Chapter 50 – The Thing Beneath
The first scream came from underground.
Brook woke instantly.
He didn't know what had woken him.
For a moment, the fortress was silent.
Then—
BOOM.
The entire floor shook.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Henry rolled out of his bed.
"What the hell was that?"
Another impact.
This one was closer.
Sera was already on her feet.
"Everyone up."
Elias grabbed his weapon.
Crowley emerged from the corridor.
His expression was different.
"Get outside."
Brook looked at him.
"What happened?"
"Now."
The floor cracked.
A violent tremor threw everyone against the walls.
Brook caught himself against a pillar.
Something moved beneath them.
Something enormous.
A deep growl rolled through the fortress.
Henry stared at the floor.
"That's not an Abomination."
Crowley shook his head.
"No."
The stone beneath them exploded.
Everyone scattered.
A massive black limb tore through the floor.
It smashed into the ceiling, sending chunks of stone crashing down.
Sera raised both hands.
"Move!"
A wave of magic pushed the falling debris away from Henry and Elias.
Brook jumped through the opening.
He landed on the lower floor.
Crowley landed beside him.
The others were separated above.
Brook looked around.
"Crowley."
"I know."
The chamber beneath the fortress was enormous.
Ancient.
The walls were covered in symbols.
And in the center…
something was waking up.
At first Brook thought it was a statue.
Then it breathed.
The sound was deep enough to shake dust from the walls.
Crowley drew his sword.
"Don't let it reach the upper levels."
Brook looked at the creature.
"What is it?"
"I don't know."
"You sure?"
"Yes."
Brook glanced at him.
"That's new."
Crowley ignored him.
The creature slowly rose.
Its body was covered in dark, stone-like plates.
Four enormous arms stretched from its torso.
Its head was long and narrow, with no visible eyes.
A vertical opening appeared across its face.
A mouth.
Brook tightened his grip.
The creature smelled like wet earth and blood.
Then it spoke.
Not with words.
With a sound that made Brook's bones vibrate.
His three Sources reacted immediately.
Blue light flashed beneath his skin.
Dark energy followed.
The third mark burned.
Brook staggered.
Crowley grabbed his shoulder.
"Control it."
"I'm trying."
The creature suddenly moved.
Brook barely blocked the first strike.
The impact launched him across the chamber.
He crashed through a stone pillar.
Crowley attacked from the side.
His sword struck the creature's shoulder.
The blade bounced off.
Crowley stepped back.
"Hard."
Brook climbed out of the rubble.
"Very helpful."
The creature turned toward Crowley.
One massive arm swung.
Crowley ducked.
The fist destroyed the wall behind him.
Crowley rolled away and came up on one knee.
Brook charged.
Blue energy surrounded his sword.
He struck the creature's back.
This time, the blade penetrated.
The creature screamed.
Black blood poured across the stone.
Brook pulled the sword free.
The wound began closing.
Brook stared.
"It heals."
Crowley nodded.
"Then keep cutting."
The creature attacked again.
Brook blocked.
The force drove him backward.
Crowley struck from behind.
The creature spun.
Its other arm caught Crowley across the chest.
Crowley flew.
He crashed into a wall hard enough to crack the stone.
Brook's eyes widened.
"Crowley!"
Crowley pushed himself up.
Blood ran from his mouth.
"I'm fine."
Brook almost laughed.
"You always say that."
The creature charged.
Brook stepped in front of Crowley.
The first Source surged through his body.
His movements changed.
He became faster.
Cleaner.
More controlled.
The creature swung.
Brook slipped beneath the attack.
He struck its knee.
Then its ribs.
Then its throat.
Three hits.
Three bursts of blue energy.
The creature stumbled.
Brook jumped.
He brought his sword down.
The blade tore through its shoulder.
The creature roared.
Brook landed.
For a second, he smiled.
Then the creature grabbed his arm.
Brook froze.
Its grip tightened.
Bone cracked.
Brook grunted.
The creature lifted him from the ground.
Crowley moved.
"Let him go."
The creature threw Brook across the chamber.
He hit the floor and rolled.
His sword skidded away.
Crowley attacked.
His sword flashed repeatedly.
