The Black Iron Age

The rain barely stopped before the air turned thick with grime again. Zhang Tie took a hesitant breath, savouring the rare freshness in the soot-choked city. He shuffled down the dark road, dodging oily puddles that reflected a bruised, hazy sky. It was blue, if you ignored the ugly scars of smoke marring the edges, reminders of something called "progress."

His teacher called those tall, smoking things symbols of human triumph, holding up their fragile existence. Zhang Tie saw them differently. They were greedy giants, swallowing everything, even his brother's hand-me-down underwear. Today, only one damp pair remained, chafing against his skin, a constant reminder of scarcity.

A biting wind scraped at his exposed neck. He was fifteen but felt ancient. Stories spoke of a golden age, before the Cataclysm, where things were easy and plentiful. Mountains of things piled high, magical lights pulsed through wires, and food lasted moons.

Some called it the God's Fist, punishment from the sky. It sucked the magic away, leaving them in the dark. No more zaps in jars, no more roaring machines. No more crackling sparks, no roaring machines. Just the cold bite of steel, the warmth of burning coal, and the ache of human sweat. 

Some said a strange particle in a sky-borne ray flipped everything on its head, turning the world on its ear. Others muttered about unseen hands sprinkling chaos like spices on a boiling pot. Whatever the truth, their paradise was lost, all because of the greed of those long gone.

Maybe, Zhang Tie thought, it wasn't all bad.

The whispers lingered: "According to whispered tales, a mysterious force unleashed a cosmic ray upon our world. This unseen energy triggered a fundamental shift within the very fabric of matter, forever altering the planet we once knew. What was once a vibrant tapestry is now a canvas painted in shades of struggle and survival."

Maybe humans had it too well before the Cataclysm. Maybe their endless joy angered the heavens, bringing down God's Fist. Overnight, their magic vanished. 

However, even in the ashes, hope flickered. Thus giving birth to the Black Iron Age...

The forty-minute trek to school was a stark contrast. First, weaving through the ramshackle homes of Heiyan City's western slums, then skirting the barren wasteland bordering the factory district. The school itself sat at the edge of both worlds, a beacon in a harsh landscape.

Heiyan City's name echoed the looming Black Flame Mountains nearby. Whispers spoke of a time before the Cataclysm when these mountains were giants of the Kun Ang Continent. Back then, humans soared through the sky in machines faster than sound. Crossing the entire range in such a machine, they say, would've taken months. Even Heiyan City, perched near a southern spur, stood over 20,000 kilometres from the other end – a distance most living today couldn't imagine traversing.

The Cataclysm ripped this world apart, splitting the once mighty Kunang Continent like a child might tear bread. Millions of miles vanished, and continents fractured, leaving behind an unrecognizable map. The majestic Black Flame Mountains are but fragments now, whispers of a grandeur lost.

Even this fractured world feels immense. Uncharted black spaces on the school map stretch hundreds of kilometres from Heiyan City, promising the unknown. Yet, even the vast south, encompassing Heiyan City and countless human settlements – an area of over 400 million square kilometres and home to 9 billion people – is just a sliver on the continent's map. Mountains mark its north and west, while endless oceans border the south and east. Only a thin corridor of high population density stretches across the heartland, labelled simply "Blackson Tribe Corridor" on the map.

A century of stunned silence followed the Cataclysm's fury. Humans, reeling from the world's shattering, slowly clung to existence. Yet, their recovery was shadowed by a chilling realization: they were no longer alone.

From the depths, monstrous shadows stirred. Grotesque beings, nightmares have given flesh, emerged alongside mutated remnants of humanity's past. Now, humans share the world with these "dark races," each encounters a stark reminder of their precarious status. No longer, masters, they were prey, hunted, enslaved, their lives a constant gamble in a world transformed into a brutal hunting ground.

Eight hundred eighty-nine years after the Cataclysm's wrath, the Black Iron Calendar ticks onwards. Humanity, its scars hardened, claws its way back across the Kunang Continent. Steel furnaces roar, steam engines groan, fueled by an unyielding will: to reclaim the world, to chart its secrets. In their veins, ambition burns - a fire both glorious and perilous.

