Chapter 1: Prologue of the Forge
One thousand five hundred years ago, the age once called the 21st century came to an end. Humanity knew it as a time of progress, of machines and science, of fragile peace shadowed by conflict. That was before the day remembered now as the Divine Interference.
A being beyond comprehension merged three universes into one. Continents collided, skies fractured, and oceans swallowed lands that had never known tides. Forests of alien soil grew beside the ruins of human cities, while mountains carved from other worlds split the Earth's crust.
But the greatest change was not to the land. It was to man himself.
The weaknesses of the old species—disease, frailty, exhaustion—were stripped away. In their place arose a body without limits, a mind sharpened beyond imagination. Humanity was reforged into what it might always have been, had evolution walked unhindered: vision keener than an eagle's, reflexes swifter than lightning, endurance that rivaled mountains.
They were not gods. They were not sorcerers.
They were human, perfected.
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The First Five Centuries
In the centuries that followed, chaos reigned. Civilizations collapsed as fragile nations burned. New predators, born of colliding ecosystems, roamed unchecked. Humanity survived only by clawing victory from extinction.
In this crucible, they discovered they were not alone. Two other races, also merged from distant worlds, endured the same upheaval.
The Tailborn, outwardly human save for their powerful, prehensile tails, lived with speed, balance, and agility unmatched.
The Grayscales, taller and broader than humans, could manipulate the density of their muscles at will, granting them terrifying strength or precise agility.
At first, war raged among the three races. But survival forced unity, and unity forged an alliance. Together, they carved footholds against a hostile world.
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A Millennium of Rebirth
By the 1,000-year mark, half the world had been reclaimed. The planet itself, swollen by its merger with alien worlds, was no longer Earth. Its people gave it a new name: Aurelia, "the Forged World."
On Aurelia, nations rose again. Humanity rebuilt cities of steel and light, tempered by their evolved minds and bodies. The Tailborn raised vertical citadels where their agility shaped architecture beyond imagination. The Grayscales built vast fortresses and industries, their strength forming the backbone of civilizations.
It was a golden climb back into greatness—until the Rifts appeared.
Tearing open in skies and seas, they were gateways to other dimensions. From them spilled monsters and alien invaders, some mindless, some wielding technologies of their own. Entire cities fell before these onslaughts.
And yet, Aurelia's races did not break. Instead, evolution shifted once more.
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The Age of Talents
Two centuries after the first Rifts, the phenomenon of Talent Abilities emerged. No longer just perfection of body, these were innate powers—manifestations of potential beyond biology. A human might ignite with speed that blurred the eye. A Tailborn might wield a tail strong enough to pierce steel. A Grayscale might condense their muscle to withstand artillery.
At first rare, Talents spread rapidly, appearing in all three races. Scholars argued they were forced adaptations—evolution accelerating in response to Rift threats. Whatever the cause, they became weapons of survival.
Thus began the Rift Wars, a series of brutal centuries where Aurelia's people fought back against endless invasions. Victory came not from gods nor miracles, but from their own perfected strength, their Talents, and their unyielding drive to endure.
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The Aurora Era
Today, the year is 1500 After Interference. Civilization stands tall upon Aurelia, a world no longer broken but ascendant. The scars of survival have become foundations of progress. Nations of humanity, Tailborn, and Grayscales thrive in a web of alliances, rivalries, and ambitions.
The present age is called the Aurora Era, so named for the radiant skies that dance above the world each night—remnants of dimensional turbulence from the ancient merge. For 247 years, the Aurora Era has endured, an epoch of dazzling technology, expanded frontiers, and ceaseless vigilance against the Rifts that still open without warning.
Towering megacities gleam with light, blending steel and alien stone. Skyborne fleets patrol against aerial beasts. Rift-hunters—warriors born with Talents—stand as heroes and weapons alike. Nations compete for dominance, trade, and resources, yet all remember: Aurelia is still a world forged in struggle.
And as the Aurora lights blaze above, whispers spread of a new storm on the horizon—one that will test whether this forged civilization can rise beyond survival… or fall once more into ruin.
The Forge is not finished.
It has only begun.
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