Inaya looked down, her voice brittle.
"I did tell the staff I'm from Indra… but they didn't believe me. They said even if I was, ZU sponsored my treatment—so I have to go to their orphanage if no distant family comes for me. And since they don't have any background on me, they won't trust anyone who just says they're my family."
The group went quiet.
Sathvic's brow furrowed. "What if… we adopt her? Directly from ZU?"
Before the hope could settle, Eucliea cut in, her tone regretful.
"You can't."
Her voice softened, a shadow falling across her eyes.
"ZU orphanages… they don't allow adoptions. Children there are stuck till they're eighteen. And even after that… some get roped in to stay. Brainwashed into joining their programs. Becoming permanent 'members' of the system."
Alethea's shoulders dropped. The idea of Inaya locked away, her identity erased, made her chest tighten.
That's when Zorion snapped his fingers softly, a spark lighting in his eyes.
"…Then we kidnap her."
The group turned.
"Tonight," he said, voice low and full of reckless certainty. "After midnight. We get her out of here—and we take her to Indra on the final day of the Equinox series."
Eucliea blinked. "But… the borders—"
Sathvic stepped in. "The border's not the problem."
He looked at Alethea, then back at the group.
"The buses that take Indran spectators back from Zaherra after the final match—they get thoroughly checked in Zaherra city. Not at the border itself. Indran guards check them after they enter our soil."
Zorion raised a brow. "And that helps us how?"
Sathvic smirked faintly.
"Because the checks here are only for smuggled items. Not missing people. No one's ever tried to sneak a child out of Zaherra. It's never happened. So they don't have protocols for it."
Alethea folded her arms, thinking fast.
"So… if we create a fake identity for her, get her on one of those return buses—then when we do get to the Indran side, we reveal everything. Tell the soldiers the truth. That she's Inaya, abandoned two years ago, probably reported missing. At the very least, they'll investigate. Maybe she'll see her mother again."
Eucliea stared at her, stunned.
"You two… you're actually planning this."
Alethea didn't flinch. "If it means she gets her life back, yes."
A quiet pause followed—until Zorion grinned.
"So it's settled. Tonight, after midnight… we take her."
Eucliea opened her mouth to protest. But then she turned, and saw Inaya.
The little girl's eyes sparkled—not with fear, but something new. Something fierce.
Hope.
Eucliea exhaled, slowly.
"…Okay,"The group stepped outside under the cool Zaherran night. The silence between them was thick—until Eucliea broke it with hurried footsteps toward the only person she trusted to be blunt and loyal.
"Phylax!" she called.
He turned mid-step, and her face said it all.
Moments later, Phylax stood in front of the trio—Zorion, Sathvic, and Alethea—arms crossed.
"Listen," he said flatly. "Whatever you guys are planning—we'll keep our mouths shut. But we're staying out of it."
"What?" Eucliea blinked and rushed up beside him. "Hey—hey—why?"
Phylax turned to her, eyes serious. "If things go south and you get caught… what's your plan?"
Eucliea hesitated. "I… I don't know. But I'm not letting them do this alone."
Phylax didn't flinch. "So for your ideals, you're gonna sell out Eirene, too?"
That one hit hard.
He stepped closer. "If you get caught, do you know how much heat Eirene will take? She's just started gaining real public support. She's still miles away from being untouchable. One scandal—and it's over."
Sathvic added quietly, "He's right. Eirene having a kidnapper—or a criminal—on her team? The image would kill her future."
Eucliea bit her lip. Her hands clenched.
"…Fine," she muttered. "I won't go with you."
She pulled something from her pocket—a slim silver Volva device—and held it out. "But take this. Spare device. Call me if anything goes wrong."
Zorion blinked. "You… could've just given us your number. And people call me dumb."
Alethea facepalmed. "Can we not bring him? His talking gives me migraines."
Sathvic sighed. "If things do go wrong, and the authorities find out three Indrans tried to kidnap a child…"
Alethea continued grimly, "They'll track all Volva activity by Indrans in Zaherra during the incident window. Every call. Every ping."
Zorion froze. "…Oh."
Sathvic nodded slowly. "And us calling Eucliea? That would be a massive red flag."
Zorion, suddenly whistling innocently, turned his head.
"I knew that. I was just… testing you guys."
NEXT CHAPTER'S PREVIEW:
Under the cover of midnight, Zorion, Alethea, and Sathvic move through Zaherra's silent streets—each step taking them closer to a line they can never uncross. Inaya waits, hope in her eyes, unaware of how deeply this night will change everything. What begins as a secret rescue mission quickly spirals into something far more dangerous. One wrong turn, one unexpected witness, and their carefully laid plan begins to unravel. Some nights don't just bend rules—they rewrite lives.