On their way back, Bo and Val were silent. Exeo decided to talk through the earpiece, he said, "Val, we had the images. Don't worry, we will finish this."

Bo glanced at Val when he heard it, and while they were jumping from roof to roof, Val didn't say anything. Bo could see those red eyes that were glowing. He looked back in front again and soon stopped. He switched off his earpiece, and Val noticed it. He stopped and turned back to Bo, he asked, "What's wrong?", Bo just pointed to his ear, saying to turn it off. Val frowned and asked, "Can't it wait?", with glowing red eyes.

Bo just shook his head in silence, Val sighed and turned it off. "I turned it off, what is so important that you wanted me to turn off the earpiece?", who is now facing Bo, while on top of one of the house roofs.

Bo said with a serious expression, with his icy blue eyes glowing bright from the moon's light, "Please control yourself. You heard Exeo earlier, we will rescue them, and finish this mission."

Val raised one of his eyebrows and crossed his arms, "I am."

"No, you're not." Bo butted and pointed his eyes, saying that Val's eyes are different.

Val muttered a 'Shit' and swiftly turned around. He covered his face with his hand, and said, "Consider it that it never happened."

Bo was ready to freeze the guy's legs but he held back, walked beside him, and looked at him sideways, he said, "Only if your eyes are not glowing eerily red anymore. Val, you told me once during our training on that island."

-Flashback-

Explosions after explosions happened here and there. This time, it's a tag team between Exeo and Bo versus Ember and Val.

After a smoke of dust disappeared, Exeo and Bo came face to face with Ember and Val. Exeo and Bo were both holding singlehanded swords, Ember holding twin swords and Val, currently holding a spear.

All four are standing a few meters away, at a standstill.

Ember who raised his weapons, said to Val, "Go all out lil brother." side-glancing him with a smirk. "I thought you'd never say it.", Val replied with a smirk, and as soon as he held the spear higher, his eyes glowed in red, and rushed forward.

He thrusts towards Bo's direction, and while Bo is ready, Exeo was also ready to face Ember who is also rushing forward towards his direction.

Weapons clashed, sparks flying in between the clashes, and soon, Bo felt that it felt a bit more dangerous. Val's face is eerily smiling, like he is getting more addicted and keeps pushing Bo back.

'Ghh! His attacks are heavy!'

Bo winced when he blocked Val's attacks from the side. Val still kept pushing him back further and noticed something, Val's eyes were glowing more in an eerily red color.

Bo released mana into his weapon and a blue aura coated the sword and when he blocked another attack from Val, he pushed the sword and swing it to slash him, making him push back. 'Not enough.', Bo thought as he clicked his tongue, so he jumped up and was ready to slash downwards when Val looked up with those red glowing eyes. His senses are telling him that it'd be dangerous, Val is emitting a very murderous intent towards him. In that split second, he released an ice platform for him to step on it and jumped on it, rolling further from Val. When he landed, he flinched and frowned, when he saw Val's face, like he didn't know him at all, with his left eye starting to bleed.

"That's a shame, but...good call Bo.", Val said, with his lips curled up, like someone enjoying his prey before killing him, with black mist slowly surrounding him.

Bo shuddered and thought that dealing with Val half-assed, he would definitely die. And so, he held his sword, pointing downwards, mists coming from his mouth, and soon, the blue aura coating the sword it got thicker. The tip of the sword which is now covered in ice, touched the ground and is now being covered in ice.

Behind Bo, hundreds of ice spears floated in mid-air, pointing toward Val.

"Give me all you got Bo,", Val said, still with that evil grin plastered.

Bo then held his sword up and lunged forward, with the ice spears also directed toward Val. Val chuckled and also lunged forward ready to face Bo head-on. Val's spear was also covered in purple fire, with black mist surrounding him. When both weapons clashed, it caused an explosion, which made Exeo and Ember caught their attention. It caused a strong gust of wind which carried the dust all around them.

It took a while before it cleared, and when Exeo and Ember walked towards the two, they were shocked, a crater was formed just by those two's clash. The trees were irregularly been destroyed, and some ice spears were pierced on the ground or on the trees. And two bodies were lying down at the center of the crater. The black mist that surrounded Val had vanished.

