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's breath caught in his throat as he jolted upright. His heart pounded, his skin slick with sweat. The mark on his hand was burning—not painfully, but insistently, like a warning.

The fire had burned low, leaving only glowing embers. The forest was unnervingly silent.

A shadow lingered at the edge of the clearing, just beyond the reach of the dim light. It wasn't an animal—its shape was too still, too unnatural.

Harvey's grip tightened around his knife. "Julia," he whispered, nudging her shoulder.

She stirred, blinking sleepily. "Wha—"

He clamped a hand over her mouth and nodded toward the trees. Her body tensed beneath his touch as she followed his gaze.

It didn't step forward—it shifted, like mist dissolving and reforming. The sensation that had been crawling up Harvey's spine turned into full-blown dread.

Then, a voice. Not spoken, but felt.

Harvey shuddered. The words weren't directed at his ears, but at something deeper. His soul.

Julia's breathing had turned shallow, her eyes wide. "What do we do?" she mouthed.

But before he could speak, the shadow moved again. And this time, it rushed toward them.

"I… don't know." Harvey stared at his hand, his fingers trembling. "But I think I just—"

A distant sound cut him off—a low, resonating hum, coming from deeper in the forest. It was calling.

Chapter 12: Whispers in the Dark