The bed sheets are soft on Bora's skin, every time she moves the fabric caresses her with such tenderness, almost like a loving mother would do. As she still lies in that large bed, in a state between sleep and consciousness, she is reminded of her mother when she was a kid. Her mother's smile as she stroke her hair and told her she was a good girl, her mother's laughter when her father said something comical, her mother's smell when she hugged her, her mother's hands checking for a fever. Always soft, careful, warm and tender and all Bora feels as she recalls those moments is that it felt good, the caresses and the smell was pleasant, her mother was always good and giving affection, even if Bora didn't need it growing up, but she still enjoyed the physical contact and how her body relaxed to it.

Physical reactions, always reliable and something Bora can understand.

With a sigh, Bora cuddles more into herself in the bed, enjoying the feel of the sheets against her skin before her brain registers there's someone else in h the bed.

Ah, Bora thinks, no wonder the bedsheets didn't smell like home.

She recalls the events from the previous night and how she ended up in someone else's home. Bora remembers there was a lot of alcohol at the party she attended, but that wasn't the reason per se. Carefully, the girl tries to remember if she lost control of herself and ended taking too much from the people around, but in her brain no siren of alarm goes off so it must've been okay.

Carefully, Bora turns to look at the person next to her just to make sure he or she is all right. The soft snores are confirmation no one died and if anything, the man that she can see now is placidly sleeping.

It seems he had a good time, too, Bora muses in her head with a shrug. There's a bare recollection of ecstasy, euphoria, adrenaline and pleasure, but none of those feelings linger in her stream anymore, and now she only feels tired.

Sitting on the bed, keeping the bedsheets around her just because it's a bit cold and she's stark naked, Bora looks around to find a clock or anything that can tell her what's the time.

Just barely past noon, Bora notices, which means she's slept for a few hours and no wonder she has no remains of the feelings she borrowed from the sleeping man. The place looks quite nice, spacious and clean, although not very tidy. There are quite many gadgets that look expensive, which must mean he has a good job. Bora knows technology never stops evolving and there's always something new coming; brighter, faster, finer, smarter, yada yada. She just can't be bothered to care what type of television she has or computer, whether it melts in the wall or it is just a hologram, she doesn't care. Her mother says she has an old soul, Bora just shrugs.

Bora doesn't care about almost everything.

With a stretch, Bora decides it's time to get going so she leaves the bed, obviously she doesn't bother to wake up the man next to her, leaving him to relax and rest, her way to thank him for giving her some of his emotions, whether he was aware or not about that.

There's an endless debate around borrowing emotions. Voids (the common name for anomalies, those who fail at experiencing emotions) claim it's part of who they are and they need to borrow emotions in order to stay stabilised, it's for the wellbeing of everyone and they aren't really hurting anyone. Ordinary people with their emotions and sensibility, AKA non-voids, claim it's rape because it's not consensual, and Voids shouldn't just steal emotions from them, whether they get hurt or not in the way. Although they do have a point there, which is why most Voids try to go only to Spectrum Feeders, ordinary humans who joined a voluntary group to supply emotions for voids. Still, it's almost impossible to go on your normal life without accidentally taking some emotions from the people around you. It's not something you can fully control, it's just like for ordinary people when they see someone, they can't help feel something.

Nonetheless, Voids are encouraged to go to Spectrum Feeders to keep them balanced and under control, and to keep all the non-voids happy, voids are constantly monitored to make sure they are not abusing their abilities.

No matter what century or situation, the majority will always be protected and prioritised instead of getting to an agreement to help each other.

However, most Voids don't even care so... whatever, let the non-voids do what they please.

Bora moves around the place with a blank expression, ignoring everything around. It's not like she cares about the type of man she ended sleeping with or whatnot, she just needs to find the bathroom to wash up. She also needs to find her clothes and get out because she's hungry.

Bora manages to find the bathroom and make it work. The silent stream of water at the perfect temperature for her body as the sensors on the tub estimate it for her body. Hot showers are the best, they feel so nice and relax every muscle of her body, making her feel anew.

Voids rely a lot on physical reactions, they are not emotional people, but hey have the same nerve ends and react to the same stimuli than any other person. Warm water feels good whether you have emotions or not. Voids won't go saying that a hot shower makes them feel happy or any other sentimentality like that, but they'll agree it feels good and their bodies enjoy it. After all, Voids still have their five senses. They are emotionless, not dead.

Bora is obviously a case of anomaly. Technically, she's partly void, still having a range of emotions although the emotions she can feel are labeled in the dark spectrum of feelings, like anger, boredom, anxiety, annoyance, frustration. Most Partial Voids are the same and it's still unknown what the denominator for that is.

