Chapter 86 — The Road Beneath the Road
The next morning, nobody moved.
Not because they were tired.
Because nobody knew what the next move should be.
Brook stood over the map.
Elias's last known locations had been marked in black.
The eastern settlement.
The abandoned cabin.
The old bridge.
The facility.
A pattern was beginning to form.
Henry stood beside him.
"You see something?"
Brook nodded.
"Maybe."
Crowley looked over.
"Show me."
Brook pointed.
"Elias wasn't moving randomly."
Crowley studied the map.
"No."
"He keeps circling the eastern side of Shinokuni-01."
Kael leaned over the table.
"Why?"
Brook traced the locations with his finger.
"Because there's something here."
He stopped at a large section of forest.
Henry frowned.
"There's nothing there."
"Exactly."
Crowley looked at him.
Brook continued:
"Everywhere Elias has been, there's something underneath."
Crowley's expression changed.
"Underground."
Brook nodded.
They left before noon.
This time, they didn't bring the rescued civilians.
Only Xcution.
Brook.
Henry.
Kael.
Sera.
Crowley.
They followed the trail into the forest.
No Knights appeared.
No traps.
No attacks.
That worried Brook more than anything.
Kael walked beside him.
"Too quiet."
Brook nodded.
"Very."
Henry looked around.
"You think Elias knows we're coming?"
"Probably."
Kael sighed.
"That's comforting."
Brook smiled.
"You're getting better at this."
"At what?"
"Being miserable."
Kael laughed.
"Thanks."
For a moment, things felt normal.
Then Crowley stopped.
Everyone froze.
"What?"
Crowley crouched.
He touched the dirt.
"Someone was here."
Brook looked around.
"How long?"
"Hours."
Henry pointed.
"There."
A footprint.
Then another.
They followed them deeper into the forest.
Eventually, they reached a massive stone formation.
Nothing special.
Just rocks.
But Brook felt something.
A pressure.
Michael stirred.
Lucifer became silent.
Even Death looked toward the rocks.
Brook stopped.
"There's something here."
Crowley looked at him.
"How certain?"
"Very."
Kael examined the formation.
"There's no entrance."
Brook walked around it.
Then he saw something.
A small carving.
The same mark from the old facility.
B-00.
Brook touched it.
The stone moved.
A hidden passage opened beneath them.
Henry stared.
"Well."
Kael smiled.
"That's definitely not suspicious."
The staircase descended deep beneath the forest.
They walked for several minutes.
The walls became smoother.
Older.
The markings changed.
No longer B-00.
No longer B-01.
These were different symbols.
Crowley stopped at one.
Brook noticed.
"You know that."
Crowley shook his head.
"No."
Brook raised an eyebrow.
"You looked like you did."
Crowley continued walking.
"Keep moving."
Brook sighed.
"Everyone in this group is terrible at answering questions."
Lucifer's voice appeared inside his mind.
I answer questions.
Brook almost smiled.
"You give me more questions."
That's more interesting.
Michael appeared.
Focus.
Lucifer laughed.
You really are no fun.
Michael looked at Brook.
He's getting stronger.
Brook smiled.
"Thanks."
Lucifer crossed his arms.
I said that first.
Brook laughed quietly.
Henry looked over.
"What?"
"Nothing."
They reached a massive underground chamber.
The floor was covered with circular markings.
In the center stood a stone platform.
On it—
a single chair.
Brook stared.
"That's…"
Henry looked at him.
"What?"
Brook couldn't explain it.
The chair felt familiar.
Not because he'd seen it.
Because something inside him remembered it.
He stepped forward.
Michael suddenly appeared in his mind.
His expression was serious.
Do not sit there.
Brook stopped.
"Why?"
Because you were never meant to return.
Brook's blood ran cold.
"What?"
Michael didn't answer.
Lucifer appeared beside him.
For once, he wasn't smiling.
He's right.
Brook looked at both of them.
"You know this place."
Neither answered.
Brook stared.
"You both know this place."
Death slowly appeared in the distance.
He looked toward the chair.
Then at Brook.
Not this place.
Brook frowned.
"What?"
Death raised one hand.
What happened here.
Brook felt a chill.
"What happened?"
Death looked toward the chair.
A beginning.
A sound echoed through the chamber.
Clapping.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Everyone turned.
A figure stood on the opposite side.
Elias.
Brook's hand immediately went to his sword.
"Elias."
Elias looked at them.
"You found it."
Crowley stepped forward.
"You wanted us to."
Elias smiled faintly.
"Yes."
Kael's expression hardened.
"Then explain."
Elias looked at the chamber.
"This is where everything started."
Brook stared at him.
"What?"
Elias looked at him.
"Not the experiments."
He pointed toward the chair.
"The idea."
Brook stepped closer.
"The idea of what?"
Elias's eyes moved toward him.
"Creating vessels."
Silence.
Henry frowned.
"For the Sources?"
Elias shook his head.
"Not originally."
Brook's stomach tightened.
"Then what?"
Elias didn't answer.
Crowley walked forward.
"Elias."
Elias looked at him.
"You shouldn't have brought them here."
Crowley's expression hardened.
"I didn't."
Elias looked at Brook.
Brook realized.
"You did."
Elias nodded.
"Yes."
Brook stared.
"Why?"
"Because you need to see something."
Kael stepped forward.
"What?"
Elias looked at him.
"You'll know soon."
Kael's expression hardened.
"Stop talking like that."
Elias smiled.
"You're right."
He walked toward the center of the chamber.
Then stopped beside the chair.
