Shards of the Dark Lord: A Dark Fantasy Time Loop Romance LitRPG

After centuries of dreamless sleep, Abad-Shai, an avatar of the late Dark Lord, wakes up in the ruins of his old vault to find most of his power gone and his treasures stolen. Once feared across the land as the Black Flame, he's now barely more than a shadow of his former self.

The world of Elysium has moved on without him. The Goddess's light keeps the common folk safe behind the Great Wall, while the memory of the Dark Lord and his avatars has faded into legend. It should be the perfect chance for Abad to slip away and build a new life—one where he isn't defined by the darkness that created him.

But the past isn't done with him yet. Something stirred when Abad awakened, something ancient and catastrophic that threatens to tear the world apart. Worse, he's pretty sure his very existence is somehow connected to it all. Every step he takes to recover his stolen possessions and carve out a life for himself only accelerates the coming disaster.

The power he's trying to escape might be the only thing that can save everyone—if it doesn't consume him first. For a being created from the essence of destruction, redemption was never going to be simple.

Core Story Elements

Dark High Fantasy

Slice of Life Moments

Slow Pace and Progression

Numbers-Lite LitRPG

Anti-Hero, System Native MC

Time Loop(The end of each book loops)

Focus on Loss, Overcoming the Past, Personal Flaws, and Finding Meaning (Loss is a Major Theme in Book 1)

First Person Past Tense (Some Third Person Flashbacks)

Harem Romance (Four LIs)

Heavy Story Elements (Explores Regret, Guilt, and Second Chances)

If these elements interest you, please read and enjoy!

First draft chapters are written in Roman numerals.

Second draft shapers are written in Arabic numerals.

Chapters are published TR

And if you like this one, check out my other seriesZero to Hero. It's about a down-on-his-luck diamond in the rough doing the best he can while having fun along the way.

I'll be returning to Shards after I finish Zero to Hero, probably in the middle of next year. This first book has been rewritten, but I will likely change/expand some areas when I return. Until then, I hope you enjoy my other work as much as this one!

I do not use generative AI to write my prose.

I do not permit the usage of my work to train AI.