In 3431 AD, Rome was born into a loving home. With her parents, she lived in a small island of kindness. She felt known and valued there, far from the cold judgment waiting beyond their door. Rome was a half-blood, the child of a mind-connected Vuduri mother and a mind-deaf father. Full-bloods treated her like an abomination. Most did not bother to hide their disgust, with some pushing cruel thoughts straight into her mind. Everything changed when Skodla the kitten came into her life, the little orange shadow who became her anchor and helped her endure. That was both the best day and the worst day of her life.

When her father disappeared at sea, Rome's world collapsed. The Overmind tried to smother her grief, but it became her breaking point. She could no longer be a good little Vuduri and hide her feelings. The world did not care. At the Data Synthesist Academy, she was expelled for being too good. Her expulsion confirmed what she had always feared. In a society built on conformity, excellence was a threat.

Forging Rome is the missing chapter of her life, showing how a joyful, imaginative girl was slowly pressed down by prejudice. Her creativity faded and her independence eroded, yet she never lost her small spark. She kept caring and refused to give up. This book follows her early journey and reveals how those years shaped the person she would become.

This is the story of the girl whose quiet strength ultimately gave rise to a new civilization.

The intriguing novel is 28,000 words. Click here for a sample.