Atlantis had fallen asleep on her throne, tired after…, well, Liechtenstein didn't want to remember everything and tried to forget what. She was tangled up in the man. Liechtenstein slept at their feet, like the dog of the house, or at least tried, but her teeth chattered too much. Atlantis's gown seemed very light, yet she didn't show any signs of discomfort.

Something grazed her, making her turn her head. The man was awake and looking at her.

"You're a country…?" He asked in a voice so low Liechtenstein had to read his lips.

Liechtenstein nodded.

"You're not a human…I knew…What's your name?"

"Liechtenstein…"

The man went silent, like wondering if he should tell her that name didn't ring any bells. It was alright. She was used to it and wasn't offended.

"What's yours?"

"Nils."

The man looked at Atlantis, embracing him.

"There are other countries here…"

"Are they? Do you know if Switzerland is in here?" Liechtenstein turned her whole body towards him; she would have gotten up if she hadn't minded about waking Atlantis up.

"I guess so. Those big things brought them here after capturing them. They took them…somewhere."

"Where to?"

"I don't know. Some say they are in a special part of this island, where humans are not allowed to go. I've been here for three weeks and I haven't seen them…"

"What for?"

"I don't know, and I don't think I want to imagine…"

He looked at Liechtenstein with concern.

"I thought all of the countries in Europe were gone…Where were you hiding?"

"Well…"

"Yeah, that doesn't matter anymore. I thought I would be safe, too, and here I am. Now…Well, you still are a very lucky little country: she liked you. For some reason, she liked you. Maybe she liked that you were so tough to catch, or found you pretty, like it happened to me. You are so cute, if you don't mind me saying…A little doll. Yes, she surely kept you as her little, pretty doll. I…well, I am her sex toy, but a toy, too, anyway."

"Y-You think so?"

"When the nations find out about it, they're gonna be so jealous. A lot of people here think I'm lucky, because I have my own room, and she feeds me and treats me relatively well…But I hate it. I hate it so much." He hushed and looked at Atlantis. No signs that she was awake. "But I can't refuse…"

"Will she punish you if you don't do those things?"

Nils didn't reply to that. He didn't need to.

"I have a wife…" He said with a regretful voice, and showed her a tattoo which said 'Zoe'.

"I get the feeling that she can't take no for an answer…" Liechtenstein said.

Nils nodded.

"My advice is…don't resist. Just…do everything she tells you, and you will be fine. She's crazy…"

Atlantis tightened her grip on him and he stopped talking. Liechtenstein tried to sleep, and pretended she did.

Jamaica squinted at the sight of the eight million km2 mass of land in front of him.

"No buildings whatsoever…" He thought aloud.

"Yeah, it looks like its not inhabited…" Australia started to say.

Or that's what they would have thought, if they hadn't known better.

Whatever that island was hiding, it had to be inside that big hole in the middle, like an enormous crate, surrounded by rocky beaches plagued with piles of cobbles.

"And they've got some big seaweed issue."

It was not the first time he had seen the waters dyed red because of the organisms in the water. It was so wide there was not a single beach free from it, like a membrane involving the island.

"Hold on..." Jamaica was the first to vocally express the confusion when they started to descend, to see better.

"Oh, my goodness gracious!" New Zealand exclaimed, the sight in front of him almost distracting him from the landing.

But they had to ignore what they were witnessing, or else they would crash. The planes landed on one of the Southern beaches, and they got out with their rifles ready, just in case…, though there was nothing to shoot at, not even a tiny fish. Jamaica covered his mouth and nose with his hand, looking around him with disgust.

From the air, they looked like rocks...

"Can you hear me? Hey, can you hear me?" Australia tried to get in touch with the Commonwealth.

He looked at the screen. No signal.

"Great, we're on our own." Jamaica sighed.

"We knew this could happen. It's okay. We'll show them the videos when we return." New Zealand said.

"That is, if they don't screw us up in here…"

"What did I tell you? No long faces."

