After a few days of rest, Valens had fully recovered.
However, when he secretly tried to awaken his second ability again, it backfired, leaving him coughing up blood.
The doctor's orders were strict: no practicing his second ability. To enforce this, Ember took it upon himself to watch over Valens constantly, which he didn't mind in the slightest.
The two were often seen enjoying the sun together or pulling playful pranks around the house. Exeo didn't object as long as Valens stayed safe and avoided pushing himself too hard.
A month passed with Valens doing little but playing and relaxing with Ember.
Then, one day, Exeo decided it was time for a serious talk. He called them both to his office and motioned for them to sit.
Sitting across from them, Exeo looked at Valens and said, "It's time you learned the truth—about who you are and where you came from."
Valens's eyes widened in shock, but he soon nodded with a smile. He knew Exeo had saved him from the streets, and no matter what, he would stay loyal to his newfound brothers.
Still, a thought lingered: was it really a coincidence that his ability mirrored theirs? It was hard to believe he shared blood with the two men before him.
Exeo spoke calmly. "Valens, our parents were your parents too. We are truly brothers by blood." He explained that their parents had revealed the existence of a younger brother shortly before their deaths, too late for them to find him in time.
Exeo's voice softened. "Finding you that night was a blessing, Valens. I'll do everything to make up for the years we weren't there."
Valens hesitated before pulling out a necklace with a ruby pendant. "Big brother, I've had this for as long as I can remember. Could it be from our parents?"
Both Exeo and Ember froze, recognizing it instantly. It was their mother's pendant, one she always wore. More strikingly, they noticed a faint purple mana glow—a mark of the Bellator family.
Exeo leaned closer, inspecting the tiny swirl of mana inside the pendant. "Val, have you ever tried injecting mana into this?" he asked.
Valens shook his head, a bit embarrassed. "I completely forgot about it after arriving here."
Exeo gave a small nod. "That's good. If you had, it could've been dangerous. Try it now, but carefully."
Valens hesitated, glancing at both of them. Ember stepped closer, his voice calm and reassuring. "Don't worry, Val. We're here to protect you."
Encouraged, Valens gripped the pendant tightly in his palm, closed his eyes, and focused. As he injected a small amount of mana, a brilliant light burst from the pendant.
The light seeped through Valens's fingers, so bright that both Exeo and Ember had to squint. Exeo quickly ordered, "Ember, cover the windows with the blackout curtains. I'll make sure no one is nearby."
Ember nodded, swiftly pulling the curtains shut as Exeo stepped out to instruct Nox to keep the area clear. Once done, both brothers stood on high alert, ready to act if something went wrong.
Meanwhile, Valens remained focused, the pendant glowing intensely in his grasp. Inside his mind, vivid scenes began to unfold—like a film playing. He saw his life flash before him, from his birth to the day Exeo found him on the streets.
Then, another vision appeared.
A shadowed figure placed a ruby necklace around baby Val's neck before leaving him on an unfamiliar doorstep.
The scene faded into blackness, leaving Valens surrounded by a dark void.
Valens could hear a muffled voice, distant and unclear, like it was coming from far away. Gradually, the voice grew louder and clearer until words began to form.
"-hart! Sir Reinhart! Sir! Wake up! Are you okay?!"
He slowly opened his eyes, his vision blurred. A silhouette loomed to his right, speaking urgently. As his sight sharpened, he tried to respond, but no sound came out. His throat felt dry, and his voice failed him.
His mind raced.
'Reinhart? Why are they calling me that'
He recognized the name from his lessons—an ancestor of the Bellator family—but why was it being used for him? Looking around, he noticed his surroundings had changed entirely.
It was raining lightly, with dark clouds overhead. He lay on the wet ground, surrounded by trees. The uniform of the soldier beside him was unfamiliar.
'Where am I?' he wondered, his thoughts clouded by the sharp sting in his abdomen.
