The exclusive training gym for Team Unknown was a stark contrast to the chaotic battlefield they had left behind. The reinforced walls bore the scars of countless training sessions, while the matted floor still smelled faintly of sweat and burnt fabric.

The space was quiet, save for the low hum of the fluorescent lights overhead and the distant murmur of HQ activity beyond the sealed door.

At the center of the room, Val stood with a resigned expression, his arms crossed as Ember paced in front of him like a predator sizing up his prey. Exeo leaned casually against the far wall, arms folded, his demeanor exuding the weariness of someone utterly done with his brothers' antics.

"Let's get this over with," Val muttered, rolling his shoulders.

Ember stopped pacing, his fiery gaze locking onto Val. "Oh, don't worry. It'll be over soon enough—after I burn some sense into you."

Exeo raised an eyebrow but didn't intervene. Instead, he gestured lazily toward the center of the gym. "Try not to set the place on fire. The maintenance crew already hates us."

Ember ignored him, flames flickering to life around his hands as he stepped onto the matted floor. "You've been running for three days, Val. Time to face the music."

Val sighed, taking his position opposite Ember. "I wasn't running, I was—"

"—hiding like a coward," Ember interrupted, his tone sharp. "Big difference."

Val's jaw tightened, his patience fraying. "Fine. Let's do this. But when I win, you'll owe me an apology."

Ember snorted, his flames flaring higher. "Win? Oh, you're adorable."

The first clash was immediate and explosive. Ember charged, his Purple Fire roaring to life as he closed the distance in an instant. Val sidestepped, his reflexes honed from years of combat, and countered with a burst of Void energy that sent Ember skidding back.

"That all you've got?" Ember growled, a grin tugging at his lips as he surged forward again, his fists ablaze.

Val met him head-on this time, their abilities colliding in a flash of fire and shadow. The room trembled under the force of their attacks, the reinforced walls absorbing the impact. Ember's relentless offense kept Val on the defensive, each strike more ferocious than the last.

"Stop holding back!" Ember barked, his voice cutting through the chaos. "You didn't hold back out there, did you?"

Val's eyes narrowed. "You want me to let loose? Fine."

With a flick of his wrist, shadowy tendrils erupted from the floor, coiling around Ember's feet. Ember snarled, his flames surging downward to burn through the restraints, but Val was already moving. He appeared behind Ember in a swirl of shadows, aiming a precise strike at his back.

Ember spun just in time, their blows colliding mid-air. The force sent them both sliding across the floor, their breaths coming in short gasps.

"Not bad," Ember admitted, his flames dimming slightly before reigniting with renewed vigor. "But I'm still pissed."

"Noted," Val replied dryly, dodging another fiery assault.

From his vantage point, Exeo watched the chaos unfold with a mix of amusement and exasperation. "You two really have a flair for the dramatic, don't you?" he muttered, loud enough for them to hear.

"Shut up, Exeo," they said in unison, neither breaking focus.

Exeo sighed, leaning his head back against the wall. "Three days of this nonsense, and now I'm stuck babysitting. Fantastic."

After nearly an hour of relentless sparring, the gym floor was scorched, cracked, and littered with faint traces of Void residue. Both brothers were breathing heavily, their movements slower but no less determined.

Ember launched another fiery attack, but his flames sputtered as exhaustion caught up with him. Val capitalized on the moment, teleporting behind Ember and tackling him to the ground.

The two collapsed onto the matted floor, their limbs sprawled as they gasped for air. Ember groaned, covering his face with one hand. "I hate you."

"Right back at you," Val wheezed, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Exeo finally pushed off the wall, strolling toward them with deliberate slowness. "Now that you're both too tired to kill each other, can we actually talk?"

Ember growled, sitting up slightly. "This better be good, Val. You've got one hell of an explanation to give."

Val sighed, wiping sweat from his forehead. "I wasn't avoiding you for fun, you know. When I was retrieving Reinhart's remains… I encountered something."

Ember's expression darkened, his anger giving way to curiosity. "What kind of something?"

Val's mismatched eyes met Ember's. "Another Void titan. But this one was… different. It could talk. It was faster, stronger, more advanced than the others."

Exeo frowned, his gaze sharpening. "A talking Void titan? That's new."

"It was fueled by the collapsing facility," Val continued, his voice heavy. "The energy there—it wasn't just corrupted. It was alive. It took everything I had to stop it."

Ember's anger faded completely, replaced by a somber understanding. He reached out suddenly, grabbing Val by the collar and pulling him closer until their foreheads touched.

"You idiot," Ember said softly, his voice thick with emotion. "Do you have any idea how worried we were? Me and Exeo? You're our brother, Val. You don't have to do everything alone."

Val's breath hitched, tears welling up in his eyes despite himself. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Ember pulled back slightly, a sly grin replacing his somber expression. "You're such a crybaby."

