The stolen sky
For as long as anyone can remember, the sky has been sealed beneath a thick, black shroud, blocking out the sun, stopping the rain, and stilling the wind. Life has withered in the darkness, and survival is a constant battle. In the scattered settlements that remain, people cling to what little resources they can salvage—deep wells, fragile greenhouses, and fire-warmed shelters.
***
Azure grew up in a world where survival left no room for dreams—but they dreamed anyway. Every day was a fight against hunger, cold, and the unyielding weight of the blackened sky, yet deep inside, they held on to the stories their grandmother told. Tales of sunlight, of rain, of wind stirring the leaves of trees they had never seen. Most dismissed such things as fantasy, but Azure could never quite let them go.
Years of hardship have made them resilient—strong enough to endure, sharp enough to navigate a world that gives nothing freely. Their body bears the marks of a life spent in scarcity, their hands rough from labor, their expression often guarded. Yet beneath the hardened exterior is a relentless ember of hope, one that refuses to be snuffed out.
When their grandmother falls ill and reveals the secret of the stolen sky, Azure does not hesitate. This is more than a quest for a cure; it is proof that the world was not always meant to be lifeless. Determined, resourceful, and unshaken by fear, they set out on a journey that will test not only their body but the belief they have always clung to in the quiet corners of their heart: that the world can be more than this. That it should be.
