2 023 YEARS LATER.....
The smell of roasted meat filled the kitchen, mixing with the soft clatter of plates. Alex sat across from his twin sister, a sharp glint in his eye. Every meal was another silent match — who would break first, who would win the next round.
His father, sparks of lightning dancing around his fingertips, leaned back in his chair. "One day left," he said, voice steady. "Then real life begins."
Their mother, strong and calm, set down the last dish. "Big changes coming. Be ready."
"We're more than ready," Alex said, his tone quick and sure. His grin was sharp. "I'm not just joining the army — I'm going to lead it."
His sister scoffed, smirking. "Lead it? You can barely lead yourself to the top of the stairs."
"In your dreams," Alex shot back. His voice was playful, but beneath it, pure fire. He meant it. Every word.
Their father chuckled, the air crackling softly around him. "It's not a race," he said.
But it was.
It always had been.
Alex lived for the competition. The challenge wasn't a burden; it was the blood in his veins. He didn't wonder if he was meant for it — he knew he was.
"You both have drive," their mother said warmly. "Use it well. Don't waste it on each other."
Alex and his sister locked eyes across the table. No words. No need. The promise was there — a silent vow.
They would push each other higher. Or burn each other trying.
"You'll see," his sister muttered, reaching for her drink.
"You'll follow," Alex muttered back, grabbing his before she could.
Their parents smiled, letting them have their moment. This was how it was supposed to be — fire-feeding fire, ambition-feeding ambition. Talk of schools, training, and the peaceful life of Auralis city, where humans, wolves, and vampires all lived, side by side. Politics stirred elsewhere, but here, kids still dreamed big.
Alex leaned back in his chair, a small smile pulling at his lips.
He felt ready.
The future was waiting — and Alex was running straight for it.
---
After the dishes were cleared and the night settled in, Alex and his sister found themselves outside in the backyard, the cool air buzzing between them.
No parents. No rules. Just the two of them, the open sky, and the usual need to prove who was better.
"The first one to the old fence wins," his sister challenged, tying her hair back with a quick twist.
No countdown. No warning. They just burst into motion, sprinting across the dirt, boots pounding the earth.
Alex pushed harder, muscles burning with the thrill. His sister was fast — she always had been — but he matched her step for step, grinning like a madman the whole way.
At the halfway mark, she tried to elbow him.
He dodged, laughed, and bumped her back, just enough to throw off her balance without knocking her down.
"Cheap shot!" she shouted, laughing breathlessly.
"Smart shot!" he called back.
They slammed into the old fence at the same time, hands smacking the wood with twin thuds. Both breathing hard. Both grinning wide.
"I win," his sister panted.
"No way," Alex said, shaking his head. "I touched it first."
"In your dreams, slowpoke."
They stood there, shoulder to shoulder, arguing with grins splitting their faces, and the stars spread like fire above them.
Neither would admit defeat.
Neither cared.
This was how it had always been — and how it would always be.
---
The following day...
The morning sun broke over the rooftops, painting the Auralis City gold.
Alex adjusted the strap of his backpack, tossing a quick look at his sister, who was busy trying to tame a flicker of flame dancing across her fingertips. She grinned at him, cocky as ever.
"Hope you can keep up today, wolf-boy," she teased.
Alex snorted, rolling his shoulders. He didn't have flashy magic yet — no fire, no lightning — but he didn't need it. His strength was in his blood. His speed, his instincts. According to his genes, he was a wolf, and he believed it.
He just had to show it.
The school halls buzzed with a different kind of energy that morning — lighter, sharper.
It was the last day. The end of one chapter.
Students loitered in clusters, swapping yearbooks, scrawling last-minute messages on each other's shirts, laughing too loud.
The old walls, scuffed and cracked from years of teenage battles, felt smaller somehow.
Alex and his sister made their way toward the main hall where the final assessments were posted.
Their names glowed on the big screen along with everyone else's — a long list of scores, comments, and official seals.
Alex scanned the list, heart hammering with excitement.
Top 10
Physical exams: Exceeds expectations.
Tactical awareness: Outstanding.
He smirked.
His sister nudged him with her elbow.
