"Lara..." she tried to gain her sister's attention, but she continued to whisper to herself, flicking through pages of their father's old books and tapping the letters on the keyboard of her laptop.
"Not now, Regina, I'm busy." Lara spoke, not looking up for a split second. She picked up a book and skimmed through the pages in search of a small detail.
"But Lara-"
"I said not now, give me five minutes, okay?" She took her hand and placed it on her younger sister's shoulder. Regina nodded, pushed her hand away and turned around, walking towards the desk. Lara looked at her for a moment, before proceeding to once again look through the book.
Regina sat on the chair, with her elbow on the desk and chin resting on her hand, staring at the clock and waiting for 'five minutes' to be over, but of course, after knowing her sister for quite a few years now, she knew that those five minutes always seemed to last much, much longer.

"I've got it!" Her sister shouted.
"So... I guess you're going on another expedition now, huh," Regina said, looking down at the desk.
"Regina..." Lara approached her and perched on the edge of the desk. "I'll be back soon, don't worry."
"Why won't you ever let me come with you?" She asked.
"Because it's too dangerous for you."
"But it's not for you?" Regina wiped the tear from her eye.
"Regina, I said that I'd take care of you ever since dad died. And for me to do that, I can't let you come with me. You need to stay here."
"How can you take care of me if you aren't here?" She yelled, slamming her fists down on the desk and looking at her sister in the eyes. "You're never here, you're always busy trying to follow in dad's footsteps and you never let me help you! You know what happened to him, and I don't want that to happen to you! I want to be there with you!"
"You're too young," she replied.
"I'm 20, you're only 4 years older than me."
"Four and a half..."
"It's the same thing!" She paused. "Please, Lara."
Lara turned around and slammed the door behind her as Regina rolled her eyes and let out a big sigh.

Lara walked briskly to her room and began packing the very few essentials that she'd need into a very small rucksack: a change of clothes, just a spare beige tank and pants in a slightly darker shade and her climbing axes. She finished off putting the last few items into the bag, matches, GPS, her father's tapes and her belt, before returning to her father's old study.
"Go and pack, then." She told her sister. Regina quickly looked up at her sister in shock, grinned and ran to her room. Lara followed her, and helped her with her packing. She'd never done this before but had heard about all of the amazing adventures her sister had, and she felt something she hadn't felt in a long time- excitement for the next part of her life and hope for her future.

Ever since their mother died, Regina lived in many places, until she finally turned 16 and found her sister, who she never really used to know after their parent's divorce. Life changed, Lara stayed with their father whilst Regina went with their mother to America. It was only four years ago when she moved in, and in those years they had been very distant. Finally, she had an opportunity to get closer to her sister.

"So where are we headed?" She asked.
"Siberia."
"Didn't you just go there recently?"
"Yes, but look," Lara held up the book to show a page with a drawing on it. "There's an ancient codex somewhere, and it leads the way to the artifact." She put it onto the floor and looked at it carefully. "How did I miss this?.."
"What?"
"This... tomb," she picked up the book and held it closer to her face. "I could have sworn I went through there."
"Maybe you missed something?" Regina suggested.
"Maybe. Unless..." she paused. "Trinity."
"Who?"
"The Order of Trinity. They've been after me ever since I had leads to the Divine Source last time. Since I went to Syria, they've been following me ever since, all the way through Siberia, and right up to the Source itself. Right until I destroyed it. Maybe they got it first... but we'll have to go and look anyway."

Lara grabbed her red expedition jacket out of her wardrobe, and as Regina pulled out her black one, Lara stopped her.
"If they're there, they'll see you easily." She warned her sister.
"But black's my colour," Regina replied.
"Regina, I promised I'd look after you. I can't have Trinity running after you. Now come on, get a different one."
Regina groaned, but complied with her sister's demands, so took a white jacket out.

•
•
•

"This way, Regina," she told her sister, who although was cold, wandered around through the snow and away from Lara at times. "Twenty? You act like a six year old," Lara muttered.
"This place is so cool," Regina said in shock.
"Quieten down a little. They might already be here." She ran towards a cave. "Follow me. But be careful."

As they entered the darkness, Lara cracked open a glowstick and held it upwards.
"Shit," she whispered.
"Is it Trinity?" Regina asked, frightened.
"Shh,"
"What is it?" She heard a snarl, followed by a growl.
"Get down!" Her sister shouted and they charged. Regina ran behind a rock and watched as her sister took out two of the three wolves attacking her with her climbing axes. As her sister was going to attack the final one, Regina heard something behind her. There was another one, coming for her.

