Zari, having gone to inform Ophelia that they were heading to school, returned quietly.
"Did you tell her, Zari?" Hina asked, sitting on the edge of the bed, her hands fidgeting with the straps of her bag.
"Yeah," Zari replied, lowering herself onto the bed beside her. Hina studied her, eyes full of questions, though she didn't ask yet. She promised herself she would later.
"What time is it?" Zari murmured, glancing at her watch.
"5:43… almost dawn," Hina said. "Lucas should be around by now, I think."
"5:43. Let's go," Hina said, pushing herself up from the bed.
Both girls carried almost nothing—just two sets of clothes each, planning to use Zari's savings to buy more when the time came.
---
A soft knock at the door.
"Hina," Zari whispered.
Hina walked over and rapped lightly on Lucas's door. The man appeared moments later, rubbing his eyes.
"Oh, good morning, girls. Up for school? How was your night?" he asked, stepping toward the gate.
"It was… splendid, Lucas," Hina replied, forcing a small smile.
Lucas nodded, unlocking the gate with casual efficiency.
A few kilometers away, the car hummed along the quiet street.
"What did you tell Ophelia? Did she suspect anything?" Hina asked, curiosity laced with tension.
"I told her we were going to school," Zari said quietly, keeping her eyes on the road ahead. "It was early, so she probably didn't think twice. Sometimes we leave this early anyway… she didn't question it."
Hina exhaled, a mixture of relief and lingering worry flooding her chest.
" Hopefully they don't come looking for us ?" Hina said, her voice quiet, almost hopeful.
Zari shook her head. "I don't think so… they never really cared about you anyways ,so If we live , it doesn't matter "
Hina nodded slowly. "Yeah… I guess."
Zari gave a small shrug, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "So… we shouldn't worry too much. Let's just focus on getting out safely."
Hina exhaled, relief washing over her—but a small, nagging unease lingered in the back of her mind, though she didn't say it out loud.