Chapter 152 — The Split
The creature climbed from the ash.
Brook saw it clearly for only a second.
Then it moved.
"DOWN!"
Brook tackled Henry.
Something passed over them.
The air cracked.
Crowley threw up one hand.
A wall of magic appeared.
The creature struck it.
The barrier exploded.
Crowley was thrown backward.
Sera ran toward him.
Another creature rose from the ash.
Then another.
Henry pushed himself up.
"What are these?"
Brook's eyes moved across the darkness.
Death searched through him.
Hundreds of lifelines.
"No idea."
Henry looked at him.
"That's becoming a problem."
The first creature landed.
It was human-shaped.
Almost.
Its body was covered in hardened ash.
Its face had no eyes.
Only smooth grey skin.
Its mouth opened.
And it screamed.
Shoyo raised both hands.
The ground beneath the creature erupted.
The thing was thrown upward.
Rick moved.
His weapon cut through its chest.
The creature hit the ground.
Then—
stood again.
Henry stared.
"That's worse."
The creature charged.
Brook met it.
His fist struck its face.
The ash-covered skull cracked.
Brook felt bone beneath his knuckles.
The creature fell.
Brook raised his weapon.
Then stopped.
Death reacted.
The lifeline hadn't broken.
Brook stepped back.
The creature's body began rebuilding.
Ash crawled over the wound.
Henry whispered:
"They don't die?"
Shoyo answered:
"They can."
Brook looked at her.
"How?"
Shoyo stared at the creature.
"We find out."
The ash exploded.
More creatures emerged.
Rick attacked first.
He moved through the closest one.
Brook grabbed Henry and pulled him backward.
"Stay behind me."
Henry looked offended.
"I have a weapon."
"You also have something living inside you."
Henry looked down at his chest.
The Ectoplasm moved beneath his skin.
Brook's expression hardened.
Henry noticed.
"I know."
The creatures came from every direction.
Crowley stood beside Sera.
Blood still ran from the side of his mouth from the Devil Trap.
Sera looked at him.
"You should be resting."
Crowley raised his hand.
"You keep saying that like I know how."
Magic formed around his fingers.
The ash creatures charged.
Crowley released the spell.
Light ripped across the ground.
Three creatures were destroyed.
But two more rose from the ash behind them.
Sera moved.
Her magic struck one.
It stopped.
The creature slowly turned toward her.
Sera's eyes narrowed.
"Stay down."
The creature did.
Brook glanced at her.
Sera stared at her own hand.
Henry looked impressed.
"Useful."
Sera ignored him.
The ground shook.
Everyone stopped.
Brook looked down.
Death screamed.
Not fear.
Warning.
"Move!"
The ash beneath them collapsed.
Rick grabbed Shoyo.
Brook grabbed Henry.
Crowley reached for Sera.
The ground disappeared.
They fell.
But not together.
Brook felt Henry's hand slipping.
He grabbed his wrist.
"Don't let go!"
Henry slammed against stone.
Brook nearly lost him.
Then the darkness swallowed them.
Brook and Henry hit a sloping tunnel.
They rolled.
Stone tore against Brook's back.
Henry slammed into him.
They continued sliding.
Then—
stopped.
Brook lay still.
Henry groaned beside him.
Brook opened his eyes.
Darkness.
"Henry?"
"Here."
Brook sat up.
His arm hurt.
Henry was breathing heavily.
Brook stood.
"Can you move?"
Henry laughed weakly.
"Yeah."
Brook looked upward.
Nothing.
No opening.
No voices.
He reached outward with Death.
Lifelines.
Crowley.
Sera.
Shoyo.
Rick.
The former king.
Far away.
Too far.
Henry looked at him.
"We're separated."
Brook nodded.
"Yeah."
Henry looked down the tunnel.
"Great."
Brook started walking.
Henry followed.
"Where are we going?"
Brook didn't stop.
"Finding them."
Henry sighed.
"Do you know where they are?"
"No."
"Then that's not really a direction."
Brook glanced back.
"Keep talking and I'll leave you."
Henry smiled slightly.
"There he is."
Brook almost smiled.
Almost.
Then Henry stopped.
Brook turned.
"What?"
Henry was staring at his arm.
Black fluid was moving beneath his skin.
"Brook."
Brook stepped closer.
Henry's expression changed.
The Ectoplasm was reacting.
Henry whispered:
"He's here."
Brook's face hardened.
"Elias?"
Henry shook his head.
The black fluid spread across his wrist.
"No."
Henry looked into the darkness ahead.
"Something remembers him."
Brook raised his weapon.
The tunnel became silent.
Then a voice whispered from deep inside it.
Not Elias.
Not human.
