Chapter 59 – The Empty Village
The snow stopped before sunrise.
Brook was already awake.
He sat beneath the monastery's broken archway, watching the last flakes slide from the roof.
The village from the previous day was still on his mind.
Not the soldiers.
Not the battle.
The little girl.
He remembered her asking if he was an angel.
He remembered telling her no.
He wasn't sure why the question bothered him.
Maybe because, for the first time, he had used Michael's power without feeling like it belonged to someone else.
The light had listened to him.
But there was something else.
Something he couldn't explain.
He couldn't remember his mother's voice.
Not completely.
He remembered that she had spoken to him.
He remembered the warmth of her hand.
But the sound of her voice was gone.
Brook stared at the snow.
He closed his eyes.
Nothing.
He tried harder.
Still nothing.
His stomach tightened.
"Brook."
He opened his eyes.
Henry stood behind him.
"You've been sitting here for hours."
Brook looked away.
"Couldn't sleep."
Henry sat beside him.
"You're lying."
Brook smiled faintly.
"You're getting better at that."
Henry studied him.
"What happened?"
"Nothing."
"Brook."
Brook remained silent.
Henry didn't push.
Instead, he looked toward the mountains.
"You remember when we first met?"
Brook nodded.
"You hated me."
"I didn't hate you."
"You absolutely hated me."
"I didn't trust you."
"That's a nicer way to say it."
Brook laughed.
Henry smiled.
"You were always difficult."
"Still am."
"Yeah."
The smile faded from Henry's face.
"But you're different now."
Brook looked at him.
"How?"
Henry hesitated.
"You're quieter."
Brook looked toward the mountains.
"Maybe I'm just tired."
Henry nodded.
"Maybe."
He stood.
"Come inside."
Brook didn't move.
"Give me a minute."
Henry looked at him.
"Okay."
He walked away.
Brook watched him disappear through the doorway.
Then he whispered:
"I don't remember her voice."
He didn't know who he was talking to.
Inside the monastery, the group was preparing to leave.
Elias had spread the map across a table.
"We can't stay here."
Sera looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because those soldiers weren't the real problem."
Crowley nodded.
"They were searching for something."
Henry frowned.
"Brook?"
Elias shook his head.
"No."
Everyone looked at him.
"What makes you say that?" Sera asked.
Elias pointed toward the northern mountains.
"They were carrying maps."
Crowley leaned over the table.
"Show me."
Elias unfolded one.
There were several locations marked.
The monastery.
The abandoned settlement.
And a small village farther north.
Brook entered the room.
"What is that?"
Elias looked up.
"A village."
"What's there?"
"We don't know."
Crowley studied the map.
"The soldiers were heading there."
Henry frowned.
"Why?"
Crowley didn't answer.
Brook looked at him.
"You know."
Crowley looked back.
"I suspect."
Brook sighed.
"Of course."
Sera pointed toward the village.
"When do we leave?"
"Now," Crowley said.
Henry grabbed his coat.
"Good."
Brook looked at the refugees.
"And them?"
Elias answered.
"We can send them south with an escort."
Brook nodded.
"Then let's go."
They left shortly after.
The refugees watched them disappear into the snow.
The little girl Brook had saved stood at the front.
She called after him.
"Brook!"
He turned.
She ran toward him.
Her mother grabbed her before she could leave the group.
The girl waved.
Brook raised his hand.
He smiled.
Then they continued.
The journey north was different.
The air felt heavier.
The mountains seemed closer.
Even the snow looked strange.
There were no animal tracks.
No birds.
Nothing.
Sera noticed it too.
"This place is dead."
Henry looked around.
"Don't say things like that."
"I'm serious."
Brook stopped.
"What?"
Sera crouched.
She touched the snow.
"There's no natural magic here."
Brook frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"It means something has drained it."
Crowley looked ahead.
"Keep moving."
Sera stood.
"You're worried."
Crowley didn't respond.
Brook noticed.
Again.
Another secret.
He was beginning to hate secrets.
By midday, they reached the village.
Brook immediately knew something was wrong.
The village was intact.
Houses stood.
Doors were open.
Smoke rose from several chimneys.
A pot sat over a fire in one house.
Food was still on the table.
A child's wooden toy lay in the snow.
Henry picked it up.
"Where is everyone?"
Nobody answered.
They entered the first house.
Empty.
Second.
Empty.
Third.
Empty.
No bodies.
No blood.
No signs of fighting.
Just…
absence.
Brook walked into a small bedroom.
A bed was neatly made.
A small drawing sat on the table.
A family.
A house.
A sun.
Brook picked it up.
The date was written at the bottom.
Yesterday.
He frowned.
"They were here yesterday."
Elias nodded.
"Apparently."
Sera walked toward the window.
"Look."
