Chapter 19:

Over the next several days, Harvey refined his control. He learned how to stabilize his domain, shape the void at will, and even use it to store objects.

But something still nagged at him.

His visions hadn't stopped.

Each time he slept, he saw glimpses of the past.

The battlefield. The war. The marked ones.

And always, at the center of it—the tree.

Harvey knew he couldn't ignore it forever.

Sooner or later, he would have to seek answers.

And something told him… he wouldn't like what he found.

One evening, as Harvey practiced shaping his domain, he felt a presence.

Not the caretaker.

Not Julia.

Something else.

The air shimmered.

And then—a figure stepped into his domain.

Harvey's blood ran cold.

The man's eyes gleamed like the abyss. His aura was suffocating, ancient. Powerful.

"Interesting," the man murmured, studying Harvey. "You are not what I expected."

Harvey took a step back, forcing himself to stay calm. "Who are you?"

The man smiled.

"I am someone who has been waiting for you."

Harvey swallowed.

Something told him his real journey was only just beginning.

Harvey sat in the cavern, the echoes of the mysterious presence still lingering in his mind. The words, or rather the intent behind them, weighed heavily on him.

"You are not ready yet."

The void energy within him still surged wildly, threatening to drain him at any moment. He had no proper method to contain it, only makeshift techniques that barely kept him from collapsing. He needed control—true control.

A shift in the cavern's air made him tense.

The darkness rippled before him. The same abyssal shimmer from before flickered into existence, more defined this time. Instead of formless shadows, Harvey could now make out the vague outline of a figure—tall, humanoid, yet distinctly otherworldly.

The presence pulsed again, a silent command brushing against his thoughts.

"You lack control over your link to the void. You must learn to grasp it, or it will consume you."

Harvey swallowed. So, it really is a link… but how do I control something I can't even see?

The presence didn't answer his thoughts directly. Instead, it extended an unseen force toward him. Instinctively, Harvey recoiled, but it wasn't an attack. The force wrapped around the chaotic void energy in his body, isolating it, containing it.

For the first time since awakening his ability, he felt still.

Not drained. Not overwhelmed. Just… stable.

"Now, do it yourself."

Harvey frowned. He focused inward, feeling for the connection between himself and the void. It was like an open floodgate, energy constantly rushing through, uncontrolled and unfiltered.

"Tighten your grip."

He furrowed his brow. How?

The presence pressed against his mind.

"The link is yours to command, but right now, it commands you. Imagine it as a door. You do not need to slam it shut—you need to hold it, regulate the flow."

Harvey took a slow breath and tried to visualize the link as a door. Right now, it was wide open, a torrent of energy pouring in without restriction. He concentrated, imagining himself reaching for the handle.

The moment he did, resistance fought back. The void didn't want to be controlled. It wanted to take everything.

"Do not fight against it. Guide it."

Harvey gritted his teeth. He focused on narrowing the flow rather than forcing it closed entirely. His breathing slowed as the chaotic energy became more manageable. The pressure on his body lessened, but another issue quickly became apparent—holding it in place required effort. A lot of effort.

"Good. But you are not free from consequence. The tighter your grip, the more energy it costs. You will stabilize, but progression will be slow. Until you learn a method of true cultivation, you will always struggle."

Harvey's eyes opened. The shimmering presence was already fading, retreating into the abyss.

"Survive. Learn. When you are ready… we will meet again."

And then, he was alone.

Harvey exhaled, sweat dripping down his face. He felt more himself than he had in days. The relentless drain had stopped, but at a price—he could already feel the strain of maintaining this delicate balance.

He clenched his fists. He had taken a step forward, but the road ahead was still uncertain. If he wanted to become a true cultivator, he needed a method, a foundation.

For now, though, survival came first.

And if this Guardian was waiting for him to be ready…

Then Harvey would make sure he was.

The siblings emerged from the tree line, their breath heavy from the sprint. The village stood before them, untouched but eerily still.

Harvey slowed his steps, his fingers tightening around Julia's wrist. "Something's wrong."

The air smelled the same—the lingering scent of the morning's cookfires, the dampness of freshly washed clothes hanging outside houses—but a fine layer of dust coated everything. Not thick, but noticeable, as if time had passed without them.

Julia's brows furrowed as she crouched beside an old wooden stool. She ran a finger over its surface, leaving a clean streak in the dust. "Harvey… how long were we in the tree?"

His mouth felt dry. It couldn't have been more than a few hours. But the dust, the silence—

A distant thunk shattered the quiet.

An axe.

Harvey's head snapped toward the sound.

Thunk.

The rhythmic chopping echoed through the air, steady, methodical.

It was coming from the tree.

He and Julia locked eyes. Then they ran.

Feet pounding against the ground, they sprinted back toward the woods, toward the only home they had left.

As they neared the clearing, voices reached them—deep, commanding voices.

Soldiers.

Harvey slowed, grabbing Julia's arm to pull her into the cover of the underbrush. Together, they crouched behind a thick patch of ferns, peering through the foliage.

The sight made Harvey's stomach twist.

A group of armored men stood around the base of the ancient tree, their uniforms marked with the sigil of Abadon's capital. One of them—the one wielding the axe—drew back for another swing.

Thunk.

Bark splintered beneath the blade.

"No," Julia whispered, gripping Harvey's sleeve. Her fingers trembled.

They were trying to cut it down.

Harvey's pulse pounded in his ears. Why? Why would soldiers of Abadon—distant rulers they'd only ever heard of in passing—suddenly appear here? And why attack the tree?

One of the soldiers turned to another, shaking his head. "It's resisting. The damn thing isn't like normal wood."

The man with the axe let out a frustrated breath. "Doesn't matter. Orders are orders." He raised the axe again.

A chill ran through Harvey's spine.

They couldn't let this happen.

But what could they do?

Julia shifted beside him, and he knew without looking—she was about to do something reckless.

And for once, he didn't have a plan to stop her.

Harvey barely had time to react before Julia took off running.

"Julia—wait!" he hissed, but she was already ahead of him, feet kicking up dust as she sprinted toward the massive tree.

Heart hammering, he chased after her. He could hear the rhythmic thunk of an axe striking wood, each impact making his stomach twist. The closer he got, the clearer the scene became—five soldiers in Abadon armor stood at the base of the tree, one of them gripping an axe, already preparing to swing again.

Julia skidded to a stop just a few feet away, breathless but furious. "Stop! You can't do this!"

The soldier with the axe hesitated, lowering it slightly as he turned to look at her. His brow furrowed in confusion before shifting to irritation. "And why should I?"

Harvey reached Julia's side, grabbing her wrist to keep her from charging forward. His mind raced, analyzing their surroundings. Five soldiers, all armed, their armor polished and bearing the sigil of Abadon. This wasn't some simple patrol—this was an operation.

Another soldier, taller than the rest, scoffed. "Get lost, kids. This doesn't concern you."

Harvey clenched his fists. "This tree belongs here! You can't just—"

The axe-wielding soldier barked out a laugh. "Belongs here? What, do you think trees have ownership now?" His grin turned sharp as he raised the axe again. "Now move before you get hurt."

Julia planted her feet. "No."

The soldiers paused. Harvey's stomach twisted as the air between them grew heavier. The axe-wielding soldier sneered and took a step forward.

"You think you can stop us?"

Harvey knew they had no chance against trained soldiers, but he couldn't just stand there. His entire body tensed, heart hammering in his chest. He stepped in front of Julia, arms outstretched.

"We're not moving."

For a brief moment, the only sound was the wind rustling through the leaves.

Then, the leader of the group gave a nod.

"Take them."

The soldiers advanced.