Anna had been passing through the corridor quietly when she heard the words that shattered her world.
"...his heart is failing. He won't survive long," came a cold, feminine voice. "Might as well get what we can out of him. His kidneys and liver should still be usable."
Anna froze.
Her heartbeat pounded in her ears. She pressed her back to the cracked wall, hands trembling. They were talking about Calvin. About taking from him. She couldn't breathe. Couldn't think.
"No... no, no," she whispered, before bolting down the hall.
The heavy wooden door slammed open as she burst inside the room where the voice had come from. Several suited men turned sharply. One reached for a gun. But the woman in black sitting at the head of the table simply lifted a gloved hand.
"Stop."
Anna stumbled forward, breathless. "Please! Don't hurt him!" Her voice cracked, her knees buckling. "Take me instead!"
The woman raised an eyebrow. She was composed, elegant, every part of her body language oozing power. Her eyes, lined with perfect eyeliner, observed Anna like a scientist observing a rare creature.
"Take you?" she asked slowly, voice smooth as silk.
Anna dropped to her knees, tears falling freely. "My brother... he's just a child. He's sick, he's dying already. Please, please don't touch him. I'll do anything. Just... don't hurt him. I'm healthy. My organs are good. I'll work. I'll be useful. Just leave him alone."
The woman rose gracefully and walked toward Anna. She knelt before her, not out of humility-but curiosity. With one gloved finger, she lifted Anna's chin.
"What's your name?"
"...Anna."
"Anna," the woman repeated, tasting the name. "Do you know how many children I see every year? Thousands. All of them desperate. None of them brave enough to offer themselves like you just did."
Anna didn't speak. She didn't dare to move.
"Why would you do that?" the woman asked, genuinely intrigued.
"Because he's all I have left," Anna whispered. "He's my whole world."
The woman studied her for a long time. Then she stood.
"I like you," she said at last. "You're brave. Selfless. Rare."
The men in the room looked uneasy as the woman paced slowly.
"I'm changing the plan," she announced. "The boy will receive medical care. The girl-" she turned and pointed at Anna "-will come with me."
Anna's eyes widened. "You'll save him?"
"I will."
"Thank you..." Anna started to say, but the woman cut her off with a sharp look.
"But in return," she said coldly, "you will belong to me. I'll give you shelter, food, a purpose. In exchange, you'll follow orders. No questions. No refusals. You will be shaped, molded, and used."
Anna nodded slowly. "I accept."
The woman smiled faintly. "Very well. Say goodbye to your brother. We leave in ten minutes."
Anna rushed out of the room, her legs shaking. She found Calvin in their shared cot, curled up like a paper doll. His breathing was shallow, and his skin pale.
"Calvin," she whispered, kneeling beside him.
He opened his eyes. "Anna...?"
"I have to go away for a little while," she said gently, brushing his hair back. "But I promise, you'll be safe. You'll be okay. A doctor's going to help you."
"Are you coming back?" he asked sleepily.
She leaned in and kissed his forehead. "Of course. I'll come back stronger. I'll come back and take you away from here."
"Promise?"
She held his little pinky with hers. "Promise."
And then, with her heart torn in two, Anna walked into the night and followed the woman into the black car waiting at the gate.
The orphanage disappeared behind her.
And Anna's new life-one filled with pain, power, and purpose-had begun.