Hey guys! Here's chapter one! Sorry I was so late updating I didn't like how my first copy of chapter one turned out and I ended up retyping the chapter multiple times so that I can get everything right. It might be a little confusing but I'll try to explain it a little so that you won't be thrown off while making sure that I don't give too much of the chapter away. The story is going back and from the past to the present. The past is Sydney's memories.

Thank you for following my story Jyeissoawesome!

Read on and don't forget Review!

1

Present

"No," she whisper as she pushes herself away from the white coated men. "No, please God no!"

"They aren't going to hurt you Sydney," someone says in an oddly familiar voice. Can it be? Can it be who she thinks it is? "They're trying to help you, we're trying to save you from the bad ones my dear."

"They aren't the dangerous ones, you are! Look at yourself! Look what you're doing, this is illegal," Sydney cries.

"How dare you call us the bad ones in this Sydney? Have you seen them? Look at where your mother is! Look at where your sister is! Look at where you are," the person says in a cold voice. "They're out of control Sydney. They're more than just a threat against the human race now, they're like a nuclear bomb ready to burst and we are the only ones who can diffuse it. In fact, you are."

"What do you mean?" she whispers. "What are you talking about, what nuclear bomb? You are the one who started this where am I in this?"

The person chuckles. "You are the key Miss Sage, you hold the information of their deepest darkest secret. You hold their weakness. This shot here holds a solution that will let us see your past. All we have to do is inject into your bloodstream and attack you to some wires and we can see everything you're thinking. Technology today huh? We had our fellow colleagues invent that just for you."

Sydney's eyes widen as she takes in what the person's saying. "No," she whispers. "I won't let you!" she sobs as the syringe presses close to her pale bare arm.

"We weren't asking for your opinion Sydney," the person says, stepping into the small ray of light in her dark cell. "Do it" he orders his two men.

Sydney screams and shakes the cage in attempt to get someone's attention, someone to listen to her but there's no one here to help her. She's all alone. Before she knows it, the cold metal lining of the needle presses into her skin. A cold feeling rushes through her body and she lets out a shiver. What's happening to her? Her eyes start to grow heavy and flutter close. A strange darkness surrounds her and everything grows silent, so silent that Sydney knows that she's dead. But no, there's a light far off in the distance of the dark, barren field. A light so bright…

Past: May 20th 2008

"She's too young Jared, she's only fifteen," Stanton said to the blonde hair man in front of her.

Sydney Sage looked down at her hands. She knew that this was too good to be true. An on field assignment? How was she even thinking that she was going to get it? Sydney's mother put her hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze as if to say "hang on." Sydney took a deep breath and looked back up at the tense scene before her.

"She may be young but she is more skilled than any other recruit you can think of Stanton. My daughter has potential, she has skill."

Sydney blushed at her father's words. That was the closes thing to a compliment he had given her in what seemed like a long time. Her elder sister Carly, who's currently stationed in Russia on her own assignment with the Zeklos was her father's heart as well as her younger sister Zoe, who mastered Shakespeare at the age of ten. Sydney was not part of his heart, she was now his pride. She was the middle child, lost between the two worlds of joy.

"She'll be working with them on a first hand basis Jared, alone. I would have felt better if Carly was here to go with her. She'll be afraid to approach them Jared, she's a child."

"I can do it ma'am," Sydney said sitting up a little bit straighter. "I won't be afraid."

Stanton looked at the young girl and then her father and sighed. What could she do? The Sages were a persistent bunch, and clearly, the middle child had inherited from her father and mother. Perhaps she'll inherit their success as well.

"Very well then Sydney, here's the file."

Sydney reached over the table and closed her hands around the warm manila file. She open it up and scanned through the papers and brochures.

"The Ivashkovs?" Jared Sage said. "Aren't they a bit risky?"

Stanton nodded. "You can say that they are on the wild side, that's I wasn't sure if Sydney is ready enough for this job."

"I can do it," Sydney said even though her voice shook with fear.

Stanton shrugged and cleared her throat, preparing herself for the long list of directions she was going to announce next.

