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 barely had time to react. A wave of darkness shot toward them, twisting unnaturally like living shadows. Instinct screamed at him to move, but his legs felt sluggish, trapped under the weight of something unseen.

Julia grabbed his arm and yanked him back. "Run!" she hissed, her voice tight with fear.

They bolted out of the elder's house, feet pounding against the dirt road as the darkness slithered after them. It wasn't just ordinary shadows—it moved with intelligence, with hunger. The village around them, once eerily silent, now seemed to shift as the darkness crept over walls and into alleyways, swallowing everything in its path.

Harvey risked a glance behind them. The hooded man hadn't moved. He simply stood in the doorway, watching them flee, as if he knew they wouldn't escape.

Harvey veered left, pulling Julia with him. The towering trees at the village's edge were their only refuge. If they could reach the tree—their tree—maybe they could hide. Maybe it would protect them like it always had.

The moment they crossed into the tree line, the air changed. The unnatural weight pressing against them lessened, and the thick sense of dread dulled. The darkness still followed, but it slowed, almost hesitating at the border of the forest.

Harvey didn't stop to question it.

They ran deeper into the woods, their lungs burning, their legs aching. Branches whipped against their skin, the familiar paths now feeling treacherous in the night. But the tree was close.

Finally, they broke into the clearing.

The massive tree stood before them, its presence as powerful and reassuring as ever. The moment they entered its space, an unspoken feeling washed over them—like a silent voice urging them to be still, to breathe.

Harvey collapsed to his knees, panting. Julia was beside him, her face pale in the moonlight. They were safe. For now.

But the village was gone. The people—gone.

Harvey clenched his fists. They needed answers. But for the first time in his life, he wasn't sure if they would ever come.

Chapter 5: The Vanishing Night