The creature blocked two strikes.
Crowley changed direction.
His third strike cut deep across its chest.
The creature staggered.
Crowley drove his blade into its side.
The creature roared.
Crowley twisted the sword.
"You're not taking him."
The creature's hand closed around Crowley's throat.
Crowley's eyes widened.
The creature lifted him.
Brook saw it.
Something inside him snapped.
Not anger.
Something colder.
Brook stood.
The third Source pulsed.
The chamber became silent.
The creature stopped.
Brook looked at it.
For one strange second, he could hear something.
Not the creature.
Something behind it.
Whispers.
Hundreds of them.
Names.
Dead names.
Brook's eyes darkened.
The creature turned toward him.
Brook raised his hand.
The air around the creature changed.
Crowley's eyes widened.
"Brook."
Brook didn't hear him.
The third Source spread through his arm.
The creature suddenly released Crowley.
It stepped backward.
For the first time…
it looked afraid.
Brook walked toward it.
"You know me."
The creature lowered its head.
Brook stopped.
"Why?"
The creature opened its mouth.
A voice came out.
This time, it was human.
Broken.
Distorted.
But understandable.
"Because…"
It stared at Brook.
"…you were made from us."
Brook froze.
Crowley went completely still.
The creature continued.
"Pieces of…"
Its body began shaking.
"…angels."
Brook's breathing stopped.
"Demons."
The creature's skin began cracking.
"Witches."
Brook stared.
"Things that died."
The chamber trembled.
"And something…"
The creature's voice became almost a whisper.
"…that was never meant to live."
Brook stepped backward.
"What am I?"
The creature screamed.
The entire fortress shook.
The upper floor began collapsing.
Henry's voice echoed from above.
"Brook!"
Sera shouted:
"GET OUT!"
Brook looked toward the ceiling.
Stone began falling.
Crowley grabbed him.
"Move!"
They ran.
The creature charged behind them.
Brook looked back.
It was following.
Crowley pushed him forward.
"Faster!"
They reached the stairs.
A massive limb slammed into the wall beside them.
The entire staircase collapsed.
Brook and Crowley jumped.
They landed on the upper floor.
Henry grabbed Brook.
"Are you hurt?"
Brook shook him off.
"What happened?"
"We heard the whole building moving."
Sera looked toward the opening.
"What's down there?"
Brook looked at Crowley.
Crowley didn't answer.
That was enough.
Henry stared.
"What?"
Brook finally spoke.
"Something knows what I am."
Silence.
Then—
BOOM.
The floor exploded.
The creature burst through.
Everyone scattered.
Henry attacked first.
His sword struck its arm.
Sera released a blast of lightning.
The creature barely reacted.
Elias fired two arrows.
One hit its neck.
The other bounced away.
Brook and Crowley attacked together.
For the first time, they moved as a pair.
Brook struck high.
Crowley struck low.
The creature blocked Brook.
Crowley cut its leg.
It stumbled.
Brook released the first Source.
Blue energy exploded across its chest.
Crowley followed with another strike.
The creature screamed.
Henry joined them.
Sera's lightning struck from above.
For a moment…
the creature was overwhelmed.
Then its body changed.
The stone-like plates cracked open.
Something beneath them began glowing.
Green.
Bright.
Almost alive.
Crowley stopped.
"No."
Brook looked at him.
"What?"
Crowley's expression had changed.
He knew what was happening.
"Everyone back."
Henry frowned.
"Why?"
"NOW."
The creature slammed both hands into the ground.
The entire fortress shook.
Roots exploded through the floor.
Walls cracked.
Stone lifted into the air.
The green light spread across the chamber.
Sera was thrown backward.
Henry grabbed Elias.
Brook lost his footing.
Crowley reached for him.
Their hands connected.
Then the ground disappeared.
Brook and Crowley fell into darkness.
Henry screamed:
"BROOK!"
Sera ran toward the hole.
Too late.
The floor collapsed between them.
Brook and Crowley disappeared beneath the fortress.
The creature followed.
The last thing Brook heard before the darkness swallowed him was Crowley's voice.
"Don't use the third Source!"
Then everything went black.
End of Chapter 50