Chapter 29 – The Names in the Book
Brook remained on Watchtower Seven long after Crowley had left.
The six lights he'd seen—or thought he'd seen—were gone.
The horizon was dark again.
For the first time in his life, the Wall didn't make him feel safe.
It made him feel trapped.
He looked down at the city.
Thousands of people were sleeping behind locked doors, unaware of what had happened beneath their feet.
Brook wondered how many of them would still sleep peacefully if they knew what was hidden beneath Shinokuni-01.
He picked up his father's notebook.
The worn leather cover felt strangely familiar in his hands.
He opened it again.
Most of the pages were filled with measurements, diagrams, strange symbols, and notes written in a language he couldn't understand.
But there was something he'd missed.
A small folded piece of paper had been tucked between two pages.
Brook carefully pulled it out.
It was old.
The edges had yellowed, and several sections had been damaged by water.
He unfolded it.
There was a single sentence.
If Brook ever finds this, do not let him go looking for us.
Brook's heart stopped.
He read it again.
Then again.
His father's handwriting.
There was no doubt.
Brook stared at the words for several seconds.
"Why would you write that?"
A second line appeared beneath it.
The people watching us are not the ones you should fear.
Brook's expression hardened.
"What people?"
There was nothing else.
He flipped the paper over.
Blank.
He checked the notebook.
Nothing.
He closed his eyes and exhaled.
"Of course."
He stood.
"Of course you leave me with questions."
A voice came from behind him.
"Your father was always good at that."
Brook spun around.
Crowley stood at the entrance to the tower.
Brook immediately reached for his sword.
Crowley raised both hands.
"Relax."
"You keep appearing out of nowhere."
"It's a useful skill."
Brook stared at him.
"Did you know about the note?"
Crowley looked at the paper.
His expression changed.
Only slightly.
But Brook noticed.
"You did."
Crowley walked closer.
"I knew your father left something."
"You knew?"
"I suspected."
Brook held the note out.
"Read it."
Crowley did.
His eyes moved across the words.
When he finished, he folded the paper and returned it.
"Keep this hidden."
Brook frowned.
"Why?"
"Because if someone else finds it, they'll know your father was expecting you to discover the truth."
"Who?"
Crowley looked toward the city.
"That's what we're trying to figure out."
Brook stepped closer.
"No."
Crowley looked at him.
"I'm tired of everyone telling me to wait."
"My parents disappeared five years ago."
"Seven Watchmen died outside the Wall."
"Something beneath this city is waking up."
"A stranger came through our gate looking for me."
"And everyone keeps telling me they don't know anything."
Brook's voice cracked slightly.
"I need answers."
Crowley studied him.
"I know."
"Then help me."
Crowley was quiet for a long time.
Finally, he nodded.
"Tomorrow."
Brook frowned.
"Tomorrow what?"
"We start looking."
The next morning, Brook found Sera waiting outside the western district.
She was carrying a small backpack and two wooden training staffs.
Brook looked at them.
"Why do you have those?"
"Because you said you wanted to investigate."
"I didn't say anything to you."
"You didn't have to."
Sera handed him one of the staffs.
"You're terrible at investigating."
"I'm great at investigating."
"You spent twenty minutes yesterday staring at a crack in the ground."
"It was an important crack."
"It was a hole."
Brook laughed.
Sera smiled.
Then her expression became serious.
"Did you sleep?"
"Not really."
"Nightmares?"
"Questions."
"Those are worse."
Brook looked toward the ruined western tower.
Royal Guards were still stationed around it.
Engineers had built a temporary fence around the entire area.
"We can't get inside."
Sera smiled.
"Who said anything about going inside?"
Brook stared at her.
"You have a plan."
"Maybe."
"You definitely have a plan."
She started walking.
Brook followed.
They didn't go toward the tower.
Instead, Sera led him through the older section of Shinokuni-01.
The streets became narrower.
The buildings were older.
Some were made from dark stone that looked completely different from the newer parts of the city.
Brook noticed markings carved into several walls.
"What's this?"
Sera stopped.
"Old witch symbols."
Brook examined one.
"You can read them?"
"Some."
She touched the carving.
"It's a protection symbol."
"Protection from what?"
Sera looked at him.
"That's the interesting part."
She pointed to another marking.
"This one means memory."
Another.
"That means concealment."
Another.
"That one means death."
Brook looked around.
"Why are these all over the oldest buildings?"
"I don't know."
"Shoyo?"
Sera nodded.
"She taught me some of them."
"Did you ask her about these?"
"Yes."
"And?"
