Well… Hello there xD Uhm… Let me introduce myself.

Name's Anya and I have 21 years old and yes, I still love Card Captor Sakura xD I had this idea in mind and it is sorta based off by two of my favorite games; Uncharted and Tomb Raider (not the newer ones). Since I wanted to get back on writing about CCS, why not make this an Alternate Universe? Let's do it! For now the rating is rated T, I don't know if I'll raise it to M.

Oh! One more thing: Here Sakura and Syaoran are pretty different in personality, so don't expect anything fluffy for now xD

I hope you enjoy :3

Chapter 1;

The Mysterious Woman

-Luoyang, China. 3rd June 2016. 9:00 PM

It was always like this, in fact, his job was always like this.

After he found an important artifact that they were looking in the excavations, a big party at the museum must have been taken place, to celebrate.

Syaoran Li hated those parties but he loved his job, he had studied with much labor to become what he wished to be and in the end, after years of intense study and sacrifices, he received his well-deserved university degree in Archeology. Right after, Syaoran had some excavations all around the world; from Italy to England, from South America to Japan.

The thing that made him pretty emotional was that he could do excavations on his birth-land; China.

He had finished the excavations on the city of Luoyang, that in the 650 After Christ was the Imperial City of China under the Tang Dynasty, but also under the empire of the only Empress of China; Empress Wu Zeitan.

In fact, they had found an artifact that belonged to the Empress, a strange artifact… that now was exposed in a glass show-case and lovers of History looked at the artifact with admiration.

Syaoran sighed, tired of the stale air and of the jazz music in the background and decided to take some fresh air outside.

While walking to the exit of the museum he saw a familiar figure, she was smoking cigarette.

Syaoran smiled because he knew the person; it was his cousin.

She had black hair in a chopper cut, amber skin like honey, almond hazel eyes, her thin lips were colored of dark red lipstick.

She was wearing a short and black dress, sleeveless and it let out her long legs, the dress didn't show any particular neckline that let her well-rounded breasts to be seen.

« You should quit smoking Mei-Ling, sooner or later it will kill you. » Mei-Ling turned and saw the cousin. She made some smoke out of her mouth, directed to Syaoran. « I prefer to die on this way rather in between the danger, like you. » she said while giving a light punch on his shoulder « Leave me my pleasures Syaoran, like you have the pleasure for the Whiskey. » Syaoran closed his eyes at this affirmation and looked at the other side, while drinking his dry Martini.

Mei-Ling finished the cigarette and threw it away from where she and Syaoran were. After she looked at the annoying expression of her cousin: He was very handsome, his dark and full brown hair, some locks where sometimes in front of his firm amber-brown eyes, he was dressed in a smoking that evening and made it more handsome than he already his.

« You don't like these kind of parties eh cousin? » she said jokingly, while giving him a little blow with the elbow, Syaoran put his hand on where Mei-Ling hit him « Listen who talks! You don't like neither these parties! » the two cousins laughed a bit from Syaoran's words. He and Mei-Ling were different, but inside they were almost similar, they were first-grade cousins but they felt more like brother and sister.

Syaoran wasn't an only child, he had two sister and they were working on the family's business. Mei-Ling instead had a twin sister, Mei-Xing and she worked at Beijing's Hospital as headmistress of the Department of Surgery

« Anyway, you and your team have found anything interesting between the bones that we found on the excavations? » asked Syaoran, curious about the researches that she made beside him. Mei-Ling was not an archeologist but an anthropologist, she worked on the remaining bones of the long deceased people and sometimes she found the true causes of their deaths and not as the history books says.

Mei-Ling shocked her head, disappointed « No, we didn't found anything for now. Neither on the body of Empress Wu, but if I'll find something I'll let you know immediately. For now it seems that she died for natural causes. » Syaoran nodded, while chewing the inner part of his cheek.

Mei-Ling sighed and took her pack of 100's Camel's Cigarettes and put a drag on her lips « This thing is stressing me, literally. » she said while she was lighting up the cigarette, the smoke exited through her mouth and nose.

Syaoran made an half smile and gave a light slap of her shoulder « I'll leave you to your vices, surely they want me inside… Doctor Li » He gave a wink to the cousin.

Mei-Ling made a grimace with her face « Respect my vices Professor Li » she said laughing and then she took another breath to her cigarette.

Syaoran shocked his head and leave Mei-Ling to her vices.

Two hours passed, it was already eleven in the night. Syaoran and Mei-Ling talked non-stop to their respective anthropologists and archeologist colleagues.

Syaoran had to admit it but he was growing bored of this, he wanted nothing more to come back to the hotel, take a glass of whiskey and watch the television.

But his presence was fundamental, since he found the artifact that belonged to the Empress Wu Zeitan.

While he was talking with his colleagues, he had catch with the slight of the eye an woman interested on the artifact.

