Chapter 57 – The Mark
Morning came quietly.
For once, nobody was injured.
Nobody was chasing them.
Nothing was collapsing.
The mountain simply sat beneath a gray sky while snow drifted through the pass.
Brook stood outside the small shelter they had found the night before, staring at his hand.
The faint white light appeared between his fingers.
He moved his hand.
The light followed.
He closed his fist.
It disappeared.
Again.
Open.
Light.
Close.
Gone.
Henry walked past carrying firewood.
"You've been doing that for twenty minutes."
Brook looked over.
"Have I?"
"Yes."
Henry dropped the wood beside the fire.
"You're obsessed."
Brook shrugged.
"I'm trying to understand it."
"Does it hurt?"
"No."
"Then you're already doing better than yesterday."
Brook looked at his hand again.
"Michael said I don't understand power."
Henry sat beside the fire.
"Do you?"
"No."
Henry nodded.
"Good."
Brook frowned.
"Why does everyone keep saying that?"
"Because admitting you don't know something is better than pretending you do."
Brook smiled.
"Since when did you become wise?"
"Since you became annoying."
Brook laughed.
It was a small thing.
But it was real.
Sera eventually joined them.
She carried a small bowl of water.
She looked at Brook's hand.
"Do it."
Brook looked at her.
"Do what?"
"The light."
Brook raised his hand.
A faint white glow appeared.
Sera watched carefully.
"Interesting."
"What?"
"It's different."
Brook looked at her.
"Different how?"
"It's not coming from your hand."
Brook frowned.
"Then where?"
She pointed toward his chest.
"It's coming from inside you."
Brook stared at the light.
"Obviously."
"No."
Sera shook her head.
"I mean the energy isn't traveling through you the way normal Source power does."
Brook became more interested.
"Explain."
"I can't."
Brook sighed.
"Of course."
Sera smiled.
"I'm a witch, not a scientist."
Henry laughed.
"You've spent enough time arguing with him to qualify."
Sera threw a small piece of wood at him.
Brook smiled.
For a moment, the conversation felt ordinary.
Then Crowley appeared.
"We're leaving."
Henry looked at him.
"Already?"
"We need to reach the monastery before dark."
Brook stood.
"Why?"
Crowley looked at him.
"Because the pass won't stay open."
Brook frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"It closes."
"How?"
Crowley didn't answer.
Brook sighed.
"Of course."
Crowley smiled faintly.
"You're learning."
They traveled for most of the morning.
The mountain path became narrower.
Eventually, they reached a cliff overlooking a massive valley.
A river ran through the bottom.
On the other side stood the remains of an enormous stone monastery.
Its towers were broken.
Its walls were covered in snow.
Brook stared.
"That's it?"
Crowley nodded.
"That's it."
Henry looked at the distance.
"How do we get there?"
Crowley pointed down.
"Bridge."
Henry looked.
There was no bridge.
"Where?"
"Below."
They descended.
The trail was dangerous.
Loose rocks rolled beneath their feet.
The snow made everything slippery.
Halfway down, Brook noticed a strange mark on the stone.
A small white circle.
He crouched.
He touched it.
The Archangel Source reacted.
The mark glowed.
Brook pulled his hand away.
"What is that?"
Crowley approached.
"An old teleportation seal."
Brook looked at him.
"Teleportation?"
Crowley nodded.
"Celestial travel."
Brook stared at the mark.
"Could I use it?"
"Eventually."
Brook frowned.
"Why eventually?"
"Because you're not ready."
Brook rolled his eyes.
"Of course."
Crowley pointed toward the seal.
"You need to understand what it does first."
Brook studied it.
The mark wasn't large.
Barely the size of his palm.
There were several symbols surrounding it.
"How does it work?"
"You establish a connection."
"With what?"
"The location."
Brook looked at the valley.
"So if I mark somewhere…"
"You can return."
Brook's eyes widened.
"Teleportation."
"Limited teleportation."
Crowley corrected him.
"You can't simply appear anywhere."
"Why?"
"You need a mark."
Brook smiled.
"That's still useful."
"Very."
Crowley looked at him.
"But don't try it yet."
Brook sighed.
"You really don't trust me."
"I trust you."
Crowley paused.
"I don't trust what happens when you experiment."
Brook laughed.
"Fair."
They reached the valley floor.
The river was frozen.
They crossed carefully.
On the opposite side stood the monastery.
The doors were enormous.
Sera placed her hand against them.
Nothing.
Henry pushed.
Nothing.
Brook stepped forward.
He placed his palm against the door.
The Archangel Source reacted.
A white symbol appeared.
The doors opened.
Henry stared.
"Okay."
Brook looked at his hand.
"That wasn't me."
Crowley nodded.
"The Source recognizes the place."
They entered.
The monastery was massive.
Statues stood along the walls.
Most were damaged.
Some had been deliberately destroyed.
Brook recognized Michael immediately.
He walked toward the statue.
There was no sword.
No wings.
Just a figure standing with his hands behind his back.
Brook stared at it.