"Sure, sure, everything's going to be fine. Tra-la-la-la-la, rainbows and sunshine. How can you say those things when you're surrounded by...?"

"At least now we know we are in the right place. The people they took away are here, now we know for sure."

New Zealand held onto the idea, looking at what was around him, at his feet...

Yes, the people they took away were here, and perhaps they were still on time to save someone...

"What the hell is going on in here...?" Australia muttered, almost stumbling.

Dear Lord, it was like something out of a nightmare...Jamaica tried to count them but failed. He stopped once or twice, and was almost distracted by it. He needed to remind himself that a lot of people were in danger while he was just looking.

The trio looked into the abyss at the center of the island. Where all of this had to come from.

"Well…We won't need to do the Spiderman. There's a staircase." Australia pointed out.

He went first, followed by New Zealand and Jamaica, in this order.

The women had finished the dress incredibly fast—Liechtenstein had the suspicion that they had done nothing but this. Or maybe they had help. Either way, it was finished in a matter of hours. They came to try it on her and give the last touches. Atlantis definitely had an outdated sense of fashion. Liechtenstein felt like she was in one of those classic culture fairs where everyone is dressed as the grandparents of the nations she knew. It was very comfortable and, when they brought a mirror for her to look at herself, Liechtenstein guessed she looked very good on it. But it wasn't warm at all. She still felt very cold. Atlantis never thanked the women for their hard work, but they bowed to her as if having fulfilled her desires was reward enough.

Atlantis said something to her while touching her hair, and grabbed her hand to make her follow her. She took her through one of the big tunnels the servants came in and out from. It was the first time Liechtenstein saw something which was not that big, empty throne room. She gasped when she saw that the torches hanging from the walls burst in fire as they walked by, and Atlantis smiled at that. They crossed a large hallway with some tiny holes from which a person crawled out from time to time. They all looked at Liechtenstein with surprise and curiosity, while curtseying to Atlantis in exaggerated manners, and she couldn't help looking at the rags they were wearing and their unhealthy looks. The corridor ended in a spiral stair which they descended, and lead to something which made Liechtenstein's jaw drop.

A room almost as big as the throne room, but this one wasn't empty at all, but stuffed with all kinds of treasures. She saw coins of all kinds, jewels, furniture, diamonds, golden ingots…It almost seemed as the room didn't need lights, for they all shone so brightly…It was difficult to move through all those marvelous objects, but Atlantis could, and helped Liechtenstein through, indicating her where to step. She stopped at a marquetry table and opened a box which was on it. She showed Liechtenstein the diamond tiara it contained.

Liechtenstein recognized it.

"That's Hungary's tiara!" She gasped.

She had proudly shown her once. She used to wear it on the sumptuous balls at the court, back when she was married to Austria…A two hundred-year-old piece of art, crafted by the best jewelers in her house.

She looked around her, focused on the details…Crowns, which used to be on the heads of the kings and queens of the European monarchies. Carved and marquetry furniture China was proud to produce, sell and keep. Statues from Italy's grandpa Rome and Greece's mother Helas' times. An infinite amount of euros, rubles, rupees, dinars, francs, dollars, pounds, zloty, rials. Ivory sculptures and tusks. Fine uniforms and dresses. Swords of all kinds, periods and places.

Atlantis placed the tiara on her head and Liechtenstein shook it.

"This is not mine, nor yours! You have stolen them all!"

Atlantis didn't seem to understand what the matter was. Though Liechtenstein started to think that she wouldn't have understood, had she spoken her language, either. Why couldn't she keep the loot of all the countries she had conquered?

"That is wrong…" Liechtenstein decided she couldn't abide with this. She wouldn't steal her friend one of her favorite belongings, so she removed it and put it back to its case.

Atlantis tilted her head and placed it back on.

