Chapter One

"Is this some kind of joke?" The disbelief obvious in her tone.

"I was hoping you wouldn't say that, I suppose that was wishful thinking but no this is not a joke and I have the records to prove it"

She stood silently for a moment, mulling over the huge claim this stranger had made. Now that she thought of it she realised she didn't even know her name.

"And you are...?"

"Ayra"

Strange name Lara thought, but fitting looking at her appearance: Raven hair falling to her hips and over her eyes because of the straight fringe, dark amethyst eyes and pale skin complimented by dark black coloured clothing. Her stance similar to when she was uncomfortable, the uncanny curl of her lips as they twisted up from one side as she analysed the situation and the strange position she was in. Meeting her sister. Lara. For the first time in the last nineteen years or so.

Of course it was strange.

"How and why do you believe that I am your sister?"

"Lots of research, you know the usual, adoption, hospital records, and large numbers of people who just 'happened' to know who I was for no apparent reason when I visited them, which would be your family members"

Although Ayra hadn't given her any significant reason to actually listen, Lara asked her to come in without realising that she felt a small pull to this strange girl who seemed so much like herself without knowing anything about her.

Taking a step into the manor, she automatically looked to her right. A huge glass wall stood about at least thirty metres away separating the main hall into a full tech zone, wires coming out of apparently no where wrapped up in small crevices between different bits of technological gear. In the middle of the room sat two curved desks facing each other, in the middle a dark skinned and dark haired man sat causally tapping away on something she couldn't see clearly. He didn't look up as Lara softly closed the door behind her.

Looking to her left a staircase travelled up and split itself in to half leading to two balcony's that faced each other being held up by small sized columns, both had a large number of doors which ultimately lead to different rooms.

Twisting her eyes flawlessly to her front she saw the elegant fireplace with the fire crackling away, long cream coloured sofa's surrounding it, a long wooden coffee table in the middle, on top of it stood a few short stacks of books most of which were opened and being read by a man who appeared to be the same age as Lara.

Brown eyes with glasses half covering them looked up as she took a few small steps forward. Although he didn't say anything the curiosity was clear in his face, seeing as he wouldn't be getting any answers from Lara or her for that matter he went back to read.

She turned around quickly to see Lara moving through the door on the far left side of the hall which opened up to another long hallway leading outside with a stone arch. Following Lara through the garden she soon spotted the small round table and the chairs neatly placed around it.

"Take a seat" Lara said startling her from the small observations she was making.

Geez, could this be any more formal? Ayra secretly thought taking a seat as she felt a sudden nervousness wash over her. Turning her head to her 'sister' she saw the clear scepticism on her face.

"Those records you mentioned?"

Quickly taking off the small backpack she had been carrying she found the small file and handed it to Lara. As she watched her go through them she saw the small flickers of disbelief and defeat in her eyes, clearly she was a little more convinced about what had been said. A little.

"So, you have the information to prove it but how do I know you didn't just forge these somehow?"

"Well, I guess we could go down to the hospital I went to or you're just going to have to believe that I'm not some kind of deranged asylum escapee"

"Hmm, I'll choose to believe you"

Although Lara had said she believed her, she could see that Lara, obviously, didn't.

I guess she's going to be escaping at night to actually search for that one hospital to try and prove me wrong I suppose she's a little like me in that prospect since I'd do the same thing in her position.

"I think I'll introduce her to them then" Lara mumbled thinking Ayra couldn't hear her.

Getting up, Lara quickly walked back to the main hall expecting her to follow. As soon as they opened the door and stepped through both the men Ayra had observed looked up, she noticed the dark skinned one had moved from his position to sitting next to the other one on the long sofa next to the fireplace.

"Zip, Alister, I'd like you to meet Ayra" She noticed that Lara hadn't mentioned the sister part.

Then again I don't blame her.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you" Alister greeted as he got up to shake her hand, which she returned with a hard edged smile, seeing through the 'facade' they had put on since Lara had silently sent both Alister and Zip secretive glances conveying exactly how she felt about her being there.

"Hey" Was Zip's less formal reply which she silently thanked. The few but constant formalities were beginning to get on her nerves especially since they were said just to be polite to her instead of just letting her know she wasn't exactly welcome.

"Well," Lara paused trying to hide the fact that she was discreetly displeased with the current events "I'm going to show Ayra to her room since she will be staying with us for a" Pausing "a while"

Although Ayra was shocked that she hadn't suddenly kicked her out, she didn't complain about the decision her...sister had made, the term still made her uneasy seeing as she had thought she had lost her family a long while ago and thought that she would never see any living family member again.

At least, not until she was dead.

Three hours later Ayra was lying on her bed, her feet dangling off the bed and her arms lying parallel to her body as she scrambled through the mess that was her brain going into overdrive. She had realised from the first moment her sister had said she believed her, that she would be trying to find a way to slip away and try and prove her wrong but she hadn't expected it to happen so quickly.

Through the silence she heard a small crashing sound come from the left of her bedroom door, deciding quickly to see what happened she moved to get up, tied her hair into an intricate bun in the matter of seconds and reached for the door.

I've got nothing better to do; I guess it doesn't do any harm.

As she wandered down the first few steps of the stairs she effortlessly twisted and hid behind the large stone pillar right next to the first step. Doing this she saw that the three she had met earlier today were casually sitting on the sofas.

"I'd like to do my own little bit of research on this girl, there's something about her I don't trust" Lara paused zipping up her coat which she had thrown on.

"So you really think she'd go through that much trouble just to try and get you to believe her?"

"I have to admit it doesn't make much sense Lara" Alister commented as he narrowed his eyes at Zip.

"No I don't think she would but that nagging suspicion is somehow linked to that; I can feel it. Anyway just make sure she doesn't do anything, I'm a little tired of having to track down thieves; I hope she isn't one of them. I'll be back later boys" She paused "please do try not to destroy anything in your arguing"

She's a lot more observant than I gave her credit for I have to say. I'm surprised she didn't resist the sisterly part of that conversation.

Quietly moving back to where she came from, Ayra made herself literally invisible, feeling her whole body merge into a state of nothingness.