The three brothers arrived back at the Bellator Manor and were greeted by the manor's Head Butler, Nox. Nox had prepared their dinner and when they were done, they went to Exeo's study room.
Ember was sitting on the couch while Exeo and Valens were seated opposite each other across from Ember.
Exeo spoke first, "Ember, Val here needs to tell us something."
Ember got up and sat beside Valens, who began to speak.
"This is about the day when I awoke my ability. Remember when I told you both that I saw images and symbols?"
Ember and Exeo just nodded silently, letting Val continue his story.
This time, Val decided to tell the whole truth about the shadow.
"Those images and symbols, I lied about it."
Both brothers looked at him questioningly.
"It actually started when you both were unconscious when I awakened my second ability. The thing is..."
Val stopped himself before continuing. He looked at Ember and Exeo and asked, "Is this okay? I think you guys should hear this part."
They both nodded.
"Well, during the time when I awakened my second ability, I am completely unaware of my surroundings. I was inside of my consciousness and there, I saw a black sphere. Then, when it shattered, there emerged a shadow, it has a human shape."
"A shadow?" said Exeo, intrigued.
"Right. A shadow, like an outline of a person, except that its shape isn't complete. It doesn't have any eyes or mouth and it seems incomplete. That's why I called it 'shadow.' But it does have arms and legs. It can also talk...to me."
Val paused. He didn't want to lie anymore.
"When the shadow appeared, it asked me to give him a name."
There was a short moment of silence after this revelation.
Exeo cleared his throat and said, "So, what happened next?"
"At first, I didn't understand what the shadow wanted. So I decided to give him a name."
Exeo looked at Val, waiting for his explanation.
"And so, I named him 'Deleo' but the shadow's reaction was quite different at that time. He instead asked me if did I already know my ability but I said no."
"Wait a minute, Deleo? You named your power Deleo? What kind of name is that?" asked Ember.
Val nodded and continued, "After that, he showed me, the power of the Void, and that's when I started to be able to control it along with the Purple Fire without backlash."
"When I was stabilizing my two abilities, at that time, I didn't know that you two went unconscious after touching me."
Ember said, "I see. We don't even know what was happening to you at that time, because what we saw was that you were bleeding, I mean blood was coming out of your eyes, mouth, and ears. We tried to interrupt you but I guess it backlashed on us."
Exeo said, "You're right. But, did the shadow tell you why we went unconscious when we tried to touch you?"
"Yes. He said that with my ability, the Void will act to protect me if it felt that I am in danger or if it felt any malice in its surroundings. However, if there's none, that person who approaches me will only fall unconscious, which happened to you both at that time."
Valens was about to speak when the shadow, who was listening, answered Valens in his mind. "Tell your brothers that the only time the Void will activate on its own is if someone tries to harm you, kid."
This time, Exeo had noticed the sudden silence of Val. He said, "Did the shadow, Deleo, just speak to you?"
Valens replied, "Yes, he said that the only condition the Void will activate by itself is if someone else will try to harm me."
Exeo was still thinking, but then asked, "What other things he told you?
"About the origins of the Purple Fire."
The brothers stared at Valen in surprise. They thought they knew everything about their powers.
"Dr. Lewis had mentioned the ancients before right? That my ability was from the ancients. Well, he was half right, but the truth is, that the Purple Fire itself was created by the Primordials. The shadow said the Purple Fire was solely created to erase human existence. However, one of the Primordials was opposed to erasing human existence so they had appointed a human to bestow the power of the Purple Fire as the divine punishment. But, when they tried to bestow the power of the Purple Fire, a small portion of the Void which was originally from the Primordials, was also passed on to that human."
"Wait, so the Purple Fire was given by the gods themselves? And what do you mean by a 'small portion of the Void?' A small portion is what can erase a city, country?" Ember asked in disbelief.
"Yes, a very small part of the Void was transferred to that man and the rest of it remained inside the gods."
Ember and Exeo were staring at Valen, stunned.
Valens continued, "After it was passed down to that human, he was also being sworn with an Ancient Oath, which is different from a Mana Oath. If Mana Oath can only affect the person's mana when violated, the Ancient Oath is a bit heavier."
"So, what does the Ancient Oath entail?" Ember asked.
"In order for that human not to abuse his power, he was sworn with an Ancient Oath, and if he defies it, he will be affected physically, his soul as well, and...his existence will be erased to nothingness. This means that the people around him, will forget that he existed, or rather continue to move on as if he never existed in the first place."