Yes, she didn't like being told 'no'…

Nils had told her it wasn't wise to contradict her, but she didn't want to steal from her friend either, and so was trying to help Atlantis understand that it might have been the custom in her times to do this sort of things but now it was very frowned upon, when Atlantis' expression shifted drastically and turned her head to the ceiling. She made a gesture at Liechtenstein to be quiet and listened. Liechtenstein heard nothing, but it seemed Atlantis did.

She said something to her and walked out of the room. Liechtenstein wanted to follow but she indicated her with a gesture that she had to wait in there.

The little girl was left all alone, surrounded by her friends and acquaintances' belongings, wondering what had become of them…

For a long while, the trio had to use their torches because there was no way to see where they were. It was very dark, and humid in there. Australia removed his gloves to touch the walls. His hand became wet.

None of them talked. No one tried something as stupid as calling their friends, or whatever was in there. Now that they were there, this place gave them the goosebumps. It felt like being inside of a tomb. Atlantis' tomb…

More stairs. Australia pointed it out and descended first, his gun ready to shoot. Jamaica looked behind him all the time in case something pounced on them. For the moment, not a sign of life.

Australia stopped and pointed at the things he was seeing in the distance. This was what was at the bottom of the crate: a big space with a monolith standing at the center. Around it, those bloody things.

"Yeah, these are the headquarters…" Jamaica muttered very, very quietly.

They all had cameras attached to their helmets. Everything they saw, their friends would see when they found a way to connect with them.

"The guys must be here…Can't you feel their presence?"

"Barely…" New Zealand replied.

"Yeah…" Jamaica nodded. He wasn't sure of what that could mean. But the one thing he was one hundred percent convinced of was that he didn't like this island and wanted to get out of there as fast as he could.

They had seen what those things were capable of, and didn't want nor couldn't face nine of them. It would be better to look for a different way. New Zealand found it, another door behind them.

"There are endless of galleries in here…It's like a labyrinth…" He commented, touching the carved drawings on the stone walls.

"And we've seen nothing yet." Australia said.

"Yet…You said it." Jamaica shivered.

Australia stopped suddenly.

"What? What?"

"I just saw something move." He whispered.

They all prepared their guns and followed.

It had entered one of those tiny holes on the walls they found some times, just big enough for a slim person to go through. Australia was a little nervous when he peeped into one. He let the tip of his gun go first.

"Bloody hell!"

He looked at his partners with surprise.

"There's living people in here!"

Jamaica and New Zealand looked too. Yes, inside was a little cavity, and at least thirty people were packed together inside. Many yelped and drew back when they saw them.

"Don't be afraid! We've come to rescue you!" New Zealand told them.

Not everyone talked English in there. Some translated to the others. The people started chattering excitedly.

"Go away, go away!" A man started to exclaim, in a Maltese accent.

"We're not going to hurt you!" Jamaica insisted.

"If she finds out you're here…!" Another said.

Australia got out, and peeped inside another.

"There's more in here! And in here! My God, this is like a…a…!"

It was like nothing he had seen before. Not even the slave traders huddled people like this. It was inhuman. It smelt like a thousand devils in there, as if they didn't have anywhere else to evacuate. There were sick people who showed some ugly diseases or injuries, who lied half-dead in a corner, and needed immediate medical assistance.

"It's Australia!" A teenager exclaimed, her eyes wide open like she was mad.

"Yes, it's me! We will help you out, okay? Don't worry." He caressed her hand.

An older person smacked his hand and pulled her away from him. "No, no, no!"

"Get out of here!" Another woman tried to punch him. Australia turned his head and saw that the same was happening to his partners. New Zealand gave him a confused look.

"I know you're scared, you need to—!"

"She will kill again when she finds out! No more, no more!" A woman with broken glasses babbled, then pushed him away from the hole to run out. "THERE'S NATIONS IN HERE! THERE'S NATIONS IN HERE!"

"Oh, crap." Jamaica ran after her before she got them caught.

But she was not the only one who was shouting.

"FORGIVE US, YOUR MAJESTY!"

"THERE'S NATIONS HERE!"

"HERE, HERE!"

"IT'S NOT OUR FAULT!"

