Here it is! Hope you enjoy.

My father just walked straight in, taking his place on the opposite side of the table. I sat a little more comfortably, moving so I was taller and more steady.

My father didn't even cast a glance at Eddie, as though he couldn't even see him. He eyed me. "Are you ready to talk?"

I looked towards Eddie, who was looking at my father and eying his appearance. I suppose he looked pretty tough and huge to the outside world. He was about six four, just over two hundred pounds. He had a beard, and an angry look was always planted on his face. He never smiled, he always crossed his arms, and he always looked like he hated your guts. He was definitely not a friendly looking person, that was for sure.

Taking a deep breath, I answered my father. "Yes, I'm ready."

He smirked. "Is that so? Alright then, Sydney, answer the following questions."

I gulped. "Okay."

"When was the first encounter that you had with Adrian Ivashkov?" He asked me.

"If you are referring to when we met, that was last year, back when I was with Rose and Dimitri." I told him.

"You know what I am referring to." He glared.

I sighed. "A while ago. Back in October, I think." I knew.

"And what happened? Did he seduce you with some mind power that those spirit vampires have? Or was it of your own free will?" He raised an eyebrow, baiting me on.

"It just happened, like those things do." I told him, looking straight in his eyes.

He snorted. "Next question, and it's off the record."

I glared.

"Exactly how many times...when did you two...? You know." For once, he actually blushed a little.

I gasped. "Is that really any of your business?"

"Sydney, this isn't real. Remember that. Just face him." Eddie told me, interrupting the conversation.
"What? It's real, you can see him, can't you?" I turned to Eddie, growing exasperated.

"Sydney, are you alright?" My father asked, more than likely becoming concerned of my sanity.

"I'm fine, father." I shot at him, and then turned back to Eddie. "It's real."

"Sydney, it's not. Trust me." Eddie pleaded. "Just stand up to him."

"Sydney, who are you talking to?" My father asked, searching the room.

I sighed, turning to look at him. "No one."

"Alright then," he sneered. "Then, back to the questions."

"No," I told him, taking a deep breath. "No more questions."

"Sydney, if you ever want to at least have the slight chance of making it out of here before you die, you really need to start cooperating. You'll be here forever otherwise." My father told me.

"This isn't real..."I said, sounding completely and utterly unsure of myself. "It's not happening."

Now he looked at me like I really had gone insane. "Are you blind?"

"This is some hallucination." I told him.

He snorted. "Right. A hallucination. Maybe that is what you want it to be, but I assure you Sydney, this is real."

"Stand up to him, face him." Eddie encouraged me.

"This is my fear. Being locked up forever, having everyone abandon me, getting caught. I am terrified of that. Of what could happen to me, to Adrian, to my friends. Of what this would mean to my family." I caught my breath, and continued. "But this is impossible. I was just running through a warehouse, and now I am here. That's not possible at all. This situation may be possible, but not now. Not right this instance."

He glared at me from across the table. "You really have lost it, haven't you? I mean, being disowned by your mom, by me, by your superiors. That just wasn't enough. You and that filthy bloodsucker too."

"Adrian is twice the man you will ever be!" I yelled. "Don't you dare insult him. He may not be a human, like us. But he acted more human than you. He is more caring, kind, smart, and...and everything better than what you are! I honestly don't care about your opinion. I care about my friends and my families opinion, but they would never leave me like this. Never. Even over this, mom would try to support me, talk to me. She would never leave me. My friends wouldn't either. And I know you would, and the Alchemists would. But I honestly don't care about either of you. If you think you can control me, and tell me what to do, you are mistaken."

Suddenly, everything disappeared. The chair I was sitting on left, making me fall flat to the ground, but I didn't care. It was only Eddie and me in a small, square room, but I had never felt freer.

"Did that just actually happen?" I asked Eddie, as he came over to help me up.

He nodded. "Yeah, it did. You did great, Sydney."

I smiled. "I mean, I just never thought I could actually stand up to my father. I mean, I guess that wasn't actually my father, but it felt like it."

"We need to get out," he told me, his eyes roaming the room. "I don't exactly know how long we were in here for."

