"Now let us go," Klaus starts to head towards a river boat. "We have what we came for."
"Yes, sir," Liliana darts after him with a little hidden smile.
"I am not going to lose you," Zhalia whispers to herself while running in the shadows.
Meeting Klaus: Flashback
"Zhalia..." Liliana glances up with fear in her eyes. "Where are we?"
"Italy," Zhalia whispers back to her. "We finally made it home."
"Zhalia..." Liliana holds onto Zhalia's jacket. "They don't want us at home. They kicked us out."
"I know," Zhalia hugs Liliana in her arms. "I am going to find some food for us as you stay here and watch this spot."
Liliana nods her head as she sits on the cardboard box they found for shelter. Zhalia smiles at her friend she found a few months ago. Zhalia dashes away from Liliana's view, searching for dinner and breakfast tomorrow. Zhalia walks through the streets as she marks everything in her mind to remember how to get back to Liliana at the shelter. She slips past some vendors, snatching apples and oranges without anyone noticing. She finishes observing the city again while making her way back home. Zhalia stares at a house not very big or small. Zhalia stares at the place, she and Liliana called home a few months ago.
"I still can't believe we are from the same foster home and never knew each other," Zhalia chuckles at the thought while moving towards the edge of the bridge.
"Well," an older boy stands at the edge of the bridge. "What do we have here?"
Zhalia stops in her tracks while keeping the food she snatched hidden from the boy. She watches the boy when three more kids come out from behind him. They have smirks and smiles in their faces while staring at Zhalia.
"It looks like a thief," Another boy says with an evil grin on his face.
"Are you a little thief girl?" The bigger boy questions Zhalia as he wraps a hand around her jacket.
"Let go of me!" Zhalia cries out in fear. "I am trying to get home!"
"Oh!" A girl speaks now. "She has a home!"
"Let go of me!" Zhalia whines and struggles in the boy's grip.
"Give us the food you stole! Thief!" Another girl yells at her.
"No!" Zhalia bites the boy's hand, forcing him to release her.
The bigger boy reacts to her bite with a hard punch in Zhalia's jaw. She falls on the ground before fighting with her feet to run. She gets a grip and tries to dash off the bridge while a large bruise grows upon her left cheek.
"Get her!" The bigger boy orders them while gripping hold of his injured hand.
Zhalia tries to run as fast as she can, but the boy and girls catch her. They drag her back to the bigger boy when he punches her in the stomach. Zhalia chokes up some blood when he punches her again.
"This will teach you a better thief!" The bigger boy shouts at her.
The other kids start to follow their lead as they continue to kick her. Zhalia curls into a fetal position while they continue to kick her. Soon she hears someone yell on the other side of the bridge.
"Let my sister go!" Her voice comes through the air.
"Your sister?" The bigger boy chuckles at her on the other side of the bridge. "Your sister is a thief!"
"So are you!" She yells back towards the boy.
"What?" The boy asks the girl with anger growing in his voice.
"I watched you steal our home! You kicked me out of the cardboard box, my sister, and I found on our own!" Liliana informs him.
Zhalia lifts her eyes to see Liliana with a blooding nose and bruises all over her body. The bigger boy cracks his knuckles before stepping towards Liliana. Zhalia takes this opportunity to flip around and trip the boy. Zhalia dashes up and runs to the other side of the bridge. She grabs Liliana and yanks her arm to head in a direction away from the four perpetrators. Liliana starts to struggle behind when Zhalia stops on a corner out of breath.
"I think we lost them..." Zhalia struggles to get out.
"Are you okay, Zhalia?" Liliana wonders when she places her hand on Zhalia's bruised left cheek.
"Am I okay?" Zhalia shouts to Liliana. "Are you okay?"
Liliana smiles at Zhalia with dry blood stained on her clothes and under her nose past her lip. Zhalia smiles at her friend as she wipes the blood off her face.
"I really am fine Zhalia," Liliana laughs at her friend.
"Really?" Zhalia smirks at Liliana. "You are all bruised up!"
"So are you!" Liliana restates back at Zhalia.
"I know," Zhalia grins as she places her head on Liliana's. "Please stay safe next the time I leave you."
"I will try," Liliana smiles at Zhalia. "But I cannot promise it."
"I know," Zhalia answers with a smile and a shrug.
Zhalia takes hold of Liliana and wraps her in a hug for comfort. Zhalia just wants to hear Liliana's heartbeat, making sure she is alright. Liliana Lays her head on Zhalia's chest and listens to her heartbeat as well. They stay in their hug until Zhalia hears footsteps coming closer to them.
"Who's there?" Zhalia orders the person as she blocks Liliana behind her for protection.
"You put on quite a show on that bridge," The man says to the two girls.
"Who are you?" Zhalia asks the man.
"My name is Klaus and how would you like to become more powerful than those bullies over there?" The man answers Zhalia as he stays at the two girls through his glasses.
"What do you mean?" Liliana wonders to the man.
"I can grant you infinite power if you come with me," Klaus tells them with a friendly almost fatherly smile to them.
"Zhalia..." Liliana looks up to Zhalia who turns to face her with the same questioning look on her face.
"You can make us powerful?" Zhalia questions to Klaus while holding onto Liliana's hand.
"Infinite power," Klaus smiles at them as he holds out his hands towards them.
"I can protect Liliana," Zhalia wonders.
"And I can protect Zhalia," Liliana states with Zhalia.
"You will be able to protect yourselves and each other," Klaus grins towards them. "You will have double protection and a home with me."
"Liliana..." Zhalia glances over to her.
"Yes," Liliana answers Zhalia.
Zhalia and Liliana place their hands on Klaus's as he wraps his around theirs. He smiles at the two girls when he turns with one on each side of his arm. The girls smile at each other believing they are going to gain the power to protect each other, but one will betray the other. This separates their friendship completely not understanding the deeper plot being placed underneath their two feet.