A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I am glad to see that you liked it so far:) Also, thanks to my guest reviewers Carter Casterwill and Saha for reviewing the past chapter(s), I appreciate it!

Anyways, I hope that you all enjoy this chapter as well. Please leave a review if you did.

Enjoy!

CHAPTER 10

Sara slowly regained consciousness, the first thing she noticed being the darkness that surrounded her. She slowly lifted her heavy eyelids and tried to adjust her sight to the sudden light that filled the room, her brows knitted as she tried to get rid of the drowsiness of her system, her vision slowly clearing.

The brunettes forehead furrowed out of confusion as she realized that she was not in her room back in her flat, the unfamiliar surroundings instantly alarming her.

She tried to remember what had happened and how she ended up being unconscious and as if on cue, the day's events flashed in front of her very own eyes, a series of pictures entering her mind.

The attack, Lok and Sophie saving her, her trying to escape and her encounter with this strange boy, it all came over her like a flood of memories.

Her eyes widened out of realization that he must have knocked her out and she swiftly sat up, but as soon as she did so, a wave of dizziness overcame her. She grabbed the back of the couch she was sitting on and lifted her hand to hold her forehead, a small groan escaping her pale lips.

"Not one of your best ideas, huh?"

Sara's eyes widened, her head shooting up at a speed that could have easily snapped her neck as her eyes turned to search for the source of the voice.

Her blue orbs hastily roamed the room until they finally fell onto the form of a female that was leaning against the bookshelf, her arms crossed above her chest and her hazel eyes solidly fixed on her.

A small gasp of surprise escaped Sara's lips, her blood freezing in her veins as she realized that she wasn't on her own. Her entire body stiffened, all of her instincts screaming at her to get out but before she was able to do as much as blink, the woman spoke up again.

"The doors are locked with a spell, so don't even think about making a run for it again." Zhalia curtly informed her, seemingly reading her thoughts. She had guessed that Sara would think about escaping again, it being a natural instinct that everyone would probably listen to if they were to be in a situation like hers.

Sara opened her mouth but immediately shut it again, not finding her voice just yet. She suppressed the urge to gulp down the lump that had formed itself in her throat, her fists loosely balled at her sides as a certain word had caught her attention.

Spell?

"You are one of them." She whispered in realization, a cold shiver running down her spine. That was not good, Sara inwardly concluded. If the doors really were locked and the woman's words were to be trusted, there would be no way out of there.

This woman didn't seem as nice as the others either, the aura of authority she gave off making Sara shift uncomfortably in her seat.

"I am." Zhalia curtly confirmed, her cold hazel eyes never leaving Saras frightened ones. She knew that the girl was most likely shocked, not to mention scared after what Lok and Sophie had told her happened, but there was no sugar-coating the situation she was in.

She had a right to be scared, the only experience she has had with seekers this far being bad ones.

Sara averted her eyes from Zhalia, icy blue eyes turning to look at the window whilst she sat upright.

"What is it that you want from me?" Sara softly inquired, the hint of frustration in her voice clearly audible. She was sick of running, getting chased and being stuck in this mansion. All she wanted was to leave, and never see any of these titans or spells again in her entire life. She wasn't even sure what it was that they wanted from her in the first place, and that didn't help either.

Zhalia couldn't refrain from arching a brow at her question. Sara was obviously still wary of them, not that she could blame her after what happened, but Zhalia didn't expect her to think that she was being locked in here for their own benefits.

"There isn't anything that we want from you." Zhalia callously clarified. "Though, it seems like you have caught the organizations interest." She watched how Sara's expression turned into a confused frown, her blue eyes moving to meet Zhalias hazel ones.

"These suit guys?" Sara inquired with a frown, faintly remembering the suits mentioning it before they attacked Sophie and Lok.

Zhalia gave her a curt nod. "Exactly." She affirmed, mildly impressed that Sara was able to catch on rather fast. She noted that even though the brunettes shoulders were still lightly stiff, she wasn't as tense as before. It was a good thing, she supposed, and maybe it would be less hard than she had expected it to be.

"I am not rich or own anything valuable, nor am I a seeker. What could people like this possibly want from me? "Sara wondered out aloud, the mere thought of her getting spied on and followed leaving her feeling distressed.