I got up, my ankle feeling painful again. It was weird, in the actual fantasy, my ankle was fine. That was some spell, that was for sure.

"We need to get Zach. Do you know which door he went through?" I asked Eddie, opening the door to get out.

We looked at the two remaining ones. Eddie answered, "It was the left. We split up, which was stupid. Who knows what is behind that door."

I looked over at it. "We have to find out, I guess."

"No, you should get out of here. I can go after him." He paused. "Wait, did you get Adrian?"

I smiled and nodded. "Yeah. He is pretty weak, but he'll be fine. Marcus is helping him out."

"Good," Eddie smiled. "Lissa would hate it if anything happened to Adrian."

Taking a step forward, I put my hand on the door knob, starting to turn it.

"Let me go first, when you open it." Eddie told me, going into guardian-mode.

I nodded, turning the knob all the way. Once it clicked, I whispered, counting to three. At three, I flung the door open, and Eddie stepped ahead of me, blocking anything that could possibly harm me. A slow second passed as Eddie assessed whatever was on the inside. I couldn't see though, what with him blocking my view.

"Anything?" I asked him, trying to look around him.

"It's dark, I can't really tell." He said to me. "Zach?" He called out. "Zach?"

We both waited, trying to listen harder than we actually could.

Then, we both heard it. We heard Zach's voice calling for help. I gasped, and pushed at Eddie to go towards the voice. It was faint, meaning far away, but it was definitely there.

"Wait," he told me, holding me back. "It could be a trap."

"He needs help." I told Eddie. "We have to go, even if it is a trap. You know that, Eddie."

He took a deep breath, sighing. "So I suppose there is no way that you would agree to leave as I go in and help him?"

I shook my head. "Nope. I'm coming."

He grunted. "Fine, but if anything happens, you run. And I mean it. I'll hold back whatever tries to come after you, but you got to leave, fast...even with that ankle of yours."

"Okay, I will." I told him, crossing my fingers behind my back. "Promise."

He nodded, and signaled for me to follow him. I gently held onto his shoulder, as he would be able to guide me. It was so dark, I couldn't even see my own hand laying on him. Walking along, I felt glad to have Eddie with me. He was strong, and he knew what he was doing. At least, it seemed he knew what he was doing. I just assumed it was right.

"Help me!" Zach's voice screamed out from ahead.

I felt Eddie stiffen, but he didn't say anything as we kept moving, more towards the voice than before. We kept walking, until Eddie stopped all of a sudden.

"What is it?" I whispered.

"We've run into a wall." He told me, taking my hand and guiding it to the cold, cement wall.

"Now what do we do?" I asked him.

"Follow the wall," he answered, as he started to move. I held onto his arm this time, getting more support that way. To be honest, if I actually did try to leave because of danger, I doubt I would be able to even find my way out. The darkness was probably here for that purpose alone. Cynthia's way of making sure her prey didn't leave without her permission.

"Zach?" Eddie whispered quickly.

I heard metal move as Zach's voice came from just a short ways ahead. "Eddie! Help me. I'm trapped."

"You alone?" Eddie asked as we got closer.

"I think so. I honestly don't know, man. I just came in and it was dark. Then I fell over, and this thing grabbed hold of my arm. I think it's like one of those traps for catching animals. It's cut into my skin a little, I'm bleeding, but it isn't that bad."

We reached him, as I felt Eddie bend down. "Eddie, there could be other traps." I mentioned to him.

"Sydney?" Zach asked out to me. "What are you doing here? You need to leave, now."

"I need to help you first, Zach." I told him.

"You don't understand, she wants you."

Eddie interrupted. "Have you seen her, Zach?"

"She was here, when I got here, looking for Sydney. When she realized it was me trapped, she basically said good riddance, and left me alone in the dark. I haven't heard anyone except you guys since she left." Zach explained.

"This trap is pretty tight, Zach." Eddie murmured.

"Trust me, I know." He grunted. "So did you guys find Adrian?"

"Yes," I told him. "He got out safe."

"Then you need to too." Zach told me. "Sydney, she wants you badly. If you don't get out now, I don't know what will happen."

"I'm staying." I said.