"Brook."
Brook stared at him.
"Come here."
Henry immediately said:
"Don't."
Brook didn't move.
Elias looked at him.
"I'm not asking you to sit."
Brook slowly approached.
Crowley watched carefully.
Brook stopped a few feet away.
"What is this?"
Elias pointed toward the chair.
"This is where the first vessel was supposed to be created."
Brook frowned.
"Who?"
Elias looked at him.
"You."
Brook froze.
Henry's eyes widened.
Kael whispered:
"What?"
Brook stared at Elias.
"That's impossible."
Elias shook his head.
"No."
He pointed toward the chair.
"That was the original plan."
Brook's breathing slowed.
"But B-01…"
Elias interrupted.
"B-01 was the result."
Brook stared.
"The result of what?"
Elias looked down.
"Failure."
Brook's expression changed.
"You were supposed to be B-00."
Elias nodded.
"Yes."
"But you were."
Elias looked at him.
"Not exactly."
Brook's head began pounding.
Michael appeared in his mind.
Leave.
Brook ignored him.
Lucifer looked toward Elias.
He's telling the truth.
Brook stared.
"Then what happened?"
Elias took a breath.
"They couldn't make B-00 stable."
Brook frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"They couldn't keep all the Source material inside one body."
Brook's eyes widened.
Elias continued:
"So they split the project."
Brook whispered:
"Into B-00 and B-01."
Elias nodded.
"And you."
Brook looked at his hands.
"So you're saying…"
Elias finished:
"You and I were never supposed to be two separate stories."
Silence.
"You were the continuation of me."
Brook looked at Elias.
"No."
Elias's expression softened.
"I wish it wasn't true."
Brook stepped backward.
"No."
Henry approached him.
"Brook."
Brook raised a hand.
"Don't."
His head was pounding harder.
Michael.
Lucifer.
Death.
All three were present.
Brook could feel them.
Michael's voice was calm.
Breathe.
Lucifer's voice was quieter than usual.
He's telling you enough to hurt you.
Death stared at the chair.
Not enough to kill you.
Brook closed his eyes.
He took a breath.
Then another.
The pain eased.
He opened his eyes.
Elias was still there.
Brook looked at him.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Elias looked away.
"Because I wanted you to have a life."
Brook laughed bitterly.
"And did you?"
Elias didn't answer.
Brook stepped closer.
"You knew what I was."
"Yes."
"You knew what happened to you."
"Yes."
"You knew about this place."
"Yes."
"And you still joined us."
Elias looked at him.
"Yes."
Brook's anger rose.
"Why?"
Elias's eyes became glassy.
"Because you were the first person who ever made me feel like I wasn't a mistake."
Brook went silent.
Kael looked away.
Henry lowered his weapon.
Even Crowley remained silent.
Elias continued:
"That's why I couldn't tell you."
Brook whispered:
"You could've trusted me."
Elias shook his head.
"I trusted you."
He looked at Brook.
"I didn't trust myself."
Suddenly—
The entire chamber shook.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Crowley turned.
"Everyone back!"
A deep rumble echoed beneath them.
The stone chair cracked.
Brook felt his Sources react violently.
Michael.
Lucifer.
Death.
All at once.
Brook dropped to one knee.
Henry grabbed him.
"Brook!"
Brook's vision blurred.
He saw something.
A laboratory.
Scientists running.
A young Elias screaming.
A baby inside a chamber.
Then—
A man standing behind the glass.
Draven.
He placed his hand against the glass.
And beside him stood another figure.
A shadow.
Brook couldn't see its face.
But the voice was clear.
"Begin again."
Brook gasped.
He opened his eyes.
The chamber was shaking.
Elias stared at him.
"You saw it."
Brook looked at him.
"Who was standing beside Draven?"
Elias's face went pale.
"I don't know."
Brook knew he was lying.
"Elias."
"I don't know!"
The scream echoed through the chamber.
Then the stone floor split.
A massive black symbol appeared beneath them.
Crowley looked down.
His expression changed completely.
"Everyone move."
Brook looked at him.
"Why?"
Crowley didn't answer.
The symbol began glowing.
Red.
Black.
Then—
A horn sounded.
Not from above.
From beneath them.
Kael looked at Crowley.
"What is that?"
Crowley stared into the crack.
Something was rising.
He whispered:
"That's not Asmodaos."
Brook tightened his grip.
"What is it?"
Crowley looked at him.
"I don't know."
The crack widened.
A massive hand emerged from the darkness.
Brook's Sources screamed inside his mind.
Michael appeared.
Lucifer appeared.
Death appeared.
For the first time…
all three looked toward the same thing.
Fearful.
Lucifer whispered:
That's new.
Michael's expression hardened.
Very.
Death looked at Brook.
Its lifeline is gone.
Brook stared.
"What?"
Death repeated:
It has no lifeline.
The creature began pulling itself from the earth.
Brook raised his sword.
Henry moved beside him.
Kael joined them.
Sera raised her hands.
Crowley stepped forward.
Elias remained frozen.
Brook looked at him.
"Elias."
Elias didn't move.
Brook grabbed his shoulder.
"Elias!"
Elias finally looked at him.
His face was pale.
He whispered:
"That's why they wanted you here."
Brook's expression hardened.
"Who?"
Elias looked into the darkness.
"The Maker."
The chamber went silent.
The mysterious voice echoed through Brook's mind.
Not yet.
Brook froze.
Elias looked at him.
"You heard it too."
Brook stared.
For the first time, neither of them knew what to say.
End of Chapter 86