Chapter 199 — The Future Moves
Hutena woke screaming.
Brook was already outside her door before the sound had finished echoing through the palace.
Sera came running behind him.
Henry followed.
Charon formed itself around Henry's shoulders.
Crowley appeared last.
"That's becoming a terrible way to wake up."
Sera shot him a look.
Crowley raised his hands.
"What?"
Brook opened the door.
Hutena was sitting upright on the bed.
Her eyes were wide.
She was breathing heavily.
Brook approached slowly.
"What did you see?"
Hutena looked at him.
For several seconds—
she couldn't speak.
Then she whispered:
"Nothing."
Brook frowned.
"You screamed because you saw nothing?"
"No."
Hutena shook her head.
"I screamed because I couldn't see you."
The room became silent.
Brook stared at her.
"What does that mean?"
Hutena looked toward the window.
"I saw the future."
Her voice trembled.
"And you weren't there."
Brook remained silent.
Sera sat beside Hutena.
"Tell us exactly what you saw."
Hutena closed her eyes.
"A city."
"Asteria?"
"No."
"Shinokuni-01?"
"No."
Hutena opened her eyes.
"It was somewhere I've never seen."
She looked toward Brook.
"There were thousands of people."
"Alive?"
"Yes."
"Then what was wrong?"
Hutena swallowed.
"They were looking upward."
Brook frowned.
"At what?"
"The sky."
She paused.
"Something was falling."
Crowley raised an eyebrow.
"Another star?"
Hutena shook her head.
"A person."
Everyone became still.
"Who?"
"I don't know."
Hutena looked frustrated.
"I should have known."
Brook stepped closer.
"Why?"
"Because I always know the face."
She touched her temple.
"But this time…"
She looked at Brook.
"The face kept changing."
Brook's fourth mark burned.
Hutena noticed.
Her eyes widened.
"That."
Brook looked down.
The mark appeared.
Then disappeared.
Hutena stared.
"That wasn't in my vision."
Brook frowned.
"What wasn't?"
"You."
Brook stared.
"You said I wasn't there."
"I said I couldn't see you."
Hutena stood.
"There's a difference."
She walked toward him.
"Your future is becoming difficult to see."
Brook's expression hardened.
"Because of the fourth mark?"
"I think so."
Crowley crossed his arms.
"You think?"
Hutena looked at him.
"I've never seen this happen."
She looked toward Brook.
"Every time your fourth mark appears, the future changes."
Brook looked at his arm.
"Then what happens if it fully develops?"
Hutena stared at him.
"I don't know."
Brook sighed.
"Of course."
Far away—
Persephone walked through a forest.
She had been gone from Asteria for days.
The forest was quiet.
Too quiet.
The Abominations followed her.
Not dozens.
Hundreds.
They moved behind her without making a sound.
Persephone stopped.
"Stay."
Every creature stopped.
She looked around.
No Silvet.
No messenger.
No orders.
She had been sent to Asteria.
She had tested Brook.
She had returned.
But Silvet hadn't contacted her.
That bothered her.
Persephone crouched beside an Abomination.
Its body was covered in scars.
She placed her hand against its head.
The creature trembled.
"Do you remember?"
The Abomination stared at her.
Persephone closed her eyes.
For a moment—
she could feel something.
A memory.
Not its own.
Brook.
The fourth mark.
The Earth moving beneath him.
Persephone opened her eyes.
"So that's what you saw."
The creature growled.
Persephone stood.
"You're afraid of him."
The Abomination lowered its head.
Persephone smiled.
"Good."
A branch snapped behind her.
Persephone turned.
Nothing.
She stared into the trees.
"Come out."
Nothing.
She smiled.
"I know you're there."
A voice answered.
"You shouldn't have returned."
Persephone's expression changed.
She knew the voice.
Silvet.
He stepped from between the trees.
Persephone smiled.
"You finally came."
Silvet looked at the Abominations.
"You've been collecting them."
"They follow me."
"I didn't ask."
Persephone shrugged.
"You should have."
Silvet walked closer.
"You failed."
Persephone's smile disappeared.
"I wasn't told to win."
Silvet stopped.
"I told you to test him."
"And I did."
"What did you learn?"
Persephone looked toward the direction of Asteria.
"He's stronger than you expected."
Silvet's eyes narrowed.
"That isn't what I asked."
Persephone smiled.
"The Earth."
Silvet went still.
Persephone continued.
"It isn't simply another Source."
Silvet stared at her.
"You felt it."
"Yes."
"And?"
Persephone looked down.
"The Earth responds to him."
Silvet said nothing.
Persephone smiled.
"You already knew."
Silvet turned away.
"I suspected."
"No."
Persephone stepped closer.
"You knew the Earth Source existed."
Silvet stopped.
"You didn't know it had begun responding."
Silence.
Persephone smiled.
"Neither did the Maker."
Silvet looked back.
For a moment—
his expression hardened.
"Be careful."
