Her childhood was forged in shadows, and she was sharpened into a weapon, trained to be a ghost, a killer—an instrument of vengeance. The target: a decorated general who brought down her family.

But fate doesn't follow orders.

Just as Lara was about to execute her long-planned mission, everything spiraled out of control. A military convoy intercepted her escape route—escorting none other than the general himself. And then came the moment that changed everything.

A blinding crash. Screeching tires. Her body was thrown like a ragdoll, then darkness.

She had a fleeting recollection of another world, another lifetime where kings ruled the land with an iron fist.

But she woke up, and twelve long months had passed. 

She did not know where she was or who she was. She remembered nothing.

They told her different names.

A child with trembling hope whispered, “Mommy, your name is Moira Torres.”

Her doctor insisted, “Your admission slip says Larissa Reyes.”

A hardened general leaned close and commanded, “Remember who you are. Remember your mission.”

Then another general—dangerously calm, incredibly familiar—looked at her as if she mattered and asked, “Can I call you Lara?”

The name unlocked something buried deep in her soul.

Lara Norse Kromwel.
Daughter of General Odin Norse.
Empress of the First Empire.

But the man who watched her most closely dismissed it with cold certainty.
“This is the 21st century,” he said. “What nonsense are you spouting? What Empress?  You are my woman.  You can only be mine!"

The words were so soft, barely audible, yet they struck Lara with startling force.


She walked Shay to the back of the classroom, her steps slow, deliberate. As Shay settled into her seat, Lara couldn't help but notice how different the child was here—shoulders drawn inward, eyes wary, every movement cautious.


When did she become so timid? Lara wondered. Was it fear? Or the quiet weight of feeling unwanted? But Ares seemed to dote on her so much.


Teacher Alice's beautiful voice carried effortlessly across the classroom, smooth and warm, like sunlight spilling through open windows. The chatter quieted at once. "We have a new classmate joining us today. He comes from the valley at the foot of Mount Marnubes and is a beneficiary of the Zuvel Foundation."


Chapter 23 - The Nanny