The light in the General's office was dim, adding a weight to the tense silence among the assembled team.
They'd completed countless missions together, but this one carried an edge of urgency that set it apart.
Val scanned the room, taking in each of his teammates' faces. They'd been briefed on their new role, an elite force with the highest level of clearance.
General Luis entered, looking somber.
He projected a hologram over the central table, an intricate map of a region just beyond the city's outskirts, where rumors of renewed cult activity had been spreading fast. "You've all been brought here to discuss a specific threat resurfacing—Hades' Wrath."
Val's brow furrowed, his mind flashing back to their previous encounters with the cult. They were ruthless, fanatical in their pursuit of power through dark means, and unafraid of collateral damage. But this time, the intel suggested something different.
"Their activities have grown increasingly erratic," he continued, "and intelligence suggests they've found a way to enhance abilities artificially. If this is true, the implications could be devastating."
Bo shifted uncomfortably, something Val picked up on, but he chose to stay silent. General Luis went on, "We've received word that they're gathering relics from the Primordial era. They believe these artifacts hold untapped power that can amplify a user's abilities tenfold, though the cost is unknown."
Exeo's eyes narrowed. "Are we authorized to bring them down?"
General Luis nodded. "This is a covert operation. Minimize conflict where possible, but the directive is clear: eliminate any threat."
As the briefing concluded, the team geared up in silence, each member lost in their own thoughts. They made their way to the transport, the weight of the mission pressing down on them.
Val caught Bo's eye as they strapped in, but Bo's expression was unreadable, as if he were bracing himself for something more than just another mission.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Under the cover of darkness, the team approached the cult's hideout. It was an abandoned fortress on the cliffs, a looming, jagged structure that seemed to absorb light.
They split into pairs, with Val and Bo taking point as they maneuvered through the narrow hallways, dimly lit by flickering torches.
As they neared the central chamber, whispers floated through the air, twisted chants echoing off the walls. The chilling sound sent a shiver down Val's spine. Just as he motioned for Bo to advance, he noticed a strange look in Bo's eyes—a mix of fear and something he couldn't quite place.
"Bo," Val whispered, his voice tense, "are you alright?"
Bo hesitated before answering, "I'm fine. Just… memories."
Before Val could press further, a group of cultists appeared around the corner. Bo raised his arm, and in a burst of energy, thin, sharped ice spears erupted from his hands, scattering the cultists in all directions. The ice spears thrust with an intensity Val hadn't seen before, and it struck him as strange that Bo's control over the Ice felt more feral, as if it had been barely contained.
But there was no time to dwell on it. They pushed forward, fighting off waves of cultists, until they reached the heart of the stronghold.
In the middle of the cavernous chamber, a large obsidian altar loomed, covered in ancient symbols. Standing before it was a figure cloaked in dark robes, holding a strange, glowing artifact.
The cult leader's eyes widened as he spotted them, but instead of fear, there was recognition.
"Ah, the Bellators," he sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "And… well, if it isn't Bo. I wondered how long it would take before you came back to us."
A wave of shock rippled through the team. Bo's face went pale, and he took a step back, his hand trembling slightly as he clenched his fist. "I'm… I'm not with you anymore."
Val's gaze snapped between the cult leader and Bo, a sickening realization dawning. "Bo… what's going on?"
Bo's shoulders tensed, and he took a deep, shuddering breath. "I… I used to be with them. Before I joined the team."
Exeo's voice was sharp, betrayal evident in his tone. "You were part of Hades' Wrath?"
Bo's face twisted with a mix of regret and shame. "I left years ago. I didn't want to be part of their madness, but… they didn't exactly let me go easily."
Ember's expression was a mix of disbelief, remembering his discovery of Bo's identity in one of his solo missions previous, but kept silent.
The cult leader's voice interrupted, dripping with mockery. "Did he also fail to mention his true heritage?" He held up the artifact, its glow intensifying. "This relic—its power resonates with blood, and Bo's bloodline is of Hades' Wrath."
Val's gaze snapped back to Bo, who was looking down, clearly struggling to contain his emotions. "You're connected to them… by blood?"
Bo's voice was a whisper, barely audible. "My family… they were cult members. I was born into it. They trained me to carry out their twisted ideals, but I couldn't… I couldn't accept that path."
The cult leader laughed, stepping closer with the artifact in hand. "Bo's powers are rooted in our teachings, our sacrifices. And despite his 'rebellion,' he has the potential to wield darkness like no other. It's time he came home."
Val could see the anguish in Bo's eyes, the weight of years of secrecy and guilt.
He stepped forward, his voice steady. "Bo, you don't have to go back. Whatever ties they had on you, you broke them."
The cult leader's gaze narrowed, and with a flick of his wrist, he activated the artifact. A dark energy filled the air, latching onto Bo, pulling him toward the altar. He struggled against the pull, but the power was relentless, feeding off the lingering ties he hadn't fully severed.
