Earlier, after Gabi left the principal's office.
"She tends to get into a bit of trouble here and there, but hitting a boy? I was a little surprised. I'm glad everything worked out!" Márcia exclaims in relief as she looks at Marcos.
"Yes, when I saw the commotion on the court, I immediately thought the boys were fighting over the ball again or because of some silly grudge they had," Marcos recounts to Márcia as he sits down in the chair across from her. "But I never imagined it would be Sarah. She has that tomboyish way about her, and she's quite athletic for a girl—but hitting a boy? I was surprised! She was so focused, obsessed even, that she barely heard anything else around her…"
"Soon everyone will forget," Márcia adds.
"So, it's all decided then?" Marcos asks with a doubtful look.
"Yes, the price has already been set, the teams hired, and all the necessary equipment for the operation has been allocated. It's very likely that by next week, she'll already start getting to know her new home. They were looking for a fighter just like her! There are some extremely wealthy clients seeking a challenge, willing to pay a fortune for a riskier experience." Márcia pauses and reflects for a moment. "You know… sometimes it crosses my mind that she could one day become…"
"Become what?" He questions her, his expression betraying confusion.
"Forget it!"
"Her father agrees! The problem will be her mother…" Marcos outlines a possible scenario for what's to come.
"They've already planned a way to get rid of her!" Márcia points out.
"Her friends are inseparable; they'll be sad… Poor things…" Marcos utters these words with his face turned toward the floor, a fleeting and superficial expression of pity crossing his features.
"They're going together!" Márcia reveals casually while looking at the ceiling.
"Wait, wait… Isn't that too risky? All three of them at once?" Marcos momentarily loses his composure. "The humans will definitely investigate this thoroughly this time. Plus, our operational window has shrunk considerably over the past year." He leans back in his chair, tilting his head back and staring at the ceiling as he scratches his head lightly with his fingertips. "Even though they're inferior, they're numerous, and their technology has advanced significantly in recent years. One of ours died near the border of the Creation Desert recently."
"Who?" Márcia's eyes widen in surprise.
"Remember Mishigan? The one who wanted to go to Atlás to become an elite member of Tokyo? He got into a fight with a human at one of the starting points for the Fire Journey. They say he lost control, and several humans guarding the border shot at him… Not that he was particularly strong, but still, he was superior."
"He always had a hot temper, but being killed by a human? We'd better stay alert! The transport will be handled by a group of specialized kidnappers from their race. That should prevent any suspicion falling on us if something goes wrong. There's a lot of money involved this time—this operation cannot fail."
She pauses her speech for a moment as she gazes at the framed photos on the wall. They are pictures of graduating classes that stood out.
"The school will be sad for a while, but they'll get over it. After the investigations and some time passes, this will all be in the past. And the treatment there is good—the three of them are young and attractive, in the prime of their youth. They'll be popular!" Márcia remarks, casting a sidelong glance at Marcos.
"Well, if everything's already settled… I hope everything goes well! The money coming in from this new acquisition will boost the funding for the projects in Ayda." Marcos' expression shifts from indecision and concern to one of contemplation. He cracks a smile, stands up, and heads toward the door. Then he stops for a moment and turns back to Márcia. "So… next month, I think I'll finally buy that new car I've always wanted. What about you?"
"I'm going to request my leave from the school. I can't stand this place anymore—I'm moving to the coast and getting away from all of this."
"I understand. I'm also leaving this godforsaken suburb. I don't even know how I ended up here!" He grimaces in disgust, complaining bitterly about the location.
"You know exactly why! That's the only reason you came here, just like me!" Márcia throws the truth in his face.
"It's true…" His final words come out tinged with a hint of bitterness. He gives a faint smile and leaves the room, closing the door behind him.
Several minutes after Marcos has left the room, Márcia finds herself staring at a small white telephone sitting in the corner of the desk in front of her. She observes its red buttons with white numbers, then opens a drawer at the bottom of the desk. After rummaging for a bit, she pulls out a large yellow folder. Placing it on the table and opening it, several papers spill out.
After flipping through them, she finds one that catches her attention. Without wasting time, she picks up the phone with her left hand, cradling it between her shoulder and ear. With her right hand, she begins dialing numbers, her left thumb pointing and sliding lightly over the paper.
After several seconds of waiting—and nearly giving up on the call—she hears a response.
"Hello, who is it?" a female voice answers.
"Leila, I can't explain properly right now. Meet me Saturday night at the park around the lake. There's something very important I need to tell you." Márcia hangs up the phone and lets out a deep sigh. In her thoughts, she wonders what she's doing. A beautiful smile of a lovely girl flashes in her mind, but it quickly fades into darkness.