Everyone gathered.
There were footprints outside.
Hundreds.
All leading toward the center of the village.
None came back.
Henry swallowed.
"That's not good."
Brook stepped outside.
The footprints continued.
He followed them.
They led toward a small stone building.
A bell tower.
Brook looked up.
There were six bells.
None were moving.
Crowley approached.
"Don't touch them."
Brook looked at him.
"Why?"
Crowley stared at the bells.
"Because they're not meant to ring."
A soft sound echoed through the village.
One bell moved.
Everyone froze.
Dong.
The sound rolled across the snow.
Sera's face changed.
"That wasn't the wind."
Another bell moved.
Dong.
Henry stepped backward.
"Something is coming."
The third bell moved.
Dong.
Brook's Archangel Source flickered.
Then the fourth.
Dong.
Crowley drew his sword.
"Everyone together."
The fifth bell moved.
Dong.
Brook looked toward the forest.
Shapes appeared between the trees.
People.
Dozens of them.
Walking slowly.
Henry raised his sword.
"Those are the villagers."
Brook stared.
They weren't dead.
They weren't injured.
They simply walked.
Their eyes were open.
But empty.
The sixth bell moved.
DONG.
Every villager stopped.
Then all of them looked toward Brook.
At the same time.
Brook's heart dropped.
One of the villagers whispered:
"Source."
Another:
"Vessel."
Another:
"Anomaly."
Soon, all of them were speaking.
"Source."
"Vessel."
"Anomaly."
"Source."
"Vessel."
Brook stepped backward.
"What the hell?"
Sera raised her hands.
"Don't attack."
The villagers began walking toward them.
Slowly.
Crowley stepped forward.
"Stay behind me."
Brook shook his head.
"They aren't attacking."
The nearest villager stopped.
An old man looked directly at Brook.
His eyes were completely white.
"Three."
Brook froze.
The man raised one finger.
"One."
Another.
"Two."
Then another.
"Three."
His voice changed.
"More."
Brook's skin crawled.
"Who are you?"
The old man's mouth opened.
A voice came out that wasn't his.
"Not yet."
Brook's blood ran cold.
Crowley immediately moved.
"Brook, back."
The villagers suddenly screamed.
Their bodies twisted.
Bones cracked.
Sera shouted:
"GET DOWN!"
The first villager lunged.
Brook raised his sword.
The impact threw him backward.
He rolled through the snow.
Henry attacked another.
His blade struck the creature's shoulder.
It didn't bleed.
Sera unleashed lightning.
The bolt struck three at once.
They screamed.
But they kept moving.
Brook stood.
"These aren't villagers."
Crowley nodded.
"No."
"They're being controlled."
"Yes."
Brook's eyes narrowed.
"By what?"
Crowley looked toward the bell tower.
"I don't know."
Brook sighed.
"You're really starting to annoy me."
Crowley almost smiled.
"Fight first."
The village erupted.
Henry fought three villagers at once.
Sera filled the street with fog.
Elias protected the rear.
Crowley moved through the center.
Brook teleported between his marks.
Flash.
Strike.
Flash.
Another mark.
Strike.
He wasn't teleporting far.
But he was fast.
The villagers couldn't predict him.
One attacked.
Brook disappeared.
The creature struck empty air.
Brook appeared behind it.
His sword slammed into its back.
The creature fell.
Then rose again.
Brook stared.
"Seriously?"
It attacked.
Brook blocked.
The impact drove him into a wall.
His shoulder screamed.
The creature raised its weapon.
Brook placed his hand against the wall.
A white mark appeared.
He vanished.
He reappeared behind the creature.
His sword flashed.
The creature's body split open.
Instead of blood…
black smoke poured out.
The creature collapsed.
Brook stared.
"What was that?"
Sera shouted from across the street:
"Do it again!"
Brook looked at her.
"Do what?"
"Whatever you just did!"
Another creature attacked her.
Brook marked the ground.
Flash.
He appeared beside her.
He struck the creature.
White energy spread through its body.
The black smoke erupted.
Sera stared.
"That's purification."
Brook looked at his hand.
"I didn't know I could do that."
The creature collapsed.
Sera looked at him.
"You did now."
Crowley was fighting the strongest of them.
The old man.
It moved faster than the others.
Crowley blocked a strike.
The old man attacked again.
Crowley was forced backward.
Brook saw it.
"Crowley!"
He teleported.
Flash.
Brook appeared beside him.
The old man stopped.
It looked at Brook.
Its mouth opened.
"Michael."
Brook froze.
The creature smiled.
"You carry him."
Brook's expression hardened.
"You know Michael?"
The creature's head twisted unnaturally.
"He knows you."
Brook stepped forward.
"Then tell me what he knows."
The creature laughed.
"Ask him."
