Chapter 52 – No Way Back
The creature charged.
Brook moved first.
He released the first Source through his legs, the blue energy flashing beneath his skin as he launched himself forward.
His sword met one of the creature's massive arms.
The impact shook the chamber.
Brook's feet slid backward.
The creature pushed harder.
Brook gritted his teeth.
"You're getting annoying."
The creature swung its second arm.
Brook ducked.
Crowley stepped in.
His sword cut across the creature's wrist.
Black blood sprayed across the floor.
The creature recoiled.
Brook immediately attacked the exposed side.
His blade pierced between two of the stone-like plates.
The creature screamed.
Brook twisted the sword.
Crowley struck from the opposite side.
For a moment, the two worked perfectly together.
Brook moved aggressively.
Crowley controlled the creature's movements.
Neither got in the other's way.
The creature suddenly slammed all four hands against the ground.
The chamber exploded.
Brook was thrown backward.
Crowley jumped over the shockwave.
The six stone pedestals surrounding the chamber lit up.
Brook stared.
"What is it doing?"
Crowley landed beside him.
"I don't know."
"You've said that a lot today."
"Get used to it."
The creature raised itself.
Roots spread across the floor.
They moved toward the pedestals.
Brook's expression changed.
"It's feeding the room."
Crowley looked at him.
"Exactly."
The first root wrapped around the Earth pedestal.
The second reached toward Magic.
Another moved toward Soul.
Brook looked at the six structures.
"The Sources."
Crowley nodded.
"Not just the ones inside you."
Brook stared at him.
"These things are connected."
The creature roared.
The roots tightened.
The chamber began shaking.
Brook felt something inside his chest pull.
He dropped to one knee.
Crowley grabbed him.
"Brook."
The third Source burned.
Hard.
Brook clenched his teeth.
"It's pulling at me."
"Fight it."
"I'm trying."
The pull became stronger.
Brook's vision blurred.
The chamber disappeared.
For a moment, he wasn't underground.
He was somewhere else.
A vast white space.
No ground.
No sky.
Nothing.
Six enormous lights floated in the distance.
Brook stood alone.
Then a voice spoke.
Not from one direction.
From everywhere.
You are not supposed to exist.
Brook looked around.
"Who are you?"
No answer.
The six lights moved.
One blue.
One black.
One pale white.
One green.
One violet.
One gold.
They slowly turned toward him.
You were made to carry what no human could carry.
Brook's breathing changed.
"Who made me?"
The voice remained silent.
Brook stepped forward.
"Who?"
One of the lights flickered.
Then the vision shattered.
Brook gasped.
He was back in the chamber.
Crowley was holding him upright.
"What happened?"
Brook looked at him.
"I saw something."
"What?"
"Six lights."
Crowley stared.
"What did they say?"
Brook hesitated.
Then:
"They said I shouldn't exist."
Crowley's expression hardened.
Before he could respond, the creature attacked.
Crowley shoved Brook aside.
The creature's fist struck him.
Crowley flew across the chamber.
Brook's eyes widened.
"Crowley!"
The creature turned toward him.
Brook raised his sword.
The first Source exploded.
He charged.
The creature blocked.
Brook attacked again.
The second Source followed.
Black energy wrapped around the blade.
The creature recoiled.
Brook noticed.
The second Source wasn't just destructive.
It was affecting the creature's movement.
Slowing it.
Dragging it down.
Brook changed his grip.
He combined the two Sources.
Blue energy surrounded the outside of the blade.
Black energy condensed along its edge.
The weapon began vibrating.
Brook stared.
He had never tried this before.
"Let's see what happens."
He struck.
The impact tore through the creature's chest.
A huge section of its armor shattered.
The creature stumbled backward.
Brook was thrown off balance.
He landed hard.
His arm trembled.
He looked at the sword.
The two Sources were fighting each other.
Brook immediately separated them.
His breathing became heavier.
Crowley pushed himself upright.
"Don't do that again."
Brook looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because your body almost rejected both."
Brook looked down.
Blood was running from his nose.
"That bad?"
Crowley walked toward him.
"Very."
The creature roared.
Crowley looked up.
"Still standing."
Brook wiped the blood away.
"So are we."
Crowley smiled.
"Good."
The creature charged.
Above them, the fortress continued collapsing.
Henry heard another explosion.
"Brook!"
Sera grabbed his arm.
"Wait."
Henry turned.
"What?"
"Listen."
They both froze.
A low vibration traveled through the stone.
Elias looked around.
"The entire mountain is moving."
Henry frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"It means whatever is beneath us is getting stronger."
Henry looked at the hole.
"We have to get them out."
Sera nodded.
She raised both hands.
Fog spread through the chamber.
"Can you see through it?" Henry asked.
"No."
"Then why use it?"
Sera closed her eyes.
"Because I can feel the air moving."
She turned.
"There."
A section of wall.
Henry immediately ran toward it.
They began breaking through.
Brook and Crowley continued fighting.
The creature was faster now.
Its roots moved like snakes.
Brook cut one.
Another wrapped around his ankle.
He fell.
The root dragged him across the floor.
Brook stabbed his sword into the ground.
The first Source surged.
The root snapped.
Brook rolled away.
Another root came down.
Crowley cut it before it struck.
Brook looked up.
"Thanks."
Crowley nodded.
