Raven: An Artisan's Legacy

Chapter 1

"Fiona~ Felix~ Happy Birthday!"

"Daddy!"

Two children, visually similar to one another run towards their father who just entered the house. Just like always, the northern winter is merciless as ever. Even so, this day was a very special day. It was the eve of children's fourth birthday.

"Here are both of your presents."

After giving both of them a warm hug, the father reached into the bag beside him, taking out two neatly wrapped presents. With a sense of anticipation from the children, he handed the red-colored one to the girl and the blue one to the boy. Eagerly, both children accepted their gifts and settled in front of the crackling fireplace to unwrap their presents. Inside the red package awaited a gleaming metallic music box, while the blue package held a captivating necklace adorned with a charming timepiece.

"Wow.." the boy exclaimed.

"Pretty.." muttered the girl.

"Welcome back darling," their mother said as she came out of the kitchen to greet her husband. She then softly chuckled at their two children who were totally enamored with the gift they got.

The boy immediately wears the timepiece necklace around his neck while the girl opens the lid of the music box. She wound up the key at its side and a beautiful melody filled the living room. After a while when it ceased its melody, she gently closes the music box. She then noticed there an engraving of words on top of it.

With eyes filled with curiosity, she rose up and went to her father who was sitting on the sofa with their mother. Tugging her father pants, she pointed the engravings and asked, "Daddy, what does this mean?".

The father looked at his cute daughter. He then picked her up and placed her on his lap. With a smile he said, "It means live as you may live." He paused and motioned for his son as well to come closer. The boy too approaches their father.

"I hope that both of you even when you get older, will live as you wish without being chained by anything in this world," said the father added as her hugged both of his children. It was a lovely recollection, a reminiscence of their fourth birthday. Alas, memories will still remain as memories.

•••

"Fiona~ Wake up." A familiar voice was heard. The girl all grown up, slowly open her heavy eyelids. As she looks around, what enters her vision was a face that resembled her own, picking up the clothes scattered around her room. The boy in her dream just a moment ago, too, have grown as well. The timepiece he received that day was still hanging around his neck, serving as a tangible reminder of their shared memories.

"You are far cuter back then." she mumbles quietly as she observed her sibling across the room.

"What are you mumbling about?" The boy who didn't miss his twin sister's comment sighed, "Anyway, I already cook breakfast so wash up."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be down in a few minutes, Felix. Let me continue my dream first." The girl went back inside her blanket. Seeing this, the boy could only shake his head.

In a house surrounded by tall pine trees on the outskirts of a town called Winterwater, there lives a fourteen-year-old pair of twin siblings. The young lady's name is Fiona Hastings and her twin brother is Felix Hastings.

Almost all thing in the world contained mana. Since the North generally canvassed in ice and snow, people of the North are naturally born with frosty blue hair and eyes. That was certainly true for Fiona and Felix's mother and grandmother. Their father, on the other hand, who is not a native of the North was a man with green eyes and light brown hair. Both Fiona and Felix have curly light brown hair and icy blue eyes, which they inherited from both of their father and mother respectively.

The twins have lived on their own for many years already. Their parents left them one day when they were five years old to the Central continent and have yet to returned even after nine years have passed. At first, they were left alone with their grandmother from their mother's side. Unfortunately, their lovely grandmother didn't live long after since she left the world due to old age one month later.

To make matters worse, due to some circumstances, the twins do not have a good relationship with the other townsfolk. There are a few exceptions though, like the mayor's son who is just a year older than them. Honestly, it is hard for two children with no support from adults to survive on their own. However, in the wake of their grandmother's passing, Fiona unintentionally awakens her ability in using mana.

Fiona's ability is that she can materialize anything according to her desire as long she knows its inner working. With that ability, she can create magic tools with specific specialization and functions just by drawing a detailed blueprint on a piece of paper. She can even give life to her creation according to her wishes as well. Making use of her ability, they manage to come by in the past nine years.

The house they are currently residing in is a two-story house. The ground floor served as their humble shop, showcasing a myriad of Fiona's awe-inspiring inventions, while the upper level housed their bedrooms, kitchen, and communal area. Beneath the house was the basement also known as Fiona's personal workshop, where she spends much of her time throughout the day crafting magic tools.

Unlike Fiona, Felix on the other hand does not have such grandiose ability yet most of the household work includes cleaning, cooking and washing clothes, was done by Felix since Fiona is a natural disaster when it comes to doing those chores. She once nearly burnt the whole house while attempting to cook fried eggs. How that happen even Felix himself still wonder about it. Aside from household work, he also does some hunting sometimes as well as taking care of the shop while Fiona usually locking herself away in her workshop inventing something whenever she had a burst of inspiration.

Being at the Northernmost town and a house situated at the edge of said town, there are only a few visitors that would visits the shop. Almost all of them are either merchants or foreigners who are personally interested in magic tools. Despite the fact that there are not many customers, they still be able to make a living for themselves. So, their everyday lives are relatively peaceful for the twins. 

Amidst the serene embrace of a picturesque winter day, as usual, Fiona went to her workshop. Meanwhile, Felix went outside doing the laundry. Once he finished hanging the laundry, his gaze alighted upon a peculiar sight—a young stranger, hailing from distant lands, stood poised at the doorstep of their humble house.