Chapter 2: The Devotion For Greatness
The rain had finally ceased, leaving behind a fragile serenity in its wake. Ryu stood up from the window, his eyes still fixed on the glistening remnants of the storm outside. It was moments like these, when the world lay hushed and transformed, that he found a brief respite from the chaos that was his life.
His parents were nowhere to be seen, lost in the abyss of their own addictions. Ryu had learned to rely on himself for the most basic of necessities, often scavenging for food in the scarce corners of the house. The decrepit home was a constant reminder of the isolation he had come to accept.
Ryu ventured out of his room, cautiously navigating the creaky floorboards and faded wallpaper. The faint smell of cigarettes lingered in the air, a reminder of his parents' vice. The living room was a dimly lit space littered with empty bottles and discarded needles, like a graveyard of their past transgressions.
As he tiptoed through this somber landscape, his gaze fell upon a dusty bookshelf in the corner of the room. The books were old and forgotten, just like him. He reached out and selected one, blowing the dust off its cover. It was a tattered, leather-bound volume titled "Dragons of Legend."
He settled into a moth-eaten armchair, holding the book gently as if it were a treasure uncovered in a hidden alcove of his own soul. With each turn of the page, Ryu lost himself in the tales of mighty dragons, creatures of power and majesty that soared through skies of their own making. It was an escape, a portal to a world that felt more real than his own.
The stories fueled his imagination, taking him to places far beyond the confines of his meager existence. In those pages, he discovered hope and courage, qualities he had long believed were extinguished within him. Ryu began to believe that he, too, could rise from the ashes of his despair like the dragons he so admired.
Time passed unnoticed as Ryu devoured every word, letting the stories wash over him. In that fleeting moment, he was free, unburdened by the weight of his family's neglect and the suffering that had marked his life.
The book became a sanctuary, a secret refuge where Ryu could retreat when the world outside became too harsh. Little did he know that it would soon become the catalyst for a transformation he could hardly imagine. The stories of dragons would inspire him to rise from the ashes, just like the mythical creatures he had come to idolize.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
TheRyuu
TheRyuu btw, Ryu's current age is 8 years old right now