Val's vision spiraled into a blur as the walls of the chamber faded, replaced by a maelstrom of intense memories. The echoes of battle roared around him, amplified until each sound pulsed through his bones.
Second Stage
It started with Reinhart's memories, visceral and unyielding.
Soldiers screamed, their cries mingling with the unrelenting clash of metal. The acrid tang of smoke and iron gripped Val's throat, suffocating him with its potency. The storm-wracked sky loomed overhead, split by the electric snap of lightning that illuminated the carnage below. The air was heavy with the scent of sweat, blood, and rain-soaked earth.
Reinhart's Purple Fire surged forward, lashing out like a living force, cleaving through adversaries with a primal, unrestrained ferocity. Each swing of his blade was accompanied by the wrenching sound of flesh meeting flame. Yet amidst each victory, Val could feel the gnawing emptiness Reinhart harbored—a hollow echo underscored by betrayal. Faces emerged from the smoke, twisted with rage, once allies turned enemies, their eyes gleaming with hate.
A stab of betrayal cut deeper than any sword. Val felt the sharp, precise pain as steel slipped between Reinhart's ribs, the world around him tightening as the phantom wound seared with agony. He staggered, a bead of sweat trailing down his brow as he fought to discern where Reinhart's torment ended and his own began.
Deleo's voice cut through the chaos, sharp and urgent. "Stay with me, Val! These are shadows of the past, designed to break your spirit."
Yet before he could focus, the Void's whisper slithered through the storm, dripping malice. "Only the past? Or a forewarning of what awaits? Your fate mirrors his, shadowed by betrayal. Feel it—the certainty that even your closest will turn."
The sensation gripped Val's chest, squeezing until his heartbeat became erratic. The vision shifted, the battlefield dissolving into an oppressive hall shrouded in darkness.
Stone pillars rose like sentinels, their surfaces alive with runes that throbbed with a pulsing, unfamiliar light. Chains swung from unseen heights, their metallic creaks punctuated by ghostly laughter.
A voice emerged from the shadows, hauntingly familiar and laced with a desperation that sent a chill crawling across Val's skin. "I was always destined to die here."
Deleo's presence surged within him, warm and steady, dulling the sharp edges of the Void's hold. The shadows pulled back under the force of Deleo's will, a reprieve that allowed Val to catch his breath. "Your mind is your fortress. Reinforce it, Val."
The Void, however, clung like an insidious mist. "Resist if you wish, but you cannot escape what you are. Your power will demand everything—your loyalty, your sanity."
A shift tore through the fabric of the vision once more. The hall shattered, and Val found himself in a landscape soaked in blood-red light, screams piercing the air like needles.
He had never stood in this battlefield before, yet he could feel the visceral fear of those dying, their faces frozen in silent pleas.
The power of the Void seeped into every sound, an unsettling hum that grated at his mind, demanding acknowledgment. Shadowed tendrils coiled around fallen soldiers, their limbs stiff and eyes wide, as if the darkness had siphoned their very souls.
"This," the Void whispered, each word searing through Val's thoughts, "is your destiny. You are not salvation—you are the end."
A weight, cold and absolute, settled on Val's chest. He could feel despair as a tangible force, seeping into his limbs and rendering him motionless. "No," he managed, the word catching in his throat. "This isn't me."
Deleo's voice, resolute and unwavering, broke through the encroaching silence. "Val, this is its trick. It thrives on your doubt. Do not forget, your strength comes from defying this darkness."
Val's gaze darted through the flickering scenes of chaos. "Deleo, why does it show me this?" The question, strangled by the panic flooding his veins, came out in a strained gasp.
Deleo's form, ghostly yet fierce, solidified before him. "Because it knows fear binds. Remember your bonds—your brothers, your team. Let them anchor you."
The Void lashed back, its voice sharp as a blade. "And what are you, Deleo, but a wisp of failure? You failed Reinhart; you will fail him too."
The voices clashed in a storm that reverberated within Val's skull. Deleo's strength held firm, pushing back the encroaching darkness. "Val, you are not a ghost. You are more than Reinhart's legacy."
As if in defiance, the vision splintered one last time.
Third Stage
Val's own reflection emerged—eyes like black voids, crowned by dark, spiraling tendrils. The sight wrenched at his soul, dread unfurling in his chest.
Deleo's voice surged with intensity, "Focus, Val. The seal is more than a key; it echoes far beyond blood."
Before he could question further, the Void hissed, "Each step into this power, each unlocked seal, is another shackle broken. The world will know."
The ground under Val's feet cracked and buckled. He found himself standing in the heart of his own mind, a space washed in white with a sphere of swirling darkness suspended at its center, guarded by threads of the Purple Fire. Deleo appeared beside him, resolute.
Val's vision blurred, violent images striking him like a hailstorm—Reinhart's pain, crimson skies, shadowed flame.
Ember and Exeo's forms quivered near the Purple Fire, their expressions shifting from peace to a struggle against some unseen current. Ember's face, normally serene, was tight with silent distress; Exeo's eyes flashed open, burning with awareness. Deleo flared with intensity, a sentinel warding against corruption.
"Stay with me!" Deleo's call was more than command; it was desperation born of an ancient sorrow. His barrier strained, holding the Void's tendrils at bay, preventing them from corrupting the souls of Val's brothers.
The Void's voice rasped, dark and biting, "Your protector will falter. They will see what you truly are."
Pain seared through Val's left eye as the third seal broke. He roared, a sound that vibrated through the underground chamber.
Then, the visions dissolved.
Ember and Exeo's forms settled, though an unease shimmered in the Purple Fire's flicker. Deleo's gaze met Val's—a silent exchange, an understanding that this battle was only the beginning, its cost yet to be tallied.
In the waking world, Val's body quaked as light and shadow warred across the surface of his left eye. The ruin stone in his hand shattered, releasing a surge that electrified the chamber. His chest rose and fell in ragged breaths, the intricate runes of the mark on his left eye shifting to a subtle glow.
A sense of enhanced clarity hummed in his veins, a sharpened intuition and an inexplicable awareness of the emotions surrounding him, as if he could touch their edges. The Void's voice receded, a sibilant whisper lurking in the corners of his mind. The power was there—tamed, for now.
Deleo, though strained, spoke softly, "You did well, Val. But this is only the first step toward understanding."
Bo's voice shattered the silence, the first to walk towards him cautiously. "Val, are you okay?"
Val met his friend's eyes, managing a small, exhausted smile. "I'm fine," he replied, his voice touched with determination. "And I think I know what we're up against."
Inside, he felt the tenuous balance between him, Deleo, and the ever-present Void. He could hear Deleo's words echo, a quiet mantra of reassurance. "Forge your own path."
Val's gaze steeled with renewed resolve. He knew the next battle was only a breath away.