Chapter 74 — The Second Face
The headquarters was silent.
Too silent.
Brook stood near the window, staring into the city while the others prepared their equipment.
Nobody joked.
Nobody argued.
The events beneath the abandoned building had changed the atmosphere completely.
Elias was missing.
Asmodaos had appeared.
And somewhere beneath Shinokuni-01 was a facility containing photographs of Brook and Elias from before either of them could remember.
Brook couldn't stop thinking about one thing.
B-00.
He looked down at his hand.
Three Sources.
Three voices.
Three different pressures inside him.
Yet none of them had given him an answer.
Michael had only told him to control himself.
Death remained silent.
And Lucifer…
Brook didn't even want to think about Lucifer.
"Ready?"
Brook looked over.
Henry stood by the door.
"Yeah."
Crowley approached.
"We're going back to the facility."
Brook nodded.
Sera adjusted her equipment.
"Do we know what we're looking for?"
Crowley shook his head.
"No."
Kael sighed.
"Of course."
Crowley looked at him.
"But this time we're not going in blind."
He placed a map on the table.
"We found another entrance."
Brook studied it.
"Where?"
"Under the eastern district."
Henry frowned.
"That's closer to the palace."
Crowley nodded.
"Exactly."
Brook looked up.
"Then Aldric needs to know."
"I already sent word."
The palace received Crowley's message less than ten minutes later.
King Aldric stood over the map with two royal guards nearby.
His expression darkened.
"The old facility."
One guard nodded.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Aldric looked toward the eastern district.
"I ordered that area sealed years ago."
"Apparently someone reopened it."
Aldric's jaw tightened.
"Find out who."
The guard hesitated.
"Should we inform Prince Henry?"
Aldric nodded.
"He's already involved."
Then he paused.
"And Brook?"
"Yes?"
Aldric looked toward the underground map.
"Do not let him enter alone."
The guard nodded.
Aldric remained staring at the map after they left.
Something about the facility disturbed him.
Not because of what it contained.
Because of what it meant.
If B-00 had survived…
then perhaps the records concerning B-01 had been wrong too.
And if they were wrong about Brook—
Aldric didn't want to imagine what else had been wrong.
The new entrance was hidden beneath an abandoned storage building.
Crowley broke the lock.
The door opened.
A staircase descended.
Brook looked down.
"Same feeling."
Henry glanced at him.
"What feeling?"
"Something's watching."
Crowley drew his weapon.
"Then let's give it something to watch."
They descended.
The stairs seemed endless.
Eventually, the stone gave way to metal.
The walls became white.
Brook slowed.
He remembered the photograph.
The chair.
The restraints.
The white lights.
He touched the wall.
A flash.
A baby crying.
A woman screaming.
A door closing.
Brook pulled his hand away.
Henry caught him.
"Brook."
"I'm fine."
Henry looked at him.
"You keep saying that."
Brook gave him a tired smile.
"Maybe one day it'll be true."
They reached a corridor.
Several doors were marked with numbers.
B-03.
B-04.
B-05.
B-06.
All sealed.
Sera looked at them.
"There were more."
Crowley nodded.
"Apparently."
Kael walked toward B-06.
"Should we open one?"
"No."
Everyone looked at Crowley.
He pointed toward the floor.
"There are fresh footprints."
Brook crouched.
He recognized them.
"Elias."
Henry's expression hardened.
"Again?"
Brook nodded.
"He came through here."
They followed the footprints.
Eventually, they reached a large chamber.
The room was empty except for a table.
On the table was a single object.
A journal.
Brook approached.
He opened it.
The first page contained only one sentence.
B-00 was not a failure.
Brook froze.
Henry looked over his shoulder.
"What?"
Brook turned the page.
B-00 was abandoned because the subject developed independent thought.
Sera's expression changed.
"Independent thought?"
Brook kept reading.
The subject began questioning orders.
Another page.
The subject formed emotional attachments.
Another.
The subject refused to obey.
Brook stopped.
He slowly looked at Henry.
Henry understood.
"That's why they erased him."
Brook nodded.
Maybe.
He continued.
The next page was damaged.
Only fragments remained.
B-00 escaped containment.
B-01 was activated shortly afterward.
Brook's heart tightened.
"Activated?"
Crowley stepped closer.
"Keep reading."
Brook turned the page.
Nothing.
The next page had been ripped out.
Brook frowned.
"Someone removed it."
Sera looked around.
"Recently."
"How do you know?"
"Fresh tear."
Brook stared at the missing page.
Someone had been here.
Someone knew exactly what they were looking for.
Then he heard footsteps.
Everyone turned.
A figure stood at the end of the corridor.
Elias.