Zhalia pursed her lips into a thin line. She did have a point. It really was surprising and unsettling that the organization was now targeting non-seekers and even went as far as attacking seekers of the Foundation. She would have to talk to Dante about that, especially since there weren't supposed to be any incidents with Grier being the head of the organization. They weren't allies, but they have made an agreement of staying out of each others way.

"That's what we would like to know as well, but you trying to run straight into their arms is not helping." Zhalia firmly reminded her, eyes narrowing the slightest of bits. They wouldn't make any process if Sara would still refuse to at least be willing to cooperate with them until they would find out why they were after her. It was for her own good, but it didn't seem like she had realized it yet.

Sara couldn't help but frown at Zhalia's words, taking light offense. It wasn't like she purposefully tried to get herself killed, and when you're being told that people are after you and would even go as far as killing you for whatever reason there was, it was only normal for her to make a run for it.

"Well, what did you expect me to do? I am literally locked in this mansion with a group of strangers that all have these weird powers and titans. I don't know what else you're able to do and frankly said, I am not too keen on finding out either."

Zhalia remained indifferent, her impervious expression still firmly in place whilst a spark of impatience flickered in her eyes. She knew that Sara was loosing her calm, but it didn't help the matter at hand. The least thing Zhalia needed was to deal with an iffy teenage girl.

"If I would have wanted to kill you, I would have done so hours ago already." Zhalia returned coldly, her posture remaining as indifferent as before. It was true and she knew that Sara believed her words as well, but she also seemed to be quite a stubborn one.

Zhalia immediately noticed the shift in her aura and the way her fright was now slowly starting to get replaced by all the anger and frustration she had kept bottled up until now.

"Well good to know." Sara replied sarcastically, a small huff escaping her lips. "It still doesn't make things better though. I don't want to have anything to do with all of this, so why can't you guys just leave me alone?" She exclaimed, the frustration she was feeling radiating off of her in waves.

Zhalia's gaze sharpened and her expression displayed the displeasure she was currently feeling, her posture straightening.

"Sara, do you even realize in how much danger you are?" Zhalia inquired, the coldness of her tone making Sara shut her mouth close in an instant. There was no time to beat around the bush and if she didn't want to realize the seriousness of the situation on her own, Zhalia would gladly help to speed up the process.

"The organization is obviously after you and if you decide to leave this mansion without any proper protection, I can assure you that things will not get pleasant for you." Zhalia pushed herself off of the bookshelf and took a stride forward, stepping in the middle of the room. "You are unable to defend yourself and can't keep on running away from them either so it's up to you. Get killed and die of a pathetic and unnecessary death, or try to fight and defend yourself in order to survive. You can try to make a run for it, but believe me when I say that there is no escaping of it all once you are a part of this world. It's going to haunt you for the rest of your life so either accept the reality or spend the rest of your life in fear of getting killed."

Silence followed Zhalia's words, the tension hanging thick in the air. Zhalia knew that it wasn't a pretty way to convey the gravity of the situation, but it was necessary in order to make her realize that the situation she was in wasn't anything near pretty in the first place.

Sara tried to process Zhalia's words, having attentively listened to her every word and clenched her jaw tightly. There was no denying it, she knew that Zhalia was right and that she couldn't keep on running from her problems, no matter how much she wanted to.

It didn't mean that she was willing to accept everything that was getting thrown at her just yet though. Sara knew that the reality was harsh and that in a world like this, it was all about surviving. Life had already been hard enough for her, she didn't need any additional troubles and hardships but considering that her only options were either surviving or dying, she already knew that she had made a decision the moment she had decided to leave with Sophie and Lok.

Sara's blue eyes softened at the realization that she had no choice but to accept it all in order to avoid getting into any more fights with the so called organization, running from them or trying to avoid it all not being an option.

She bit her lower lip and slumped her shoulders, running a slander hand over her face before she turned to look at Zhalia, hesitance shining in her eyes.

Sara still didn't want to have anything to do with titans, spells or seekers in general, but she knew that in the end it was inevitable.

"I have no choice other than to become a seeker, do I?" Sara concluded with a sigh, shoulders slumping out of exhaustion and her posture becoming slack.

