Chapter 20

Harvey and Julia stood side by side in front of the ancient tree, their hearts pounding as soldiers advanced. They'd been forced from the safety of the woods, dragged into the clearing where the tree reigned in silent majesty. Now, as the soldiers prepared to cut down the valuable tree, the siblings refused to back down.

"Leave it alone!" Julia cried, her voice trembling with both fear and defiance.

Harvey's eyes blazed as he stepped forward, placing himself between Julia and the soldiers. "You can't just take our home!" he shouted. His words echoed over the hushed crowd of armored men, their sigils of Abadon glinting in the fading light.

The soldiers exchanged hardened glances. One of them sneered, raising his axe. "This tree's worth more than your sorry village ever was," he spat. "Move aside, or be moved."

Before the soldier could bring the axe down, a scuffle erupted. Harvey lunged to block the swing while Julia struggled at the soldier's side. Their combined defiance sparked a brief moment of chaos—shouts, the clatter of armored boots, the scraping of axes against stone.

Then, without warning, the tree reacted.

A deep, resonant hum began at its base, growing louder by the second. The bark along the trunk erupted with golden veins of pulsing light. In that moment of mounting tension, the soldiers' aggressive strikes only provoked the tree further.

As one soldier's axe bit into the trunk, a shockwave of raw, radiant energy burst forth. Simultaneously, a dark, rippling force ignited from Harvey. Caught in the tumult, the two blasts converged in the clearing.

Harvey felt the immense surge deep within his chest as his own void energy met the tree's ancient power. The collision of forces warped the space around them, and for a brief, disorienting moment, time seemed to stretch.

Julia, standing directly behind Harvey, was caught in the crossfire. In the chaotic interplay of golden light and void darkness, her form began to flicker. Harvey's cry rang out, "Julia—no!" as he reached out desperately.

But before he could catch her, the overwhelming blast of energy swept her away. In a flash of light and shadow, she vanished, leaving nothing but the echo of her presence and the scattering of her belongings on the ground.

The soldiers staggered, thrown off balance by the sudden, blinding burst. The tree's golden glow began to fade as its energy receded, leaving the clearing in an eerie half-light.

Harvey stood frozen, his body trembling—not from the physical impact, but from the searing, unbearable knowledge in his heart. His hands, still aglow with fading void energy, reached out into the empty space where Julia had been moments before.

His voice cracked, barely a whisper, "Julia…?"

In that suspended moment, Harvey felt the crushing weight of loss. The struggle, the defiance—it had all led to this shattering divide. He realized, with a dawning horror, that his uncontrolled power, merging with the ancient energy of the tree, had torn them apart.

Around him, the soldiers regained their composure and resumed their grim task, their faces set in cold determination. But to Harvey, nothing would ever be the same.

The tree stood silent and scarred, and Harvey, weakened and stricken with grief, understood with bitter clarity that he was now alone.

He had lost his sister—lost her to the power that he could neither fully control nor understand.

And as the clearing returned to its somber quiet, Harvey vowed that he would one day master this void energy. He would learn from his mistake and find a way to bring Julia back—no matter the cost.

Harvey remained kneeling on the forest floor, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The void energy within him still crackled weakly, flickering along his skin before fading into nothing. The golden glow of the tree had completely vanished, leaving only the dull scent of burnt air and disturbed earth. But none of it mattered—Julia was gone.

A hollow emptiness settled in his chest, far worse than the exhaustion gripping his limbs. His mind replayed the moment over and over—the explosion of power, the way her form had flickered before vanishing. He had reached for her, but she had slipped through his fingers like smoke.

A sharp yank at his arms brought him crashing back to reality.

"Get up," a soldier barked, roughly pulling him to his feet. Harvey's muscles protested, but he barely registered the pain.

The soldiers wasted no time. Shackles of cold, rune-inscribed metal snapped around his wrists, cutting off any chance of summoning his void energy. His legs nearly buckled from weakness as two men supported him, dragging him forward.

"Where's my sister?" His voice was hoarse, desperate. He didn't care if they laughed, didn't care if they struck him down—he just needed an answer.

But the soldiers barely spared him a glance.

"She's gone," one muttered.

"Most likely dead," another added with an indifferent shrug.

Harvey's breath caught. His vision blurred, but he gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay conscious. No. Julia wasn't dead. She couldn't be. The power that had taken her wasn't the soldiers' doing—it was something else, something far greater than them. The tree had reacted to their presence, had fought back.

Had it protected Julia? Sent her somewhere else?

The possibility burned inside him, keeping him from breaking entirely.

The soldiers didn't care about his turmoil. Their focus was on the tree. Despite the earlier devastation, their axes rose once more, aiming to strip the ancient being of its valuable wood.

Harvey thrashed against his captors, rage bubbling beneath his grief. "Leave it alone!" he roared.

A sharp fist to his stomach silenced him. He crumpled, his breath knocked out, but even through the pain, his hatred burned.

"Stop your whining," the soldier who had hit him scoffed. "You lost, brat."

Harvey clenched his fists. No. He hadn't lost. Not yet.

Even as they dragged him away from the ruins of his home, from the tree that had been his only source of comfort, Harvey made a silent vow.

He would survive. He would find Julia.

And one day, he would make them pay.

Harvey wasn't sure how much time had passed since he was taken.

The journey blurred together—rough roads, harsh treatment, and days without proper food or rest. The soldiers had placed him in a transport caravan along with other captives. Most were older men and women, people taken from nearby villages or travelers who had been unfortunate enough to cross Abadon's soldiers.

No one spoke to him. No one acknowledged him.

That suited Harvey just fine.

He had nothing left to say.

The only thing keeping him from collapsing completely was the faint hum of void energy buried deep inside him. The shackles on his wrists suppressed his abilities, but they didn't erase them. He could still feel the void—a distant pull, a presence lurking beneath the surface.

He held onto it, kept it close.

It was all he had left.

But even as he steeled himself, questions gnawed at him.

Where had Julia gone?

What had the tree truly been?

And what did the soldiers want with him?

He wasn't left wondering for long.

One evening, as the caravan neared Abadon's outskirts, a man entered the transport. He was older, his uniform more elaborate than the other soldiers. Unlike them, he didn't wear a sneer or look at the captives with disdain. His gaze was sharp, calculating.

His eyes landed on Harvey.

"You," the man said, stepping closer. "You were at the tree when it reacted, weren't you?"

Harvey said nothing.

The man studied him for a moment before nodding to himself. "Interesting." He glanced at the guards. "Take this one to Duncan."

At the mention of the name, the soldiers stiffened. A murmur passed through them, one of uncertainty.

Harvey didn't know who Duncan was. But judging by their reactions, he wasn't someone ordinary.

And for the first time since losing Julia, a small spark of curiosity cut through the fog of his grief.

Whatever came next, he would endure it.

Because this wasn't the end.

It was only the beginning.