Brook's eyes narrowed.
"I did."
The creature smiled.
"He lied."
Brook froze.
Crowley grabbed him.
"Don't listen."
Brook looked at him.
"What if he's right?"
Crowley stared.
"He's trying to get inside your head."
Brook looked back at the creature.
"Then let him."
Crowley frowned.
Brook stepped forward.
The Archangel Source surged.
White energy wrapped around his sword.
The creature charged.
Brook met it.
Their weapons collided.
The impact shattered windows throughout the village.
Brook was pushed backward.
He teleported.
Flash.
He appeared above the creature.
His sword struck.
The creature blocked.
Brook teleported again.
Behind.
Strike.
Again.
Side.
Strike.
Again.
Above.
Strike.
The creature finally staggered.
Brook landed.
His breathing was heavy.
The white energy around his sword flickered.
The creature stared at him.
Then smiled.
"You are becoming him."
Brook froze.
"What?"
The creature whispered:
"That is what they fear."
Brook's anger surged.
The Archangel Source exploded.
The creature was thrown through a building.
Brook stood frozen.
His hands trembled.
Michael's voice echoed inside his mind.
Do not let anger decide for you.
Brook closed his eyes.
He breathed.
Once.
Twice.
The light around him calmed.
He opened his eyes.
Then walked toward the ruined building.
The old man was gone.
Only black smoke remained.
Crowley approached.
"Brook."
Brook looked at him.
"He said Michael is afraid of me."
Crowley didn't answer.
Brook stared.
"Is he?"
Crowley looked away.
Brook's voice became colder.
"Tell me."
"I don't know."
Brook laughed bitterly.
"Of course."
The village was silent again.
The remaining villagers had collapsed.
The black smoke was gone.
Sera examined one of them.
"They're alive."
Henry sighed with relief.
"Good."
Brook stood beside the bell tower.
He looked at the six bells.
None moved anymore.
He touched the first.
Nothing.
Then he touched the second.
A faint black mark appeared.
Brook immediately pulled his hand away.
"What?"
Crowley saw it.
"Don't touch that."
Brook stared.
"Why?"
Crowley stepped closer.
"Because that isn't Michael."
Brook looked at the mark.
The second Source.
Lucifer.
It had reacted.
Brook's face tightened.
He could feel something.
A presence.
A distant laugh.
Not Michael.
Someone else.
Then a voice whispered inside his mind.
Finally.
Brook froze.
The voice laughed softly.
I was wondering when you'd notice me.
Brook looked around.
Nobody had spoken.
Crowley noticed his expression.
"What is it?"
Brook looked at the bell.
Then at his team.
"Nothing."
He closed his fist.
The black mark disappeared.
For now.
That night, Xcution camped outside the village.
Nobody slept comfortably.
Brook sat apart from the others.
He looked at the fire.
He tried to remember his mother's voice again.
Nothing.
A blank space.
His chest tightened.
Then Michael appeared inside his mind.
Brook didn't even realize he had entered the trance.
Michael stood in the white world.
Brook looked at him.
"You lied to me."
Michael's expression didn't change.
"About what?"
"The creature said you're afraid of me."
Michael stared at him.
Then said:
"No."
Brook waited.
Michael continued.
"I am not afraid of you."
Brook exhaled.
"Then what are you afraid of?"
Michael's eyes shifted.
For the first time…
Brook saw something in them.
Concern.
Michael looked toward the darkness behind Brook.
"Not you."
Brook turned.
Nothing.
Michael said quietly:
"What's inside you."
Brook's heart stopped.
"What does that mean?"
Michael looked at him.
"The seals are beginning to weaken."
Brook stared.
"Because of me?"
Michael didn't answer.
Brook stepped forward.
"Michael."
The archangel looked at him.
"You have three Sources."
Brook nodded.
"Yes."
"Then understand this."
Michael's voice became serious.
"Every time you force one of us awake…"
He paused.
"…you weaken the others."
Brook stared.
"What happens when all the seals break?"
Michael looked at him.
"I don't know."
Brook's expression changed.
"You don't know?"
Michael shook his head.
"No one does."
The white world began fading.
Brook shouted:
"Wait!"
Michael looked back.
Brook asked the question that had been sitting inside him since the monastery.
"Am I still human?"
Michael was silent.
For several seconds.
Then:
"That is the question you should be asking."
The world disappeared.
Brook opened his eyes beside the fire.
Everyone was asleep.
He looked at his hands.
White light appeared.
Then black.
Then a faint, almost invisible darkness.
Three Sources.
Three voices.
Three pieces of something that should never have existed inside one human being.
Brook closed his fists.
He whispered:
"I'm still me."
But somewhere deep inside him…
something laughed.
And it wasn't Michael.
End of Chapter 59