’t let anything bad happen to you.” The girl in the white suit promised.

Although the statement settled Yoohyeon, she already knew she was under the best protection.

Leaving the Haven undetected was surprisingly easier than expected. Alone, with nothing but the clothes and the bag that clung to her on her back, Yoohyeon begrudgingly left the safety of her home. As soon as her feet had stepped onto the soiled ground of the borders sheltered by withered trees, static momentarily rang in her ear. Then, a comforting voice that was easily recognisable.

‘Hey Yooh.’

A gentle laugh followed, one that made a paranoid Yoohyeon inhale deeply.

‘Just thought I’d say hey so you know I’m here.’

Yoohyeon desperately wanted to reply but her tongue was cramped in her mouth in fear. Besides, she was almost certain that the older woman would be able to hear her panicked breathing, the trembling of her exhales, maybe even her heart pounding in her chest. It seemed to be deafening.

‘You’re shaking.’

Hell, she’d almost forgotten about her body cam.

‘Look,’ her voice was so delicate, Yoohyeon felt a lump form in her throat, ‘if you’re this scared we don’t have to carry on.’

That was a shock, Yoohyeon didn’t think she’d had any choice initially in the plan yet now Bora seemed to sympathise with her. But-

“No.” The silver haired girl stopped for a moment in an attempt to regain her confidence, “I’m okay. If this is the only way then I’ll do it.”

She whispered.

“For you.”

There was a dense silence on the line as Yoohyeon continued out of her comfort zone, into the thickness of the trees, the wind whipping her hair back as though pushing her out from the borders.

‘Not just for me Yoohyeon,’ her voice finally came through, ‘for the Haven.’

“Of course...” she swallowed thickly, “that’s what I meant.”

She wanted to prove herself to the Haven, but mostly to her sister and to Bora. They were putting their trust in her, and after all they had sacrificed for the Haven, it was the least Yoohyeon could do.

It took some initial courage, bravery, but once Yoohyeon had advanced ever so slightly into the unpleasant forest, she began unconsciously travelling deeper, and deeper, camouflaging amongst the trees. Nothing but her feet were guiding her direction, her brain simply clueless as to where to venture to.

It was eerily silent amongst the woodland, all around the silver haired girl, no crunching of branches or twigs other than the ones that snapped under her own weight. They seemed to echo painfully in her own eardrums. The lack of humanity evident only worried Yoohyeon more, perhaps most were lurking in the shadows, awaiting confrontation, avoiding all other life forms. Yoohyeon bundled her hands up into her sleeves, trying to dismiss her trembling. But it was unavoidable.

She had managed to trudge slowly into what seemed like a resting point, a rather small clearing that remained absent of trees, acting as a breathing space. She inhaled a rather sharp intake of polluted oxygen, a lingering odor of cooked meat contaminating her tongue. Her brow furrowed, dark eyes scanning the area ahead of her as she halted in her tracks.

“I can smell food.” Her voice lowered to a whisper, “at least that’s what I hope it is.”

In her dimly lit bedroom, Bora leaned in towards the monitor upon her desk, illuminated by a solitary light. She squinted at the screen which displayed a first person point of view from Yoohyeon’s clothing, every sound the younger one could hear amplified in her own ears through her headphones. In the distance of the frame, the council member could make out the trace of a white light emitting from an unknown source. It subtly painted the trees there in its faded opacity. Civilisation perhaps.

Yoohyeon released a relieved sigh when she heard Bora’s voice once more.

‘There’s a light in the distance, to your left.’

Her eyes immediately shifted to the direction, and sure enough, there was a flickering light. It wasn’t too far from her position. All of a sudden, her heart reflected the rhythmic pattern of the unintentional flickering.

‘There could be people there, maybe even Siyeon.’ Bora spoke, ‘could be useful to get some information on her, regardless. Anyone to speak to would be beneficial.’

Yoohyeon sucked in another breath and nodded slowly, even though Bora couldn’t quite see her top half. Her first interaction with someone from the borders? A sickly feeling arose in her stomach.

But, dismissing any intrusive thoughts once more, Yoohyeon ventured on.

As she neared the source of light in an unconscious crouching position, a small hut came into view through the disarray of trees, two notable wooden tables each resting outside. They were diminished and broken yet somehow managing to hold their ground in determination despite the threat. A lantern hung, swaying leisurely, from the left side of the shack, revealing itself to be the lonely illumination that the silver haired girl had followed. And even for a moment, Yoohyeon had failed to identify the figure sitting at one of the circular counters.

She froze, hidden by the security of a larger shrub ahead of her, but observed with precaution.

The figure had their back towards the forest, isolated in their own world as they seemed to be feeding upon a steaming bowl filled with contents. Soup, probably.

Although, that wasn’t what Yoohyeon noticed first. An immediate acknowledgement sprung to mind.

‘They’re wearing a hood.’ As though Bora had read her mind, the unusual factor was brought to mind. A quiet, almost inaudible, hum vibrated up the length of Yoohyeon’s throat at the inspection. She wasn’t sure how they could’ve managed to get so lucky in such a short period of time but if this was Siyeon, then in a matter of minutes, the Haven would be making history.

The silence filling her ears on Bora’s behalf almost caused Yoohyeon to waver as she stood to her full height. However, as she began to move into the light, closer to the seated figure, Bora informed her that she was making the right move.

‘Approach but be careful.’

‘Remember, you’re supposed to be one of them.’

Static. Then silence.

Yoohyeon inhaled a sharp breath as she reached the stranger.

“Excuse me.”

The wooden utensil clasped in the stranger's bloodied hand dropped instantly to the almost empty bowl. The younger girl held her tongue as the bruised face of a middle aged man whipped in her direction.