"Don't even bother, Zach. She has her mind set up." Eddie said. Although I couldn't see anything, I thought I could feel an eye roll as he said this.

I was about to answer when the lights suddenly came on.

We were blinded. I shielded my eyes with my arm, grunting at the brightness. My eyes tried to adjust quickly, but it wasn't working that well. Everything was white, and even when blinking, I couldn't see.

"Well well well," Cynthia's voice slithered its way to us. "At long last, Sydney has finally been found. And I was beginning to think that you let your friends do the dirty work for you."

I could hear her heals coming closer, but more than that, I could feel my amulet becoming warmer with every step she took.

I felt Eddie shift, his arm crossing over my body, protecting me. His eyes must have adjusted way faster than mine, as I could barely make out the outline of his body.

As the next few seconds went by, I kept blinking, trying to clear the light from my eyes. Then, I could finally start to make out some details. I could fully see Eddie now, and Zach. Zach was on the floor, laying on his stomach as his right arm was caught in a clawed trap. Red dried up blood was around the wound, and he looked paler than ever. Obviously, he was lying about the intensity of his injuries.

I could also make out Cynthia. And she also had two Strigoi with her, instead of her usual bodyguard witches.

"Just let my friends go, and then you can do what you want with me." I told her. I felt Eddie stiffen to my response, and he managed to move closer to me in the process.

"No Sydney." He whispered.

Cynthia laughed. "Why on Earth would I do that? I mean, I already have you. Your human and your Dhampir are of no concern of mine, but since they are here already, I might find some use of them. So why would I let them go?"

"You wanted me. Not them. Not Adrian. All of this is about me." I told her. "So let everyone else leave."

She smiled. "I don't think so. Luke, Michael, bring them out." She yelled out. A door opened from the opposite side of the room, as two of her lackey's, one I recognized from a previous time, the other was unknown. But more importantly, those two lackeys were dragging a handcuffed and gagged Adrian and Marcus with them.

I screamed, and tried to run over there, but Eddie held onto me, stopping me.

"Let them go Cynthia!" I yelled, anger laced throughout my voice.

Adrian met my eyes, and he shook his head. He was signaling for me to stop, to protect myself. But I couldn't', not anymore. I couldn't let anyone else get hurt.

"What do you want, Cynthia? Just tell me." I talked directly to her, making eye contact.

Her smirk grew. "I thought you'd never ask."

I gulped. "Tell me."

She sighed. "Let's go to a place that's a little more...private then." She gestured to a door that was near me. I hadn't seen it before, which told me that some type of magic was behind this.

Although I had doubts, I nodded.

I could hear Adrian's and Marcus's grunts of protest behind their gags, but I ignored them. Eddie was another problem though.

He stopped me, holding me there. "Sydney, think about this. You can't go into some unmarked room with her. I need to protect you, stay here."

"I have to go, Eddie." I told him, looking straight into his eyes. "She'll kill us all if I don't."

"How do you know she wouldn't kill us anyway?" He asked me.

I sighed. "I don't...but I need to try." I looked over at Cynthia. "Do you swear not to hurt them when we are talking?"

She snorted. "Fine."

"Say that you swear."

She smiled. "I swear, Sydney."

I nodded, then turned back to Eddie, his hands still tight on my arms. "See, it'll be okay. You guys will be safe."

He looked like he didn't believe it, but it didn't really matter what he thought. I was going.

"Let me go, Eddie. Please."

He didn't move. I drew in some power and energy, then focused on making his hands open up. You could see the disbelief in his face, but his hands did what I made them do. And he released me. I stepped away, and said a silent sorry to him, as I turned around.

I walked to the doorway, hearing her heals tapping as she walked to it too. My breathing was starting to increase as I began to wonder what was actually behind that doorway. After what I had been through with walking through any door in this warehouse, my imagination thought of everything. Was it a torture chamber? A pit that would make me fall into an endless black hole, never coming out again?

I met her, waiting at the door. We both eyed one another, Cynthia looking more certain than me, that was for sure.

"After you," she told me.

I gulped. "Fine." I opened up the door. Inside was an office space, with a desk and everything. It was more on the modern side, and the room was dimly lit. I walked in.

