The Necklace Part II

It was already late in the evening, Ember skimmed the documents Nox gave to him.

He frowned at the details, rubbing his chin and a knock on the door was heard, interrupting his thoughts. He looked up and saw that it was Exeo that opened the door.

"Nox told me to go see you. What's the problem?" Exeo asked straightforwardly while closing the door shut and walking towards the couch in Ember's office.

"Hmm. You see I checked the documents as well as our parents' documents to see if there would be a hint as to why they put Valens at an orphanage.", he stood up and went to sit down on the couch giving the papers to Exeo.

While Exeo was flipping through the documents, Ember continued, "You know there are some details there that don't add up. One, it says there, that on March 12, 2075, a baby boy with red hair was left to a couple at the outskirts of Sula, but..." he frowned when he recalled the other documents he read. Exeo looked up and interrupted Ember, "But, other records state that a baby boy with red hair was left at an orphanage in Sula, is that what you are pointing at?", Ember just nodded in agreement, crossing his arms while sitting on the sofa.

Exeo lifted the document and said, "We can learn more when we go down the basement, that's where father's works are kept. Maybe we can find more there. We can't really rely on these documents. There are too many loopholes, or it might be already tampered with to confuse whoever is after Valens."

Exeo nodded and stood up, giving it back to Ember. "Come with me.", Exeo said, Ember following behind him.

The hallway going down the basement is dark, but still, they decided to go downstairs. Once they were at the basement floor, they were greeted with an antique-type two-doors, made of oak wood, with intricate designs. Exeo pulled the string that's been hanging from his neck, it was the key to this door. He used the key to open, and with a 'click' sound, he opened the two doors.

Inside was full of dust, but the interior, was as if time had stopped, it was all antique, from the table, bookshelves, couches, lights, and windows.

Ember whistled admiring the scene, he didn't expect that this was their father's office/study room, it was just priceless to see.

They went in, Ember closing the door behind him, and his eyes are wandering from all the things inside the room. He slid down one of his fingers and dust was collected.

"Seems Nox didn't even know this room.", lifted his finger and glanced at Exeo.

"No, he does know. Before Father passed away, he told Nox to stop cleaning this room leaving it as it is, that's what Nox said."

"I see", Ember walked towards the desk table where all the documents are piled up and noticed a folder which was labeled 'Confidential'. He picked it up and opened the folder, and flipped some pages. His fingers stopped at a certain page, and his eyes widened at what he read, "Exeo, look at this!" He showed the page where he was reading to Exeo, and even Exeo was also widened in shock.

What made them shocked is because of a photo of their mother, smiling, while holding onto a baby boy, with red hair, sitting by the window. With just the picture alone, it felt serene to watch them. He flipped the photo and there were words written at the back.

'Valens Bellator, 2 months old, May 5, 2075.'

And so they decided to sit down and look over the documents together and after some time, they breathed a heavy sigh.

In the documents written by their father, it was mentioned that the second ability Valens had, aside from the Bellator trademark of Purple Fire, is the same as their ancestor, which is Reinhart Bellator.

Their ancestor, an ARM user, had the same ability, which can wipe out a country. It also stated that there might be a traitor and that the death of their ARM ancestor was not due to sickness, but was because someone had set it up.

This would be the reason why they left him in the care supposedly of a couple on the outskirts of Sula. They have decided to protect Valens from behind the scenes, and tampered with the records so that the baby Valens would not be tracked down. They also left a red ruby necklace with a small mana injected for baby Valens, this way, everything that happened to him will be recorded, and made sure that the two brothers' existence will not be shown. But what their parents didn't know was that the couple had sold the baby Valens at an orphanage and kept on receiving the support of the Bellator without them knowing.

Unknown to the two older males, Val already knew that the previous Bellator was indeed murdered and the mana inside the necklace had made it reveal the last moments of their ancestor before he died.

Ember's hands were shaking when he read the details, his face red with anger, while Exeo, was silent after reading, but veins are bulging from his forehead, ready to kill those couple that was once trusted by their parents, and sold out their youngest.

Both are surging with killing intent when they read this, and it would be big trouble once these documents are found out. Now that Valens is with them, they don't need to worry more and would be able to protect him under their care.

"Keep these documents, Em, make sure no one will find out about these, even Nox." Ember just nodded in agreement.

Later that night, the two older males decided to stay in Exeo's study room, and when Nox informed them that Valens is awake, they decided to visit him in his bedroom.

Valens heard the door open and he smiled weakly when he saw his two brothers coming in.

"How are you doing?" Exeo sat down on the chair beside Valen's bed. "I'm doing better.", Valens replied with his hoarse voice, he added, "I don't know if I was dreaming, but the necklace... showed me some things that had happened to me."

He didn't reveal yet the part where he saw their ancestor's last moments. He looked up to the both of them and teary-eyed said, "I saw Father and Mother, but", he stared at them with a sad expression, "Why were you both not there?"

Exeo sighed and said, "Father and Mother decided not to include us for your safety." and gave the documents to Valens, motioning him to take them and read them.

As he flipped the pages, his eyes widened in shock, looked up at the two of them, and then back at the documents he has in his hands.