She was just one spot ahead.
"Try not to cry," she whispered sweetly.
Alex snorted. "Enjoy it while you can. You're getting smoked next year."
Around them, the chatter grew — rumours of who was heading to the military divisions, who were joining research sectors, who had flunked out entirely.
Everyone was itching for the next step, for something bigger than old classrooms and dusty fields.
Mr Howard, their old history teacher, clapped Alex on the back as he passed. "You two," he said, smiling tiredly. "Go cause some good trouble out there."
"We will," Alex promised without missing a beat.
They collected their official documents — stamped, sealed, ready — and headed outside.
The sky was too blue. The world felt too wide.
Tomorrow, they would step into the Big School, the Fourth City's pride, where real warriors, real leaders, were made.
Where werewolves unlocked their blood.
Where fire wielders blazed paths into legend.
Today, though, was just an ending.
And endings deserved a little celebration.
Alex's sister held up a small slip of paper. "Party at Central Park tonight. Everyone's going."
Alex grinned, already feeling the adrenaline in his veins.
"Then we're going too," he said. "One last fight before the real war starts."
By the time night fell, Central Park was alive.
Lanterns swung from trees, music pounded from hidden speakers, and laughter rolled like waves through the warm air.
Alex and his sister slipped into the crowd, immediately swarmed by friends — classmates they'd grown up with, sparred with, and fought alongside in tiny competitions that had felt like life or death at the time.
Jim was there, the earth wielder with a punch like a hammer.
So was Linda, who could call sparks from her fingertips and light up any room, party or not.
Someone shoved a soda into Alex's hand. Someone else looped an arm around his sister's shoulders.
It was chaotic, loud, perfect.
"About time you two showed up!" Jim shouted over the music, grinning.
"We had to collect all our awards first," Alex joked, tossing a wink at his sister.
She snorted, elbowing him, and the others laughed.
They danced, they joked, they teased — old rivalries burning down into warmth now that the finish line was crossed.
Nobody talked about powers or rankings or politics.
Tonight was just for being young and reckless, one last time.
Alex felt alive — like the whole world fit into this messy, glowing night.
At some point, Jim challenged Alex to a race around the park. Linda dared his sister to out-drink her in sodas. Others joined in, laughing and yelling.
They chased each other under the stars, tackled each other onto the soft grass, and howled at the moon just because they could.
And for a moment — just a moment — Alex felt something stir deep inside.
Something ancient.
Something hungry.
It wasn't dark. It wasn't frightening.
It was just... real.
A call he hadn't known he was waiting for.
But he shook it off with a grin, pulling Jim into a headlock and demanding his victory prize: another soda.
Tonight wasn't for thinking.
Tonight was for living.
As the night stretched on, the music slowly faded.
A bonfire crackled at the centre of the park, throwing gold light across a sea of tired, smiling faces.
Mr Howard stood on a small stage — a flat patch of grass with nothing but a rickety mic stand.
He looked out over the crowd of his former students, pride softening the sharp lines of his face.
"You're not kids anymore," he said, voice carrying through the night. "You're the future. The strength of Auralis City — and maybe the ones who'll finally get it right."
A ripple of laughter moved through the crowd, easy and warm.
"Whatever path you take — soldier, scholar, healer, hero — remember this: the world is yours now. So fight for it. Make it better."
Cheers rose, loud and wild.
Another teacher, Mrs. Lane, took the mic for a moment, wiping her eyes before she spoke.
"You made us proud," she said simply. "Now go make yourselves proud too."
No one needed more words than that.
One by one, friends hugged, promised to meet again, and shouted goodbyes over the noise.
Alex and his sister lingered a little longer with their group — Jack clapping him on the back, Mia squeezing his sister's hand.
Finally, as the bonfire burned low and the stars thickened above, the twins slipped away into the cool night.
They walked home side by side, quiet for once.
The city lights flickered around them — not blinding, not harsh. Just alive.
"You ready?"Lily asked after a while, her voice softer than usual.
Alex smiled, fierce and sure. "Always."
Their house came into view — small, sturdy, a place filled with worn laughter and warm meals.
Tomorrow, everything will change.
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