Chapter 115 — What Remains
Brook appeared beside Sera.
For a second—
he didn't move.
The forest was quiet.
Rain fell through the branches.
Sera lay in the mud.
Her clothes were torn.
Blood had mixed with the rain beneath her.
Brook stared.
Then Death showed him her lifeline.
Thin.
Flickering.
Still there.
Brook dropped to his knees.
"Sera."
No response.
He touched her shoulder.
"Sera."
Her eyes moved slightly.
Brook leaned closer.
Her breathing was shallow.
"Hey."
Sera's lips moved.
Brook couldn't hear her.
He lowered his head.
"What?"
"Brook…"
His face tightened.
"I'm here."
Sera's eyes closed again.
Brook immediately placed a hand against her chest.
He didn't know what he was supposed to do.
He wasn't a healer.
Michael didn't heal.
Lucifer definitely didn't.
Death only showed him how close she was to dying.
Brook looked at Death.
"What do I do?"
Death stood beside him.
Silent.
Brook's expression hardened.
"What do I do?"
Her line continues.
Brook stared.
"For how long?"
Death didn't answer.
Brook looked down at Sera.
"That's not enough."
Henry arrived several moments later.
He stopped.
His face changed immediately.
"Jesus."
Brook didn't look up.
"Help me."
Henry moved beside him.
"What happened?"
Brook's voice was quiet.
"Elias."
Henry's expression hardened.
"Where is he?"
Brook looked toward the forest.
Death showed him nothing.
No Elias.
No Azael.
Only Sera.
"Gone."
Henry examined her.
"We need to move her."
Brook nodded.
Henry carefully lifted her.
Sera cried out.
Henry stopped.
"Sorry."
Brook stood.
"Give her to me."
Henry looked at him.
"Brook, you're—"
"Give her to me."
Henry did.
Brook held Sera carefully.
For the first time since arriving in Remus—
Henry saw something different in him.
Brook wasn't angry yet.
That would have been easier.
He looked empty.
Henry swallowed.
"Where are we going?"
Brook activated Michael.
"Remus."
They appeared outside the city.
Brook nearly fell.
Henry caught his shoulder.
"Easy."
Brook looked down at Sera.
"I'm fine."
Henry looked at him.
"No, you're not."
Brook didn't respond.
They moved.
Remus had seen monsters.
It had seen wounded soldiers.
It had seen things emerge from the Road that should never have existed.
But people still moved when they saw Sera.
The guards shouted.
Someone ran ahead.
Brook carried her through the streets.
"Move!"
People moved.
A door opened ahead.
Hades stood inside.
He looked at Sera.
Then at Brook.
His expression changed.
"What happened?"
"Elias."
Hades's eyes narrowed.
"Bring her."
Brook entered.
Hades pointed toward a table.
"Put her there."
Brook did.
Sera barely moved.
A healer rushed forward.
Hades stopped them.
"Wait."
Everyone looked at him.
Brook's eyes hardened.
"What?"
Hades stepped toward Sera.
His hand moved above her.
He closed his eyes.
The room became silent.
Brook watched.
"What are you doing?"
Hades didn't answer.
His fingers moved.
A symbol appeared above Sera.
Not a word.
A shape.
Ancient.
The air around it distorted.
Brook stared.
Hades's face changed.
"Impossible."
Brook stepped forward.
"What?"
Hades opened his eyes.
His expression had lost its usual calmness.
"What happened to her?"
Brook looked at him.
"I told you."
"No."
Hades looked down at Sera.
"What did she do?"
Brook didn't understand.
Hades pointed toward the symbol.
"This was dormant."
Sera's fingers twitched.
Brook moved closer.
Hades looked at him.
"Her Source."
The room went silent.
Brook's expression changed.
"You know about it?"
"I know about this."
Hades touched the symbol.
It immediately vanished.
"Or I thought I did."
Sera's breathing suddenly stopped.
Brook froze.
"No."
The healers moved.
Brook grabbed one.
"Fix her."
"Brook."
"Fix her!"
The healer pushed his hand away.
"Let me work!"
Brook stepped back.
His hands shook.
Death appeared beside him.
Sera's lifeline.
Flickering.
Fading.
Brook stared.
"No."
Brook.
Death's voice was different.
Brook looked at him.
"What?"
Let them work.
Brook's jaw tightened.
"Don't tell me what to do."
Death said nothing.
Henry stood nearby.
Still bleeding himself.
Brook hadn't noticed.
Hades noticed.
"Someone help him."
Henry looked over.
"I'm okay."
"You are not."
"I'm fine."
Hades stared at him.
Henry sighed.
"Apparently, nobody believes me when I say that."
Brook almost smiled.