"W-what...h-how is this possible?!", Valens tried to say it out loud but still his voice was weak. "D-does it mean I have already manifested my second ability when I was a baby?!", he said in disbelief.

"It might be since Father said that your ability is the same as our ancestor before.", Ember replied.

"But...", Valens frowned when reading it again searching it again if their father had mentioned what was that ability, but there was none.

'Good thing I have not yet revealed that I saw the first Bellator's death', and closed his eyes.

He opened his eyes after thinking about it and was about to say something when suddenly, a loud thump from inside his body can be heard.

Badump!

Badump!

He unconsciously grabbed his chest, leaning forward, and slowly gasping for air.

The two elder brothers were shocked, when suddenly, Valens shot his head up and had his eyes wide open. He was still grabbing his chest, he can feel the pain, and while his head was shot upwards, there was no sound, his mouth was slightly open.

Suddenly, his left eye was bleeding, looking like he was crying blood. The two older males were calling out to Valens, shouting at him but Val couldn't hear them.

He was like staring at the ceiling, head up straight, and inside his mind, a different scene was being shown again.

This time, he can see a man standing on top of a building, with his back facing Val, wearing a black cloak. When a strong gust of wind hit the man with long red hair down to his waist, the cloak fluttered along with it, revealing underneath the clothes he was wearing.

Valens gasped inwardly when he saw those clothes, those clothes were familiar.

Black military clothes up and down, with gold embroidered at the ends of the clothes. He also noticed the chained earrings pierced into the man's ear, and at the end of it, a red ruby pendant. He can confirm that the man standing in front of him and the man earlier he saw were the same person.

Then, the man turned to face him, he flinched slightly and took a step backward. The man spoke something, but he couldn't hear, or, rather, the scene looks like muted. He squinted his eyes trying to read the man's lips but to no avail.

He sees the man trying to reach him but stopped midway, and then, the man smiled. The man opened his palm and a purple fire manifested. Valens whispered, "Rein...hart Bellator?", much like he was asking but in a hushed voice.

He stared at the man and then he showed Val his other skill, a black sphere had appeared in his other palm.

The man dispelled his purple fire and showed him his left eye suddenly glowing, with a magic symbol that appeared. Then all of a sudden, his surroundings were being sucked in, then disappeared. He felt like he was pulled back, back to reality.

He gasped and leaned forward, the blood was slowly dripping on the bed sheets. He didn't notice it, his mind was swirling with thoughts about was had just happened, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Then, he realized, he was on his bed, with his two elder brothers.

He looked up at them and slowly calmed his breathing. He looked down to nowhere and was thinking about how he should say it to them.

When the two older males saw Valens's face, they widened in shock. On his left eye which was bleeding earlier, now, there's a magic symbol that appeared. Valens still didn't realize the two's reaction and turned toward the two to face them.

Ember couldn't take it and asked, "What happened?"

"Re-Reinhart", is all he answered in a slightly shaky voice as he looked at them, with his red eyes.

"So, that's why," Exeo said and he pointed his finger on his left eye, telling Val there's something on his eye.

Val scanned the room for a mirror and when he found one near the sofa, he stood up and walked towards it. The two older males let him be and flinched suddenly.

"Aaaaah! WHAT HAPPENED TO MY FACE??!" Valens shouted wiping his cheek with his palm and swiftly turning around to face them.

"Oh, baby brother, don't blame us, you were gasping for air earlier and you were like that," Ember replied.

"Wait...so, it's true?" Valens trying to clarify everything.

The two just nodded in agreement. "So, basically, some people are after me so that's why our parents hid me, but then was sold off, and you didn't know, and then, coincidentally, you met me and brought me here. Then my abilities were awakened because of the necklace and then this!" Valens huffed, saying those in one breath and pointing at himself.

The two older males sweatdropped, and both thought, 'Seems it really affected him that much'. They let him breathe and calm himself down as he slowly got back on his bed.

Valens looked up to them again and asked, "So, what's the plan?"

Ember chuckled at their youngest's question, but he answered, "It's surprising you are taking it too well. I thought you'd mope for the next few days and need my company."

Valens raised one of his eyebrows, in which when Exeo and Ember saw this, they laughed out loud.

Valens frowned, felt offended, and asked in a heavier tone, "Why are you both laughing?!", he pouted and decided to lie down, with his back facing them. He murmured things only he can hear while still pouting.

Ember's laugh die down, and he answered, "You know we just laughed at how you reacted to what I said earlier. But you know, we didn't mean it", he reached out to Val's hair and shuffled it.

"So, what do you plan to do, Val.", this time, it was Exeo who was asking.

Val turned around, still lying down, and said, "I want to train. As long as it will help you guys, I also want to protect you both." and blushed when he realized how cringy his statement was.

The older males didn't laugh at him this time, but their gazes were soft when they heard it.

"Of course, we will let you train. Although there are already rumors spreading that our youngest would appear in public, it's not yet high time for you.", Exeo explained.

"Hmn." is all that Val answered.

"Don't worry, Val. I'll still be here to accompany you. " Ember reassured, and Exeo added, "Yes, Ember will be with you, and he will help you train."

"Okay."

Exeo nodded and decided to let Val rest and went out of the room. The two older males also decided to turn for the day and continue to talk further the next day.