"Urk!" A pang of pain shot through him. He reached down instinctively, feeling warm liquid seep through his fingers. Blood. The metallic scent confirmed it. When he brought his hand up, it was soaked in red.
The soldier's panicked voice broke through his thoughts. "Sir, I'll protect you! Please, hold on!" The man stood and shouted toward the forest. "Over here! Sir Reinhart is here! We need medical help!" Then he ran off, his voice fading into the distance.
Valens groaned, pushing himself onto one elbow despite the pain.
'What is happening'
He glanced down and froze. Long strands of red hair fell over his shoulders. His eyes widened in shock. 'Huh?! How do I have long hair?!'
His hands trembled as they moved to his face. His features felt different—sharper, older. When his fingers brushed against chained earrings, a chill ran through him.
'What the…? I'm inside the body of the previous Bellator?'
His thoughts spiraled, his mind grasping for answers. 'It must be the necklace! That has to be it!' Memories of his brothers and the pendant flashed through his head.
Suddenly, the soldier reappeared, shouting, "Sir! You need to lie down, or you'll hurt yourself more!" Behind him were several other soldiers. Valens sighed in relief, assuming help had arrived.
But then, something caught his eye.
One of the soldiers raised a dagger, its blade glowing with a white aura. 'What are they doing'
Alarmed, Valens tried to warn the others, lifting his arm to point, but pain kept him from speaking. The dagger flew before anyone could react.
It struck his chest, piercing deep. Blood spilled from his lips as he gasped, looking down at the blade sticking through him. His vision dimmed, the sounds of chaos erupting around him as voices screamed, "Who dared—"
And then, darkness began to swallow him.
The light in Valens's eyes dimmed, and his right arm gave out, leaving him collapsed on his side. His vision blurred until only vague shapes surrounded him.
'This isn't me... it's him, the ancestor... So, this is how he died. Betrayed.'
The thought lingered as his eyes fluttered shut, the muffled voices around him fading.
'This feeling... it's terrifying.'
Darkness consumed him again.
Then, out of nowhere, sharp symbols and words etched themselves into his mind, searing like fire. He groaned, clutching his head as veins bulged on his forehead.
Unsteady, he leaned forward, his free hand gripping the table for balance. Suddenly, his fingers released the pendant, and his eyes shot open. The room spun, and just as he was about to collapse, Exeo caught him effortlessly.
"Rest," Exeo murmured, letting Valens lean against him, his head heavy and low. Ember stepped closer, concern etched into his face. Valens mumbled incoherently, words neither brother could understand.
Ember turned to Nox. "Prepare his room immediately," he ordered.
Minutes later, Nox returned with confirmation, and Exeo carried Valens to his bed, Ember following closely behind. As soon as Valens was laid down, his body began to twitch violently, the crackling sound of shifting bones filling the room.
Exeo frowned, stepping forward, but Ember stopped him with a firm grip on his arm. Shaking his head, Ember pointed to the necklace resting against Valens's neck, faintly glowing.
Moans of pain escaped Valens, growing louder as his body writhed on the bed. Both brothers stood helpless, their expressions grim. Whatever was happening, it was beyond their control. They could only watch, certain that the pendant was the cause—forcing his body to endure something neither of them could explain.
Valens groaned and shouted, his body writhing with every surge of pain. Just when he thought it might end, another wave tore through him, forcing him to cry out.
"I-I... ughhhh... I'm... uuuuugh... gonna... uggghhhh... be... fine—aaaahhh!" he choked out between spasms, his words fragmented and raw as he twisted on the bed.
Exeo and Ember stood by helplessly, their hearts heavy as they watched. They believed in their youngest, but seeing him like this was almost unbearable.
At times, Valens would clench the sheets, gasping, "P-uuugh... plea-ugh... seee... trust... big... broth-uuuggghhh!" A weak smile would briefly cross his face, only to twist into a grimace as another bolt of pain hit him.
In brief moments of respite, he tried to catch his breath, but the relief never lasted long. Another surge would come, his veins bulging as his body screamed in agony. The pain seemed to force some kind of transformation, but at a cost—his voice grew hoarse, and his strength waned.