"You will be going to St. Alders Academy where they are holding a Royal Meeting. The Ivashkov family will be there and the head of the clan, excluding the Queen herself, Nathan Ivashkov is attending. Lord Ivashkov has vital information from a Strigoi attack that happened in Russia recently."

Sydney's heart stopped beating and she felt her mother's hand fall from her shoulder. "Where in Russia ma'am?"

"We do not know Sydney. Our communication was cut off along the way. It was not a normal Strigoi attack you see, it was in the middle of a barren part in Russia and the Strigoi were smart enough to cut the communication lines while they were there. Your job is to retrieve the file and bring it back to us."

A long moment of silence filled Jared Sage's office.

"When is the flight?" Jared finally asked.

"Nine tonight, be prepared Miss Sage. You will have a few hours to yourself when you get there. I suggest that you wash up and find yourself a map. The Royal have their meetings in the most hidden places of the Academy and you might get lost on your way. We wouldn't want that now would we?"

"No ma'am." Sydney said.

Stanton stood up and mother broke out of her frozen stance. "You take care," Stanton said. "I shall be going now."

"It was nice having you over Stanton," Sydney's mother managed to say with a forced smile.

Stanton gave her a pity filled smile. "Thank you my dear. Have a nice day and good luck to you Miss Sage," and with that, the high alchemist left the three alone.

…

Sydney Sage sat alone in her guest room and eyed herself in the mirror. Her hair was tied up in a perfect bun, her lips were glossed lightly, and she wore a pearl choker, a blue button up shirt that was topped off with her khakis. She looked around herself and assessed her room. Everything was perfect and clean just like how it was when she first came. She looked at her watch on her wrist and took a deep breath. It was time to leave. Sydney had allocated about fifteen minutes to find her way around the large academy just like Stanton had suggested. Sydney grabbed her bag and stepped out the room. She quickly locked the door and leaned against the wall as she looked down at the map.

Thousands of dots scattered the map marking rooms and hallways, and corridors. At the far end of the academy was the Royal Meeting Room hidden behind the trees that marked the start of the forest. She swallowed and pushed herself away from her door. I can do this, she told herself as she dragged herself down the hall. I have to, remember Carly, and be brave like her.

"You're failing!" a man howled.

Sydney stopped walking and turned around to find where the voice had come from.

"And you got suspended!" the man said. "Where is that head of yours? How could you do this? And after all this, you're freaking painting?"

"You don't know what you're talking about," someone hissed in a low voice.

"I'm talking about my drunkard son who won't freaking get his head together!" he hissed back. "You know what the problem is? It's these paintings that are getting in your way from your education."

"No," the boy cried. "No don't touch them!"

The door next to Sydney flew open and a huge canvas flew out and landed before her feet. Sydney gasped and walked back into the wall behind her as another canvas flew out.

"We're leaving!" the man yelled at his son. "I said get out and grab your bags!"

A tall young man stepped out with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder and met Sydney's eyes. Sydney's heart stopped beating in her chest. His eyes were so green, so beautiful yet so broken. He looked away from her and started to walk towards his paintings when an arm shot out and grabbed him from behind.

"Don't you dare touch those, I'm having the garbage man pick those up,"

"Dad please," the boy whispered.

"Begging isn't going to work Adrian. Do you know how sick I am of getting called by the headmaster just to hear that you've been drinking, failing, or smoking?"

Sydney blushed. She wasn't supposed to be hearing this. She should be walking away from the two Moroi scared like her other colleagues would but she couldn't pull herself away from them. The older Moroi reminded her of her own cold and demanding father.

"Have you ever once though how others are looking at your mom and I?" The man asked as he dragged his son down the hallway. "Come on, you're coming to that stupid meeting with me and then we'll head off home."

Sydney watched as the two disappeared amongst the numerous corridors and looked down at her watch. She had ten minutes. If she didn't leave now, she'd be late. Sydney's eyes flickered down to the paintings and felt her heart tighten. She couldn't leave them. She couldn't do that to the boy, Adrian. Sydney started to reach for them when a pale hand shot out and grabbed them. Sydney looked up and paled as she took in Adrian's green eyes. Where did he come from?