The atmosphere in Exeo's study room grew heavier, and the silence lingered as Exeo and Ember processed the recent revelations.
They exchanged glances before looking at Valens, who had regained control of his body and was slumped on the couch, exhausted. He looked up, meeting his brothers' eyes with a mixture of relief and vulnerability.
Ember broke the silence. "So, this...'Deleo'—he was watching over you even when you were a kid?"
Valens nodded, his voice subdued. "Apparently. He only started speaking when I awakened my second ability, but he's been there all along. Waiting, maybe, until I was ready."
Exeo leaned back, folding his arms. "Why didn't you tell us sooner? Something like this—it's not something you keep to yourself."
Valens sighed, brushing a hand through his hair. "At first, I thought it was a hallucination. I didn't know what to make of it, and even now…part of me is still trying to understand what he is, or why he's here."
Ember softened, placing a reassuring hand on Val's shoulder. "We get it. Powers like ours aren't exactly easy to explain or understand, especially when they involve something ancient like the Void."
There was a slight ripple in the air, a low hum that only Val seemed to notice. He winced slightly as the familiar voice of Deleo whispered through his thoughts, "Tell them, kid. They need to know. They're part of this, too."
Before Val could say something, Exeo interjected, "That means, that human who was first bestowed with the Purple Fire, that would be the very first Bellator, isn't it?"
The shadow commented inside Val's mind, "He definitely grasped it quickly."
Val just nodded in agreement.
Exeo said, "Then, I am just wondering, why we don't have the Void ability?"
Val took a deep breath, and instead of answering Exeo's question, he said. "Deleo...he's urging me to share more. It's almost like he's guiding me, making sure I don't mess up with this power. And…I think he genuinely wants to help, even though he's terrifying sometimes."
Exeo raised an eyebrow. "Terrifying? How?"
Val hesitated, struggling to find the words. "It's not just his appearance—it's the things he knows. He talks about time as if it's irrelevant, like he's seen everything that's ever happened. And he seems to understand exactly what might go wrong if I lose control."
Ember chuckled nervously. "So, he's like a cryptic mentor? Or a prison warden? Honestly, I'm not sure which is scarier."
Val shrugged. "Maybe both. But he also warned me that my sense of hearing would be permanently sealed if I couldn't control the Void and the Purple Fire together."
"You said the shadow's been talking to you. Did it say something about that symbol on your left eye? What is it?" Ember asked.
"It did. It is a seal that helps me control the two abilities from clashing, and..."
"And what?" Ember interrupted Valens.
Valens paused. "Well, there are not just one magic seal, there are at least...hmmm....five, I believe."
Both Ember and Exeo gasped in shock.
"There are five seals?" Ember asked in confusion. "How exactly are you sure that it's five of them? Did the shadow mention it?"
"No, it didn't," Valens answered.
"But how come you know there are five seals? How did you even discover that?" Ember asked again.
"Okay, here's the thing. My Void ability, as the shadow said, it messes up one's senses. I mean, if they're the target, the target will have no sense of sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. And so, the magic seals were created by the previous Bellators, up until the last one, Reinhart Bellator."
"So, the magic seals were created over time to control those two abilities?" Exeo asked in bewilderment.
Valens nodded. "Yes. They were created to control the two abilities, but when they created a magic seal, one of the five senses will be affected. That's why when the next Bellator had created one, even though it will affect another one of their senses, at least it will not overlap the previous seal being created."
"I see..." Ember muttered, still lost.
"Are those seals permanent? Or will they be gone once you're able to control your dual abilities?" Exeo asked.
This time, Val was suddenly quiet.
Now, the two older brothers knew what was happening, he was currently talking with the shadow inside of him.
Val asked in his mind, "You said there are layers of magic seals. I was not able to ask this too, are they permanent, or will they be removed once I am able to control it?"
The shadow responded, "Yes, after some time, you will be able to remove all magic seals but one of your senses will not be returned"
"Huh? There is? Which one?" Val asked in shock.
A momentary pause followed before the answer came, "Your sense of hearing."
Val sighed, looked at his two older brothers, and said, "To answer your question Big Brother, all seals can be removed but one of my senses will not be returned, my hearing.
Exeo's eyes narrowed, taking on a serious glint. "Wait, Val. Your sense of hearing… That's crucial for us. You use it to keep your surroundings in check, to read the room, to anticipate attacks. Losing it would be a huge disadvantage."
