The world ended in fire and steel.

  One moment, twin sisters Sarah and Victoria sat in their office, the rhythmic clatter of keyboards filling the air. The next—chaos. A deafening roar shattered the windows, followed by a shockwave that ripped through the building like a hurricane. The floor gave way beneath them, and in an instant, they were weightless, falling through smoke and ruin.

  Then… nothing.

  No pain. No darkness. Just silence.

  When their eyes opened again, the city was gone. The cold sterility of their office had been replaced by the warmth of woolen blankets and the scent of firewood. They were no longer adults but newborns, swaddled in the arms of an unfamiliar woman with wolf-like ears and yellow eyes. Their names, their pasts, their very existence had been rewritten. Sarah and Victoria were gone. In their place were Nova and Nebula, twin daughters of Hazel, a wolfkin blacksmith in a small mountain village.

  Life in this new world was a stark contrast to the one they had left behind. The air was crisp, untouched by pollution. The nights stretched wide beneath an endless sea of stars. Their mother, a single woman with calloused hands and an iron will, worked tirelessly to keep them fed and warm. Survival in the mountains was not guaranteed—winters were harsh, food was scarce, and dangers lurked beyond the tree line.

  But the twins adapted.

  They learned quickly, their minds sharp with the knowledge of a life once lived. By the time they could walk, they understood the local tongue. By two, they could read. By four, they discovered what set this world apart from their last—magic. It existed, tangible and powerful, bending nature to the will of those who wielded it. They were mesmerized, eager to unravel its mysteries. But while their fascination with magic burned bright, Hazel ensured they never forgot the importance of steel. Magic alone could not keep them safe.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  For a time, life was harsh but stable. Then, the winter of their twelfth year came, and with it, an illness no potion could cure.

  Hazel, the unshakable force in their lives, began to fade. The woman who had raised them, who had fought for them, grew weaker with each passing day. Yet she never let them see her pain. Even in her final moments, she smiled.

  "You’ll be fine," she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath. "You’re stronger than you know."

  She was gone before the sun rose.

  The village mourned her. She had forged their weapons, repaired their tools, and defended them when others could not. In her honor, they allowed the twins to stay. But Nova and Nebula knew the truth—without Hazel, they were just two more mouths to feed.

  They refused to become burdens.

  They threw themselves into training, learning not only the craft of smithing but also the art of survival. They wielded blades as well as they wielded hammers, hunted in the wilds, and fought to carve their place in the world.

  By the time they reached eighteen, they had made their decision. The village was their home, but it could not be their future. There was a world beyond the mountains, full of danger, wealth, and opportunity. If they wanted to protect the life Hazel had given them and help the village thrive, they needed to grow stronger and earn more wealth.

  The village chief hesitated to let them go, but he knew there was no stopping them. They had trained his son in the forge, armed the hunters, and held their own in a fight. They were no longer children.

  And so, with steel on their backs and fire in their hearts, Nova and Nebula stepped beyond the borders of their home, into the unknown.