I heard the door close shut behind me, as I took a seat in one of the chairs. She walked around me, to the other side of the desk, sitting down gracefully. She crossed her legs, and folded her hands. Sitting perfectly straight, she smiled at me.

"I'm glad you have finally agreed to talk with me." She told me, the smile never leaving her face.

I snorted. "Stop with all the politeness, Cynthia. What do you want?"

"Politeness? I thought that alchemists enjoyed politeness?"

I remained silent.

"Tsk tsk, Sydney. Now what would your superiors think of you?" She questioned, then started to pull something out of her drawer. "I mean, they are already on to you, aren't they."

She didn't ask, she simply told. Then she pulled some papers out of her desk, handing them over to me.

I took them carefully, eyeing her suspiciously. Then I looked at the papers.

Sydney Sage has been coming up with stories, it seems. I feel that she is falsely using excuses and making up what she tells us. Under these circumstances, we must keep a close eye on her.

Ms Sydney Sage shows signs of becoming a good Alchemist, but there are areas of concern. Sage isn't following protocol for most situations lately. She is using resources quickly, and for needs that aren't necessary at times. Her closeness to the vampires that she is presently working with have also become a concern.

And the list went on and on. Every sentence, every line, basically saying the same thing. That I showed promise, that I was a great alchemist, but I was starting to veer off track recently.

"What is this?" I asked her.

"Something that a few of my...friends, managed to steal for me." She told me. "I read a few, they seem very harsh on you."

I looked up at her. "Where?"

"Where is it from? The main head quarters. Hard to get into, but not impossible. I believe they are field notes of your superiors, documented for their eyes only."

I inhaled deeply, setting the papers back down on the desk. "Why did you show me those?"

"Well, I need you to understand something, Sydney." She started, leaning back. "Alchemists, they may appear strong, independent, intelligent, and so on. But they are all fools. All trying to be accepted among themselves, all trying to be the superior race. But they aren't. Obviously they are not strong. They barely have the training to protect themselves, let alone each other. They are not independent, relying too much on others to do dirty work for them. And they are definitely not intelligent. Look at what they wrote about you! I mean, can anyone that intelligent actually make statements like that. You are probably the best alchemist they have. And yet they see fault. They want you to fail. That's what the alchemists do, Sydney, they make others fail so they look better. They see fault in others, so they look better. They make you do things, make you follow their rules, so they look better." She stood up. "When really, Sydney, they have you. You are the better one."

I sat there, speechless. What she was saying was true. All of it.

She walked around, slowly making her way around the desk. "Sydney, you are so special to them, that they worry too much about losing you, about you actually leaving them for something else. Something better." She sat on the desk, right next to me.

"Something like working with you?" I asked her stiffly.

She laughed. "For me." She clarified. "But yes, that is an option. At least I wouldn't take your true love away from you, like they would. I would allow you to do almost anything you wanted, what would I care? Freedom sounds appealing, does it not?"

"Freedom?" I asked her. "What do you know about freedom?"

"Your friend, Marcus, he was once mine. Did he mention it?" She asked me coolly.

"Yeah, he did. He said it was the worst decision of his life."

"Really? That isn't what he told me, back when he was here. You see, he left the alchemists, joining me in the process." She eyed me. "He was an alchemist, he didn't want to be told what to do anymore. So I brought him in. I let him join us, sensing his magic abilities. He was strong. But, I think you could be stronger, with the right training of course."

I huffed. "So that's your huge speech? 'Join us Sydney, you have so much potential. I can train you like no other.' Like that really convinced me."

She tapped her fingernails on the desk. "Sydney, do you want to be an alchemist?"

I gulped. "I am one, that's all that matters."

She laughed her evil laugh. "That's not the question though. If you had the choice to actually be anything you wanted in the world, would an alchemist be the first choice for you?"

It was like she was reading my mind. Lately, I had been thinking about the choices, the options that would have been available for me if I were born in some other family, a family that wasn't part of the alchemist society. When it came down to it, I doubted that being an alchemist would have been a choice for me.

She smirked. "I can see the deliberation on your face, Sydney. Now, if you really wanted to be an alchemist, why would that doubt be so pronounced? I wonder."

