Annina stirred awake to find herself in a room. It was an unfamiliar room and the furniture and fittings looked rather old, in the style of 90’s China. Through the window, she saw a forest and the leaves on the trees had almost all fallen. There were mountaintops in the distance. Everything she saw painted a bleak picture. 

Just then, the door to the room opened and Xia Lei walked in. 

“Lukas.” Excitement burst in Annina’s heart and she made to get up from the bed but lay down again after moving only a little. Her body was soft and powerless; she was very weak. 

Xia Lei walked to her bedside. “Lie down, don’t move. You’ll be fine after resting for two days.” 

“What’s wrong with me?” asked Annina uncomprehendingly. 

Xia Lei smiled and said, “Remember that cup of water you drank? It had a drug in it that simulates death. It can make your heart stop beating but you can be revived if you’re tended to in time.” 

“What about Markus and Ralf?” Annina remembered her vicious countrymen. 

“They’ve been detained. The consular staff are...