Chapter 180 — Present Day
Brook stared at Henry.
Henry stared back.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Six months.
The words remained in Brook's head.
Six months.
Brook looked down at his hands again.
They were his hands.
They felt real.
The scars felt real.
The pain felt real.
Everything felt real.
And somehow—
half a year had passed.
Brook slowly exhaled.
"So."
Henry waited.
Brook looked up.
"What's the date?"
Nobody answered immediately.
Brook's eyes narrowed.
"Why is everyone suddenly quiet whenever I ask a question?"
Sera stepped forward.
"Because you just woke up."
"I noticed."
Rick folded his arms.
"Give yourself a minute."
Brook looked toward him.
"A minute?"
Rick smiled slightly.
"You've been unconscious for six months. One minute won't kill you."
Brook stared.
Crowley leaned against the wall.
"Technically, we don't know that."
Sera looked at him.
"Crowley."
"What?"
Brook closed his eyes.
For the first time since waking—
he laughed.
It hurt.
Brook immediately grabbed his side.
Henry stepped forward.
"You okay?"
Brook held up a hand.
"Don't."
Henry stopped.
Brook breathed slowly.
His entire body felt weak.
Not damaged.
Weak.
Like it belonged to someone who had spent six months fighting without moving.
Brook opened his eyes.
Then noticed it.
Henry's shoulder.
Black Ectoplasm moved slightly.
Brook stared.
Charon immediately disappeared behind Henry.
Brook frowned.
Henry noticed.
"Charon."
Brook slowly looked toward Henry.
"Charon?"
Henry nodded.
Brook waited.
Henry placed a hand against his shoulder.
The Ectoplasm slowly returned.
It formed two small eyes.
Brook stared.
Charon stared back.
Then—
"Danger."
Silence.
Brook blinked.
Rick immediately turned away.
Sera covered her mouth.
Crowley started laughing.
Brook looked toward Henry.
"What?"
Henry tried not to smile.
"He's scared of you."
Brook stared at Charon.
Charon slowly disappeared again.
Brook leaned back.
"I haven't even done anything."
Charon's voice came from behind Henry.
"Last time."
Brook's expression changed.
Silence returned.
Henry looked at him.
Brook looked away.
He remembered enough.
Not everything.
But enough.
The feeling of losing himself.
The feeling of enjoying it.
The Devil's Instincts.
Lucifer's words.
You'll stop fighting because you have to.
You'll fight because you want to.
Brook's jaw tightened.
Henry noticed.
"Brook."
Brook looked back.
"Sorry."
Charon remained behind Henry.
Brook looked toward the ceiling.
"Still don't blame him."
The room slowly returned to life.
Sera sat beside Brook.
Rick remained near the window.
Crowley stood with his arms folded.
Shoyo leaned against the wall.
Henry stayed closest.
And Charon stayed behind Henry.
Brook looked around.
"You all look different."
Rick smiled.
"You've been asleep."
"Apparently."
Sera laughed quietly.
Brook looked toward her.
"You got stronger."
Sera's expression changed.
Brook tilted his head.
"What?"
She looked at him.
"You can tell?"
Brook nodded.
"Yeah."
He looked toward Rick.
"You too."
Rick raised an eyebrow.
"Really?"
Brook looked at him.
"You carry yourself differently."
Rick looked toward Shoyo.
Shoyo smiled.
Brook noticed.
"What?"
Shoyo shrugged.
"Nothing."
Brook narrowed his eyes.
Then looked toward Crowley.
Crowley stared back.
Brook's expression changed.
"You smell like Hell."
Silence.
Crowley smiled.
Brook sat up slightly.
"You went back."
Crowley nodded.
"Couple times."
Brook stared.
"And?"
Crowley's expression became serious.
"We have things to discuss."
Sera immediately looked toward him.
Crowley looked at her.
"Not yet."
Brook raised an eyebrow.
"Why not?"
Crowley looked toward him.
"Because you've been awake for less than ten minutes."
Brook stared.
"I spent six months unconscious."
"Exactly."
Brook sighed.
Henry brought him water.
Brook drank slowly.
His throat hurt.
His body hurt.
But his mind—
his mind was clearer than it had been in a long time.
Too clear.
Brook looked toward his hand.
Three connections remained.
He could feel them.
Michael.
Lucifer.
Death.
But something was different.
Michael was quiet.
Lucifer was quiet.
Death—
Brook could feel Death.
Watching.
He lowered his hand.
Henry noticed.
"What?"
Brook looked at him.
"Nothing."
Henry frowned.
Brook looked away.
He wasn't ready to explain.
Not yet.
Not the fight.
Not the crystals.
Not the Earth Source.
Not God.
Not Michael telling him that everything had only been the first test.
Brook closed his eyes.
Then—
the room became quiet.
Too quiet.
Brook opened his eyes.
Everyone was looking at something.
Behind him.
Brook slowly turned.
A chair stood in the corner.
Someone was sitting in it.
Brook froze.
Silvet.
Nobody had seen him enter.
Nobody had heard him.
He was simply there.
Sitting comfortably.
