Oliver awoke near the edge of a river bank, he opened his left eye with ease, but his right eye was closed shut. How was he alive he wondered. How can he still be breathing? He asked himself but he couldn’t think too long. He had to get to Wrenwood. He had to tell them, he had to warn them... Minutes felt like Hours as he slowly made his way through the forest back to his home. But with all that blood, it didn’t look like his home.

He walked through the village as he looked at the corpses the men, the women, the children. He wanted to throw up, so he did. And then, he was at his house. ‘Please!’ He thought as he slowly reached for the door, his hand shaking vigorously, begging the gods for a silver lining, the problem was he wouldn’t get one.

Oliver stared at the small house for what was minutes. He didn’t react as quickly as he thought he would. Then, he closed the door, fell to his knees, and screamed. Screamed loud enough for all animals within the area to turn and run.

He whispered something under his breath. “Let me die...”He tried standing up but couldn’t, he clenched his fist hard enough for blood to slowly seep out. “LET ME DIE TOO!!”. He yelled while his one good eye teared up. His clothes were soaked in water, blood and now tears as his intense screams of rage turned into loud wails of sobbing.

Oliver stood alone in the village, surrounded by freshly dug graves. He had buried every member of his beloved family, as well as the other villagers who had fallen victim to ‘The Shadow’ as he began calling it. With the dead now laid to rest, Oliver knew he had to find answers. What had attacked them? How can he find it? What could he do to stop it? And how can he kill it? His mind was a whirlwind of questions, and he was determined to do what it did to him. To make it suffer, to make it burn....

As he began to search the village for clues, he noticed that some of the homes and buildings had been ransacked. It seemed that whoever or whatever had attacked Wrenwood had been looking for something specific. Oliver's thoughts turned to the mysterious lights and sounds that his parents had mentioned before the tragedy unfolded. Could they be connected?

He decided to start with his family's home, hoping to find any clue that might shed light on the situation. As he entered the house, memories of happier times flooded his mind. He couldn't help but let tears drop down his face. He tried to shake it off but it wouldn’t stop, it couldn’t stop.

Oliver carefully examined each room, looking for any signs of disturbance or anything that might provide a clue. It was in his parents' bedroom that he made a chilling discovery. On the floor, partially hidden under a rug, he found a small, ornate box, but It was locked.

Using a bit of ingenuity he had learned from his father, he managed to pick the lock and inside the box, he found a collection of old journals and a map. The journals belonged to his parents, more realistically his ancestors dating centuries back. They contained detailed notes about the forest, and many strange occurrences that had once happened in Wrenwood.

The map, on the other hand, was like nothing Oliver had seen. It was marked with cryptic symbols and strange drawings, and it had a distinct aura of magic about it. ‘Whats with all this?’ he thought as he continued to read the map.

“The Nexus?” he said as he read the little black ink writings on the map. As he continued to examine the map, he noticed a special trail, a path leading to the Nexus. “Blackwood?!” Indeed. Blackwood was quite a sight. Beautiful animals, rivers, lakes and plants of all sorts. The land was ripe with life. But there was one small problem. that part of the forest was cursed. Those who go in never find a way out and if they somehow did, they were usually just bones.

Oliver’s mind began to wonder. “How did they find a way out?” He thought as he dropped the map and picked up the journals. There seemed to be three journals in total, and one of them spoke of the nexus as a well of immense magical power. It was at one point used by all members of Wrenwood to increase their overall mana and potency allowing them to turn mountains into mole hills, and create snow in the summer, but some were greedy, leading to what was in essence a civil war that ended with the creation of Blackwood and Wrenwood themselves.

Oliver was speechless, he couldn’t believe what he read. How could Wrenwood be... all this?

He continued to read through the journals, and stumbled upon an entry from a distant relative named Eamon Reddington. Eamon had apparently been a renowned explorer and a seeker of forbidden knowledge. He wrote about his obsession with the Nexus and wanted to unlock its secrets. He had embarked on a journey into Blackwood, leaving behind some clues for anyone who might follow in his footsteps. But he was never heard from again.

‘Nexus... maybe that could be useful?’ Oliver thought as he stood from the ground. If the power to manipulate reality was possible with this nexus, perhaps revenge wasn’t far fetched.

He gathered supplies, including a lantern, food, and a small dagger, As well as the journals and map in hand, Oliver made a solemn vow. He swore to all the gods that day. He would kill the Shadow that took his life away from him. His journey had just begun, would he live to see it through? Perhaps, perhaps not. Only the gods know.