Val's vision was dragged unwillingly into another memory through the relic's power. Shadows twist around him, and in a swirl of fractured images, he becomes Reinhart, reliving his last moments. The vision shifts, revealing Reinholdt, Reinhart's own brother, his face contorted with bitterness.

Reinhart's voice echoes through Val's mind, strained and broken, "Reinholdt… why?"

Val feels the emotions Reinhart had felt—a raw mixture of betrayal and pain, as his brother's words cut deep.

"It was never about power, Reinhart. It was about what you took from me. What our family valued you over everything else, as if I was nothing." Reinholdt's voice drips with resentment, and Val feels a cold pang of familiarity.

The scene shifts, giving Val glimpses of Reinhart's allies—faces torn with shock and sorrow as Reinholdt turns his back on his own blood, aligning with an ancient enemy that seemed to echo Hades' Wrath's influence.

Reinhart's vision fades, but the betrayal lingers, infecting Val's mind like poison. As the vision dissipates, Deleo's voice slips into his thoughts, gentle but dark. "Your own team—Ember, Bo, Exeo—could do the same. Remember, even brothers betray."

The silence in the debriefing room was almost oppressive, punctuated only by the distant hum of the facility's machinery. Ember, Exeo, Riggs, Bo, and Val sat around the table, their faces marked by exhaustion and tension. The mission had been a success, but the toll it took on them was clear.

Ember began, his tone cautious. "We retrieved the relic, and its containment is secure. But Val…" He hesitated, glancing over at his youngest brother, who stared blankly at the table.

Val's mind was still clouded by the relic's influence. The visions of Reinhart's betrayal echoed in his thoughts, and Deleo's words lingered, like a dark shadow cast over his own doubts.

As Val snaps back to reality, his face is pale, his eyes haunted. The team, seeing his struggle, tries to ground him, but Val jerks away, mistrust clouding his gaze. The revelation of Reinholdt's betrayal has unsettled him more than he can admit, sowing seeds of doubt about his own team's loyalty.

Bo approaches him cautiously. "Val, we're here for you. You don't have to bear this alone."

But Val pulls away, his voice barely above a whisper. "That's what they told Reinhart too."

Val looked up, meeting Bo's gaze with a flicker of frustration. "You don't get it. None of you do." His voice was cold, distant, looking at all of them. "This isn't just some relic we retrieved. It's a piece of the Bellator legacy—a piece of Reinhart's story. And it's not going away."

Exeo's jaw tightened, his patience thinning. "We all have legacies, Val, and battles to face. But this obsession with Reinhart, with the Void, it's tearing you apart. You can't let it consume you."

Val's eyes narrowed. "It's easy for you to say. None of you have Deleo in your head. None of you saw what I saw—felt what I felt."

Riggs cut in, a rare edge in his voice. "We're trying to understand, Val. But the way you're handling this… it's not like you. It's like you're drifting away from us, from Team Unknown."

Val stood abruptly, his voice sharp. "Maybe I am. Maybe that's the price I have to pay to control the Void and the Purple Fire."

Ember rose, meeting Val's intensity. "And what if you lose yourself along the way? You're not alone in this, Val. We're here to help you, to support you. But if you keep pushing us away, there won't be anything left to save."

The room fell silent, the tension thick as Val glared at his brother, torn between anger and doubt. Deleo's voice whispered in his mind, fueling his frustration, They'll never understand. They're holding you back.

Bo stepped forward, breaking the silence. "Rein…" He quickly corrected himself, "Val, we're your family. We're all dealing with battles of our own, but we're in this together. Don't let Deleo drive a wedge between us."

Val's gaze softened for a moment, but the vulnerability quickly vanished, replaced by a hardened expression. "Maybe some battles are meant to be fought alone." He turned and walked out of the room, leaving his team in stunned silence.

As the team processed his departure, Ember's voice broke the silence, his tone resigned. "This is getting out of control. We can't let him go down this path alone. But we also can't keep pretending things are fine. Deleo's influence is stronger than we thought."

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Exeo nodded, his gaze distant. "Then we need to decide where our loyalties lie—because if Val's no longer the Val we know, we may have to make some hard choices."

Bo's face twisted with worry. "He's still in there; I know it. We just have to find a way to reach him before it's too late."

Riggs looked down, his voice a whisper. "And if we can't?"

The team watches in stunned silence as Val retreats, torn between loyalty to his team and a growing mistrust planted by Deleo and the memory of Reinholdt's betrayal.

Val was now alone in his quarters, staring into the Void-bound relic, his thoughts darkened by Deleo's whispers.

Val reels, both from the relic's effect and the weight of the truth: Reinhart was betrayed by his own brother, one he had trusted above all others.

