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Wes Carter is dying.

A black sword pulses with corruption in his chest, his strength fading as blood seeps into the battlefield. He has no regrets—his people escaped, the war was fought, and he killed the man with void-black eyes.

But it wasn’t enough.

It never was.

As darkness claims him, two figures appear—enigmatic, powerful, and knowing. And with cruel certainty, they reveal a truth that shatters everything Wes believed:

His future was stolen.

Wes remembered that day. The day, as a child, he met the man with void-black eyes. The man who stood before him, bathed in the blood of those Wes cherished. The man who could have killed him but didn’t. Instead, he burned Wes’s soul, severing something deep within him.

That was the day everything changed.

That was the day he became a Null.

He should have been able to claim a Void Crystal, to rise like the others. Instead, he was cut off from that power, forced to forge his own way through Essence alone. And despite that, despite everything, he became peerless, a warrior standing at the edge of the Grand Stage—the universe beyond Earth’s wars.

And then, all these years later, that same man returned.

Not alone.

This time, he led an army—not just soldiers, but Fallen, beings marked by corruption, their eyes the same void-black as his own. They descended upon Wes with overwhelming force, and though he fought, though he killed his greatest enemy, it still wasn’t enough.

More questions than answers. Why had his future been stolen? Why had that man, all those years ago, chosen to cripple him instead of killing him?

Now, as Wes breathes his last, the two figures offer him something impossible:

A second chance.

They will sever the future—a phrase Wes doesn’t yet understand—but before he can question it, they shove a black seed, dark as night, into his chest.

And then—rebirth.

No longer fighting for survival in a dying world, he enters a new era—one where humanity has rebuilt, where Void Crystals, Essence, and Mana-Tech shape civilization, and where the truth of the universe is within reach.

Yet, the past is not erased. The man with void-black eyes may be dead, but the forces behind him still move. The answers he seeks are still out there. And this time, he will find them.

Monsters. Rival races. Forgotten legends. The enemies lurking beyond the void.

This time, Wes Carter will not be denied.

His rise is inevitable.

(NOTE READ AUXILLARY CHAPTER)

Void Tree Chronicles

They got home, and Wes trudged upstairs. He was in trouble—had to stay in his room until his dad got home.

He tossed his backpack on the floor, pulled out his homework, and sat at his desk. Might as well get it done while he was stuck in here.

A few minutes later, Chad showed up at the door.

He lingered for a second, hands in his pockets. His lisp was more noticeable when he was nervous.

Wes didn't look up from his paper. "Don't mention it."

Chad hesitated like he wanted to say something else, then just nodded and walked off.

Downstairs, Wes heard Charlotte's mom stop by. She only stayed for a few minutes before leaving again. Both her parents worked long hours, so instead of going to an after-school program, she usually came home with them. They lived close.

A little later, the front door opened again. His dad was home.

The smell of food drifted upstairs—steak and vegetables, their usual Tuesday order from some fancy catering service. His parents never cooked on Tuesdays. Being rich had its perks.

After dinner, a knock came at his door.

Blond hair, blue eyes, six-foot-four. Built like a guy who should've played football but ended up a surgeon instead. Ten years older than Mom, but you wouldn't guess it just by looking at him. His grandmother called him "fine-aged wine"—whatever that meant.

He was still in his work clothes—a crisp white button-up, sleeves rolled just enough to look effortless. A tailored navy vest over it, the kind of expensive fabric that never wrinkled. Dark slacks, polished leather shoes.

His dad spoke first. "Wes, we understand why you did what you did. But violence is not the answer. That's not how the world works."

If future Wes had been there, he might've laughed. In a few hours, the world was about to flip upside down.

His mom continued. "There are repercussions. No electronics this weekend or for the next month."

"The school is suspending you for a week. No after-school programs for the rest of the trimester."

His mom paused, then softened. "But I talked to them. You can still practice, you just can't compete in any meets this year."

Wes let out a breath. Practicing was fine, but competing was the point.

His dad added, "You also have to complete 15 hours of conflict resolution counseling."

Simon's expression was calm, but firm. "Wes, you have to understand. If someone got seriously hurt, you'd be in real trouble. I appreciate you standing up for Chad, I do—but there are laws, rules. If you hurt someone critically, you'd change your life for the worse."

Wes considered arguing, but he could see it. His parents were being fair. They were laying down consequences, but they weren't going overboard.

Electronics weren't a huge loss—his parents already kept him and Chad on a tight leash with them. School nights were already limited to homework and educational use. Weekends had a little more freedom, but not much.

Chad's computer work didn't count—it was "educational." Building things, programming, engineering—that was different.

Wes nodded. "Alright. Next time, I'll talk it through."

He didn't say sorry. Because he wasn't.

His mom pulled him into a quick hug. She wasn't mad. She had to act like she was, but he could tell—deep down, she supported it.

She left the room, closing the door behind her.

His dad lingered for a second, then sat on the edge of Wes's bed.

"You know, there's a mixed martial arts program running this year," he said casually. "Not through the school, so you could still compete."

A slow grin spread across his face.

In Trouble