Chapter 46 – What He Doesn't Say
The road north was quiet.
Too quiet.
Brook noticed it first.
There were no birds.
No insects.
Even the wind seemed weaker than it had been the previous day.
He kept walking.
Henry was several steps ahead.
Sera followed behind them.
Elias stayed close to the horses.
Crowley walked at the rear.
Brook glanced back once.
Crowley was watching him.
Brook looked away.
He had started noticing that more often.
Crowley watching.
Not staring.
Watching.
Like he was waiting for something.
Brook pulled his sleeve farther over his hand.
The three marks beneath it had been burning since sunrise.
He hadn't told anyone.
There was no point.
He already knew what Crowley would say.
The third Source was taking something from him.
Brook didn't want to hear it again.
He didn't want Henry worrying.
He didn't want Sera trying to help.
And he definitely didn't want Crowley looking at him like he was something that needed to be saved.
So he kept quiet.
"Brook."
He looked ahead.
Henry had stopped.
"What?"
"You've been falling behind."
Brook looked around.
"I was thinking."
Henry smiled.
"That's becoming your favorite excuse."
Brook smiled back.
"Maybe."
Henry continued walking.
Brook waited until Henry turned away.
Then he pressed his hand against his chest.
The pain was still there.
Deep.
Constant.
Not unbearable.
Just present.
Like something had moved into his body and decided it wasn't leaving.
He took a slow breath.
Then continued.
Nobody noticed.
At least…
that's what he told himself.
By midday, they reached the remains of an old road.
A massive stone bridge crossed a canyon ahead.
The bridge was damaged.
Large sections had collapsed.
Elias stopped.
"We can't cross there."
Henry looked toward the other side.
"Then we go around."
Brook studied the landscape.
"How far?"
"Two days."
Henry sighed.
"There's another way."
Brook looked at him.
Henry pointed toward the bridge.
"We cross."
Elias shook his head.
"That's stupid."
Henry smiled.
"So is taking two days."
Brook looked at Crowley.
Crowley was staring at the bridge.
"Something wrong?"
Crowley nodded.
"Yes."
Brook waited.
Crowley pointed.
"There are tracks."
Brook looked closer.
Marks covered the stone.
Deep.
Too deep for normal animals.
Henry drew his sword.
"Abomination?"
Crowley shook his head.
"No."
"What then?"
Crowley looked at Brook.
"Something that hunts people."
Brook drew his sword.
"Then we kill it."
Crowley didn't smile.
"Maybe."
They crossed the bridge slowly.
Halfway across, the wind stopped.
Brook froze.
"Did you feel that?"
Sera nodded.
Henry turned.
"What?"
Brook looked behind them.
Nothing.
Then he heard a sound.
A low growl.
The bridge shook.
Elias shouted:
"Move!"
Something burst through the stone beneath them.
Brook jumped aside.
Henry rolled across the ground.
Sera fell.
Crowley landed several meters away.
A creature emerged from the broken bridge.
It was enormous.
At least twice the size of an Abomination Brook had ever seen.
Its body was covered in dark armor-like plates.
Four arms.
Each ending in long claws.
Its face was almost human.
Almost.
Brook raised his sword.
The creature looked directly at him.
Then smiled.
"Three."
Brook's blood ran cold.
It knew.
The creature charged.
Brook blocked.
The impact sent him sliding backward.
Henry attacked from the side.
His sword struck the creature's shoulder.
It barely reacted.
Sera fired a burst of magic.
The creature twisted away.
Crowley moved in.
His sword cut across its back.
The creature screamed.
Then something happened.
The creature's body split.
Not physically.
It separated into four smaller forms.
Henry stared.
"What the hell?"
Crowley shouted:
"Separate!"
The four creatures moved simultaneously.
One charged Brook.
Another went after Henry.
A third attacked Sera.
The fourth turned toward Crowley.
Elias backed away.
"Don't let them surround you!"
The bridge erupted into chaos.
Brook blocked a claw.
The creature struck again.
He ducked.
Its claws tore through the stone.
Brook kicked it backward.
He raised his sword.
Blue light gathered around the blade.
He struck.
The first Source exploded across the creature.
It screamed.
Brook didn't stop.
He attacked again.
The creature blocked.
Brook changed his stance.
The blue energy moved from the sword into his arm.
He punched the creature.
The impact sent it crashing through a section of the bridge.
Brook stared.
He hadn't expected that.
The creature rose.
Brook smiled faintly.
"Okay."
It charged.
Brook moved.
Faster.
He slipped beneath its claws and struck the creature's leg.
It fell.
Brook brought his sword down.
The creature blocked with both arms.
Brook pushed harder.
The blue energy intensified.
The creature began cracking beneath the pressure.
"You're not the only one who knows how to adapt."
Brook drove the blade downward.
The creature exploded into black dust.
Brook stood there.
Breathing heavily.
He looked at his hand.
The first Source was responding to him differently now.
More naturally.
He wasn't forcing it.
He was controlling it.
The realization made him smile.
Then the smile disappeared.
Something felt wrong.
He couldn't feel the satisfaction he expected.
He had won.
He should have been excited.
Instead…
nothing.
Brook looked toward Henry.
Henry was fighting his creature.
Brook started toward him.
Then stopped.
Henry was handling it.
He didn't need help.
Brook turned away.
He didn't think about why.
Henry's fight was brutal.
His opponent was stronger than him.
