The Ash Protocol (The Null Equation)

By R.L Bandilla

MAGIC HAS A FREQUENCY. HE IS THE SILENCE.

Lucien Graves is not a hero. He is a retired Planeswalker, a mechanic who fixes broken things, and a man with a unique, dangerous physiology: he is a "Null." In a world humming with volatile magic, Lucien is a walking dead zone-immune to spells, invisible to the Weave, and capable of dismantling a wizard's casting with a single touch. He just wants to cross the Ash-Wastes in peace, but quiet is a luxury he can't afford.

Elara Vane is a storm waiting to break. A powerful Storm-Caller and High Arcanist, she is the prisoner of her own power, bound to a sadistic husband by a blood-oath that turns her magic into a torture device. She doesn't need a bodyguard; she needs an anomaly. Someone who can walk through the wards of the Obsidian Keep, expose a conspiracy that threatens the entire plane, and help her destroy the man who owns her soul.

What starts as a simple extraction job quickly spirals into a war against the Thorne Syndicate-a ruthless inter-planar corporation strip-mining the world for "Soul-Shards." As Lucien and Elara descend into the volcanic depths of the Keep, they uncover a weapon that could tear the fabric of reality apart.

Hunted by mercenaries armed with void-rifles and haunted by ghosts from the Chromium Plane, the mechanic and the mage must learn to trust each other. But in a world where magic is industry and life is fuel, the cost of freedom might be the only thing higher than the voltage.

Part western, part noir, and entirely electric-The Ash Protocol is a gritty, tactical science-fantasy about broken people breaking the system. Perfect for fans of hardboiled heroes, complex magic systems, and high-octane action.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0H1RW4XL5
• ISBN13: 9798196572296
• Release Date: May 2026
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 195 Pages
• Weight: 0.59 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.5" x 6.0"