Shit .

She swallowed hard and he frowned, tense, his gaze unnerving.

“Who the fuck are you?” He spat aggressively, some rice and saliva that had once laced his mouth now firing in her direction. She stumbled back a step.

“I- uh-” Yoohyeon could only watch as the man slammed his fist down upon the (surprisingly sturdy) table and rose to his full height. He towered a few inches over her, suddenly invading her personal space too.

“What do you want?!” He growled, getting closer, not giving the girl a chance to respond.

‘Shit Yoohyeon, run away.’

Bora’s nails dug into either side of her office chair as she watched the older man stride closer and closer to the younger one. Her heart began to pound.

“Yoohyeon, run away right now before I send in a team after you.” She was unable to peel her glare from the monitor and watched in worry when Yoohyeon didn’t move an inch. Her heart skipped a beat.

“You looking to pick a fight girl?!” He shouted, cracking his knuckles in front of him. That’s when Yoohyeon knew she had reacted too late. He raised both of his arms, forcefully shoving the dainty girl backwards. She was no match for his strength as her body flew mercilessly to the ground, a pained huff leaving her lips. She hit her head on the bottom of a tree trunk, the impact leaving her dizzy for a moment, forcing her eyes closed.

‘Yoohyeon!’

Bora jumped from her seat, the office chair hurling behind herself as she reached for her phone. This was all a mistake. This was her fault.

She unlocked her phone and hurriedly brought up the contact number of Lucas. She was about to press ‘call’ when something on the monitor made her whole body freeze.

From Yoohyeon’s body cam, an unanticipated scene was playing out. The hooded man hadn’t returned to Yoohyeon for round two. Instead, he had been gagged by a cloth-like material from behind his head, two smaller legs wrapping themself around his hips as the gag was pulled upon, tight. The man’s arms were thrashing aimlessly in the air, moans and groans of protest ringing in Bora’s ears as he was pulled backwards.

Then the gag was released, the legs from around his figure instead dropping beside him. The man’s body reluctantly plummeted to the grass, the other unknown stranger straddling him in a hurry. Their fist impacted with the man… once, twice, then a third hook that was enough to haze his consciousness for a vital few moments. Bora had even winced at the sight.

The council member then watched as the smaller figure frantically leaped from the stunned man, messy blonde hair standing out amongst the monochromacy of their surroundings. They turned in the direction of Yoohyeon, their features now directly on show.

A young girl. Similar age to both herself and Yoohyeon alike.

She shook off her hands as though an instinct before rushing immediately to the silver haired girl's aid. She practically threw herself to the ground in front of Yoohyeon.

“Hey.” She whispered gently, supposedly cupping the silver haired girl’s face as her hands moved beyond the frame of the monitor.

With her face so close to the camera, Bora didn’t have much time to process anything. She was glued to the same spot in her bedroom, phone in hand, feeling hypnotised and her heart rate yet to regulate. Wide, anxious brown eyes, a prominent white scar slicing through her top lip, stunning porcelain skin. This girl was… almost ethereal.

Yoohyeon opened her eyes, only to be greeted by a beautiful blonde girl whose eyes were darting between her own in concern.

She felt her soft, careful hands caressing her cheeks and was swiftly pulled back into reality as she coughed lightly into the crevice of her elbow. The smaller one retracted her hands, allowing a little space between herself and the stranger.

“Are you okay?” Her raspy tone enquired.

With a slow nod, Yoohyeon managed to regain her posture and she sat up against the tree. She suddenly felt a little awkward under the intense gaze of the pretty stranger.

“Do you talk?” There seemed to be a hint of a smile ghosting on her lips. Perhaps it was to ease the nerves of the other, to outwardly erase any thoughts of a potential threat.

Yoohyeon cleared her throat. “Yeah.”

“So tell me,” the blonde cocked her head, “what’re you doing out here on your own?”

Yoohyeon paused.

‘Looking for some criminal named Lee Siyeon.’ She thought, but the words that left her lips were completely different.

“I’m from the South borders, my parents kicked me out two days ago.” She surprised herself at how convincing her tone and fabrication had been.

The girl's eyebrows arched all of a sudden.

“You should’ve stayed in the South.” She was looking at Yoohyeon as though she was trying to reach into her soul, it made the taller one gulp subconsciously.

“I-I had nowhere else to go.” The silver haired girl made up.

A sudden groan from behind both girls momentarily alerted their attention back towards the strange man on the floor. The blonde shot to her feet, an outstretched hand held in front of Yoohyeon. She waited.

Her nails were painted white, appearing pointed and sharp. They weren’t even remotely similar to the unpolished, nude ones like those in the CCTV footage.

Taking the hand of the other girl, Yoohyeon accepted her assistance as she was pulled up from the ground, the strength of the blonde girl surprising her.

She quickly brushed herself down, adjusting the straps on her backpack.

“Yoohyeon.” The younger girl blurted out randomly. The blonde gave her a composed look.

“My name is Yoohyeon.” She breathed, “thanks for helping me.”

“Don’t mention it.” The blonde shrugged before she subtly gestured with her eyes for the taller one to follow her into the trees, away from the threat of the concussed stranger.

It was only Bora’s voice that made Yoohyeon stop.

‘Her name, Yoohyeon. We need her name.’

The secretary hurried to keep up with the blonde before reaching her side. “Uh- a-and what’s your name?”

They exchanged a brief glance.

“Monica.” Siyeon lied.

Bora leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. She muted her microphone before testing the name upon her experienced tongue.

“ Monica .”

This girl could be useful...