Endgame

As dawn breaks, an eerie stillness settles over the base, as though the very air knows what is about to unfold.

Team Unknown readies themselves, moving like shadows through the misty gray light. Val stands apart from the others, his fists clenched, while inside, the Void's voice, smooth and relentless, fills his mind.

The Void's voice, smooth and unrelenting, slips into Val's mind like poison, "You're alone, Val. Even your precious team doubts you. Give in, and I'll show you the truth."

Val's breathing is unsteady as he battles the creeping influence. He recalls flashes of his dreams, moments from Reinhart's past, holding onto the fragments like anchors. "I'm not you, nor I am Reinhart. I won't become like you, and I won't make the same mistake as my ancestor."

The Void's laughter is chilling, cutting through Val's determination. "Then watch them fall."

Their internal talk was interrupted when the ground shudders as the base's perimeter is breached. The factions storm in, their powers merging into a chaotic wave of light, shadows, and elemental fury.

Team Unknown stands ready, each in position, their eyes like steel beneath their masks.

Exeo leads with a commanding presence, his voice steady. Riggs, hold the west hall. Bo, keep Val steady. If he falters…

Ember's voice cuts in, somber and resolute. We will bring him back, no matter what. And if he blames himself…

He glances back at Val, the weight of their bond clear in his voice, tinged with sadness. Tell him he was worth every sacrifice.

The underworld forces close in, their powers blending in chaotic, devastating waves.

As Team Unknown fights to hold their ground, Val feels himself slipping, his power thrumming dangerously.

Then, suddenly, Val's energy surges in response to the enemy's attack, purple fire and dark shadows blending into a ferocious storm.

The underworld forces are momentarily stunned by the sheer force of his power, but as they press forward, Val begins to slip, the Void's presence fully consuming him.

From his position, Bo's voice breaks through the haze in Val's mind. "Val! Snap out of it! We're here with you!"

Val couldn't hear anyone, everything was drowning out before the pressure within him.

Soon, he finally lets go, the Void and Purple Fire colliding as his masked face turns toward the approaching enemies. His energy erupts in a storm of fire and shadows, catching even his own team off guard.

Val stood atop a jagged stone, his disembodied voice echoing with the Void's power, "You all wanted power? Then burn."

The team watches in horror as Val's power engulfs the battlefield.

Ember and Exeo struggle to reach him, while Bo and Riggs desperately shield themselves, the weight of Ember's earlier words heavy on their minds.

Inside Val's consciousness, he finds himself surrounded by an empty white expanse, cracks forming beneath his feet. Before him stands a swirling mass of shadows, much more swirls of black smoke compared to how the Void materialized—the embodiment of nothingness—emanating malice. As Val's gaze hardens, the Void taunts him.

"You're weak, Val. The Void is mine to command."

Val clenches his fists, his voice fierce. "I've had enough of your lies." He rushes forward, plunging his hands into the shadowy mass. At that moment, he's overwhelmed by a surge of memories—of Reinhart, his struggles, and his final stand.

Outside, the battle rages on as Ember and Exeo unleash their powers, their cloaks flaring around them like living shadows.

Val, or rather, the Void itself, took over his body. Its form revealed as a one-black winged entity. The Purple Fire, has been slowly consumed as Val continued to roar.

Ember and Exeo struggled to ignore Val's ominous rare, both drawing closer to Val, each step a testament to their resolve.

With a thunderous blast, their combined Purple Fire clashes with the Void energy surrounding Val, creating an explosion that sends shockwaves through the battlefield.

The storm created between the two powerful clash of the Void and the Purple Fire continues, and the Void's form dissipates, his voice, now weak and fading. "This isn't over…"

Then, after a while when the wind and dust settled, Ember and Exeo both were lying on the ground, while Val, stood still, his eyes white.

Inside Val's consciousness, the white space was continuously shaking, as cracks continue to spider across the ground. The black sphere, the Void's shadowed prison, shakes violently, fragments splintering with the force of his suppressed memories and power.

The sphere shatters with a burst of blinding light, forcing Val to shield his eyes. When the glow fades, he blinks, disoriented, slowly lowering his hand.

And there, hovering amidst soft, undulating waves of Purple Fire, are two curled, silent forms. The Purple Fire wraps around them like a gentle cocoon, holding them as if to guard what remains of their essence.

Ember and Exeo.

A choked gasp escapes Val's lips. His knees buckle, and he collapses to the cracked ground, staring up at his brothers' still forms.

His breath catches as a surge of emotions—shock, horror, grief—floods through him, a tide so overwhelming that he begins to tremble. Tears spill down his cheeks, unbidden, each one heavier than the last.

He stretches a hand toward them, fingers and lips trembling. "Ember... Exeo..." His voice is barely a whisper, breaking in the stillness.

The thought that his own powers—the Void he has struggled to contain—might have brought them here, to this fragile, soul-bound state, fills him with an unbearable sorrow.

His hand falters, hovering inches from Ember's spectral form, afraid that any contact might disrupt the delicate hold the Purple Fire has on them.

A fresh wave of anguish washes over him, and he draws his hand back, clutching his knees as he bows his head, sobs wracking his frame.

Memories of their camaraderie, their loyalty, their sacrifices flash before him, each memory sharper, clearer, and more painful than the last. He recalls their quiet smiles, their unwavering belief in him, their promise to stand by him no matter the cost.

Then he gazed again at Ember's still form, wrapped around the Purple Fire. Last night, when he silently let it all out with Ember beside him.

The weight of their sacrifice presses down, leaving him gasping for breath, his tears falling freely, creating dark spots on the ground.

As he kneels there, shattered and vulnerable, a faint sound echoes in the distance, cutting through his grief—Bo and Riggs, calling to him.

He lifts his head slowly, cheeks stained, eyes still glistening. With a deep, trembling breath, he stands, wiping his tears with the back of his hand, steadying himself.

He knows he must return, face the reality of what has happened, for them. His fingers brush his tear-streaked cheeks one last time as he breathes in, readying himself to leave this place of sorrow.

Val's consciousness snaps back to the present. His mask has fallen, and as he comes to, he sees Bo and Riggs holding onto him, their faces etched with concern and determination.

Val's gaze drops, and tears flow freely, far more than he had shed in the depths of his mind. His shoulders shake as he realizes the weight of his actions—the two figures lying motionless behind him, their sacrifices heavy in his heart.

He looks up at his team, the broken fragments of trust and resolve scattered around them, but held together by the unspoken bond that still lingers.

As silence falls across the battlefield, with dead bodies littered all over, a storm of new fears brews within Val, and the dark promise of the Void's fading voice lingers in his mind.