Exeo and Ember looked at each other and soon decided to go down. Both were unconscious, Val who is lying face down, while Bo, lying with his back on the ground. Ember said, "I guess we can call it a day?", still looking down on the two who were currently unconscious, both his hands still holding the twin swords.

Exeo just nodded and picked up Bo, while Ember, tucked away his twin swords and picked up Val, he said in his earpiece, "Doctor, please get ready two beds.", and both walked back to the facility with a reply from the doctor 'Again?! It hasn't been a day and there are again casualties?!'. Ember just replied casually with 'It's not even that serious, they were just unconscious from overexerting their abilities', he chuckled.

As soon as they were in the facility, Bo and Val are now currently resting. A few hours had passed and Val was the first to wake up. He slowly open his eyes, roamed eyes, and noticed that he is inside the island's facility. He turned his head sideways and saw that Bo was also slowly waking up. Val slowly got up and felt a slight pang in his left eye, he winced. He covered his left eye, groaned a bit, and heard Bo say in a slightly hoarse voice, "Are you...back?"

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Val was shocked and whipped his head towards Bo, asking, "What?", He is currently lying down but his head is turned towards Val.

Bo asked again, "Are you back?"

"What...what do you mean?"

Bo frowned, and asked, "What do you last remember?"

Val who is currently sitting looked down on his hands and said, "I...I do remember that brother Ember said I would go all out...and..", Val realized that he couldn't remember after that. He looked straight and frowned, he said in a whisper, "I don't remember anything after that."

He heard Bo sigh and looked in his direction, Bo got up, sat on his bed, and looked at Val, he said, "You were not like yourself earlier. Your expression earlier, looks like a lunatic hunting its prey.", with a serious face.

Val looked down and tried to remember, 'Shit. Was it because of the Void?' This time it was the shadow that answered, "Yes it was. You forced yourself to peel away a layer of the magic seal. You were drowning in that power, like being high on something, and was slowly going on mana overdrive. Good thing that your friend right there did something heroic in the nick of time. He touched your face and had half of your face frozen. I didn't know that his Water/Ice properties could at least nullify the effects of the magic seal."

Val widened in shock and looked back at Bo, which made Bo flinch, he said, "I'm sorry! I didn't know that I almost got you killed!", Val immediately stood up and bowed to Bo, which made Bo panic for a second, he looked sideways and then looked back at Val, he sighed. "Val it's fine, we are good. At least I was able to bring my friend back. ", he smiled, making Val look up at him teary-eyed.

Val hugged him and Bo, who was shocked, wasn't expecting the sudden gesture but soon, patted his friend's back, assuring him he is okay and everything was fine.

When Val had released him from the hug, Val faced him with a serious expression, he said, "If this happens again, even if I still have not turned into someone...or something else, if ever you see me in that state again...please. Do whatever it takes, either you freeze my face or my entire body, as long you'd be able to stop me.".

Bo was shocked at this, but soon closed his eyes and slowly opened them, he replied, "Even if my ability will not hold you back much, consider it always done.

-Flashback End-

Val looked back at him, his red glowing eyes slowly dimmed, and back to normal red eyes. When Bo saw this, he smiled gently, "Better. I'll keep my promise, I'll be here to calm you down."

Val looked away and felt that his anger had not dissipated from the scene earlier. He clenched his fists tightly, but Bo, held his shoulder, he said gently, "Val, let's go. We'll talk about this when we go back, yeah?", Val just nodded and switched on his earpiece, the same goes for Bo.

When they switched it back on, Ember was the one who talked to them, and with a slight anger in voice he said, "Now, who said you both have to turn off your earpieces, you pieces of shits?!"

Bo and Val flinched from Ember's wrath, and it continued when they were back at the hotel.

When they were in Exeo's room, Ember was so ready to kill the two. Before he could do that, Exeo coughed and said, "As I said earlier, we had the images from your recon and Riggs is now mapping our routes. Get some rest for you both. Ember, we need to plan as soon as Riggs is done.", trying to avoid any fights between the two.

