Chapter 27 – The Thing at the Gate
The western alarm bell continued ringing.
Brook ran through the palace corridors with Henry and Crowley close behind him. Guards rushed in the opposite direction, some carrying bows while others pulled swords from their sheaths.
The entire palace seemed to be moving.
"What did you mean?" Brook asked Crowley.
"Something's coming inside."
"What something?"
"I don't know."
Brook frowned.
"You've been saying that a lot lately."
Crowley looked over his shoulder.
"Get used to it."
They reached the western courtyard.
The scene outside was chaos.
Royal Guards were running toward the western gate while Watchmen climbed onto the walls. Merchants and civilians were being pushed away from the entrance.
Captain Mercer stood at the center of it all.
When he saw Henry, he immediately approached.
"Your Highness, stay behind the guards."
Henry shook his head.
"What happened?"
Mercer pointed toward the gate.
"We received a signal from the western observation post."
"What kind?"
"Three red flares."
Brook frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"Unknown threat approaching."
Mercer looked toward the gate.
"The patrol sent to investigate hasn't returned."
Henry's expression hardened.
"How long?"
"Twenty minutes."
Brook looked toward the massive doors.
"Then why haven't you opened the gate?"
Mercer gave him a serious look.
"Because something is standing outside it."
Brook's hand moved toward his sword.
"What?"
"We don't know."
Mercer pointed toward the gatehouse.
"The guards heard knocking."
Henry frowned.
"Knocking?"
"Three times."
Brook remembered the sound from beneath the city.
His stomach tightened.
"You're saying something outside is knocking on the gate?"
Mercer nodded.
"And it hasn't stopped."
Everyone went quiet.
Then—
BOOM.
The western gate shook.
Several guards jumped.
Brook stared at the massive wooden doors.
A second impact followed.
BOOM.
Dust fell from the stone archway.
Henry stepped closer.
"What could possibly hit that gate hard enough to shake it?"
Mercer didn't answer.
A third impact came.
BOOM.
Then silence.
Brook waited.
Nothing.
The wind blew across the courtyard.
A few loose pieces of debris rolled across the ground.
Then a voice came from the other side.
"Open."
Every person in the courtyard froze.
The voice was human.
A woman.
Young.
Weak.
Brook looked at Mercer.
"Someone's outside."
"I heard her."
The voice came again.
"Please…"
"Open the gate."
One of the younger guards stepped forward.
"Captain, there could be survivors."
Mercer raised his hand.
"No one opens anything."
The guard stopped.
Brook looked toward the gate.
"She could be injured."
"She could also be bait."
Brook hated that Mercer was right.
The voice came again.
This time it was louder.
"Please!"
"I know you're there!"
Henry looked at Mercer.
"We can't leave someone outside if she's genuinely human."
Mercer stared at the gate.
Finally, he gave the order.
"Open the small passage."
Two guards moved toward a narrow section of the gate.
Brook stepped forward.
"Wait."
Everyone looked at him.
Brook stared at the bottom of the gate.
There was something beneath it.
A shadow.
But it wasn't shaped like a person.
It was too long.
Too thin.
Brook drew his sword.
"Something's wrong."
Crowley immediately drew his own.
"Back away."
The guards obeyed.
A sudden scraping sound came from outside.
The shadow disappeared.
Then—
CRASH!
The small passage exploded inward.
Wood and metal flew across the courtyard.
Three guards were thrown backward.
Brook raised his arm to protect his face.
When the dust cleared…
Something stood inside the gate.
It was a man.
At least, it looked like one.
He was tall and thin, wearing a torn black coat covered in mud.
His hair was soaked from the rain.
His face was pale.
His eyes were completely black.
Brook stared at him.
The man looked around the courtyard.
Then his eyes settled on Brook.
"You."
Brook tightened his grip.
"Who are you?"
The stranger smiled.
"I've been looking for you."
Henry stepped beside Brook.
"Who sent you?"
The stranger's smile disappeared.
"No one."
He looked toward the palace.
"I came because something woke up."
Mercer raised his sword.
"You're under arrest."
The stranger laughed.
"Arrest?"
He looked around at the Watchmen.
"You still think these Walls matter."
Mercer moved first.
He charged.
