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

Rosa's soup kitchen reeked of stale grease and desperation. She tossed Liam a pair of cracked boxing gloves. "Put 'em on. Let's see if you can throw a punch that *matters*."

Liam: "I'm here to clean, not play Rocky."

Rosa (snorting): "You couldn't clean your way out of a paper bag. *Hit the wall.*"

Liam swung at the crumbling concrete. Pain shot through his knuckles

Rosa: "Again. Harder.*"

*Young Rosa in a boxing ring, her coach whispering, "You hit like a girl." She broke his nose.*

Liam(panting): "Why are you helping me?"

Rosa(sharpening a kitchen knife): "Because you're too stupid to quit. And stupidity's entertaining."

Later, Derek's goons trashed the kitchen. Rosa pressed a blade into Liam's hand.

Rosa: "Time to stop running. Or you'll die a *nobody*."

Cliffhanger:

Liam gripped the knife. *"Where do I start?"*

Chapter 6:Survival Instinct