The statue's eyes suddenly glowed.
Brook froze.
The world blurred.
Henry's voice faded.
The monastery disappeared.
Brook was back inside his mind.
White.
Silent.
Michael stood ahead.
"You returned."
Brook looked around.
"Was I supposed to?"
"You came willingly."
Brook frowned.
"What's the difference?"
"Last time, you were pulled here."
Brook nodded.
"So this is the next test?"
Michael looked at him.
"No."
Brook sighed.
"Then why am I here?"
"To learn."
Michael walked toward him.
"You wish to use my power."
"Yes."
"Then understand the first principle."
Brook waited.
Michael raised his hand.
A small white symbol appeared in the air.
"It must be placed."
Brook stared.
"A mark."
Michael nodded.
"Power requires direction."
The symbol floated between them.
Michael touched it.
It disappeared.
"Without direction, power becomes waste."
Brook nodded.
"So I mark a location."
"Yes."
"Then I can return to it."
"Eventually."
Brook looked at him.
"Why do you keep saying eventually?"
"Because you want everything immediately."
Brook smiled.
"Fair."
Michael looked at him.
"You are impatient."
"I know."
"That will kill you."
Brook's smile disappeared.
Michael continued.
"The first test is not to master the Source."
Brook frowned.
"Then what is it?"
"Control."
Michael raised his hand.
The white world changed.
Brook found himself standing in a massive battlefield.
There were hundreds of targets scattered across the area.
Some were close.
Some were hundreds of meters away.
Some were moving.
Michael appeared behind him.
"Mark five."
Brook looked around.
"Then what?"
"Reach them."
Brook frowned.
"That's the test?"
"Yes."
Brook began.
He placed his hand against the first stone.
A white mark appeared.
He moved to the second.
Then the third.
The fourth.
The fifth.
Brook looked at the marks.
"Now what?"
Michael looked at him.
"Reach the first."
Brook stepped forward.
Nothing happened.
He frowned.
He tried again.
Nothing.
Michael said nothing.
Brook stared at the mark.
Then remembered what Michael had said.
Power requires direction.
Brook closed his eyes.
He focused on the mark.
He imagined the stone.
The distance.
The exact position.
For a moment…
nothing.
Then—
FLASH.
Brook disappeared.
He reappeared beside the first mark.
He stumbled.
Michael watched.
Brook looked around.
"I did it."
"Yes."
Brook smiled.
"That was easier than I expected."
Michael shook his head.
"You nearly lost consciousness."
Brook looked down.
His legs were shaking.
"Okay."
Michael pointed toward the next mark.
"Again."
Brook teleported.
This time he landed badly.
His shoulder hit the ground.
He stood.
Again.
Third mark.
Fourth.
Fifth.
Each teleport became slightly smoother.
Brook looked at Michael.
"Can I go farther?"
"No."
"Why?"
"You haven't mastered the first step."
Brook frowned.
"I can teleport."
"You can reach a mark."
"Isn't that the same thing?"
"No."
Michael stepped closer.
"Mastery is not performing an ability once."
Brook looked at him.
"It is performing it without losing yourself."
Brook was silent.
Michael disappeared.
The battlefield vanished.
Brook returned to the monastery.
He gasped.
Henry was kneeling beside him.
"Brook."
Brook looked around.
The statue.
The monastery.
His team.
He was back.
Sera stared at him.
"You disappeared."
Brook touched his chest.
"How long?"
"Maybe ten seconds."
Brook looked at his hand.
A small white mark appeared on his palm.
Then disappeared.
Crowley noticed.
"What happened?"
Brook looked at him.
"I learned something."
"What?"
Brook smiled.
"I can mark places."
Crowley stared.
"Show me."
Brook touched the floor.
A tiny white symbol appeared.
Crowley studied it.
"Good."
Brook looked at him.
"That's it?"
"What do you want me to say?"
"I don't know."
Crowley nodded.
"Then you learned something."
Brook smiled.
He looked toward the doorway.
Then touched the stone.
Another mark appeared.
He stepped backward.
Focused.
The white light surrounded him.
FLASH.
Brook disappeared.
Henry jumped.
"Brook!"
A second later—
FLASH.
Brook reappeared beside them.
Henry stared.
"You actually did it."
Brook smiled.
"I told you."
Sera examined the mark.
"How far?"
Brook looked toward the doorway.
"Not far."
Crowley nodded.
"Good."
Brook frowned.
"Good?"
"Because if you could cross the entire continent after one lesson, we'd have a problem."
Brook laughed.
"Fair."
He looked at his hands.
The ability was small.
Limited.
Nothing spectacular.
But it was his.
Something he had earned.
Something Michael had allowed him to begin understanding.
Brook looked toward the statue.
"One step."
Deep inside his mind, Michael opened his eyes.
He watched Brook through the endless white.
The Archangel did not smile.
But there was something close to approval in his expression.
Brook had not mastered the Source.
He had not passed the first test.
But he had learned something Michael considered essential.
Control.
And for now…
that was enough.
End of Chapter 57