She slowly turned around, but as she got halfway, the wolf attacked. It pounced onto her, knocking her down. As much as she wanted to scream for help, she didn't want her sister to underestimate her. She stayed quiet as she watched her sister upside down, attacking the third wolf. She fumbled around for her axes as the wolf scratched her face. She pushed it, got on her knees and struck it with the blade of the axe. It too, got back up to fight. She ran back, when she suddenly fell down a pit. The wolf looked down into it, and she picked up a rock and threw it at the wolf to distract it. It looked back before jumping straight down.
Regina ran and quickly picked up both axes and rolled to dodge the wolf as it ran up. She stood behind it and drove the sharp edge right into it's back as it fell to the ground, some blood pouring out.

"Lara?" Regina shouted. She walked back towards the pit and looked up. There was no way she could climb back up there with the axes, they just weren't sharp enough. Seeking a way out and back to her sister, she turned the other way and ventured deeper into the cave.

Meanwhile, Lara finished off the final wolf. She ran back to them all, looting them for their hides. She could use them for something.
"Regina?" She called. "Where are you?" She asked curiously, looking behind the rock she'd last seen her sister at. Lara bent down and looked at the prints. "Shit," she murmured. "Shit!" She repeated louder. "Regina!!"
She followed the prints as much as she could until they stopped.
"Oh god," she stared at the wall and fell to the ground. She'd lost her sister.

"So cold," Regina whispered to herself. She wrapped her arms around herself, but continued through the cave, when suddenly she came across a small camp. She put her hand near the pile of ash and quickly removed it once she realised how how it was, before her hand could touch it. Someone had been here. She wasn't alone.

She trudged forwards, her feet beginning to hurt. She so desperately wanted to stop, but couldn't. All she could think about was how worried Lara would be. No, Lara was smart. She'd find her. But she still needed to find a way out. Remembering the radio her sister had given her, she pulled it out and tried to speak. Feedback. She sighed and shoved it back in her belt.
"Please find me Lara," she whispered to herself, trying to contain her tears.

Suddenly, she came across a large room, realising what it is. She found the tomb. It looked as though Lara had already been here, but as she said, she'd missed something. Remembering the camp, she realised she wasn't alone in here so was extra cautious manoeuvring her way through the tomb, trying to avoid any possibly active traps. However, the path was quite clear. There was definitely someone here. A huge boulder blocked a small entrance through what appeared to look like an ancient heating vent. Nevertheless, she held her breath and squished her way through. A small light was visible, so she slowly and carefully stepped towards it. Stood right there, looking at a small panel was one of them. Trinity had beaten them to it. She slowly approached the soldier, and quickly flung her arm around their neck. She held the position for a bit until the soldier fell to the ground.
'Oh god, I just killed a person," she thought. The panel had already been opened, but she'd found it. "The codex," she whispered, grinning. Before she could even read the first word, she found her cheek slammed against the stone, her arms being held behind her back, the soldier she had thought was dead leaning on her to hold her down with a gun pointing at her head. She could feel her pulse increasing, her heart beating faster with every second passing. Her breathing became significantly higher, as she tried to look up.
"Who are you?" The soldier asked. The voice... she expected it to be much deeper.
"Maybe if you let go of me I could speak," Regina replied. The soldier released the grip on her hands, but remained holding the gun pointing at her head.
"Speak."
"I am..." Regina stood, looking into the soldier's green eyes. "A person,"
She quickly found herself flung against the floor, the wolf scratches stinging from the impact of the punch.
"Tell me who you are!" The soldier demanded. They pulled off their hat as their blonde hair flowed out, then pulled off the mask covering her face.
Regina was lost for words. She saw the soldier's face, and didn't know what to say.
"R- Regina," she stammered, raising her hands to surrender. She was at a dead end anyway.
The soldier walked towards her and stood behind her, grabbing her two wrists and pulling them tightly against her back and binding them. Once again, she was lost for words, she couldn't fight back. Her feelings confused her. This person was taking her hostage, but she couldn't bring herself to do anything, as badly as she wanted to.

The soldier dragged her in the opposite direction of the codex. Straight past the exit and deeper into the darkness, the only light coming from the soldier's torch.
The blonde pushed Regina straight into the wall, cutting her forehead slightly, but enough to make some blood flow. She could feel the warm, sticky fluid slowly fall, but couldn't move as she stared at the soldier's face. Her eyes took control, so much that she couldn't hear a word of what she was saying, but she could see the lips move.
The soldier looked at her after asking her a question. No reply.
"Alright, that's how you want to play it," she said. Once again, Regina couldn't hear a word, but watched as the soldier approached her with a face full of anger and rage. She grabbed Regina's lower jaw and held it tightly. She winced a little, before seeing a the black gloved hand collide with her face and then... darkness.

The soldier watched as she fell to the floor, body limp but hands tied tightly behind her back.