"What are you doing?" Adrian asked. "Are you trying to steal my paintings?"

"I-I was just trying to keep them safe for you so the custodian won't throw them away," Sydney mumbled.

"I can take care of my own business, I don't need you help," he hissed.

Sydney felt her hands shake with fear as his voice turned cold. What was she thinking talking to a Moroi and helping them? How could she slip up like that? The boy seemed to notice how scared she was and his face softened.

"You're human, an alchemist right?"

Sydney nodded.

"I didn't mean to-"

"Adrian!" Adrian's father called.

Adrian closed his eyes as his father called for them again. He sighed and opened his eyes. "Here," he said handing her the canvases. "Take them, my father is going to shred them anyway and thanks."

Sydney takes the canvases in her hands. "I-" she said starting to protest but he cut her off.

"Take them alchemist girl," he said.

Sydney looked down at the covered canvases and nodded. "Ok," she whispered.

"Adrian? Where are you?"

Adrian flashed her a forced grin. "I'll see you later then,"

Sydney frowned. "What do you mean? Where?"

He chuckled as he walked away from her. "I don't know, they say that the past always comes back to you. You never know, maybe I'll see you again and maybe then we can get to know each other."

…

"The current situation is much more stressful than that James," someone whispered to another.

"A ridiculous decision by those thick headed Dhampirs, thinking that they have got everything under control, look where we are now," said another.

"Miss Sage?" a voice called out.

The soft whispers and scowls dimmed down and Sydney made her way forward in the large meeting room. It had taken her quite some time to find the room, just like she thought it would, but she had managed to make it there in time. The Royals though took no notice of her and so she stood by the door, anxiously waiting for someone to summon her.

Sydney's head perked up and she met the light green eyes of a man that looked awfully familiar. Sydney paled. It was the man she had seen earlier. His light brown hair, those light green eyes that Adrian had inherited and that cold look in his face confirmed it all. It was Adrian's father.

Sydney walked over to the man and bowed. "My Lord," she said.

He gave her a smile which was somewhat forced. "My name is Nathan Ivashkov," he said. "I believe that I have something for you regarding the incident in Russia."

"Yes sir, that is what my boss said," she said.

He nodded. "Very well then, Adrian?" he called over his shoulder.

Sydney looked up at Adrian as he made his way towards the table with a file. He met her eyes and gave her one of his grins. Was he here before? Sydney reached out and took the file from Adrian.

"Thank you lord Ivashkov," she said to Nathan.

"You're welcome Miss Sage."

And with that, Sydney started to walk down the large Royal Meeting Room as fast as she could while being professional. She stepped out into the breezy, summer night and once she made sure that she was out of sight, she opened up the file and flipped through the pages to the one labeled "Deaths". Ivan Zeklos, James Hanks… Carly Sage. The file slipped out of Sydney's hands.

"No," she whispered as tears ran down her cheeks. "Please, God no!"

"Sage?" someone said in the background as she fell to the floor. Sydney's body started to break out in sobs and she felt strong arms wrap around her pulling her aside. "Hey, Alchemist girl what's wrong?"

"She's gone," Sydney cried.

Adrian stiffened and reached for the file. She felt him inhale sharply. "Oh Sage," he whispered as he tightened his grip on her. "You're ok, it's going to be ok."

…

Present

Sydney stirs in her sleep and feels a nice warmth surround her as she remembers the first time she met Adrian Ivashkov. It wasn't entirely a happy moment but none the less, her Adrian had been there. She can almost remember the smell of tobacco and alcohol hanging around him and truth be told, she misses those smells. She misses her Adrian.

Something sharp pierces her skin next to the wound from her previous injection. Sydney cries out in pain as a fiery hot liquid runs through her arm and tries to roll of the fire. Someone squeezes her hand and hushes her gently.

"You're doing good Sydney, show us more darling, show us more."

So what do you think? Who's holding Sydney captive and why are they to find out about Sydney's past? What's the weakness?

Review! Please? I'd love your input