Built to Live

This is a summary of Book One of "Built to Live". Everything is still a work in progress, so please bear with me if my writing is a little sloppy.
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In a region ruled by a ruthless military dictatorship and haunted by nightly attacks from deadly creatures known as Vermin, a young Marionette, Madgie, longs for freedom beyond her suffocating confines of her existence. Desperate to break free from her routine, she and her friends secretly explore an abandoned toy warehouse, unaware that her curiosity will unravel a series of life-altering events.

Inside, Madgie stumbles upon an injured stranger being hunted by the Son of Mictlan and discovers a mysterious obsidian key capable of opening portals to unknown realms. Now entangled in a deadly cat-and-mouse chase, she is pursued by the prince who will stop at nothing to reclaim the key that belongs to his royal family.

As if being hunted weren't enough, her own people turn against her when her strange secret is exposed, suspecting her of being one of the feared Vermin. Fearing she'll be forcibly "restored" by her society, she faces the terrifying consequences of her actions. However, a second chance arrives when the compassionate son of the region's leader offers her an opportunity to join a group of flawed Marionettes, undergoing a safer and more humane process of reintegration into society.

But the key still remains in her possession, and the prince will stop at nothing to retrieve it. As their lives collide, she must navigate the thin line between survival and trust. Will the Son of Mictlan punish her for the chaos she's caused, or will an unexpected bond between them change not only her fate--but his as well?