One leg crossed over the other.
Watching them.
Rick immediately reached for his weapon.
Shoyo raised her hand.
Sera stood.
Crowley stared.
Charon vanished completely.
Henry stepped closer to Brook.
Silvet smiled.
"Relax."
Nobody relaxed.
Brook stared at him.
"You."
Silvet looked pleased.
"Me."
Brook looked around.
"Where did you come from?"
Silvet looked toward the door.
Then the window.
Then the ceiling.
"I've always wondered why humans ask that."
Brook frowned.
Silvet continued.
"It's never where I came from."
Brook stared.
"It's how."
Silvet smiled.
"Exactly."
Crowley stepped forward.
"What are you doing here?"
Silvet looked toward him.
"Talking."
Crowley stared.
"With?"
Silvet turned.
His eyes settled on Brook.
"With him."
The room became silent again.
Brook watched him.
Something felt wrong.
Not dangerous.
Not immediately.
But Silvet was looking at him differently.
Like Brook was a question.
Silvet tilted his head.
Brook narrowed his eyes.
"What?"
Silvet remained silent.
Brook waited.
Then Silvet asked:
"Where are they?"
Brook frowned.
"Who?"
Silvet's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Michael."
Silence.
"Lucifer."
The room changed.
Brook froze.
Henry looked toward him.
Sera stared.
Rick's hand tightened around his weapon.
Crowley's expression became unreadable.
Brook slowly sat straighter.
Silvet continued.
"I can see inside you."
Brook stared.
Silvet smiled.
"Not everything."
Brook's eyes narrowed.
"But enough."
Silvet leaned back.
"And I can't see them."
Brook's heart tightened.
Michael.
Lucifer.
Quiet.
They had been quiet since he woke.
Brook looked down.
Silvet watched him.
"Interesting."
Brook raised his head.
"What do you mean?"
Silvet smiled.
"Death is there."
Brook froze.
The room became completely silent.
Silvet tilted his head.
"Watching."
Brook looked toward Henry.
Henry looked terrified.
Brook returned his attention to Silvet.
"How can you see them?"
Silvet shrugged.
"How can you?"
Brook didn't answer.
Silvet's smile widened.
"Exactly."
Crowley stepped forward.
"You're not answering anything."
Silvet looked toward him.
"No."
Crowley's eyes narrowed.
Silvet turned back to Brook.
"But I have a question."
Brook stared.
Silvet leaned forward.
His voice remained calm.
"Why can't I see Michael and Lucifer inside your head?"
Brook looked at him.
For the first time—
he didn't have an answer.
Silvet waited.
Brook looked down.
He could feel them.
Could he?
He searched.
Michael.
Nothing.
Lucifer.
Nothing.
Death.
There.
The presence remained.
Brook slowly looked back at Silvet.
"They're around."
Silvet's smile disappeared.
For the first time since arriving—
his expression changed.
Not fear.
Not exactly.
Interest.
Deep interest.
"Are they?"
Brook stared.
Silvet slowly stood.
Nobody moved.
Brook watched him.
Silvet walked toward the door.
"Brook."
Brook looked at him.
"What?"
Silvet stopped.
He didn't turn around.
"Six months is a long time."
Brook's expression changed.
Silvet continued.
"Especially when the world was already moving before you fell asleep."
Brook stared.
Crowley immediately understood.
"Asteria."
Silvet stopped.
Brook looked toward Crowley.
"What?"
Silvet slowly turned.
Crowley stepped forward.
"What do you want with the new Shinokuni?"
Silvet smiled.
Brook watched him.
The name meant nothing to Brook.
Not yet.
Silvet looked toward Crowley.
"You've been busy."
Crowley didn't smile.
"You've been watching it."
Silvet's eyes moved toward Brook.
Then back toward Crowley.
"Watching?"
He smiled.
"That sounds passive."
Silence.
Rick stepped forward.
"What does that mean?"
Silvet looked toward him.
"You'll see."
Brook's expression hardened.
"See what?"
Silvet walked toward the door again.
Then stopped.
The room waited.
Silvet looked back one final time.
At Brook.
At Henry.
At Charon hiding behind him.
At Sera.
Crowley.
Rick.
Shoyo.
"Tell me something."
Nobody answered.
Silvet smiled.
"Did you miss the world?"
Brook stared.
Silvet's expression remained calm.
"Because it missed you."
Then—
Silvet was gone.
No explosion.
No flash.
No portal.
The chair remained.
Empty.
For several seconds—
nobody spoke.
Brook looked at the others.
Then toward Crowley.
"Asteria."
Crowley nodded.
Brook's expression hardened.
"What happened?"
Crowley looked toward the empty chair.
Then back at him.
"Six months happened."
Brook slowly looked down at his hands.
The scars.
The Source connections.
Death's weapon.
The silence from Michael.
The silence from Lucifer.
The world had continued.
And Silvet had spent six months doing something.
Brook looked toward the door.
His body still hurt.
His mind was still catching up.
But one thing was clear.
Whatever came next—
Silvet had already started.
And Brook was late.
End of Chapter 180