Val was about to say something when he suddenly felt pain in his left eye. The pain intensified, and his left eye started glowing red.
He tried closing it, but it wouldn't budge. He opened his right eye instead, but the same thing happened there. Soon, his vision turned completely dark, and the pain got worse. He began screaming and thrashing around on the ground.
A black smoke was slowly surrounding Val, which made the other two stand up quickly.
It was the shadow, Deleo.
Deleo's voice rumbled from somewhere deep within Val, though this time it was audible to everyone in the room.
"Nice to meet you Bellators. I was listening to your conversation, and to answer your question, I assure you, it's a necessary sacrifice." His tone was cold and final, lacking the playful inflection from earlier. "Val's sense of hearing anchors him to the world. If it remains, he will continue to be torn between two opposing forces."
The room fell silent again. Exeo and Ember stared at Valens, digesting the shadow's words.
"I am sorry if I scared the both of you, but as you can see, I just temporarily took over your youngest's body. It seems you are very curious about his ability."
Val, who is currently being controlled by the shadow, raised both his hands in surrender, saying he doesn't mean any harm to any of the brothers, or the owner's body.
"So, what questions you wanted to ask me? It's kind of hard you know if there's a middleman, so here I am." Deleo said.
Ember spoke up, breaking the silence. "So…what you're saying , is that this power—these abilities—they'll consume him if he doesn't make a sacrifice? Is that it?"
Deleo paused before answering, as if carefully selecting his words. "Yes, that is one way to put it. To wield both the Purple Fire and the Void, Valens must strip away parts of himself that would interfere. His hearing keeps him tied to earthly instincts and fears. Only by letting go of it can he transcend the limitations of human emotion and avoid self-destruction."
Ember's fists clenched. "That's... That's not fair."
Deleo's shadowy presence seemed to waver slightly. "I never said it would be fair."
Exeo cleared his throat, his gaze hardening as he looked directly at the shadow. "Then what are you here for, Deleo? Is it really just to 'help' Val? Or are you using him for something more?"
For a moment, the study was eerily silent, Deleo's shape flickering as if disturbed by Exeo's question. When he finally spoke, his voice had an edge of weariness. "I am bound to Valens, just as he is bound to me. My purpose…is to guide him. Nothing more, nothing less."
Deleo also added, "Val can learn to control the powers on his own, but I'll be there until he has mastered them. It should only take a couple more years, two years to be exact."
Ember scoffed lightly. "A couple years? So we're just supposed to keep watch over you, like babysitters, for two years while you train with a shadow that could explode or…I don't even know what else?"
Deleo's voice chimed in again, almost amused. "Perhaps that's exactly what you'll do, brother of Valens."
Ember tensed but laughed dryly, looking to Exeo. "Great. Just great. We get to be the overprotective brothers while this 'shadow' teaches him things even we can't predict."
Deleo gave a faint, hollow chuckle. "And you will be glad for it, Ember Bellator. For one day, you may be the only ones who can keep him from being consumed entirely."
Exeo narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean by 'consumed'?"
Deleo paused, his shape darkening. "If the clash between Void and Purple Fire ever reaches a breaking point, it could destroy Valens—and not just his physical self. The essence of who he is, his spirit, his connection to everything he's ever known…it would be erased. He would be lost to the Void."
A cold shiver swept through the room, and Exeo and Ember stood frozen, the weight of Deleo's words settling heavily in their minds.
Finally, Ember spoke, his voice barely a whisper. "So...if he loses control, he'll just disappear? Like he never existed?"
Deleo's response was quiet but firm. "Yes."
As soon as Deleo's black smoke disappeared, Exeo's face hardened as he turned to Val. "Then, we train. We don't wait for two years. We'll start now, together. I don't care how many seals there are; we'll master this, so you don't have to risk anything alone."
Val's eyes softened as he looked at his brothers, nodding in agreement. "I…I appreciate it. I really do."
With a final look at his brothers, Valens took a deep breath, feeling both reassured and overwhelmed by the journey ahead. The burden of the Purple Fire and the Void was heavy, but the unwavering support of his brothers made it bearable.
Deleo spoke to Val in his mind, "Remember, Valens. The path to control is neither swift nor painless. But with your brothers at your side, you might just succeed."
As the shadow faded completely, Valens felt a sense of calm wash over him. For the first time, he believed that, together, they could conquer whatever challenges lay ahead—even the darkness that lingered within him.