A hundred voices speaking together.
"Welcome back."
Henry's face went pale.
Brook stepped in front of him.
"Who are you?"
The darkness answered.
"A memory."
Far above them—
Crowley hit the ground hard.
Sera landed beside him.
She immediately stood.
"Crowley!"
He groaned.
"Still here."
Sera looked around.
A chamber.
Stone walls.
Old symbols.
No Brook.
No Henry.
Sera's face hardened.
"Brook!"
No answer.
Crowley sat up.
"Don't shout."
Sera turned.
"Why?"
Crowley looked at the walls.
"Because we're not alone."
Sera stopped.
The symbols were glowing.
Slowly.
Red lines.
She looked at Crowley.
"What are they?"
Crowley stood.
Then his face changed.
"No."
Sera looked at him.
"What?"
Crowley walked toward the nearest symbol.
His hand stopped inches away.
"A Devil Trap."
Sera stared.
"Another one?"
Crowley shook his head.
"No."
His expression darkened.
"A different kind."
The symbol spread across the floor.
Sera stepped back.
Crowley grabbed her arm.
"Don't move."
She looked at him.
"Seriously?"
Crowley stared at the glowing lines.
"This one isn't for me."
Sera's expression changed.
The chamber shook.
A voice came from somewhere beyond the walls.
"Correct."
Elias.
Sera raised her hand.
Crowley stepped in front of her.
The wall split open.
Elias stood in the darkness beyond.
Crowley stared at him.
"You separated us."
Elias smiled.
"No."
He looked toward the ceiling.
"The world did."
Crowley raised his hand.
"Where's Brook?"
Elias ignored him.
His eyes moved to Sera.
"I told you."
Sera's expression hardened.
"You need me."
Elias smiled.
"Yes."
Crowley stepped forward.
"You're not taking her."
Elias looked at him.
"Then don't leave."
The Devil Trap beneath them ignited.
Crowley froze.
Sera looked down.
The lines moved.
Crowley whispered:
"Don't."
Sera looked at him.
"What?"
Crowley stared at the floor.
"Don't leave the circle."
The ground around them began breaking.
Sera's eyes widened.
"Why?"
Crowley looked at her.
"If you cross it."
Elias smiled.
Sera understood.
Crowley continued quietly.
"Someone else gets trapped."
Silence.
Sera stared at him.
"Who?"
Elias smiled.
"That's the interesting part."
Shoyo opened her eyes.
She was lying on stone.
Rick stood above her.
The former king was beside him.
Shoyo sat up.
"Brook?"
Rick shook his head.
"Not here."
Shoyo looked around.
A narrow bridge stretched ahead.
Darkness below it.
No walls.
No floor.
The former king stepped toward the edge.
Rick grabbed him.
"What?"
The king pointed down.
Shoyo stood.
There was something beneath them.
Far below.
A massive structure.
Shoyo's expression changed.
Rick noticed.
"You know what it is."
Shoyo was quiet.
The former king looked at her.
"I thought it was destroyed."
Shoyo stared into the darkness.
"So did I."
Rick's patience ended.
"What?"
Shoyo looked at them.
Then toward the structure.
"The first prison."
Silence.
The former king frowned.
"That isn't possible."
Shoyo walked toward the bridge.
Rick followed.
"Shoyo."
She stopped.
Her voice was quiet.
"I was there when it was sealed."
Rick stared at her.
The former king's expression changed.
"You never told me."
Shoyo looked back.
"No."
Then she turned forward again.
"Because some memories are dangerous."
Rick looked toward the darkness.
"What's inside it?"
Shoyo's face hardened.
"I don't know."
The bridge shook.
All three stopped.
A sound came from below.
A deep roar.
Then—
a voice.
Not screaming.
Not threatening.
Calm.
"Shoyo."
Shoyo froze.
Rick looked at her.
"Who was that?"
Shoyo didn't answer.
The voice came again.
Closer.
"You came back."
The former king slowly stepped backward.
Shoyo's hands clenched.
For the first time since Xcution had learned the truth—
Shoyo looked genuinely afraid.
Rick moved beside her.
"Tell us."
Shoyo whispered:
"I thought it was dead."
The bridge shook violently.
A crack split through it.
Rick grabbed Shoyo.
The former king stumbled.
Below them—
something opened its eyes.
Three paths.
Three groups.
Brook looked into the darkness.
Henry stood behind him.
Crowley and Sera were trapped inside Elias's game.
Shoyo, Rick, and the former king had reached something from before Shoyo's time as the First Witch.
Xcution had not chosen to split.
The world beneath them had done it.
And somewhere in the darkness—
the pieces were being moved into place.
End of Chapter 152