It wasn't like she completely and fevery opposed the idea of becoming a seeker, but she wanted to avoid this option until there was no other way.

Zhalia's eyes softened the slightest of bits upon realizing that Sara really tried to fight becoming a seeker. It was a surprise, especially since most accepted becoming one under way less dangerous circumstances, but Zhalia concluded that it also was a good thing.

She wouldn't recommend becoming a seeker to anyone who didn't have a relevant and important reason to. It wasn't all about adventures and fighting against the bad guys as most expect it to be and unfortunately, many still failed to realize that there was more to it.

It was exhausting and dangerous and without proper education regarding spells and titans, the chances of surviving in a world such as this one were very slim.

"As for now, you don't have to become a seeker if you don't want to." Zhalia eventually spoke, catching Sara by surprise. Her pair of blue eyes slid over to catch Zhalias gaze, the confusion that filled them glistening dimply in the light that was shining through the window.

"I don't?" She asked surprised, clearly not having expected to receive an answer such as this one from Zhalia. A part of her wanted to feel relieved upon hearing that, but another part warned her to be cautious and to now crow too soon. It surely wouldn't be easy to avoid becoming a seeker in a situation like this, so she didn't want to raise her hopes too high.

"As for now." Zhalia firmly repeated, a small sigh escaping her lips. "It all depends on the seriousness of the situation. We have to find out why the organization is after you and as until we know, there is no need for you to become a seeker as long as you don't decide to run off again."

Sara exhaled the breath she had been holding, a small rush of relief overcoming her. She was glad that she was able to receive some time to come on terms with her current situation before she would have to become a seeker if things weren't looking good.

It most certainly was a difference to the idea of becoming a seeker this instant, and she was sure that she wouldn't have the nerves for it either.

"Alright then." Sara finally yielded, mustering up her courage and giving Zhalia a small, yet genuine smile. "Thanks for buying me some time."

Zhalia, not having expected Sara to thank her for something like this, was lightly taken off guard. Her expression remained indifferent and she shifted her weight onto her other feet, the corner of her lips tilting up into a faint smirk as she inclined her head in a small nod.

"Got any more questions?" Zhalia asked, and Sara shook her head in return. As for now, there wasn't anything she was curious about or wanted to know.

"Alright, time to call the others. They are most likely waiting for the two of us already." Zhalia told her with a sigh, knowing that they were most likely going to bombard them with questions, especially the teens since Zhalia had used a spell that not only locked the door, but also created a soundproof barrier around it to prevent anyone to listen it.

Zhalia moved to take a step forwards, heading for the door and lifting her hand to call off the spell, but Sara's voice made her pause mid-air.

"Wait!" Sara swiftly called, holding up a hand to stop Zhalia from moving any further.

Zhalias head turned towards where Sara was sitting at, shooting her a mildly surprised as well as confused glance.

Sara, visibly uncomfortable, shifted in her seat and folded her hands in her lap, her gaze now fixed on the ground.

"Do we have to ? I mean we took care of most things already, didn't we?" She inquired cautiously, inwardly hoping that she wouldn't have to face Lok, and especially not Sophie after what had happened back at her failure of an escape.

She had to admit that even though it wasn't intentional, she still felt guilty for hurting Sophie. She barely knew her and Lok, and they only tried to explain what had happened to her.

Zhalia arched an eyebrow. "Why are you asking?" The bluenette inquired, her eyes narrowing out of confusion upon sensing Sara's discomfort.

"I may or may not have used a spell and hit Sophie, resulting her to fly against the wall." Sara cautiously drawled, wincing upon remembering the way Sophie's body collided with the wall. It really did seem painful and Sara wouldn't want to have switched bodies with her. "But it was an accident, I really didn't mean to!" She quickly assured Zhalia, her heart beat echoing loudly in her ears out of nervousness.

Zhalia watched Sara in confusion for a series of moments, her hazel eyes slowly filling with amusement as her smirk broadened.

"You managed to hit the princess?" Zhalia inquired, clearly impressed that Sara was able to land a hit on her, unintentional and with no experience of spells nonetheless. She faintly remembered how long it took Lok to properly cast a Boltflare, and even then he still had some troubles doing so from time to time.