"COME GET THEM!"

New Zealand reunited with Australia, looking at him with bewilderment. They would talk about this later. Now they had to run.

Their voices echoed through the whole gallery. It was as if the walls themselves were screaming. They ran, but the hallways didn't end.

"Where's Jamaica?" New Zealand asked, panting out of breath.

"Jamaica!" At that point, one more yell didn't mind.

He didn't reply.

"I think he went this way." Australia said, pointing at the corridor on his left.

He ran into it. New Zealand wanted to follow, but was suddenly hit from behind and fell on the ground. He tried to grab his gun, but some delicate, pale bare feet knocked it out of his reach. Next, he felt a pair of cold hands on him.

"OZ!"

Australia stopped and turned around. It was then when he noticed New Zealand was not following him.

"Kiwi?!" He called him.

"OZ!"

He had never heard New Zealand scream with such terror. Feeling like the humid cold in the atmosphere got into his bones, he ran in his aid.

And he found him, at the feet of a white figure, who looked at him with dead white eyes and a red wide grin in contrast.

"Oz! Oz! Oz!..." She mimicked mockingly.

In her right hand was the proof that she was hostile.

Australia tried to shoot, but a thousand hands coming out of nowhere stole his weapon.

"Here it is, your Majesty!"

"Here is the intruder!"

"Have mercy on us!"

"Argh! No! Let go! Let me go!" Australia tried to fight, but they were too many.

The ghost didn't stop smiling as she came closer, as she showed him what was on her hand. Her smile was the last thing he saw.

Liechtenstein waited for almost an hour. She had plenty of time to inspect all the things in Atlantis' treasure room and miss their owners. When she returned, she seemed to have been doing something pleasant, for she had an absent smile and not only her lips looked redder, but her cheeks had also gained some color.

She was carrying something in her arms. Liechtenstein had learned their names thanks to her brother's interest and use of weapons: an EF88 Austeyr, a LMT MWS 308, and a Bullmaster M4. Assault rifles. She put them with the swords and armors.

Atlantis smiled at Liechtenstein and walked away. She didn't need to tell Liechtenstein for her to follow, she didn't want to be left alone. They walked through that labyrinth of hallways back to the throne room. There, Atlantis sat on the throne and all those wires descended at a gesture from her, just the way it happened the day before, and Atlantis again seemed to relax so much that she closed her eyes and seemed to fall asleep.

Someone walked in. Two women and three men rushed into the room, all carrying many things in their arms. Atlantis opened her eyes and watched them do their curtsies as if she was too far away from all of this to mind. They left all of what they were carrying in front of the throne, on the floor, then walked away as quickly as they came. Atlantis said something to Liechtenstein with a purring voice and she understood, after she gestured at her, that she wanted her to show her all those things. Liechtenstein obeyed. She took the things one by one and approached Atlantis for her to see. She took the chance to teach her some words in her language.

Helmet. Bladders filled with water. First aid kits. Bullets. Compasses. Flashlight. Maps.

Liechtenstein opened it and showed it to Atlantis.

"This is the world nowadays. I suppose you didn't know it was so wide."

She was too busy looking at it to notice the change of the expression on Atlantis' face. She changed her posture to see it better. Their eyes met, Atlantis pointed at several continents while asking Liechtenstein a question. She told her the names.

"America. North and South Pole. Oceania. Greenland. Iceland. Japan. The British Islands."

Liechtenstein looked at Atlantis again, and found her eyes were glittering, open wide. And she started feeling uneasy. It took her a few moments to guess why, until it hit her...

Those were the places which hadn't been attacked.

They hadn't been attacked because she didn't know they existed!

Of course she didn't know! They had all been discovered thousands of years after her collapse!

Liechtenstein started to wonder if there was something she could do or say. But Atlantis had forgotten about her once again. She got up, the needles still attached to her, and rose both her arms.

"W-Wait! What are you...?"

Her answer came in the form of a tremor. That dreadful tremor...