Sera sighed.
"She told me to stop asking."
Brook laughed.
"That's becoming a pattern."
They continued walking.
Eventually, they reached a small abandoned building tucked between two older houses.
Sera pushed the door open.
Dust filled the air.
Brook looked around.
"What is this?"
"An old archive."
"How do you know?"
"My parents used to come here."
Brook stopped.
"You never told me that."
"I didn't think it mattered."
"It matters now."
Sera nodded.
"I know."
Inside were shelves filled with old papers and damaged books.
Brook began searching.
After nearly an hour, he found something.
A journal.
The cover had a familiar symbol.
The circle.
The twelve smaller circles.
And six marks beneath them.
Brook's heart began pounding.
"Sera."
She hurried over.
"What?"
He opened the journal.
The first pages contained writing in an old language.
Sera studied it.
"I can translate some of this."
Brook sat beside her.
"Read it."
She carefully worked through the first paragraph.
"This says…"
She paused.
"What?"
Sera looked confused.
"It says the Walls were created after something called the First Event."
Brook leaned closer.
"What's the First Event?"
"I don't know."
She continued.
"The text says the people who built the Walls were not kings."
Brook frowned.
"Then who were they?"
Sera turned the page.
The next section was almost completely destroyed.
Only fragments remained.
…six…
…Sources…
…human vessel…
Brook's eyes widened.
"Sources."
Sera looked at him.
"That's what the page says."
"What does it mean?"
"I don't know."
Brook turned another page.
Blank.
Another.
Blank.
Then a final sentence appeared near the bottom.
The vessel must never possess all six.
Brook slowly closed the journal.
"Why?"
Sera didn't answer.
Brook looked at her.
"Why can't someone possess all six?"
She shook her head.
"I don't know."
But something in her face suggested she was afraid of the answer.
Elsewhere in Shinokuni-01, Henry sat inside the Royal Archives with his father.
The ancient journal remained open on the table.
Henry pointed to the six symbols.
"You knew about these."
King Aldric didn't deny it.
"I knew they existed."
"Where?"
"Every king receives records concerning them."
"Why?"
"Because every king is responsible for making sure they are never found."
Henry stared at him.
"Found by whom?"
"Anyone."
"Why?"
The King looked at the symbols.
"Because power like that cannot be controlled."
Henry thought about Brook.
"What if someone already has access to them?"
His father looked at him sharply.
"Why would you say that?"
"Because Brook's hand has one of the symbols."
The King's expression changed.
"What?"
Henry immediately realized he'd said too much.
"You saw it?"
"Yes."
"How long ago?"
"Last night."
The King stood.
"Where is he?"
"I don't know."
"Find him."
Henry frowned.
"Father—"
"Now."
The urgency in his voice frightened Henry.
"Why?"
The King stared at him.
"Because if the symbol has appeared on Brook…"
He looked toward the old journal.
"…then the first Source may already be awake."
Brook and Sera returned to the Watchmen headquarters shortly before sunset.
They found Henry waiting outside.
He looked furious.
Brook raised an eyebrow.
"What's wrong?"
"Where were you?"
"Walking."
"With Sera?"
"Yes."
Henry looked between them.
"Did you find anything?"
Brook hesitated.
Sera answered.
"We found an old journal."
Henry's expression changed.
"What kind of journal?"
Brook lowered his voice.
"Come inside."
The three entered an empty training room.
Brook placed the journal on the table.
Henry opened it.
His eyes widened.
"Where did you find this?"
"An old archive."
Henry read the surviving pages.
When he reached the line about the six Sources, he stopped.
"Brook…"
"What?"
"You need to see this."
He pointed toward the bottom of the page.
Brook leaned closer.
A final note had been written beneath the warning.
The six Sources were never created to give power.
Brook stared at it.
"What were they created for?"
Henry read the final sentence.
His face went pale.
"They were created to remove the limits placed upon humanity."
Nobody spoke.
Sera slowly looked at Brook.
Brook felt the strange mark on his hand begin to burn.
He grabbed his wrist.
The symbol glowed faintly beneath his skin.
Then—
A whisper entered his mind.
Not loud.
Not threatening.
Almost gentle.
One has already chosen you.
Brook staggered backward.
Sera grabbed him.
"Brook!"
"I'm fine."
Henry stared at his hand.
"What did you hear?"
Brook looked at them both.
For the first time…
he didn't have an answer.
Far beneath Shinokuni-01, the ancient chamber remained sealed.
But the first symbol on the door was now completely illuminated.
And behind the stone…
something opened its eyes.