1 Chapter 1: Echoes of Joy

High up in the city, amidst the relentless sound of machinery and the ceaseless clanking of metal, one could faintly hear the cries of a baby. Deep within the heart of the industrial zone, tucked away in a small, dimly lit backroom of a magisteel factory, a woman had summoned every ounce of her strength to bring forth new life into the world. Sweat glistened on her brow as she endured the agonizing pains of labor, her fingers gripping the edges of the worn-out mattress that served as her makeshift birthing bed.

Surrounded by a handful of factory workers who had paused from their duties to witness this rare event, anticipation hung thick in the air. The air hummed with a mix of nervous energy and hopeful whispers. These rough, calloused individuals, accustomed to the harsh realities of their daily grind, now found themselves touched by the miracle of birth unfolding before their eyes.

As the woman's cries of pain grew louder and more intense, a hush fell over the room. Time seemed to stretch, each passing second laden with anticipation. And then, in a triumphant crescendo, the newborn's wail pierced the air, a proclamation of life and vitality.

The factory workers erupted into joyous cheers, their voices blending with the hum of machinery in a cacophony of jubilation. Smiles spread across their oil-stained faces, their eyes glistening with tearful delight. It was a confirmation that the birth had transpired without complications, signaling the arrival of a healthy baby boy.

Emotions overwhelmed the exhausted mother as she gasped for breath, tears streaming down her face. Her body trembled with a mix of relief and pure elation. The company doctor, a grizzled man with a kind heart, gently cradled the tiny bundle of life and placed him into the mother's weary arms.

"Welcome to the world, Ruen," she whispered with tender adoration, her voice trembling with a mix of exhaustion and unyielding love.

Ruen, oblivious to the significance of his birth, continued to cry softly, his tiny voice carrying the weight of hope and dreams yet to unfold. He was an ordinary boy, born into extraordinary times, destined to play a role he could scarcely fathom.

And so, within the confines of that modest backroom, the first chapter of Ruen's journey came to an end—a chapter marked by the extraordinary circumstances of his birth. The echoes of the factory workers' cheers lingered, a symphony of hope that resonated deep within the soul of the industrial city.

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A few months have passed since Ruen's Birth. His mother has been trying to take good care of him, but with only her husband to financially support the entire family now that she had stopped working, times were tough.

Ever since industry has taken over the city, it has become increasingly hard to scrape by. People had to work 12 hours a day for 6 days a week just to barely make ends meet.

People old enough to remember would tell tales of a city before machinery. They spoke of lush green hills, with magic animals roaming the land. A tiny city of wood and stone, a clear blue sky. To anyone born in recent years, these tales sounded little more believable than legends of ancient times. For the city of wood and stone is no more. It has been replaced by an enormous metal fortress. A mountain of steel so tall, that the palace at the very top sat above the clouds.

But that didn't matter for Ruen's family at all, for they didn't live at the palace at the top. Nor did they live in the mansions below that, or even in the middle-sized

houses even below that. No, Ruen's family was dirt poor. They shared a single room in a rusty apartment complex all the way at the bottom of the city. This wasn't strange, however, as most of the inhabitants of Dustrae lived in homes just like his.

The family was made up of Ruen's parents, his father worked long hours in the factory while his mother stayed home to take care of Ruen and help around the house. His father's income was barely enough for them to eat properly, so they couldn't afford much else.

Ruen's father, named Marvick, was a kind man. He was the youngest son of a large middle-class family and thus didn't inherit anything when his parents died. He got kicked out of the family home by his elder siblings, which is how he ended up in the slums.

Ruen's mother, on the other hand, was an extremely beautiful woman named Elina. She was a rare sight among her impoverished neighbors who wore their hair tied back with ribbons or scarves and covered every inch of exposed skin. Her face glowed with youthfulness, and her eyes were always bright, despite the hardships life brought to her.

Though she was quite young herself, Elina gave birth to Ruen at the ripe age of 23.