"What does it matter to you?" I angrily asked her.

"It matters to me because you matter to me. You and your happiness. I want to make you happy, Sydney."

I scoffed at that one. "Make me happy? You killed my friend. You have tortured my boyfriend. You have come after everyone that I care about. How on earth is that making me happy?"

She smiled. "It's why I brought you in here. I can stop all of that, with the snap of my manicured fingers." She stood up, slithering around my seat. "I can make it all...disappear. You won't have to worry about me hurting anyone you care about from now on, if you just say one, simple word."

"What?"

"Yes."

"Yes?" I asked her in response.

"Yes," She whispered in my ear, making me shiver. "Say yes to what I have to offer you. Then your friends will be safe. I assure you."

"And if I say no?"

I heard her snort. "If you say no, then you might as well say good bye to those friends of yours too."

I turned to look her in the eyes. "What would you do to them?"

"Well a part from just killing them, I would make them wish they were dead. They would wish this for a tremendous amount of time. Their one thought, if they could even manage to think by the time I'm through with them, would be to die. Eventually, I would probably grant them that wish, but not right away. And of course, I would make Adrian's death drag on longer, just for you. He'd cry, he'd beg, all because of your choice, Sydney. And you would be watching. All of it. Until the last dies, then you would be the next to parish. Does that sound like a better option?"

My breathing became louder, more heavier in listening to her menacing voice talk about my friends like that. I believed her though, every last word. If she had the option, she'd go through with it. She would do everything in her power to destroy me, to make me regret my decision.

"Or," She interrupted my thoughts. "If you say yes to joining me, to becoming my...prodigy, so to speak, then all of that unpleasantness could be avoided. Your friends could continue on, living the lives they wish, and I wouldn't touch a hair on their little heads. You could become so great, so powerful, Sydney. Think about it. If I were to train you, you could live forever. You could learn so much, create so much magic, and do so many things. You could leave the Alchemists, become the witch that you are destined to be. Leave all those alchemists, your father, everyone that has ever doubted you, those who wrote that list, everyone...you could leave them behind. You could even get revenge on them, if you wish. What would I care? You could be with Adrian; I would allow it you know. Not like those alchemists. I would be accepting. I would let you do anything you wanted. I would give you freedom. I would give you power beyond anything that you can imagine. It would all be yours."

"And you wouldn't hurt my friends? Ever?"

"No, Sydney. I would never hurt them." She answered.

"And you would, if I declined your offer to join you."

"I would have no choice."

"Just tell me one thing." I eyed her.

She raised her eyebrows. "Anything."

"Why me?" I asked. "Why did you choose me? There must be countless others out there to choose from. Yet, you chose me. I mean, I'm inexperienced. I'm nothing though...just some alchemist."

"Some alchemist?" She interrupted. "My dear, alchemist's are the best witches out their...if they are lucky enough to have magic in their vein's. This is why I chose you. Marcus was my best pupil, until he left. You will be even better. You have more advanced magic for a beginner. You are disciplined. You will follow nicely, with me as your leader...I mean you had the alchemist's instill that trait on you since you were old enough to walk. That is why, Sydney."

"So you are choosing me because I can be your pet?" I spat at her.

She sneered. "Pet, is such a cruel, undermining word, Sydney. More like...I am your boss, your leader. And you are my worker or my follower. Of course, I plan to treat you well. I plan to train you reach your potential. I allow freedom, to some extent. You will like it, I assure you."

I sighed. "And even if I don't, this is the only way to save my friends, right?"

She nodded, smiling at me.

I now had a choice to make. Either save my friends, making me choose Cynthia's side. The dark side. Or say no, and have everyone I love get tortured, and eventually, die.

What a choice, I thought to myself.

"Time's ticking, Sydney." She crossed her arms, leaning against the desk still.

I stood up from my seat, shaking slightly. I had to really stop that. Show no fear, I kept saying to myself in my head. The shaking stopped, and I stood straight and strong. I looked at her, turning slightly so I could face her head on.

Then I said that word. The one that I wasn't sure that I could live with, but one that I knew I had to in order to save my friends. To save Adrian.

Taking one last deep breath, I said it. I said, "Yes."