Persephone laughed.
"Why?"
"Because curiosity gets people killed."
Persephone's smile remained.
"Then you should know I'm very curious."
Back in Asteria—
Brook trained.
Not with a weapon.
Not with his Sources.
He stood barefoot on the ground.
Tala watched.
"Don't force it."
Brook nodded.
He closed his eyes.
He felt the Earth.
Stone.
Soil.
Roots.
Water.
Life.
He didn't command any of it.
He simply stood.
A stone moved.
Brook opened his eyes.
The stone floated beside him.
He smiled.
"Better."
Tala nodded.
"Again."
Brook closed his eyes.
This time—
nothing happened.
Brook waited.
Nothing.
He opened his eyes.
"Why?"
"You tried."
Brook frowned.
"What?"
"You tried to make it happen."
Brook sighed.
"So I have to stop trying?"
"Yes."
"That makes no sense."
Tala smiled.
"You are trying to understand the Earth with a human mind."
Brook looked at her.
"I'm human."
"For now."
Brook's expression changed.
Tala immediately walked away.
Brook stared after her.
"For now?"
She didn't answer.
Sera approached.
"What did she mean?"
Brook shook his head.
"I don't know."
Sera looked toward Tala.
"She says strange things."
"She does."
Sera smiled.
Then—
her expression changed.
"Brook."
"What?"
"The mark."
Brook looked down.
The fourth mark had appeared again.
But something was different.
A thin line extended from it.
Across his arm.
Brook stared.
It stopped before reaching his shoulder.
Then faded.
Sera looked concerned.
"That wasn't there before."
Brook nodded.
"I know."
Hutena suddenly screamed again.
Brook and Sera turned.
They rushed inside.
Hutena was standing in the middle of the room.
Her eyes were glowing faintly.
Brook stopped.
"What do you see?"
Hutena looked at him.
This time—
she smiled.
"You."
Brook's expression changed.
"What?"
"I see you."
She stepped closer.
"You're standing somewhere."
"Where?"
"I don't know."
"Who is with me?"
Hutena's smile disappeared.
"Someone."
"Who?"
"I can't see."
Brook frowned.
Hutena continued.
"But I know they're important."
"Why?"
"Because the future is trying to hide them."
Crowley appeared at the doorway.
"That sounds ominous."
Hutena looked toward him.
"There are more."
"More what?"
"People."
She closed her eyes.
"I see Sera."
Sera froze.
"Henry."
Henry stepped forward.
"Crowley."
Crowley sighed.
"Of course."
Hutena opened her eyes.
Then—
her expression changed completely.
"There are two more."
Brook stared.
"Who?"
"I don't know."
"Can you see them?"
"No."
"Why?"
Hutena looked at Brook's arm.
"The future won't let me."
Persephone stood on a mountain overlooking the forest.
Silvet was gone.
She had returned to being alone.
The Abominations stood behind her.
She looked toward the distant horizon.
Then—
one of the creatures moved.
Persephone turned.
The Abomination was staring toward Asteria.
Its body began trembling.
Persephone frowned.
"What is it?"
The creature growled.
Then another did the same.
Then another.
Soon—
every Abomination was facing the same direction.
Persephone looked toward Asteria.
She felt it.
The Earth.
A pulse.
Once.
Twice.
Then—
silence.
Persephone smiled.
"Again."
The Earth pulsed.
The Abominations dropped to their knees.
Persephone's expression changed.
She had never seen them react like this.
She whispered:
"It's waking."
Back in Asteria—
Brook suddenly collapsed.
Sera caught him.
"Brook!"
The entire city shook.
Windows rattled.
Stone cracked.
The ground moved beneath everyone's feet.
Tala immediately ran toward him.
"Don't fight it!"
Brook gritted his teeth.
"I can't—"
"Then stop!"
Brook closed his eyes.
The pain stopped.
The Earth became quiet.
Brook slowly opened his eyes.
The fourth mark remained.
Not fading.
Not burning.
Simply there.
Tala stared.
"It stabilized again."
Brook looked at her.
"For how long?"
She didn't answer.
Hutena walked toward them.
Her expression was pale.
Brook looked at her.
"What did you see?"
Hutena stared at him.
"The future."
"And?"
She hesitated.
Then whispered:
"It changed again."
Brook looked down at the fourth mark.
Hutena continued.
"And this time…"
She looked toward the horizon.
"I saw someone standing beside you."
Brook's expression hardened.
"Who?"
Hutena shook her head.
"I couldn't see their face."
"Anything else?"
"Yes."
"What?"
Hutena's voice became almost inaudible.
"They were holding a sword."
Brook stared.
The same sword.
The same unknown figure.
The same missing piece of the future.
Far away—
Persephone opened her eyes.
She looked toward Asteria.
And smiled.
She had finally realized something.
Silvet hadn't sent her there to kill Brook.
He had sent her there to find out what Brook was becoming.
And now—
she wanted to know too.
End of Chapter 199