Almost.
But Sera's lifeline flickered again.
His face immediately changed.
Outside Remus—
Elias walked through the forest.
Azael followed.
There was no urgency now.
The beast's hands were covered in blood.
Not his.
Elias stopped.
Azael continued walking.
"She's alive."
Azael stopped.
Elias looked toward him.
"I said leave her near death."
Azael smiled.
"She is."
"She could die."
Azael tilted his head.
Elias looked away.
"That was not the instruction."
Azael laughed quietly.
"You care?"
Elias looked back.
"No."
Azael's smile widened.
Elias continued walking.
"She's more useful alive."
Azael followed.
"The boy will be angry."
Elias said nothing.
Azael looked toward the distance.
"Good."
Elias glanced at him.
Azael's expression was almost happy.
"I wanted to see him."
Elias stopped.
His eyes narrowed.
"Do not go near Brook."
Azael smiled.
"Why?"
"Because the Maker has plans."
Azael stared at him.
Elias's voice became colder.
"And I have mine."
For a moment—
the two stood silently.
Then Azael walked past him.
Elias watched.
"You are not the only monster serving the Maker."
Azael stopped.
Elias smiled faintly.
"But you are the easiest one to replace."
Azael looked back.
The forest shook.
Elias didn't move.
Azael smiled.
Then turned away.
For now.
Inside Remus—
Brook sat beside Sera.
Hours had passed.
Or maybe minutes.
He didn't know.
The healers had stopped running around.
That should have made him feel better.
It didn't.
Hades stood beside the window.
Henry sat against the wall.
A bandage covered his side.
Brook finally spoke.
"Tell me about the symbol."
Hades didn't turn.
"No."
Brook looked at him.
"What?"
"You are angry."
"Yes."
"And if I tell you what I know now, you will leave."
Brook stood.
Hades turned.
Brook's eyes were cold.
"Someone almost killed my friend."
"I know."
"Then I don't care about your rules."
Hades looked at him.
"You should."
The room changed.
Not visibly.
But the air became heavier.
Brook stared at him.
Hades continued.
"Elias came to Remus for multiple reasons."
Brook's expression tightened.
Hades finally turned away from the window.
"But Sera was one of them."
Henry looked up.
Brook said nothing.
Hades continued.
"I did not know her Source existed."
"You recognized the symbol."
"I recognized something similar."
Brook frowned.
"From where?"
Hades hesitated.
That was enough.
Brook noticed.
"You know more."
"Yes."
"Then tell me."
Hades looked at Sera.
"I have seen that symbol once before."
Brook waited.
"Long before Remus."
Henry slowly stood.
Brook's eyes narrowed.
"Where?"
Hades looked at them.
"In a place that no longer exists."
Silence.
Brook took a step forward.
"What place?"
Hades's face became unreadable.
"A protected place."
Brook froze.
Henry looked at him.
Hades continued.
"One of the others."
Brook's expression changed.
"There are more."
Hades nodded.
Brook stared.
Hades looked toward the city outside.
"There were always more."
Sera moved.
Brook turned immediately.
Her fingers twitched.
"Sera?"
Her eyes opened.
Barely.
Brook stepped closer.
"I'm here."
She stared at him.
Confusion crossed her face.
Then fear.
Her hand grabbed his arm.
Brook froze.
"What?"
Sera's lips moved.
Brook leaned closer.
"Elias?"
Her eyes widened.
"No."
Brook frowned.
"What?"
She struggled to speak.
"Don't…"
Her breathing became faster.
"Don't trust…"
Brook waited.
Sera's fingers tightened around him.
"The words."
Brook stared.
Sera closed her eyes.
Then whispered:
"They aren't all mine."
The room went silent.
Brook looked toward Hades.
Then toward the air above Sera.
For one second—
nothing happened.
Then a word appeared.
Not from Sera's mouth.
Not from her hand.
Not from anyone in the room.
Above the bed.
Ancient letters formed slowly.
Brook couldn't read them.
Hades could.
His face went pale.
Henry looked between them.
"What does it say?"
Hades didn't answer.
Brook turned.
"Hades."
The word finished forming.
Hades finally spoke.
"The door is open."
Outside—
something answered.
A sound rolled across Remus.
Deep.
Ancient.
From far beyond the city walls.
Every person in the room froze.
Brook looked toward the window.
Death appeared beside him.
And for the first time—
Brook saw something he had never seen before.
Not a lifeline.
A line leading toward them.
From very far away.
Death looked at Brook.
Something is coming.
Brook stared at the distant darkness.
"What?"
Death remained silent.
Brook's jaw tightened.
"What is coming?"
Death finally answered.
A king.
End of Chapter 115