Chapter 157 — What Remains
Henry ran until his lungs burned.
The bridge disappeared behind him.
The roar followed.
Not constantly.
That would have been easier.
Instead, the underground world became quiet.
Every few seconds, something moved somewhere behind him.
A scrape.
A breath.
Stone shifting beneath enormous weight.
Henry didn't look back.
Brook had told him to run.
The problem was—
Henry no longer knew if Brook was the one who had said it.
"Don't stop," Henry whispered.
The Ectoplasm beneath his skin pulsed.
His arm felt hot.
He stumbled.
The passage ahead opened into darkness.
Henry slowed.
There were three tunnels.
He stared at them.
"No."
The roar came again.
Closer.
Henry chose the middle.
Brook reappeared in the middle of an empty chamber.
Azael came with him.
Brook's hand was still around his throat.
The instant they appeared—
Brook slammed him into the ground.
The stone cratered.
Azael coughed blood.
Brook disappeared.
Azael rolled.
Brook appeared above him.
Azael struck upward.
Brook vanished.
Azael stood.
Brook appeared behind him.
His knee drove into Azael's spine.
Azael screamed.
Brook disappeared.
Azael turned.
Brook appeared.
Punch.
Teleport.
Punch.
Teleport.
Azael couldn't find him.
Brook wasn't fighting the way he had before.
There was no pattern.
No rhythm.
His Devil's Instincts moved him before thought.
His body reacted before decision.
Death showed him the movement of Azael's lifeline.
Brook used it.
But not consciously.
Brook saw everything.
And understood nothing.
Azael attacked.
Brook disappeared.
Brook appeared.
Azael's head snapped sideways.
Brook vanished.
Azael turned.
Brook's foot struck his knee.
Bone broke.
Azael fell.
Brook stood over him.
His breathing was calm.
Too calm.
Azael looked up.
Blood filled his mouth.
"You're gone."
Brook stared.
"Who?"
Azael smiled.
"There you are."
Brook tilted his head.
Inside him—
Michael's voice returned.
Brook.
Brook didn't answer.
BROOK.
Azael pushed himself backward.
Brook stepped toward him.
Lucifer spoke.
For the first time, there was no amusement in his voice.
You need to wake up.
Brook stopped.
His head turned slightly.
"Wake up?"
Azael stared.
Brook's eyes weren't focused on him anymore.
Azael slowly stood.
"You're talking to them."
Brook looked at him.
"Who?"
Azael's expression changed.
Michael went silent.
Lucifer went silent.
Death remained.
Brook felt the lifelines again.
Azael.
Henry.
Creatures.
Far below.
The underground world.
Then—
nothing.
That emptiness was moving.
Brook stared into the darkness.
Azael saw it.
"You feel it."
Brook ignored him.
Azael took a step back.
Brook appeared directly in front of him.
Azael froze.
Brook grabbed him.
Azael attacked.
Brook's body moved.
Devil's Instincts.
Azael's fist missed.
Brook's head snapped toward the movement before it happened.
His hand caught Azael's wrist.
Brook twisted.
Bone cracked.
Azael screamed.
Brook disappeared.
Azael was pulled with him.
They appeared beneath a broken ceiling.
Azael's body struck the ground.
Brook was already standing.
Azael looked up.
Brook disappeared.
Azael rolled.
Brook appeared.
Azael blocked.
Brook vanished.
Again.
Again.
The attacks became impossible.
Azael finally stopped trying to fight back.
He covered his head.
Brook appeared behind him.
Azael spun.
Brook was gone.
Azael's breathing became uneven.
"Brook."
Nothing.
"Brook!"
Brook appeared in front of him.
Azael raised his hands.
"Enough."
Brook stopped.
Azael's face changed.
Brook had never heard the word.
Azael slowly lowered his hands.
"You won."
Brook stared.
Azael smiled weakly.
"So why are you still fighting?"
Brook didn't answer.
Azael looked directly into his eyes.
"Because you don't know how to stop."
Brook's hand slowly rose.
Michael's voice came again.
Stop.
Brook's fingers stopped.
Azael watched him.
Lucifer spoke.
Quietly.
Listen.
Brook's hand trembled.
Death showed him his lifeline.
Brook looked down.
The crack was wider now.
Azael saw his hesitation.
He smiled.
"That's right."
Brook's eyes narrowed.
Azael whispered:
"You're afraid."
Brook disappeared.
Azael blinked.
Brook appeared behind him.
