Ruin stirred reluctantly in his makeshift bed, the cramped storeroom offering little comfort. His eyes fluttered open as Miss Eleanor's stern voice pierced through the haze of sleep.
"Ruin, get up! Customers will be arriving soon, and I won't have you lounging around in here all day," she scolded, her tone leaving no room for argument.
Ruin groaned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "But Miss Eleanor, it's my sixteenth birthday," he pleaded, hoping for a reprieve.
However, his words fell on deaf ears as Miss Eleanor continued bustling about the room, organizing shelves and preparing for the day ahead. With a resigned sigh, Ruin dragged himself out of bed, his heart heavy with disappointment.
Stepping out into the settlement, Ruin gazed upon the ramshackle buildings and narrow alleyways that comprised his home. This place was known as the Outcast Settlement, where those who had failed to awaken their bloodlines were relegated, forgotten by the rest of society.
Despite its reputation, Ruin found solace among his fellow outcasts. They may have been the rejects of society, but they were his family, the only one he had ever known. As an orphan, he had grown accustomed to the rough but caring atmosphere of the settlement.
However, today, the weight of his circumstances felt particularly heavy as he trudged through the dusty streets. His stomach grumbled, reminding him of his empty pockets and the gnawing hunger that plagued him daily.
Determined to find something to eat, Ruin made his way to the marketplace, hoping to charm his way into a free meal with his birthday excuse. But one by one, his attempts were met with rejection as the vendors shook their heads, unmoved by his plight.
Defeated, Ruin slumped against a nearby wall, cursing under his breath. Another birthday, another day of disappointment.