"Alexandra, today someone new will join the family. Miss Davies has informed your grandfather and I last night. She said that he could become a valuable asset, and that the two will be arriving shortly." Her father said, almost in passing, while cutting up an omelette with a side of Wagyu beef imported from a renowned place in Germany.

It was a horrendous combination, in Alexandra's opinion, and not something that was usually eaten for breakfast, but Martin Green was not the kind of man who thought about the intricacies of his food combinations. For him it was as simple as these two questions: Is it expensive, and is it nutritious enough? Should the answers to both those questions be yes, then Martin Green will eat it without complaint.

He'd even take pride in it, saying that it would be beneficial for Aura development. Internally, she shook her head at her father's particularities when it came to food, and focused back on the topic.

"What ability does he have then, if Miss Davies says he is so valuable?" Alexandra asked, taking a bite of salad, and meeting the man's eyes that mirrored her own. Deep emerald, constantly giving off an intense vibe. She didn't very much like meeting his gaze.

Martin regarded her quietly, taking his time for another bite, savouring its taste, till he answered. "I do not know. Nonetheless, Miss Davies is someone both your grandfather and I have come to acknowledge through our years of cooperation. I trust completely in her when it concerns matters pertaining to the false world, and you would be wise to follow this example, my dear daughter." The man said.

The simple fact that there was no more information given to her about this person was reason enough to make her dislike her grandfather's decision on the matter, leading her to almost grimace in distaste. She didn't voice her opinion though, as well as the fact that her father had no impact on anything that held any weight when it came to the false world.

"May I be excused then, father? I believe my lessons with grandfather should continue regardless of Miss Davies' near arrival." Alexandra said, already motioning to stand up as her father nodded his assent.

"Of course, Alexandra. You may take your leave." The man continued eating, seemingly not caring about the fact that Alexandra didn't even finish her own meal.

She left the stifling atmosphere of the dining room behind and swiftly made her way to the training grounds. Walking through the mirror floor, her reflection gazed back at her.

The blazing eyes of a fifteen-year-old greeted her, framed by the same straw like blond that her father carried on his head, coming to rest on her shoulders. She was slender, and quite good-looking, in her opinion. Black training attire, a short black skirt over black pants, topped with a tight shirt under a more oriental looking, loose training garment, also black, but with green accents running down the sides.

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Her face turned, and she continued walking towards the training grounds. Alexandra hoped that her grandfather was already present, and practising his forms as well as his control, like usual. She exited the floor, walked down a worn out stone staircase that had seen one too many years and was at odds with the appearance of the rest of the manor.

When the sun greeted her, she expected her grandfather to be standing underneath his favourite cherry tree, but instead the sight of a young boy greeted her. He looked to be maybe twelve and was holding a leaf between his fingers, absent-mindedly looking at the tree before him.

She had never seen the boy before, and there was no Aura around him that she could sense. 'How did he just wander onto our property?' Alexandra asked herself, wrinkling her brow.

While walking to confront him, she was already formulating what scathing remark she should throw at his head. It wasn't enough that their family had to fight with multiple issues she was not educated on, her father trying to shelter her, and her grandfather telling her she was not ready. No, now even some person would be joining the family, and she, Alexandra Green, the next head of their family, had no idea how they even looked. Was it a man, or a woman, how old, what was their ethnicity? It all started boiling up inside her, and this boy would be the one to weather the storm.

Just as she was about to start, only a few steps separating the two of them, the boy finally turned to face her. He gave her a look, scanning her from head to toe, but not like she had realized other boys were starting to look at her when she went into the city with either her father or grandfather.

There was only coldness in his eyes, weighing her, like he was deciding if it was even worth his time to entertain the idea of recognizing her. His grey eyes found her own, and he began smiling.

She froze up, unable to force out a single word. The curve of his mouth did not reach his eyes at all. It was like he knew how a smile was supposed to look like, but could not get it quite right. No normal boy had any right to smile like this, and Alexandra would likely not even have noticed if not for her instincts screaming at her.

She still could not sense any Aura from him, but through her lessons she had learned to trust her instincts.

"Alexandra, Jacob! Why are the two of you just standing there?" A woman's voice saved her from the moment, and the boy, Jacob apparently, returned his face to a more neutral expression, though the corner of his mouth retained a slight curve.

"I was of the impression that you would be conversing with your father right about now, Alexandra. Was I wrong in this assumption?" Her grandfather, who accompanied Miss Davies, asked her.

Her grandfather was an older man, almost eighty, and had travelled the world multiple times, searching for improvements on the manner they wielded Aura. He wore an intricate robe of a Korean style, patterns of green and black depicting scenes of nature, slick, black, pants, and bare feet completed his attire. His hair was grey like the eyes that had just scrutinized her, and his eyes held an unbelievable strength, emeralds that seemed to shine and gaze straight into your soul.

He didn't even let her explain herself, just waving her off. "No matter. In fact, this will just make the introductions easier. As you heard, this is Jacob Rue. He will be staying with us, training, sleeping, working. You two should get to know each other."

'No way, grandpa, don't you see the look in his eye when he watches you? How am I supposed to tolerate, let alone befriend this guy?' She thought.