After the city of Chattana was ravaged by the Great Fire, plunging it into darkness, it falls under the rule of the Governor, who is able to create magical orbs that are the city's only sources of light and power. Pong, a nine-year-old boy who was born in Namwon Prison and who has spent his entire life there, escapes by hiding in a garbage basket. He longs to live freely in Chattana, though his prison tattoo identifies him as a fugitive. When Pong is caught stealing food from a monastery on the outskirts of Chattana, the senior monk Father Cham vouches for him and takes him in, and helps him conceal his tattoo. Four years later, the monastery is visited by the family of the former warden of Namwon Prison, who was dismissed after Pong's escapes. Pong narrowly flees after he is recognized by Nok Sivapan, the warden's daughter, who vows to bring him to justice to restore honor to her family. Pursued by Nok, Pong returns to Chattana, where he reunites with his former friend from prison, Somkit, and becomes involved in a movement to protest the social inequality in the city. Nok attempts to warn the Governor about the planned protest, but is harshly rebuffed; she begins to question the Governor's motives and eventually comes to realize the oppression and tyranny in the city. She unites with Pong, Somkit, and the other protestors in the march, which successfully results in an end to the Governor's rule. Though the future seems uncertain, the people of Chattana can live more freely, and begin learning to create their own light.