When she gets out of the shower, still naked, she looks at herself in the reflection. All the fog is quickly absorbed by the filters in the bathroom and the mirror doesn't steam up, and she can see clearly, her thin body and lack of curves, pale skin with many moles and other sort of imperfections like scars and whatnot, her simple face with no alterations whatsoever, her eyes are still monolid and her nose the same as it's always been, flat and small, just like everything else in her. Bora read in old books how not too long ago society lived tormented about their physical appearance. They still do, all except Voids. She remembers thinking how being Void had its perks, she didn't have to worry about her appearance, she just looked what she looked like.

Her long damp dark hair, which is currently blue at its ends, hangs to her mid back and she moves it, passing it over her shoulder to expose her nape. She traces with her fingers the skin, only feeling the bumps of her vertebrae, but knowing right there is the chip that sends the signals to keep control of her borrowing abilities. It's under her birth tattoo, the one all anomalies get to keep a register of them, although sympathisers have begun to get their birthdays tattooed too, just so Voids won't be afraid to show theirs, which is pointless because Voids don't care. Voids hide their tattoo just to make things easier for them and avoid making others feel anxious, just because they are taught since early age to be like that. They don't do it because they want it, but because they have to.

They are conditioned to be like that, basically.

Bora's tattoo is just like any other Void's.

20380127

She recalls having seen the date on the device in the man's room, and now she realises it's her birthday.

"Eomma must be calling me," Bora mutters to herself.

She walks through the body dryer and in five seconds she's completely dry and with a little bow of her head, she steals some lotion for her skin and then gets out, looking for her clothes to get in them. Fishing in the pockets of her jeans, Bora finds her handphone and as expected, she has five missed calls from her mother.

Bora leaves the flat without taking a look back, finishing zipping her leather jacket as she walks to the lift. Fashion comes and goes, it's a circle and People wear whatever they like and can afford. Bora doesn't have a stable job and as an independent woman, she buys her own wardrobe so she usually ends up in vintage store and buying whatever the sales have left. She likes the feeling of old textures on her skin. Apparently, she follows a style from the end of the previous century, or beginning of their current century. She doesn't really care.

Bora holds her phone in hand so the gadget can get charged through the kinetic energy that comes from the friction of her fingers against the tempered glass. The slim and light gadget is only made of that, with a 360 screen and all the perks of technology. Bora didn't choose it, it was given to her and she just uses it. And as she goes down in the lift, she makes the call to her mother.

"Bora-yah, where are you? You said you'd come home to have breakfast with us for your birthday. Oh right, darling! Happy birthday! Silly me, forgetting the most important thing," Bora's mother rambles, always with her head all over the place, in the middle of saying one thing when she remembers she wanted to say something else.

"I'm on my way, Eomma," replies the girl as the doors slide open without a single sound. Smooth, soundless, as almost all the technology nowadays. "I just slept in."

"Okay! Appa and I are waiting. I made seaweed soup!"

"Of course you did," Bora chuckles. "It's my birthday and it's tradition."

As with many things, Bora likes tradition because it's something you do without feelings, the actions ingrained in the bodies and minds. It's just easy to follow traditions.

"Yes, but this year I made it particularly more delicious. You'll love it!" her mother sings and Bora chuckles at that.

"I always love anything you make, Eomma. Don't worry, I'll be there soon so don't let it cool down."

Voids are taught since early age to imitate and follow what non-voids do, how they interact, using expressions that shouldn't even be applied to them. With all their training, they don't feel something is funny, they know it. Their brains process the information just like a software would do and conclude it's funny, or sad, or interesting and react accordingly. It's a developed and mastered skill through their years, just to fit in and not bother the non-anomalies with their inability to feel and react the same way they do.

That's how Bora can have a normal conversation with her normal and loving parents, chuckling and even cracking jokes here and there. It's something she learnt to do and just like the tradition to have seaweed soup on their birthday, she does it without thinking.

Bora walks out of the building and in the busy streets of Seoul. She looks around and realises she's in Gangnam, the spotless, highly efficient, high-tech driven architecture and countless businesspeople around are a given.

It's cold, in he middle of winter, although the sun shines bright at noon and there's barely snow from the last time. Bora realises she didn't dress for the weather and she feels the bite of the cold already, hurting her so she hurries to the nearest subway station. Just like so many things in the city, it's basically ancient but it works at high efficiency, improved every year to keep up with the evolution of everything.

With arms tightly wrapped around her body, Bora runs to find shelter in the station and the many people riding the train, just like her. At home, her family is waiting for her to celebrate her birthday, even if she couldn't care less about that. But she promised and she has nothing else to do that day until evening, when she has her scheduled control at SIACAC (Specialised Institute for Anomalies' Care and Control), Bora might as well please her parents like she does every year.

❖

And that's the first chapter! Obviously, I can reveal everything in one go but you get an idea more or less and get to know the main character, Bora. I see her as Kim Go Eun because I love her and she's the best for me. I love her more than I love Park Shin Hye o.o

The year for the story is 2060 , I have no idea how things will be then so let's use our imagination.

Let me know your thoughts on the comments! And happy Lunar New Year!

Bel, xx

~updates should come every Friday~