Val lunged forward, grabbing Bo's arm to anchor him. "Stay with us, Bo! Fight it!"
The cult leader sneered, watching as Bo's form flickered between their world and the shadows of Hades' Wrath. "It's useless. He is one of us, and he always will be."
Bo gritted his teeth, fighting with every ounce of will he had. "No," he rasped, his voice trembling but resolute. "I chose my path… and it isn't with you."
With a defiant roar, Bo unleashed a surge of ice energy, creating a storm of frozen shards that whirled around him, severing the dark energy tendrils grasping at him. Icicles exploded outward, shattering the binding force.
Val jumped backwards to avoid himself from the sharp fragments as Bo fought his own internal battle.
In the chaos, Ember and Exeo charged toward the cult leader, weaving around bursts of energy as the cultists retaliated. Exeo slashed through the air, his blade crackling with lightning as he deflected an onslaught of attacks. Ember darted to his side, twin daggers flashing in the dim light, striking down cultists who tried to overpower them.
The cult leader retaliated, summoning dark flames to swirl around him in a defensive barrier. Val's focus narrowed, his hand shooting forward as he created a Mind Link with his team.
"Exeo, go high! Ember, flank left! Now!" Val commanded.
Exeo leaped into the air, channeling a massive burst of Purple Fire coating through his sword as he brought it down upon the cult leader's flame barrier.
The impact shattered a portion of it, sending a wave of raw energy through the room. Ember seized the opportunity, darting left and slipping through the weakened barrier, his daggers, coated with the Purple Fire, flashing as he aimed for the cult leader's exposed side.
But the cult leader twisted with unnatural speed, his artifact glowing even brighter. He threw a dark pulse that sent Ember flying back, and he crashed into a stone pillar, wincing as he struggled to stand.
Just as the cult leader raised his artifact to finish him, Bo surged forward, fury in his eyes, the temperature around him dropping sharply.
He raised his hand, and an immense wave of ice formed, slamming into the cult leader with unrelenting force, freezing his arm in place.
"You don't own me anymore!" Bo shouted, his voice laced with both pain and defiance.
The cult leader's eyes narrowed, pure venom in his gaze. "This isn't over." With a last burst of energy, he shattered the ice, sending shards flying as he prepared to counterattack.
Val was about to make a move when suddenly, his left eye suddenly seared with pain. He fell to his knees, his hand instinctively clutching his eye as blood began to drip down his face.
'Urk! Not now!' he thought as he struggled to open both his eyes.
Riggs, who had been on the lookout, rushed toward him. "Val! What the hell's happening to you?"
Ember darted over as well, his gaze shifting between Val and the cult leader, wary.
Val struggled with his breathing as he continued to crouch down in pain, and said raspy, "I...I don't know. My left eye..."
When Ember heard this, he looked down at Val and narrowed his eyes. 'Why of all times!' Ember thought.
Val couldn't talk but asked the shadow, "Why is...my left eye acting up, Deleo?"
The shadow didn't respond yet, but after a pause, he said, "I am not sure, but seems like it's something to do with that relic that old man is holding."
Val struggled to look up, and squint with his eyes, with his left eye already starting to bleed, "That stone? Is that even a ruin stone?"
"I have never seen one that kind of stone since way back. Hmm? Wait..." The shadow paused, and then, as if he saw something, the shadow suddenly took over Val's body.
Uuurgh!
Soon, Val wasn't there anymore. A darker aura enveloped him, his voice deepening, an ominous smirk stretching across his lips as Deleo took control.
Val, or Deleo, just glanced over at Ember, then back at the battle scene between Exeo, Bo, and the priest.
"Ah, so good to be in control again," the Void's voice, dripping with malice, echoed. Its gaze zeroed in on the cult leader, its black eyes glowing with lethal intensity.
The atmosphere thickened with the Void's presence, its voice dripping with cold amusement as it sized up the cult leader. The temperature in the room seemed to drop as shadows coiled around him, reacting to his dark aura.
Ember and Exeo, familiar with the Void's rare, chilling takeovers, instinctively braced themselves, their weapons at the ready.
The cult leader's face twisted in awe and fear as he took in the Void's form fully, his posture crumbling as he dropped to his knees.
"The God of the Void himself… in mortal form," he whispered, clutching the artifact with trembling hands. "Forgive me, Lord. I did not know…"
The Void's twisted smile grew sharper. "Your ignorance offends me." His voice was a cold hiss, simmering with fury. His left eye, bleeding freely now, glowed with an eerie red intensity, the seal on his forehead shimmering with an ominous light, a mark that pulsed with the Void's own darkness.
"You dared touch a power that doesn't belong to you," the Void snarled, its voice echoing in the chamber, thick with menace. Its gaze fixed on the artifact, disgust twisting Val's features as it noted its stolen energy.
"A power that only one soul in existence is worthy to wield," it said, its eyes flashing toward Bo, who stood frozen. "And it's certainly not yours."
