The Traitor

The war room was thick with tension.

Leo leaned against the table, his fiery eyes dimly glowing as he stared at the holographic map before them. "We need to move fast. The longer we sit here, the more ground Maverick gains."

Scorpio sat in silence, his gaze sharp. The revelation of a traitor had shaken even him, but he refused to show it. His mind was already working, piecing together every interaction, every loose end.

Libra folded her arms, speaking with that same unreadable calm. "Rushing in blind won't do us any good. We need to eliminate possibilities."

Taurus exhaled through his nose, cracking his knuckles. "Simple. We interrogate every high-ranking officer who had access to Maverick's prison. Anyone with a questionable alibi? They get a little... persuasion."

Scorpio finally spoke. "We need more than just a name. We need to know why they did it. A rat doesn't betray the system for nothing."

Leo scoffed. "You think Maverick convinced them? That bastard couldn't manipulate his way out of a locked room."

Libra's gaze flickered. "Unless he had leverage."

A silence settled over them. The idea of a Zodiac being blackmailed—or worse, willingly turning—was unsettling. Their group was built on strength, unity, and trust.

But now?

That trust had been shattered.

Taurus grunted. "Then we start with the Moravuno archives. Every visit to that prison, every recorded entry and exit. Someone left a trace. They always do."

Scorpio nodded. "I'll handle that."

Leo arched a brow. "And how exactly?"

Scorpio's Awakening Eyes glowed faintly. "The way I always do."

Libra sighed. "Fine. Just don't go too far."

Taurus chuckled. "Come on, it's Scorpio. Of course he's gonna go too far."

Scorpio ignored the comment, already heading toward the exit. "I'll be back before sunrise."

Leo turned back to the holographic map, watching as enemy activity flickered in several key locations. "While he's doing that, we need to keep an eye on the battlefield. Maverick's got something planned. I can feel it."

Libra nodded. "And we need to be ready."

Moravuno Archives – Midnight

The hallways were silent, save for the occasional flicker of fluorescent lights overhead.

Scorpio moved like a shadow, his steps silent, his presence barely detectable. The guards stationed throughout the archive had no idea he was even there.

He reached the main database terminal, fingers flying across the interface. Security measures? A joke. The encryption? Child's play.

And then—

There.

His eyes narrowed as he scanned the logs.

One name stood out among the others. A clearance level far too high for a routine check-in. A visit made before Maverick's escape, without an official mission attached.

Scorpio's breath slowed. His fingers twitched.

The traitor had a name.

And it wasn't just anyone.

Maverick was right, he was part of the Moravuno government.

His Awakening Eyes burned cold. He exhaled, steadying himself before closing the terminal.

This changes everything.

Undisclosed Safehouse – Dawn

Maverick grinned as he leaned back against a cracked leather chair, nursing his bruised ribs. Across from him, the traitor stood in the dim light, arms crossed.

"They know now," Maverick said, his voice laced with amusement. "Scorpio found the logs. You're about to have some very pissed-off Zodiacs knocking on your door."

The traitor remained silent.

Maverick chuckled. "So? Got any regrets yet?"

The traitor finally spoke, their voice eerily calm. "None."

Maverick's smirk widened. "Good. Because the real game is just beginning."

The room fell into silence, the weight of the coming war pressing down on them both.

War Room – Later That Morning

Scorpio entered, his expression unreadable. The others turned toward him instantly.

Leo took a step forward. "What did you find?"

Scorpio locked eyes with him, then with Libra and Taurus.

Then, in a voice devoid of emotion, he spoke.

"The traitor is part of the Moravuno government."

The room went deathly quiet.

Libra's Awakening Eyes glowed faintly, her mind already racing through possibilities. "Who?"

Scorpio exhaled, his voice like steel. "Not here. Too many ears. We gotta keep it low-key, Let's head out and discuss it."

Leo clenched his fists, fire sparking at his knuckles. "Then let's stop wasting time. Let's go."

Taurus with a dark grin forming. "Agreed."

Libra sighed with a slight annoyance. "Fine but make it quick and spill everything."

And with that, the Big Four moved out and went to the city of Moravuno .

What did Scorpio found out about the traitor? Either way, there would be no second chances.

The rooftop of the Moravuno Building was eerily silent, save for the whistling wind that carried the weight of the revelation hanging in the air. Scorpio stood at the edge, his eyes glazing with an ominous glow as he turned to face the rest of the Big Four.

"It's over," he said coldly. "I know who the traitor is."

Leo folded his arms, his fiery aura crackling. "Then say it already."

Scorpio's gaze sharpened. "Dr.Alren Vos."

Libra's expression didn't shift, but the air around her grew heavier. "Moravuno's Chief of Intelligence?"

"The very one," Scorpio confirmed. "He was the only person with the clearance and access to orchestrate Maverick's escape without raising suspicion. Every piece fits. The false security reports, the unguarded sector on the night of the breakout, the encrypted communication logs—everything leads back to him."

Taurus let out a low grunt, his fists tightening. "So the bastard sold us out. Figures. What's the plan?"

Scorpio's expression remained unreadable. "We inform the Monarch."

Later that night at the mansion,tension in the chamber was palpable as the Big Four stood before Monarch Lucan, his piercing eyes scanning them from his throne. Beside him was his wife, Matriarch Baila Hannes—head of the Moravuno Science Advancement Division while Gaia, their daughter stands by their side.

"Alren Vos?" the Monarch repeated, his voice a mix of disbelief and fury. "My own Chief of Intelligence betrayed us?"

"The evidence is solid," Libra stated firmly. "His movements, his records—he's been working for the syndicate and covering their expenses for the past six months."

Baila exhaled slowly, exchanging a glance with her husband and slightly adjusting his glasses."Then he must be removed."

Gaia stepped forward, her hazel eyes locked onto Scorpio. "And what's your role in this? You look too calm for someone discussing treason."

Scorpio met her gaze, unreadable. "Because the traitor is just one problem. The coming war is the real issue."

Monarch Lucan stood. "Then what do you suggest?"

Scorpio tilted his head slightly, the ghost of a smirk playing on his lips. "Leave that to me sir."

That night, under the veil of darkness, Scorpio left.

No grand announcement. No warning. No discussion.

He moved like a shadow, slipping through the city undetected, his mind set on one goal—Perol. The heart of the conspiracy. The root of the disease poisoning their war. If he was to cut off the head of this serpent, he had to do it alone.

With calculated precision, he avoided all known surveillance routes, passing through Moravuno's outer sectors unnoticed.

Or so he thought.

From a nearby rooftop, a figure lingered in the darkness, watching him. Waiting.

As Scorpio vanished into the night, the unknown observer silently followed, their presence masked even from the ever-perceptive Scorpio.

The hunt had begun.