The creature attacked him.
Crowley blocked.
The impact forced him backward.
Brook watched.
Something was wrong.
Crowley was slowing.
He had been hit several times.
His wounds weren't closing as quickly as before.
Brook realized why.
"You've been holding back."
Crowley didn't answer.
"You're hurt."
"I'm fine."
Brook almost smiled.
"You're starting to sound like me."
Crowley blocked another strike.
The creature's claws tore across his shoulder.
Crowley stumbled.
Brook charged.
He slammed his sword into the creature's arm.
Crowley fell backward.
Brook stood between them.
"Stay down."
Crowley looked at him.
"Don't tell me what to do."
Brook smiled.
"There he is."
Crowley laughed once.
Then his expression changed.
The creature was changing again.
Its chest opened.
Inside was a pulsing green core.
Brook stared.
"What is that?"
Crowley shook his head.
"I don't know."
The creature raised all four arms.
The core brightened.
Brook felt the third Source react.
A cold wave moved through him.
Then voices filled the chamber.
Thousands.
Men.
Women.
Children.
All speaking at once.
Brook covered his ears.
"Stop."
The voices grew louder.
Crowley looked at him.
"Brook!"
"I can't hear you."
The voices continued.
Help me.
Don't leave me.
Please.
Brook.
His mother's voice.
Brook froze.
"Mom?"
The creature's core pulsed.
His father's voice followed.
"Brook."
Brook stared.
The voices weren't random.
They were memories.
Dead people.
People connected to the creature.
The third Source was opening itself.
Brook could feel them.
Their fear.
Their pain.
Their final moments.
For the first time since the Source awakened…
he felt all of it.
Overwhelmingly.
Brook dropped to his knees.
Crowley reached for him.
"Brook!"
Brook screamed.
The third Source exploded outward.
A wave of black energy filled the chamber.
The creature stopped.
Its body began shaking.
The voices disappeared.
Silence returned.
Brook slowly raised his head.
His eyes were different.
Not physically.
Something behind them.
Crowley noticed.
"Brook."
Brook looked at him.
For a moment, Crowley couldn't tell whether he was speaking to the same person.
Then Brook whispered:
"I heard them."
Crowley knelt beside him.
"Who?"
"Everyone."
Brook's voice shook.
"They're all still here."
Crowley looked at the creature.
"No."
Brook stared.
"They're inside it."
Crowley shook his head.
"Brook, listen to me."
"I can feel them."
"That's the Source."
Brook looked at his hands.
"I don't want this."
Crowley placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Then don't let it control you."
Brook looked at him.
"What if I can't?"
Crowley answered immediately.
"Then I'll stop you."
Brook stared at him.
There was no hesitation in Crowley's voice.
Brook nodded.
"Okay."
The creature suddenly moved.
Crowley stood.
"Later."
Brook picked up his sword.
"Right."
The creature charged.
Brook and Crowley attacked together.
Brook used the first Source.
Crowley moved beside him.
Their blades struck at the same time.
The creature's core cracked.
Green light poured through the chamber.
The fortress shook violently.
Above them, Henry and Sera were thrown off their feet.
The stone floor split.
Henry grabbed Sera.
"What's happening?"
"I don't know!"
A huge crack opened beneath them.
Sera looked down.
"Henry!"
They jumped aside.
The entire section of floor collapsed.
Henry caught the edge.
Sera grabbed his wrist.
"Hold on!"
Henry looked down.
"There's something below us."
Sera looked.
A massive green glow came from beneath.
She froze.
"That's them."
Henry looked at her.
"Brook?"
Sera nodded.
Below, Brook and Crowley stood over the creature.
It was wounded.
Badly.
But it was still alive.
Its cracked core continued pulsing.
Brook was exhausted.
His sword hung loosely in his hand.
Crowley was bleeding from several wounds.
The creature slowly raised itself.
Brook looked at Crowley.
"We're not killing this thing."
Crowley nodded.
"No."
"Then what?"
Crowley stared at the creature.
"We find out why it exists."
The creature looked at Brook.
Its voice was barely audible.
"Because…"
It coughed.
"…you were supposed to replace us."
Brook froze.
"What?"
The creature smiled.
"There were twelve."
Brook's expression changed.
"Twelve what?"
"Vessels."
Crowley stepped forward.
"Where are the others?"
The creature looked at Brook.
"Dead."
Brook's stomach dropped.
"All of them?"
The creature nodded.
"Except…"
Its gaze moved toward Brook.
"…you."
Brook's breathing stopped.
Crowley looked at the creature.
"Who made them?"
The creature's smile disappeared.
"We never saw his face."
"Who?"
"The Maker."
The word echoed through the chamber.
Brook stared.
The creature's body began collapsing.
Crowley stepped back.
"Brook."
The creature whispered its final words.
"The Maker isn't looking for you."
Brook frowned.
"Then what does he want?"
The creature looked directly into his eyes.
"He's waiting for you to find him."
Its body collapsed.
The green light disappeared.
Silence.
Brook stood completely still.
Then the ceiling began collapsing again.
Crowley grabbed him.
"Move."
They ran.
Behind them, the chamber began to disappear beneath tons of stone.
And for the first time…
Brook wasn't afraid of what he might become.
He was afraid that someone had been waiting for him since before he was born.
End of Chapter 52