Sara gave her a sheepish smile, scratching the base of her neck. "Unintentionally." She firmly reminded Zhalia, her posture still out of nervousness.

"If you're worried about her being mad at you, I wouldn't worry about that. If it really was unintentionally, then she won't bother." Zhalia told her. "Then again, it's Sophie we are talking about so even if she is mad, ignore it." She concluded with a sigh, knowing that Sophie had a tendency for causing drama for no particular reason.

Sara bit her lower lip before she gave a small sigh, a nod following right after upon realizing that there would be no way around.

"Alright." Sara mumbled, inwardly bracing herself for the worst.

Zhalia eyed her for another moment before she turned back towards the door, her hand glowing in a light-blue hue as she lifted it into the air.

A light glow surrounded the door and just as fast as it came, Sara watching it in mild curiosity. Zhalia then turned around and walked over to the armchair, sitting down and crossing one slender leg over the other, her gaze firmly fixed on the wooden door.

"Come in." She spoke, examining her nails as almost an instant later, the door flew open.

She didn't have to turn her head to know that it was Lok who had opened the door, obviously excited to see the result of Zhalias talk with Sara.

Indeed, standing in the doorway was no other than Lok Lambert, the blonde's eyes falling onto the two females that were both seated in the room, one shooting him a wary glance whereas the other seemed to pointedly ignore his presence.

Standing behind him were Den and Sophie, the former one leaning against the door frame like Zhalia had previously done whereas the latter peered over Lok's shoulder, equally as curious as to what the result was.

"So,uh, how did it go?" Lok inquired awkwardly, slowly walking into the room while he shot Zhalia, who still didn't bother to look up, a questioning glance out of the corner of his eye. The young seeker then took a seat on the couch where he and Sophie had previously been sitting on, Sophie following his example and taking a seat right next to him without uttering as much as a word.

"Good, obviously." Zhalia replied with a roll of her eyes, now turning to look at the blonde as the familiar small teasing glint entering her eyes.

Slowly, a grin formed itself on Lok's lips as he turned to look at Sara, eyes sparkling with surprise and excitement. "So you've decided to become a seeker?" Lok asked, the hint of hope in his voice clearly audible.

Sara merely shifted in her seat and shot Zhalia an uneasy glance out of the corner of her eye, her attention then shifting back to Lok.

"Not quite." She stiffly returned, watching how Lok's grin fell and his expression held clear confusion.

She couldn't blame him, she as well would probably be confused if she were to be in his position, which she luckily wasn't.

"What do you mean?" Lok asked, clearly not getting the point of what she was saying. Zhalia had said that it went well, so he had expected her to mean that Sara decided to become a seeker as well. Sophie as well shot Sara a questioning look whereas Zhalia massaged her temple, giving the two teens a pointed look.

"Just because she decided not to make a run for it again doesn't mean that she decided to become a seeker right away." She sternly reminded the two, hazel eyes solidly fixed on them.

"Exactly." Came another voice from the doorway, making five pairs of eyes turn to look at him.

Dante was standing in the doorway next to Den, wearing his usual professional expression while his amber eyes were looking at Sophie and Lok before they fell onto Sara.

"It's up to her whether she wants to become a seeker or not, and until we know more about who it is that's after her and why, there is no need for her to become one as well." Dante informed them, earning a couple of questioning glances in return.

Sophie frowned, clearly not understanding why Sara decided against becoming a seeker.

"So, what are we going to do next? She clearly doesn't know how to defend herself and the chances of her getting attacked a second time are high as well." This time it was Den who spoke up, his head turned to the right to look at Dante. He knew how hard it would be for her to get out of a fight without using any spells or titans if suits would attack her and he admitted that he didn't quite understand why she was against becoming a seeker as well.

The auburn haired seekers eyes in return slid over to the young couple that was seated next to each other on the couch, his amber eyes solidly fixed on the two

"You said that you are in the same class, right?" He inquired, earning a nod from Lok in return. "The two of you can keep an eye on her during school, I will make sure a foundation agent is going to check on her every once in a while." Dante spoke, his tone holding the authority his presence gave off.