Born just forty years ago from the ambition of industrialists, Heiyan City stands young among its southern peers. Fuelled by rich coal and mineral deposits, it thrives as a furnace of industry, powering the Andaman City-State Union with its steel and blades. Unlike many young cities, its lifeblood lies not in trade, but in its very ground. Three million strong, its population labours and lives around the clock, breathing life into the factories that churn out coal, steel, and the weapons needed to reclaim the world.

The thickest plume of smoke marked Zhang Tie's father's steel mill, a relentless beast bellowing day and night. Since Zhang Tie's birth, it hadn't stopped spewing its black breath, a testament to humanity's tireless climb back from the ashes.

*****

At the school gates, Captain Colin, a man built like a tower, stood guard. His stern eyes, like polished copper bells, scanned each student entering. A terrifying iron rod, as long as a man's forearm, rested casually in his massive hand, a constant reminder of the harsh reality outside these walls. Zhang Tie, head bowed, scurried past, his eyes avoiding the Captain's scarred cheeks, hidden beneath a worn eyepatch.

"Halt!" Captain Colin's booming voice echoed through the courtyard, freezing every student in their tracks. All eyes darted towards the hapless figure he'd singled out. A collective sigh of relief rippled through the crowd as they realized it wasn't them. The unlucky student, his face drained of colour, stumbled towards the towering Captain, stammering, "C-Captain Colin..."

Colin, the most feared one-eyed dragon in Heiyan City, relished being addressed by his title, a fact solidified by the blood and tears of countless students. Resistance was futile against this man, rumoured to have battled monstrous creatures. In his twisted game, struggle only fueled his sadistic pleasure.

Captain Colin silently pointed his imposing iron rod at a mud stain clinging to the student's trouser leg – a minor offence on this rainy day. The student stammered, "I'll clean it..."

Instead of responding, Colin theatrically raised his wrist, displaying a gleaming watch. He stared at it for an eternity, then slammed the iron rod with a thunderous clap, mimicking the wag of a hungry wolf.

Zhang Tie, observing the scene, couldn't help but suspect Colin was merely flaunting his expensive watch. The iron rod's slap, however, reminded him of a different predator – a cruel reminder of their harsh reality.

"See you after school, and you know the consequences!" Captain Colin's booming voice sent the punished student fleeing into the school. Unusually chatty today, the one-eyed dragon turned to Zhang Tie. With an awkward flourish, he smoothed his mane-like hair, puffed out his chest, and attempted a majestic pose that comically jiggled his pecs like a preening peacock. His scarred face even stretched into a grin, startling Zhang Tie.

"Good morning, Ms. Dinah!" Captain Colin bellowed, a fragrant breeze carrying the voice past Zhang Tie. He didn't need to look – Dinah's arrival was unmistakable. It stirred last night's dream in his mind, making his breath hitch. The schoolyard's alpha males watched in awe as the auburn-haired goddess glided through the gate. Her curt nod sent a flush of pride across Captain Colin's face. Distracted, he accidentally bent the iron rod in his hand, a stark reminder for Zhang Tie of his limitations compared to the true monster.

At Heiyan City's Seventh National School, Teacher Dinah, a young widow, reigned as the boys' unattainable dream. A vibrant bloom amidst the school's harshness, she ignited a spark in their adolescent lives. For Zhang Tie, she was a secret flame, a flicker of beauty that made the beastly reality bearable.

"Two years, and I'll have enough for a house in the core area!" Captain Colin boomed after Dinah, a desperate echo that resonated like a lustful boar's grunt. Zhang Tie winced, imagining the goddess paired with the one-eyed brute.

"What are you gawking at?" the Captain roared, his single eye sweeping the crowd. A wave of panicked movement followed, and Zhang Tie scurried through the gate, catching a fleeting wisp of Dinah's perfume. He inhaled deeply, the scent of her maturity a stark contrast to his shame. Compared to Dinah's graceful swan, he was a mud-caked duck, his worn boots a constant reminder of his poverty.

Frustration gnawed at him. Even the mighty Captain Colin struggled to win her favour. What could he, a penniless student, offer? Years of saving to afford a safe city like Captain Colin – decades, maybe? The thought plunged him into despair, yet the lingering fragrance, imbued with the allure of womanhood, kept his heart yearning for something more.

Stepping through the school gate, Zhang Tie saw the stark inscription etched on the opposing stone wall:

Welcome to the Age of Black Iron.