The cult leader stammered, his voice laced with desperation. "But it—it was from the bloodline! We sought only to honor you, Lord!"
The Void's laugh was frigid, slicing through the air like a blade. "Honor me? By defiling my power and placing it in filthy hands?"
He raised his hand, and tendrils of darkness erupted, twisting and curling with lethal grace. They surged forward, burning with purple fire as they wrapped around the cult leader, who gasped, his pleas lost in the suffocating hold of Deleo's power.
With a flick of his wrist, the Void tightened his grip, his fury seeping through every tendril. "You're a fool to think you could wield this power. The Void doesn't serve the unworthy."
As the purple flames licked up the cult leader's arms, searing through his flesh, the Void's voice dropped to a whisper, full of malice. "Only one is chosen to bear this burden—and it's certainly not you."
With a final, contemptuous look, the Void released his grip, letting the cult leader crumple to the floor, his consciousness slipping away.
The Void stared at the artifact in the cult leader's fallen hand. With a dismissive wave, he shattered it, letting its stolen energy dissipate into the shadows. He glanced toward the rest of the team, his smirk laced with dark satisfaction.
After the cult leader collapsed, it turned its focus on Bo, its gaze sharpening with predatory intent.
Bo instinctively took a step back, his eyes widening in confusion and fear as he looked at Val's form overtaken by the shadowy presence.
"You," the Void spoke, his voice a low growl, laced with irritation. "Did you know they implanted Void within you?"
Bo stammered, his voice barely a whisper. "I… no. I didn't know."
The Void's eyes narrowed, scrutinizing him. "Good," he sneered, "because had you hidden it knowingly, I would've burned you from the inside out." Its words hung in the air, lethal and unyielding.
Without further warning, the Void thrust his hand into Bo's abdomen, fingers digging in with the ferocity of a brand.
Bo doubled over, gasping as the force spread through his entire being, clutching at his stomach where Deleo's (Val's) hand connected.
The team could only watch in shocked silence as the Void's hand glowed with a sinister light, darkness weaving through it, pooling and concentrating around Bo's core.
Bo's face twisted with pain, and he bit back a scream, his eyes fixed on Deleo with both fear and a desperate need to understand. "What… what are you doing?"
"Retrieving what should never have touched your soul," the Void replied icily.
Slowly, he drew his hand back, and from Bo's chest emerged a pulsating, dark sphere—a concentrated core of Void energy, stolen from its rightful place. The orb radiated an eerie black and purple glow, and the Void's expression grew hard as he raised it up, his own power swallowing it whole, reclaiming it into his body in a single pulse.
Bo collapsed to his knees, the sudden release from the Void energy making him feel lighter, as if a weight he hadn't known he was carrying had been ripped away.
Riggs stepped forward, a mix of disbelief and anger flashing in his eyes. "Was that really necessary?" he demanded, casting an accusing glare at the Void. "You could've hurt him, doing it like that."
The Void cast Riggs a sidelong glance, his tone dripping with scorn. "I don't concern myself with your sentiments, Riggs. The Void's power belongs to the Void alone."
With a final, seething look at Bo, Deleo turned his attention to the unconscious cult leader, the dark veins still pulsing across Val's body, a visible reminder of the god-like presence within him.
"Let that be a reminder to anyone foolish enough to cross the Void's chosen," he said, his voice soft but laced with threat.
Turning back to the team, his voice softened with a sinister amusement. "This part of the mission," he said, eyes flickering with a dangerous glint, "will not be included in your report. Do I make myself clear?"
The team exchanged uneasy glances, but the chilling authority in the Void's gaze left no room for argument.
After the Void said it, the room seemed to breathe again, shadows receding as the ominous energy around him began to fade.
With a shudder, the Void's form softened, and Val staggered, his eyes returning to their usual shade, the ominous seal fading from his forehead. He gasped, gripping his head as he tried to steady himself.
Exeo and Ember quickly moved to his side, supporting him as he regained his senses.
Val's gaze flickered, taking in the cult leader's unconscious form, the shattered artifact, and his teammates' tense expressions. He managed a weary smile, though his face was pale.
"Guess I missed some of the excitement," Val murmured, his voice hoarse.
Ember's expression softened as he clapped Val on the shoulder, though his eyes were still shadowed with concern. "Yeah, you could say that."
Bo stepped forward, meeting Val's gaze with a mixture of relief and remorse. "Val… I—thank you. For everything."
Val gave him a small nod, his eyes holding Bo's for a long moment. "We're a team, Bo. That means we've got each other's backs, no matter what."
Riggs gave a low whistle, finally breaking the tension. "Well, if anyone ever doubted that, I think tonight settled it."
As they gathered themselves, the team shared a moment of quiet solidarity, their shared trials weaving a tighter bond between them, the weight of their secrets held in a silent agreement to remain unsaid—for now. They had each other, and, after tonight, that felt more important than ever.