Every strike forced him backward.
Henry's sword arm began bleeding.
The creature lunged.
Henry ducked.
He rolled.
The creature's claws destroyed a section of stone behind him.
Henry looked at his sword.
Then at the creature.
"You're fast."
The creature charged.
Henry waited.
At the last second, he moved.
He stepped inside its reach.
His sword drove through its side.
The creature froze.
Henry twisted the blade.
Then pulled it free.
The creature collapsed.
Henry stood over it.
He was breathing hard.
Blood ran down his arm.
He looked toward Brook.
"Brook!"
Brook looked over.
Henry smiled.
"I got it."
Brook nodded.
"Good."
"That's it?"
Brook frowned.
"What do you want?"
"I don't know."
Henry wiped blood from his face.
"You used to say something stupid."
Brook thought about it.
"Like what?"
"Usually something like 'Nice job, princess.'"
Brook laughed.
"That's terrible."
Henry smiled.
"You used to say it."
Brook looked at him.
"I guess I forgot."
Henry's smile faded.
"You alright?"
Brook nodded.
"Yeah."
Henry watched him for a moment.
Then nodded.
"Okay."
He didn't believe him.
Sera's fight was different.
Her opponent was fast.
Too fast.
She tried using a direct spell.
It missed.
She tried again.
The creature dodged.
Sera cursed under her breath.
"Fine."
She lowered her staff.
The creature charged.
Sera closed her eyes.
Fog spread across the bridge.
Thick.
Instant.
The creature slowed.
It couldn't see.
Sera smiled.
"Now you're fighting my way."
She moved through the fog.
The creature attacked blindly.
Sera dodged.
She raised her hand.
Lightning struck.
The creature screamed.
She struck again.
And again.
The fog disappeared.
The creature collapsed.
Sera lowered her hand.
She looked toward Brook.
He was staring at her.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You were watching."
"Yeah."
"You liked it?"
Brook nodded.
"Yeah."
Sera smiled.
"Good."
Brook looked away.
He didn't tell her that seeing her use the fog had made him remember how excited he used to get when she discovered new abilities.
He remembered.
He just didn't feel it anymore.
Crowley stood alone.
His opponent circled him.
It looked human.
Until it opened its mouth.
Rows of teeth appeared.
"You've been hiding."
Crowley didn't respond.
The creature attacked.
Crowley blocked.
It struck again.
Crowley dodged.
Again.
Crowley moved.
The creature became faster.
Crowley remained calm.
Then the creature caught him across the chest.
Blood appeared.
Brook saw it from across the bridge.
"Crowley!"
Crowley looked at him.
"I'm fine."
The creature smiled.
"He's watching."
Crowley's expression changed.
The creature attacked again.
Crowley caught its wrist.
The creature froze.
Crowley squeezed.
Bone cracked.
The creature screamed.
Crowley's eyes darkened.
"You should have stayed away."
The creature tried to pull free.
It couldn't.
Crowley leaned closer.
"You wanted to know what I am."
The creature stared at him.
"Yes."
Crowley released its wrist.
Then he drew his sword.
One strike.
The creature fell.
Silence.
Brook stared.
Crowley wiped the blood from his chest.
His wound was already closing.
Brook noticed.
He didn't say anything.
Crowley noticed that Brook noticed.
Neither spoke.
The four reunited on the other side of the bridge.
Elias looked at the destroyed stone.
"You idiots."
Henry laughed.
"You're welcome."
Sera smiled.
Brook said nothing.
Crowley looked at him.
"You hurt?"
"No."
"Sure?"
"Yes."
Crowley studied him.
Brook looked away.
They continued north.
After several hours, Henry walked beside Brook.
"You've been different."
Brook didn't look at him.
"How?"
"You don't talk as much."
"I'm tired."
"You don't joke."
"I'm tired."
"You didn't even get angry when Crowley was hurt."
Brook stopped.
Henry stopped too.
"What?"
"You heard me."
Brook looked at him.
"I knew Crowley could handle himself."
"That's not what I meant."
"Then what?"
Henry stared at him.
"You don't seem to care."
Brook's expression hardened.
"I care."
"Then show it."
Brook looked away.
"Not everything has to be spoken."
Henry was silent.
Brook continued walking.
Henry followed.
Neither said anything for a long time.
That night, Brook sat alone.
He stared into the fire.
He remembered Henry's words.
You don't seem to care.
Brook looked down at his hands.
He wanted to feel guilty.
He knew he should.
Instead, he felt annoyed.
That realization frightened him.
Brook quietly pulled out his father's notebook.
He opened it.
Nothing appeared.
He whispered:
"What's happening to me?"
The pages remained blank.
Brook closed the notebook.
Across the camp, Crowley opened his eyes.
He had heard him.
Brook didn't know.
Crowley watched him for a long time.
Then he looked at the three marks beneath Brook's sleeve.
His expression became grim.
"Too fast."
Sera stirred in her sleep.
Henry remained awake.
Brook continued staring into the fire.
He didn't notice Crowley watching him.
He didn't notice Henry watching him either.
He only noticed the emptiness.
And for the first time…
Brook decided not to tell anyone.
Not Henry.
Not Sera.
Not Crowley.
Nobody.
He pulled his sleeve over the marks.
Then looked toward the darkness.
"I'll handle it."
He said it quietly.
Almost like a promise.
But deep inside…
he wasn't sure who he was making the promise to.
End of Chapter 46