For two days, Valens endured this torment, barely able to eat as the episodes struck without warning. By the third day, the pain finally stopped, leaving him utterly drained.
A faint groan escaped his lips, rousing Exeo and Ember, who had fallen asleep in chairs beside the bed. They rushed to his side as Valens weakly whispered, "W-wa...t...er..." before sighing, as if even speaking took all his energy.
Ember quickly grabbed the glass of water from the bedside table while Exeo gently helped Valens sit up. They placed a straw in the glass, and Valens sipped slowly, each drop soothing his parched throat. When he was done, Exeo eased him back onto the bed, and Valens closed his eyes, drifting into a deep sleep.
Neither Exeo nor Ember left his side after that. They instructed Nox to bring their meals to Val's room, determined to stay close until their youngest was truly recovered.
And so, after Valens drank some water a bit, they instructed Nox to prepare a simple meal for Val once he woke up.
They both collapsed onto the couch inside Val's room and sighed. Nobody said a word; all they did was shut their eyes, letting their brother's soft snore be their lullaby. In a while, they slept right there on the couch.
The door slowly opened towards Val's bedroom, and as Nox was about to say that food was prepared, he noticed the two were sleeping again, Ember and Exeo. But he had only smiled at them, leaving them to their sleep a while longer.
They have passed through this mini battle with their powers.
Valens woke up at night and shortly felt his emptiness with loud growling in his tummy. His room is dimly lit, he tries to rise but dropped himself onto his bed as there seemed to be no power.
Then, he glanced at the nightstand and found a bell sitting on it. The bell was supposed to have been left on the nightstand by Ember's order so that if he woke up at nighttime.
He reached for the bell, grasped it, and rang it loud enough to be heard, and in an instant, the door opened, and it was Ember.
Valens gazed towards the direction of the door and when he saw Ember, he smiled weakly. "Hello...brother".
Ember slowly walked towards Valens and sat on the bed just beside him, he said, "Hello Val. How are you feeling?"
Valens still let out a hoarse voice but managed to answer him, "I'm good...Where's.. brother..Exeo?"
Ember just nodded and replied, "Exeo is busy with your papers, since we already have your initial Ability results, he wanted to make sure that this does not go out and for your training too.", holding Val's right hand, squeezing gently.
"Are you hungry? I can call Nox and reheat the food that we prepared for you."
"Yes...that...would be...great."
Ember nodded in satisfaction and grabbed the bell, to call for Nox. When Nox arrived, Ember instructed him to prepare the food for Valens, putting the bell back on the bedside table.
When the door was closed, he turned back to face Valens and sighed, "You really worried us there, y'know."
Valens let out a soft hoarse chuckle, he said, "I..told..you...I'm fine..."
"I know, but we still worry."
Nox entered quietly, balancing a tray of food. "Young Master, the meal is ready," he said, bowing slightly.
Ember nodded and gestured for him to leave. "I'll take care of him."
Once Nox left, Ember turned to Valens, gently helping him sit up. "Come on, Val, just a little," he said softly, spoon-feeding his brother. Valens ate slowly, his eyes heavy with exhaustion.
Afterward, Ember tucked him back into bed. "Rest now," he whispered, brushing Valens's hair gently before gathering the dishes and stepping into the hallway.
His warm demeanor vanished the moment the door closed. Spotting Nox, he asked sharply, "When will Brother Exeo be back?"
"In an hour, Young Master," Nox replied.
Ember handed over the tray. "Bring me the documents on Valens's case. There's something in them, I know it." His tone grew icy as he added, "And Nox, Valens's ability—no one can ever know. Do you understand?"
Nox bowed slightly. "Yes, Young Master. It will be done."
"Good. Send him to my office the moment he arrives," Ember said, already walking away toward his office, determination etched on his face. Whatever secrets lay hidden, he would find them—and protect his brother at all costs.