Lizbeth_Williams

In a decaying city where the powerful prey on the powerless, *Liam Carter*—a broke janitor with nothing but a mop and a mountain of debt—discovers a tattered journal in the trash. Its pages, scrawled by a homeless man named *Old Joe*, hold brutal truths: *“Fear is fuel. Pain is a teacher. And even the weakest can burn empires.”*  

When Liam’s younger sister *Mia*—chronically ill and running out of time—becomes collateral in a corrupt politician’s scheme, he has two choices: die quietly or fight dirtier. Armed with guerrilla tactics from Old Joe’s journal and a **survival instinct** sharpened by desperation, Liam wages war against the **Iron Fist Gang**, their billionaire puppeteers, and the broken system that wants him dead.  

But survival has a cost. Every victory leaves scars. Every ally—a cynical nurse, a retired boxer, a hacker teen—demands loyalty Liam isn’t sure he can give. And as he rises from janitor to folk hero, Liam must answer the question haunting Old Joe’s journal:  
“Will you be a spark… or the wildfire that consumes everything?”

From Dust to Dawn

Liam Carter wiped sweat from his brow, the ammonia fumes from his mop bucket biting his lungs like a feral cat. The community center's bathroom walls were smeared with graffiti—a neon-green serpent, the symbol of the Iron Fist Gang. His younger sister Mia's asthma inhaler rattled in his pocket, empty again.

**Derek Holt** leaned against the doorway, his tailored suit clashing with the grimy tiles. "Still playing janitor, Carter? Should've stayed in the gutter with your junkie parents."

Liam's grip tightened on the mop handle. "Get out."

Derek smirked, kicking the bucket. Water sloshed over Liam's worn boots. "Oops. Guess you'll mop harder."

Liam's fist twitched. *Not worth it. Not worth Mia.*

Later, in the alley, he rummaged through the dumpster. A tattered journal fell at his feet—**Old Joe's journal**. A page fluttered open:

***"Day 1: If you can't breathe, breathe deeper. If you can't fight, fight dirtier."***

**Cliffhanger**:

*"Liam!"* Mia's voice crackled over his burner phone. *"They're at the door again!"*

### **Chapter 1: The Weight of Shadows**

### Chapter 1: The Weight of Shadows