Brook immediately raised his weapon.
"Elias."
Elias stopped.
His eyes moved across the group.
Then toward the journal.
"You found it."
Henry stepped forward.
"You knew it was here?"
Elias didn't answer.
Crowley raised his sword.
"Where have you been?"
"Finding answers."
"You disappeared."
"I needed to."
Brook looked at him.
"You could've told us."
Elias smiled faintly.
"Would you have let me go?"
Brook didn't answer.
"No."
Elias nodded.
"Exactly."
Kael looked confused.
"Why are you acting like we're enemies?"
Elias looked at him.
"We aren't."
"Then explain."
Elias's expression softened.
"I can't."
Kael shook his head.
"That's becoming your favorite answer."
Elias almost smiled.
Then Brook noticed something.
A small black mark around Elias's wrist.
The same symbol as the emblem.
Brook's eyes narrowed.
"What's that?"
Elias immediately covered it.
"Nothing."
Brook stared.
"Show me."
"No."
The room became silent.
It was the first time Elias had directly refused him.
Brook stepped forward.
"Elias."
Elias's expression changed.
"I'm sorry."
Brook stopped.
"For what?"
Elias didn't answer.
Instead, he stepped backward.
A strange sound echoed through the facility.
Metal doors began locking.
One after another.
Crowley turned.
"Move!"
The exits slammed shut.
Sera raised her hands.
"We're trapped."
Elias looked toward the ceiling.
Brook stared at him.
"You knew."
Elias's eyes met his.
For one second…
Brook saw something behind them.
Not fear.
Not guilt.
Determination.
Then Elias whispered:
"Run."
The lights went red.
A siren began screaming.
And the walls opened.
Dozens of armored creatures stepped into the corridor.
Henry drew his sword.
"You brought us into another trap."
Elias looked at him.
"No."
Brook stared.
Elias continued:
"I brought you here because I knew they would come."
Crowley looked at him.
"Who?"
The creatures charged.
The battle exploded.
Brook teleported between the creatures.
Flash.
Strike.
Flash.
Strike.
He moved faster than before.
Not reckless.
Controlled.
Michael's power remained beneath the surface, guiding his instincts.
Henry fought beside him.
Sera unleashed wave after wave of energy.
Kael moved through the gaps.
Crowley tore through the creatures with frightening efficiency.
Elias fought too.
And Brook noticed something.
Elias wasn't fighting like someone trapped in the same situation.
He knew where every creature would attack.
He knew where the walls would open.
He knew which doors were safe.
Brook's eyes narrowed.
"Elias!"
Elias turned.
Brook blocked an attack.
"You know this place!"
Elias didn't answer.
Brook struck another creature.
"How?"
Elias finally shouted:
"Because I've been here before!"
Brook froze.
A creature nearly struck him.
Henry knocked it away.
"Brook!"
Brook recovered.
He stared at Elias.
"You remember."
Elias looked at him.
"Some of it."
"How much?"
Elias's expression became unreadable.
"Enough."
Then a massive explosion rocked the facility.
The floor cracked.
Everyone staggered.
A deep voice echoed through the corridor.
"B-00."
Elias froze.
The creatures stopped.
Brook felt all three Sources react.
Michael.
Lucifer.
Death.
The voice continued.
"Return."
Elias closed his eyes.
Brook watched him.
"Elias?"
Elias opened his eyes.
For the first time…
he looked terrified.
Not of the creatures.
Not of Asmodaos.
Of the voice.
The floor beneath them split apart.
Elias grabbed Kael.
"Move!"
Brook reached for Henry.
The entire chamber collapsed.
Brook fell.
Darkness swallowed him.
He reached for a mark.
Nothing.
He tried again.
Nothing.
The connection was gone.
He heard Henry shouting somewhere above him.
Then Sera.
Then Crowley.
Brook hit the ground hard.
He rolled onto his back.
Silence.
He slowly stood.
A faint red light illuminated the chamber.
Brook looked around.
He was alone.
Then footsteps echoed behind him.
Brook turned.
A figure stepped from the darkness.
Not Elias.
Not Asmodaos.
Not human.
Brook's hand moved toward his sword.
The figure stopped several feet away.
"You've finally come."
Brook narrowed his eyes.
"Who are you?"
The figure smiled.
"You really don't remember."
Brook's breathing slowed.
The figure lifted its hand.
A faint white symbol appeared.
Michael's symbol.
Brook froze.
Then the figure said:
"Your first memory was not your birth."
Brook stared.
"Then what was it?"
The figure smiled.
"Your first death."
The chamber went silent.
And Brook realized the thing standing before him wasn't trying to kill him.
It was waiting for him to remember.