She didn't look like an archeologist or a scholar of ancient artifacts. She looked like she was twenty-four, the same age as Syaoran, her long and bright brown hair where falling on her shoulders, they were straight like spaghetti's and very bright like the silk, the green eyes like jades and white skin like porcelain dolls. She had a long black dress, but it had a skirting on her left leg, she had also long gloves, of the same color of her dress.

Syaoran was fascinated by the woman and from how she studied the artifact. Well, Yeah. Why not? He through while he nodded to himself.

« Will you excuse me for a moment, honorable colleagues? » his colleagues nodded to him with a smile on their lips.

Syaoran was walking towards the woman, with his hands on his back.

« Fascinating, Isn't it? » asked Syaoran when he was next to the woman, she looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

From a distance, Syaoran didn't noticed the beauty of the woman, she had gorgeous curves, a physical hourglass and very well rounded breasts.

Syaoran noticed only now that there was a neckline on her chest, his eye tried to look not at her breasts.

« Yes, fascinating indeed, I saw many artifacts like this, but this one catch my attention. » said the woman while she put an hand on the glass, where the artifact was exposed.

Syaoran raised an eyebrow, that woman was so mysterious, even at the first glace. « Are you an archeologist too? » he asked, a bit embarrassed.

The woman shocked her head and turned to him, while removing a lock of hair that was in front of her jaded green eyes « No… Let's say that I have travelled a lot and I collect objects that are forgotten on the eyes of earth. I'm a Collector, but sometimes what I do is illegal. »

Syaoran nodded, but he couldn't understand what the words of the woman mean What does she mean with "sometimes what I do is illegal"? it was a question that he could not find an answer… was she a thief in Incognito? But from her looks she doesn't look like one.

« What's your name? » asked Syaoran while he put his arms in between his body. The woman seemed hesitant for a moment, but she decided to answer « Sakura Kinomoto, Collector of ancient objects » she said while extending her hand to Syaoran.

He took it, but he didn't shake it « Professor Li, archeologist » then he approached her hand towards his lips, kissing her fingertips « Enchanted, really. »

Sakura raised an eyebrow while Syaoran kissed her hand, he let her hand go immediately, Sakura didn't left that look on her eyes « What a gentleman, really. »

Sakura's voice was firm but there wasn't unkindness on it.

« What are you doing here in Luoyang, Miss Kinomoto? » he asked while he came back to watch the artifact, he was proud of that pendant, another one to add to his list of discovering, enough that he could start searching for the Ark of Alliance and he would appear in all world's newspapers.

Sakura made a soft grimace and looked back at the artifact « As I said… I'm a collector. I found many of these things during my journeys and they were locked safely for many time under my supervision and my security system. » Syaoran nodded only to her words Get on the point, beautiful lady. He through almost irritated.

« How much do you sell the Jade Heart? » asked Sakura, sharp.

Syaoran's eyes opened , shocked from the woman's question Absolutely not.

He wanted nothing more to answer her badly, take her out or call the security and make her walk away.

But he decided to be a gentleman and tried to calm the waters that now where boiling inside his blood. « I'm sorry, but the Jade Heart is not for sale. »

At Syaoran's answer, Sakura looked at him with her eyebrows in an expression of rage and disappointment, she only sighed and looked at her fingers of her left hand. « I can only say that you're making a great mistake Professor. »

Syaoran raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms against his chest Mistake? What mistake?! Syaoran continued to think…

Also… Who was this woman? And why she wants the Jade Heart so bad? She was only a collector after all… Syaoran would never sell it neither to the President of United States himself.

« Threats don't work with me Miss Kinomoto. »

Sakura shocked her head while chewing the inner part of her cheek and looked at Syaoran with an enigmatic smile « We are on 2016 Professor Li, many could watch us but you're too naïve to understand the dangers of this artifact »

Syaoran began to move the fingers on his right arm, confused by the words that she was saying to him.

« I should go now, I'll leave you my business card » she said while she took a card from her purse, Syaoran took it reluctant.

Sakura winked at him « Don't hesitate to call me when something happen » those were the last words that Sakura Kinomoto said to him that night in Luoyang, Syaoran hoped to never see her again.

Collector of Artifacts… Tsk…I don't believe in her, for me she is something else. He though while he saw her leaving in between the guests that were talking and talking.

Mei-Ling noticed that the cousin was next to the artifact and walked to him, she had a glass of Gin on her hand « Who was that woman? » she asked as she took a sip of the alcoholic drink.

Syaoran noticed Mei-Ling and smiled grimly at her, then he looked at the direction where Kinomoto left « I don't know… » he lied.

Deep inside, Syaoran hoped that she wasn't a thief, but he understood it immediately.

Sakura Kinomoto was not a simple collector.