A flicker of doubt pierces Val's heart, seeded by Deleo's insistent whispers. "They are no different, Val. Any one of them could betray you like that. Ember, Exeo, even Bo… brothers only stay loyal as long as it serves them."

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The next day, the team gathered in the debriefing room once more, summoned by General Luis. Val, Ember, Exeo, Bo, and Riggs sat tensely, sensing the gravity of the meeting. In addition to the General, Dr. Lewis was present, standing beside him, his gaze shifting over each of them with barely veiled concern.

General Luis began, his tone grave. "Yesterday, the retrieval of the relic was classified as a success, but our secrecy was short-lived. It seems… rumors have reached the underworld. Somehow, whispers about your retrieval of the relic have spread."

He gestured to Dr. Lewis, who brought up several images on the screen—symbols, names, and insignias of notorious underworld organizations. Familiar names flashed across the screen, each known for their ruthless agendas and a thirst for power. The team exchanged worried glances as more names appeared: Hades' Wrath, the Serpentine Syndicate, the Revenant League, even the Black Lotus—powerful organizations, all known for seizing any opportunity to attain dominance.

Dr. Lewis addressed the team, his voice tense. "We've received an alarming number of… 'requests' for information on the relic. Many organizations seem to believe it's not just an artifact but a source of unprecedented power." His eyes shifted slightly to Val as he continued, "Rumors say it's bound to the Bellator bloodline, and that it could amplify Void and other abilities beyond known limits."

Val clenched his fists, feeling the weight of Reinhart's betrayal in his chest and Deleo's lingering influence whispering that this was only the beginning.

General Luis continued, "For now, only Team Unknown and the highest levels of command know the relic's true location. But with the mounting interest, it's likely these groups will take action—whether through espionage, abductions, or worse."

Ember's eyes narrowed, looking around the room as he leaned forward. "So, what's our next move? Defending ourselves against every major organization isn't sustainable."

The General nodded. "Precisely. That's why we're taking extreme measures to protect you and the relic. From now on, you're to remain on high alert. Additional security measures will be implemented, and no one outside this circle must know of the relic's existence or location."

Val's mind swirled with conflicting thoughts. Reinhart's memories had shown him a world where loyalty and family could be twisted into betrayal.

What if this secret became too heavy to bear?

His gaze drifted to the rest of the team, doubt gnawing at him, amplified by Deleo's constant, quiet whisper, "They'll turn on you, just as Reinholdt did to Reinhart."

Exeo glanced at Ember, concern flickering in his eyes. "If these organizations think the relic is worth this much, they won't stop. We're talking about the underworld's most dangerous forces. They'll be watching our every move."

The General closed the debriefing with one final warning. "Do not underestimate the stakes. We're at a crossroads now. Any misstep could expose the relic's location, and in turn, put each of you at risk. Be vigilant, be prepared—and trust no one."

As the meeting adjourned, the team stood in silence, the weight of the relic's impact pressing down on them. They exchanged tense glances before stepping out of the room.

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Later that evening, Ember and Exeo found themselves alone in a secluded part of the base. They'd slipped away from the others, their faces shadowed in dim light as they processed the gravity of the General's warning and Val's increasingly erratic behavior.

Ember broke the silence, his voice soft but resolute. "Val's on a dangerous path, Exeo. Deleo's influence is changing him, making him question everything and everyone around him. If we don't act now…"

Exeo nodded, his expression troubled. "I know. But whatever we do, it has to protect him without breaking his trust. The relic's power, Deleo's whispers, the vision of Reinhart's betrayal—it's all clouding his judgment."

Ember's gaze was distant, yet firm. "Then we need to make a decision—a painful one. If it comes to it, we have to be willing to 'betray' Val, to push him away if it keeps him from succumbing to Deleo."

Exeo's eyes met Ember's, filled with both understanding and sorrow. "If Val doesn't realize what we're doing, it could tear us all apart. But if it's the only way to keep him from losing himself, then we have to be ready to bear the cost."

They sat in silence, burdened by the weight of their decision. Ember's voice finally broke the quiet, steely but tinged with sadness. "We'll do whatever it takes to protect him—even if he never understands why."

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Back in his quarters, Val stared into the relic, his mind awash with doubt and mistrust. Deleo's influence was growing, his voice a constant, insidious whisper in the back of Val's mind, twisting Reinhart's betrayal into a warning.

"They'll betray you, Val. Just like Reinholdt betrayed Reinhart. Just like any brother would."

Val closed his eyes, the weight of Deleo's words bearing down on him. A flicker of suspicion glinted in his eyes, and he muttered to himself, "I won't let it happen to me. I won't be the one betrayed."

The memories faded away again, leaving Val alone, his mind and heart shadowed by the doubt planted by Deleo—and by the looming threat of betrayal, from both within and beyond his team.