Azael's body slammed into the wall.
Brook's fist struck him.
Once.
Azael tried to defend.
Twice.
Three times.
Blood covered the stone.
Brook grabbed his throat.
Azael struggled.
Brook lifted him.
Azael kicked.
Brook didn't move.
His Devil's Instincts were silent.
He didn't need them.
Azael was no longer fighting.
Brook's hand tightened.
Azael gasped.
Michael shouted:
BROOK!
Brook froze.
Lucifer spoke.
This is not strength.
Brook's fingers tightened.
Azael smiled.
Even while choking.
Brook stared at him.
Something moved behind his eyes.
A memory.
Sera.
Azael standing over her.
Brook wasn't there.
The anger returned.
Brook's hand tightened.
Then—
Henry screamed.
"BROOK!"
The sound came from far away.
Brook stopped.
Azael fell.
Brook slowly turned toward the darkness.
Henry's lifeline.
Brook saw it.
The empty thing was moving toward him.
Fast.
Brook disappeared.
Henry ran.
The Ectoplasm covered half his arm now.
Black fluid crawled over his fingers.
He tried shaking it off.
"Not now."
The roar answered.
Henry turned.
Something moved between the stone pillars.
He saw nothing.
Then a pillar snapped.
Henry ran again.
A black shape passed beside him.
Henry fell.
The Ectoplasm exploded from his arm.
It formed a wall.
Something struck it.
Henry screamed.
The entire tunnel shook.
The Ectoplasm screamed too.
Not with a voice.
With memory.
Thousands of memories.
Pain.
Fear.
Elias.
Henry grabbed his head.
"No!"
The black wall cracked.
Something hit it again.
Henry looked through the cracks.
A shape.
Too large.
Too thin.
The Morkr.
Henry had never seen it clearly before.
But Brook had felt it.
Silvet's hunter.
Henry backed away.
The Ectoplasm pulled itself tighter around him.
The Morkr stepped closer.
Henry raised his weapon.
A laugh echoed behind him.
"Really?"
Henry turned.
Brook stood at the end of the tunnel.
Henry's face filled with relief.
"Brook!"
Brook didn't move.
Henry ran toward him.
Then stopped.
Brook's head was lowered.
Blood dripped from his hands.
His broken arm hung strangely.
Henry slowly stepped back.
"Brook?"
Brook lifted his head.
Henry froze.
Brook's eyes were wrong.
Not empty.
Focused.
Too focused.
The Morkr moved behind Henry.
Brook looked at it.
Henry followed his gaze.
"Brook."
Brook disappeared.
The Morkr moved.
Brook appeared above it.
His fist struck.
The creature's body hit the wall.
Brook disappeared.
The Morkr recovered.
Brook appeared behind it.
Strike.
The creature turned.
Brook vanished.
Henry watched.
Brook was fighting the Morkr now.
Not Azael.
And Brook was faster.
The Devil's Instincts moved perfectly.
Death showed every movement.
Brook teleported.
Struck.
Teleported.
Countered.
The Morkr couldn't touch him.
Henry wanted to be relieved.
He couldn't.
Brook wasn't protecting him.
Not exactly.
Brook was hunting.
The Morkr roared.
Brook disappeared.
It spun.
Brook appeared in front of Henry.
Henry froze.
Brook's hand raised.
Henry stared.
"Brook."
Brook's Devil's Instincts had reacted.
Henry hadn't moved.
Brook's hand slowly lowered.
For one second—
Brook looked confused.
Henry stepped closer.
"It's me."
Brook stared.
Behind them—
the Morkr attacked.
Brook disappeared.
Henry turned.
Brook appeared behind the creature.
His hand went through its body.
The Morkr screamed.
Black fluid spread across Brook's arm.
Brook stared at it.
Then—
the Morkr laughed.
Brook froze.
The voice wasn't the creature's.
It came from somewhere else.
Far away.
Silvet.
"Good."
Brook looked into the darkness.
Henry went cold.
Brook's body trembled.
The Morkr pulled away.
Brook grabbed it.
They disappeared.
Henry screamed:
"BROOK!"
Nothing.
The underground world went silent.
Then—
Michael spoke.
Not to Brook.
To Henry.
For the first time.
Run.
Henry froze.
Lucifer whispered:
For once, listen to him.
Henry didn't understand.
He didn't wait.
He ran.
And somewhere in the darkness—
Brook continued hunting.
End of Chapter 157