Later that night, Exeo headed to the training ground for a workout, a welcome change since there were no missions that day and Fon's training had already wrapped up. Moving to a corner of the gym, he faced a massive sandbag and began.
Several rounds in, sweat drenched his body. He walked over to the water jug, splashed his face, and drank deeply. As he lowered the jug, his vision abruptly dimmed, and the gym disappeared. Somewhere in the darkness, he could hear a voice calling.
"Ember? Are you there?"
But there was no response.
He shook his head, trying to dispel the dizziness, but his arms and legs felt like they were weighed down with lead. Before he could steady himself, a blinding flash engulfed him, and silence followed.
When Exeo's sight returned, he found himself lying next to a gaping black hole, as if some massive weight had just slammed down on him. Once more, a numbness crept over his body, and everything slipped into darkness.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Exeo woke slowly, his body aching and his mouth dry. Trying to rise, he felt only a dull, tingling numbness, as though a heavy hand pressed on his chest. His surroundings were pitch-black—no lights, no sounds. Weakly, he tried to stand, but his limbs refused to cooperate.
"Hey! Hey!" a voice called nearby. "Don't worry. You'll be all right."
A dim light from a torch mounted on the wall illuminated a figure beside him, a man in a uniform. Exeo squinted.
"Who…who are you?" he asked, his voice sluggish.
"I'm a doctor, so don't worry about that," the man replied, crouching beside him. "How's your head?"
Exeo closed his eyes for a moment. His headache had receded, but his vision remained hazy. "Not too bad."
The doctor looked him over. "Are you okay now? Can you move your limbs?"
"No," Exeo replied, trying to shift. "Something's drained me. Is there anyone else around?"
The doctor hesitated. "Well…no. This room's the only one with a hole, and the wall across from the door's ripped apart. We think you might have fallen into a shaft or something."
Exeo's brow furrowed, recalling his sudden collapse in the gym and the flash of white light.
'A shaft?' he thought, glancing at the hole nearby.
The doctor nodded. "Yes. It seems you fell into it."
Exeo looked around, puzzled. 'This isn't the gym. And there aren't any torches there.'
His gaze returned to the doctor's clothes, noticing they looked eerily similar to those worn by Dr. Lewis. His pulse quickened. 'Kidnapped?' he wondered. But then…why did he feel so weak?
The doctor observed him closely. "I think it's best for you to rest here until you regain your strength," he said, setting a water bottle beside him.
Exeo grabbed it eagerly, downing the water in desperate gulps.
The doctor seemed relieved. "Good. Rest, and we'll figure out where we are later. That's the logical next step." With that, he exited, shutting the door behind him.
Alone, Exeo took a steadying breath and strained to sit up. Slowly, feeling seeped back into his body. Grimacing, he forced himself to stay silent, focusing on his surroundings.
The room was dim, and an old mattress lay on a rough set of blankets nearby. A washstand stood beside the bed, a jug of water atop it. The walls were makeshift, wooden planks in disrepair. Whoever was holding him was serious about keeping this place hidden.
He was about to drift off when the door creaked open, and a younger man entered, his expression inscrutable. Exeo tried to rise, but his head throbbed, and he sagged back down.
The new visitor seemed intent. "I see you're awake," he said calmly, stepping forward. "I don't have all day to stand here staring."
Exeo frowned, instinctively reaching for his neck as if to brace himself for a fight, but his strength was no match for his will just yet. The man stood still, his face obscured by a dark cap and goggles, his body swathed in shadows. In one hand, he held a small handgun, and in the other, a torch.
Exeo's eyes narrowed, trying to pierce the gloom.
"I can see you're looking at me," the man murmured, his voice unsettlingly even. "But I think we both know it's unwise to stare when someone has a gun pointed at you."
The man stepped closer, the torchlight falling over Exeo. In the dim light, he could make out only fragmented features, shadow swallowing up the rest. His entire form seemed composed of darkness.
"I think we understand each other," the man said. He shifted, the light catching the sleek black of his clothing.
Exeo stayed silent, but his pulse quickened.
"There's something you need to know before you leave this place," the man continued. "This place is dangerous. And if you don't listen, there may be…consequences."
Exeo thought back to the gym, the flash of light, and the fall into this strange room.
"Yes, I think we understand each other," he replied.
"Don't play games with me, Reinholdt."
The mention of that name sent a chill down Exeo's spine. Reinholdt. He'd heard it once before, but never imagined he'd hear it in person. And the fact that this stranger knew it meant there was more to this encounter than a random fall.
Keeping his voice steady, Exeo asked, "So what's so important about it?"
The man chuckled softly, a sound too close to a mad cackle.
"So, Reinholdt, tell me—where's your brother, Reinhart?"
The question hung in the air, laced with something dark. Exeo kept his face impassive, though his mind raced. 'Reinhart? Reinholdt? Am I…in the past?'
The man's patience seemed thin, and he pressed the gun's barrel close to Exeo's face. "I'll ask again: where's your brother Reinhart?"
Sweat beaded on Exeo's forehead, his mind whirring as he kept his expression neutral. Then a thought struck him—could this be related to Val's ability to see the Void?
He clenched his jaw. 'Does this happen to Val too? I'll ask him…if I get out of here.'
As if losing interest, the stranger pulled out a small, metal contraption from his pack. After a few clicks, the room filled with a blinding flash of light, and everything went dark again.
When Exeo next opened his eyes, he could hear a voice calling out.
"Brother! Brother Exeo!" It was Ember's voice, loud and concerned.
"What happened to me?" Exeo managed.
"You collapsed on the floor. What happened?" Ember asked, worry written across his face.
Exeo shook his head, sitting up with effort. "I'll be fine."
"You don't look fine. Let me call Dr. Lewis—"
"No, Ember, it's nothing serious." Exeo tried to brush it off.
Ember studied him, doubt in his eyes. "Are you sure? You just collapsed. It could be serious."
Exeo offered a tired smile. "Just a bit of stress. It'll pass."
Ember, unconvinced, pressed on. "But why did you collapse? This isn't like you."
"Just tired," he repeated, sighing. "Where did you find me earlier?"
"By yourself, standing completely still, staring into space. Then you just collapsed." Ember's brows furrowed with worry.
"I see," Exeo murmured, his mind racing with thoughts. "Can you bring Val here? I need to ask him something."
Minutes later, Val entered, his face mirroring Ember's concern. "Big Brother, Ember told me what happened. Are you all right?"
Exeo held up a hand to stop him. "I'm fine, Val. I just need to ask you something."
"Of course."
"Have you ever dreamt of a past that didn't feel like your own?"
Val nodded, listening intently.
Exeo sighed, gathering his thoughts. "I think…I saw one of our ancestor's memories."
Val's face became serious. "Were you seeing it…or living it?"
Exeo's jaw tightened. "Living it."
The shadow in Val's mind stirred, its voice whispering, "He saw one of your ancestors, kid."
Val looked at his brother, eyes wide with realization. "What exactly did you see, Brother? Was there a name?"
Exeo swallowed, the name from the vision echoing in his mind. "Yes. His name was…"