Val blinked, caught off guard. "What?"

"You heard me," Ember teased, his grin widening. "The big, bad ARM user, feared by nations, reduced to tears because his brothers care about him. It's pathetic, really."

Exeo snorted, his arms crossing over his chest. "He's not wrong."

Val groaned, covering his face with one hand. "I hate you both."

"No, you don't," Ember said smugly, ruffling Val's hair.

Exeo chuckled, shaking his head as he turned toward the exit. "Well, this has been heartwarming. Can we get back to work now? Some of us have actual responsibilities, you know."

Ember stood, offering a hand to Val. "Come on, crybaby. Let's go. You owe us dinner after all this."

Val hesitated, then took Ember's hand, allowing his brother to pull him to his feet. "Fine," he muttered. "But no Purple Fire on my steak this time."

"No promises," Ember replied with a mischievous grin.

The three brothers left the gym together, their steps lighter despite the weight of the battles they had fought. For now, at least, the bond between them was enough to carry them forward.

A few minutes later, the gym doors slid open with a soft hiss, and in walked Dr. Lewis. His usual stern demeanor was replaced by a rare and disconcertingly cheerful expression. Armed with a clipboard and a cup of steaming coffee, he hummed softly to himself—a sure sign to anyone who knew him that the good doctor was in an unusually pleasant mood.

Then, the smell of scorched fabric and burnt metal hit him first. Dr. Lewis paused mid-step, his brow furrowing slightly. "What in the…" he murmured, looking up.

His good mood evaporated instantly.

The gym looked like it had been hit by a category-five hurricane fueled by fire and Void energy. The matted floor was scorched, some sections ripped apart entirely, revealing the reinforced steel beneath. Shadowy tendrils were etched into the walls, still faintly smoking, while jagged scorch marks from Purple Fire marred every visible surface. The ceiling lights flickered, one hanging at an angle as though it had barely survived the carnage.

In the corner, a poor training dummy lay on its side, melted beyond recognition, its charred remains dripping onto the floor.

Dr. Lewis's eye twitched. His coffee cup began to tremble in his hand.

He stepped further inside, carefully maneuvering around what looked like the remnants of a barrier made of Void energy. His pristine shoes crunched against shattered glass from one of the observation windows.

"Who…" he began, his voice eerily calm, though his face betrayed the storm brewing within. "Who…"

His gaze fell in the center of the room, where two large dents in the floor hinted at the epicenter of the disaster. He immediately recognized the patterns—Ember's flames on one side, Val's Void energy on the other.

Dr. Lewis inhaled deeply, his jaw clenching. The clipboard in his hand creaked ominously under the pressure of his grip.

"WHO THE FUCKING HELL TURNED THE GYM AGAIN INTO A GODDAMN WARZONE?!"

His scream echoed through HQ like a banshee's wail, loud enough to shake the walls and make several operators in Command flinch.

Elsewhere in HQ, Ember froze mid-step, turning his head slightly toward the direction of the scream. His lips curled into a wry smirk. "Looks like someone finally noticed."

Val, walking a step behind, visibly flinched, his eyes darting toward the source of the ear-splitting shriek. "That sounded… bad."

Exeo, ever the pragmatist, rubbed his temple with a sigh. "You two are unbelievable. First Ember, now Dr. Lewis? HQ is going to implode if this keeps up."

Val raised a hand defensively. "Hey, I didn't hear you stopping us. You could've said something before it turned into…" He gestured vaguely. "…that."

"Don't drag me into this," Exeo retorted. "You're the Void user, and Ember's the fire hazard. This is on you two."

"Fire hazard?" Ember scoffed, though his grin betrayed his amusement. "You're just mad because you weren't involved."

Exeo shot him a withering glare. "I'm mad because now I'll be dragged into the cleanup."

As they rounded the corner, another ear-piercing scream tore through HQ, followed by the faint sound of something metallic being thrown—or smashed.

"VALENS BELLATOR! EMBER BELLATOR! GET BACK HERE AND EXPLAIN YOURSELVES!"

Val stopped walking altogether, running a hand down his face with a groan. "Oh no. He used my full name. We're dead."

Ember barked a laugh, clapping Val on the shoulder. "Correction—you're dead. I'll just blame it all on you."

Val gave him an incredulous look. "Are you serious right now?"

Exeo walked past them, shaking his head as he muttered under his breath. "Idiots. Both of you."

As Dr. Lewis's wrath echoed through HQ, several operators exchanged knowing glances. One of them sighed, pulling up the maintenance log for the gym.

"Another gym repair request?" one muttered.

"Yep," the other replied. "And this time, double the budget. Team Unknown strikes again."

In the distance, the shouting continued, a stark reminder that in HQ, peace was as elusive as a Void user without siblings.