Ember just followed the two with his eyes out of the room, and looked at Exeo, "Are they so close right now to turn off their earpieces?", definitely not a fan of those two being too close.

Exeo sighed, "Em, they have definitely gotten close since the training. You were the one who told me to have some faith in him, and so I did. But, it seems like it's you who hasn't.", he stared at his brother, and sat down in one of the couches in the room. Ember just humphed, crossed his arms, and walked towards Riggs who was currently scanning the images.

On the other hand, Riggs just thought, 'He is jealous of his brother getting close to Bo.' and sweatdropped, and just focused on the task at hand.

Bo and Val are in the same room. When they were inside, they were silent and doing their own thing. Bo decided to go for a shower while Val, just sat on the edge of his bed and stared at the window. The room was dimly lit with the moonlight, as the light in the bedroom wasn't on.

Val was still being reminded of the scene and remembered his past self.

'If I had not run an errand at that time, I would have been captured by them.'

This time, the shadow answered him and said, "It is a possibility, but it is also fate you were not."

"Fate...huh", he muttered, and the sound of the bathroom door clocked, interrupting his thoughts. Bo had a towel on his hair, drying it with new clothes worn.

"You might need a shower.", Bo simply said and after some drying, climbed up his bed and lay down.

Val just answered and nodded and soon went for a shower. He needed it, but before he could go inside, he said to Bo, "I'm sorry about earlier.", Bo turned around and got up sitting on his bed, he looked at Val, "Anyone would have their blood boiling at that scene, I don't blame you. You're just better at expressing it, compared to me.", he smiled and said, "Go, you need it." Val muttered a 'Thank you.' and went inside. Bo followed Val with his eyes and as soon he went inside, he shook his head and sighed. He soon lay back down on his bed and soon was fast asleep.

When Val finished, he saw that Bo was fast asleep and so he too, decided to end the day and forget the things that happened tonight.

When morning came, Exeo and Riggs were already up, and Exeo just ordered room service. Bo and Val decided to go to the buffet section of the hotel. Both have their backs facing the hallway so they couldn't see who was coming over behind them.

While they were busy with their breakfast, Ember saw them and slowly walked behind them, and suddenly held their shoulders making the two flinch. Ember bent down halfway in between them and said in a low voice, "Bo, if you decide to woo my brother here, make sure to be not obvious about it huh?", earning a spat on the coffee when Bo was drinking on it. He soon felt the hot coffee also spilled some on his pants and complained 'Ah fuck! Hot hot hot!'

Val simply rolled his eyes, he said, "Please don't tease Bo, my pretty brother." Ember straightened his back and snorted, "Well, at least you aren't dating or something.", and this time, after wiping some stains on his pants.

Bo replied, "Sir, please refrain from making us a couple. We are relatives right now after all.", glancing at him, earning a 'Phhbbbt' from Val. Ember on the other hand just snorted and rolled his eyes, removing his hands from both shoulders.

"These little pricks. Anyways, after you're done, go to Exeo's room." Ember turned away going back to Exeo's room.

Once out of earshot, Bo asked, "Why in the hell would he match us up.", Val sideglanced at him, he was about to eat when he stopped midway by Bo's question. "I don't know either, don't worry, he just loves to tease us. Even brother Exeo is not an exception.", waved his other hand and resumed eating. Bo just nodded and resumed his breakfast.

As soon as they were done, they went straight to Exeo's room. When they went in, Exeo and the others were just preparing, and when everyone settled in their seats, Exeo started, "Riggs had already done mapping the images and for now,", giving them the tablets.

He continued, "As you can see, that's the area. So with this, we have already planned entrance and possible exit routes. So far, the heat signatures that were captured last night, as you can see, were mostly located underground, and there were also several more on the upper floors. We don't know yet their schedule so it's best to monitor it. Bo, you will have Val monitor them, while me and Ember will gather some intel surrounding the area. Riggs will currently stay here to monitor everything along with Dr. Lewis."

Everyone agreed on this and so, this went on for days, to weeks.