Sara couldn't help but pull a small grimace upon hearing his words, clearly disliking his suggestion. She turned her head to look at Dante, to the others surprise, and looked at him with her blue eyes filled with determination.

"Is it really necessary?" Sara inquired, clearly disliking the idea of having someone watching her every step after school. She knew that it was for her own best and safety, but she couldn't help but voice her thoughts. The brunette had always liked to keep her privacy and having someone check up on her every once in a while would turn out to be really annoying.

"Sara is right, it's too complicated and she needs her privacy as well." Sophie spoke, making said female look at her in surprise. Sara hadn't actually expected Sophie to speak up, still thinking that she was mad regarding her little slip back when she tried to escape, and especially didn't expect her to side with her either.

"Well what do you suggest then? She needs proper protection until we find out why she is getting targeted." Zhalia firmly spoke, her expression holding a frown. Dante was right regarding the protection part and it wasn't that much of a bad idea either, she concluded. It wasn't going to be permanent anyways so she didn't see why it would be much of a problem for her. It was for her own good after all.

Silence engulfed the group for some moments, everyone occupied by their own thoughts before Lok snapped his fingers, his eyes lightening up as he turned to look at Dante.

"She could live here with us." Lok started, his eyes lighting up. "This way, we get to keep an eye on her and she isn't without any protection either. Since we are attending the same class anyways, we could walk to school and back together as well." Lok suggested, before his eyes widened in realization upon having forgotten a very important factor. "Only if it is okay with Sophie of course." Lok hastily added, turning to look at the caramel haired female next to him.

Sophie's lips were pursed in a straight line, her emerald eyes fixed on Sara. She knew that Lok did have a point there and that this way, they would be able to keep a close eye on Sara without having to get other foundation agents involved. Also, it wasn't like there was no room for her in the mansion anyways. Still, even though Sophie didn't have anything against Lok's suggestion of Sara living with her, she couldn't help but consider the responsibilities that would fall upon them if Sara were to stay with them.

"Lok is right, it would make much more sense and would make it easier for the rest of us to avoid any more troubles." Sophie concluded with a sigh, emerald eyes falling back to Dante who eyed them in mild curiosity.

The russet-haired seeker knew that they did have a point and that Sara would be safe at the mansion, but he still couldn't help but wonder if it was the right thing to do. Sophie and Lok may be strong seekers and also had the advance of LeBlanche and Santiago being with them in case of an attack, but if they would get assailed by an entire group of suits or spirals, it would prove to be harder to fight them off on their own whilst protecting Sara.

By taking Sara in to live with them in the mansion, they were automatically putting themselves in danger as well. It was very unlikely that anyone would attack them while they were in Sophie's mansion, but the possibility was still there.

"Well what do you think Dante?" Lok asked, clearly excited to receive his mentors approval. He was sure that considering their current situation, Dante wouldn't have anything against it. Still, the top seeker is known to be unpredictable and surprise others with his opinions and decisions.

"It's not me you should ask." Dante smoothly reminded them, his gaze turning to catch Sara's one with his own. He immediately noticed that she was torn between accepting Loks offer and declining. He could already tell that she was someone who wasn't fond of changes and preferred to be on her own but in a situation as this one, staying close to them unfortunately was a necessity.

Sara bit the inside of her cheek before she exhaled deeply, her eyes turning to meet Lok bright blue ones.

"I guess you are right." She admitted, knowing that she would be more safe in the mansion than in her flat in case of an attack. It was supposed to only be temporary as well, so she concluded that it may not turn out to be as bad as she expected it to.

"Alright, then it's settled!" Lok exclaimed, shooting Sara a toothy grin. "Sara is going to move in with us until we find out what exactly is going on." He stated, obviously delighted by the fact that someone new was going to live with them.

To him, living in the mansion tended to grow boring once in a while and with Sophie on Casterwill meetings or studying, he grew restless and bored rather fast. He hoped that maybe with Sara there, it would turn out to be more fun, especially since she was kind of a newbie and there were many things that she still didn't know about seekers and titans.

Dante gave a small smile at Loks obvious enthusiasm whereas Zhalia shook her head, inwardly wondering when it would be that Lok would stop looking for the good things in grave situations.

