DresdenShadows

in a quiet village nestled deep within the forest, **Harvey** and his sister **Julia** lived a peaceful yet mysterious existence—until the day their world was torn apart. The heart of their village, an ancient and enigmatic **Tree of Origin**, held secrets neither of them could have imagined. When soldiers from the Abadon Empire arrive to claim the tree’s power, a desperate struggle erupts, unleashing a catastrophic surge of energy.  

In the chaos, **Julia vanishes**—teleported away by the tree’s last defense, while Harvey is left behind, weakened and consumed by guilt, believing himself responsible for her fate. Captured by the soldiers, he is taken to Abadon, where he comes under the watchful eye of **Duncan**, a seasoned warrior who recognizes the dangerous potential within him. Yet even Duncan does not fully understand the power that lies dormant inside Harvey—the power of the **Void.**  

Bound by mysterious **energy-dampening cuffs** and forced to train under Abadon’s brutal survival regimen, Harvey must learn to control the force within him before it consumes him completely. But as he grapples with his abilities, **two lingering presences haunt his thoughts**: the **guardian of the tree**, who once spoke of self-control and restraint, and the **entity within the void**, a being that saw him, acknowledged him, and then dismissed him as something insignificant.  

With **no home to return to and no knowledge of Julia’s fate**, Harvey’s path is clear—he must survive, grow stronger, and seek the truth behind his lost sister and the power that now binds him. Along the way, he will face ruthless warriors, uncover forgotten knowledge, and make uneasy alliances in a world where strength dictates destiny.  

But the Void is not merely an ability. **It is an abyss that consumes.**  

And if Harvey isn’t careful, **it may consume him too.**

Through the void and back

Harvey and Julia clung to the thick branches, their earlier laughter now a distant memory. The air around them had shifted, the usual warmth of the tree replaced with something else—something heavy, almost expectant.

Harvey wiped his palms on his tunic and looked at Julia. She was staring at the trunk with an unreadable expression.

"You feel that, right?" he asked quietly.

Julia nodded, gripping the branch tighter. "Yeah. It's… strange."

Neither of them could put it into words, but the tree—their tree—felt different. Not hostile, not threatening. Just watching.

Harvey exhaled, trying to shake the tension from his shoulders. "Maybe we're just tired. Long day in town and all."

Julia tore her eyes away from the trunk and flashed a smirk, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "That an excuse for why I climbed higher than you?"

Harvey scoffed. "Please. I let you win."

That was a lie. She'd beaten him fair and square this time, but he wasn't about to admit it.

Julia rolled her eyes and swung a leg over the branch. "Right. Well, I'm starving. Race you back?"

Harvey was about to agree when the unease in his chest twisted into something else. Urgency. A subtle pressure, not quite fear, but a firm push.

He wasn't sure where the feeling came from, but he knew one thing—it wasn't his own.

Julia tensed beside him, and when he met her gaze, he could tell she felt it too.

"We should head back," she said, her voice quieter now.

Harvey nodded. No more banter, no more hesitation. The playful competition was gone.

They climbed down in silence, feet finding familiar grooves in the bark. When they reached the ground, the feeling of urgency remained, pressing against them like an unseen hand on their backs.

Without another word, they turned toward the village and started walking.

The wind rustled the leaves behind them, but Harvey didn't look back.

Chapter 2: The Unspoken Warning