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

5 AM. Liam jogged past abandoned factories, Old Joe's journal stuffed in his hoodie. The scribbled notes were brutal:

***"Hunger sharpens the mind. Sleep when you're dead."***

At the soup kitchen, **Rosa**, the cook, snorted as Liam attempted push-ups. "You're softer than week-old bread, kid."

Liam collapsed, panting. "Why do you care?"

Rosa tossed him a potato. "Peel. And stop *thinking* like a victim."

*Liam's mother coughed blood into a handkerchief. "Promise me you'll keep Mia safe." The hospital doors slammed shut—no insurance.*

That night, Mia's wheezing sharpened. Liam crushed her empty inhaler in his hand.

**Cliffhanger**:

A fist pounded the door. *"Rent's due, Carter!"*

Chapter 2: First Light