The corner of Saras mouth curled upwards but the hesitance in her eyes was still clearly evident, her orbs falling onto Lok and Sophie who were seated opposite of her.

"Thank you." She spoke, genuinely grateful for the help she received from them. Her eyes then turned to look at Sophie, blue and emerald clashing against each other while she gathered up the last bit of courage she had to address the topic that had been bothering her. "And I am also sorry for what I did back then, it wasn't on purpose." Sara apologized, the guilt thick in her tone while her gaze softened.

Sophie remained silent for a moment, eyeing Sara closely and just when Sara was about to regret having brought it up again, the Casterwill gave her a bright smile.

"It's alright, I know that you didn't want to hurt me. It was a silly accident." Sophie assured her, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. It was true, she didn't hold a grudge against Sara just because of something like that. She knew that it wasn't intentional and that Sara didn't purposefully want to hit her, so there was no reason to cause unnecessary drama.

Sara breathed a sigh of relief and gave her a small nod, grateful that Sophie want going to dwell on it. Dante turned to look at Zhalia, obviously confused and not knowing what Sara was apologizing for and arched a brow. Zhalia in return heaved a sigh at his curious gaze and gave him a small shake of her head, a gesture of her hand indicating that she would tell him later before she returned her attention to Sara.

"Hey, what about me?" Came a familiar voice, breaking the small silence and making Sara, just like the others, turn her head to look over her shoulder. It was Den who spoke up, much to their surprise, his eyes narrowed as he looked straightly at Sara.

The brunette female narrowed her eyes out of confusion before she arched an eyebrow, clearly not getting at what he was trying to imply.

Zhalia and Dante were now also eyeing Den curiously, wondering what their teammate was up to. Den in return huffed lightly and crossed his arms above his chest, looking straight at Sara without breaking the eye contact.

"Don't I also deserve an apology?" He inquired seriously, his head lightly tilted to the side. Sara in return furrowed her brows at his words, blue eyes starting to sparkle in annoyance and tamed anger upon remembering her rather unpleasant encounter with him.

"What for, knocking me out?" Sara inquired sarcastically, shooting him a glare from where she was seated. She was not going to apologize to him after he had knocked her out, and especially not if he would maintain this attitude of his.

"No, for running me over like a madman." Den clarified, his expression grave while a small pout formed itself on his lips. It wasn't like he had wanted to knock her out, but there was very little that he could have done to stop her other than that. He had his orders, and he knew that she wouldn't have listened to anything he would have said anyways.

"A madman? You run into me as well, so you can't possibly blame me for that!" Sara exclaimed with a frown, the incredulity in her voice audible.

Den arched his brows at her words a challenging smirk playing on his lips. "I can, and I obviously do. Just apologize and stop whining around." He breathed with a roll of his eye, keeping his amusement clearly concealed.

"Why you arrogant little-"

"Enough you two."

Dante's voice made Sara pause in mid-sentence, preventing her from going any further while Den muttered something under his breath,inaudible for the others to hear.

Dantes stern expression was firmly in place as he shot the teens a pointed look, silently daring them to go against his words. This scene was all too familiar to Dante and he couldn't help but think of the fights that Zhalia and Sophie had used to have back when they had formed the team, and still have every once in a while.

Den and Sara both were stubborn, judging by what he had just seen, so he guessed that further arguments between those two would be inevitable.

"Well, what now?" Lok eventually asked, his blue eyes turning to meet Dantes amber ones as the others had eventually calmed. "Its obviously been the organizational that attacked Sara, me and Sophie. How do we find out why they did it though?" He asked, a somber look on his face.

He as well was lightly surprised and displeased by the fact that it were suits that had attacked them. He had somewhat hoped that now that the organization was under Grier's command, they wouldn't cause them any more troubles. The mere fact that they have attacked an innocent person and even went as far as fighting Lok and Sophie whilst knowing that they were from the Foundation causing an unsettling feeling in the pit of his gut.

Dante eyed Lok for a moment before a small smirk appeared on his lips, a small sigh escaping him as he tilted his head aside.

"It's been some time since we have visited Sutos Island. How about we pay our old friend Grier a visit?"