The stranger didn't move.
Mercer's sword came down.
The stranger raised one hand.
The blade stopped.
Not against armor.
Not against another weapon.
It simply stopped in the air.
Mercer's eyes widened.
The stranger slowly turned his hand.
The sword flew from Mercer's grip.
He was thrown backward.
"Captain!"
Brook charged.
He swung at the stranger's neck.
The man leaned back.
The blade passed inches from his face.
Brook followed with another strike.
Then another.
The stranger avoided every attack without appearing to hurry.
"You've trained well."
Brook kicked toward his stomach.
The stranger caught his leg.
Brook's eyes widened.
He was thrown across the courtyard.
He landed hard against the stone wall.
"Brook!"
Henry ran toward him.
The stranger suddenly appeared in front of Henry.
Henry raised his sword.
The stranger stopped.
He looked at the prince.
"You're the king's son."
Henry narrowed his eyes.
"How do you know that?"
"I know everything about this kingdom."
The stranger leaned closer.
"Your father knows the truth."
Henry's expression hardened.
"Then tell me."
The stranger smiled.
"Ask him why the first seal is beneath your palace."
Henry froze.
Brook slowly stood.
"What are you?"
The stranger turned toward him.
His black eyes seemed to become deeper.
"That's the wrong question."
"Then what's the right one?"
The stranger looked toward the sky.
"Why are you still alive?"
The courtyard fell silent.
Brook felt a strange pressure in his chest.
The stranger walked closer.
"Your parents understood."
Brook's anger immediately returned.
"Don't talk about my parents."
"They discovered the same thing the ancient ones discovered."
"What?"
The stranger looked directly into Brook's eyes.
"That humanity was never supposed to be here."
Brook froze.
Before he could respond, Crowley stepped between them.
The stranger looked at Crowley.
For the first time, his confidence disappeared.
"You."
Crowley's expression remained calm.
"Me."
The stranger took one step backward.
Brook noticed.
"You know him."
Crowley didn't answer.
The stranger stared at him.
"You shouldn't be here."
Crowley smiled faintly.
"Neither should you."
The stranger's eyes narrowed.
"Still hiding behind a human name."
Brook looked between them.
"What the hell are you two talking about?"
Neither answered.
The stranger suddenly raised his hand.
A dark mist erupted around his body.
Watchmen shouted as the mist spread across the courtyard.
Brook could barely see.
"Don't breathe it!" Crowley shouted.
Brook pulled his cloak over his mouth.
The mist thickened.
Then a scream came from the western gate.
Brook turned.
A Royal Guard had fallen.
Something moved inside the fog.
Fast.
Too fast.
Brook heard footsteps circling them.
"Where is he?"
Henry shouted.
"I can't see!"
Crowley grabbed Brook's shoulder.
"Stay beside me."
A blade suddenly came through the mist.
Crowley blocked it.
The impact sent sparks across the courtyard.
The stranger emerged from the darkness.
His expression had changed.
No longer amused.
Angry.
"You don't understand what you're protecting."
Crowley pushed him back.
"And you don't understand who you're talking to."
For a moment, something strange happened.
The stranger's black eyes widened.
Crowley moved.
He was suddenly in front of the man.
One strike.
The stranger flew across the courtyard and crashed through the stone wall of an abandoned building.
The fog immediately began disappearing.
Everyone stared.
Brook looked at Crowley.
"Since when can you do that?"
Crowley looked at his sword.
"I've been training."
Brook stared at him.
"That wasn't training."
Crowley gave him a small smile.
"You're getting observant."
Before Brook could respond, the stranger climbed out of the rubble.
He wasn't injured.
But he looked furious.
His eyes returned to Brook.
"This isn't over."
Then his body dissolved into black smoke.
The smoke rose into the air.
And vanished.
The courtyard remained silent.
Mercer slowly picked himself up.
"What…"
He looked at Crowley.
"…was that?"
Crowley sheathed his sword.
"A warning."
Henry walked toward Brook.
"What did he mean?"
Brook looked toward the palace.
He didn't know.
But deep inside, something told him the stranger hadn't come to attack Shinokuni-01.
He had come to see Brook.
And whatever he had seen…
had frightened him.
Far beneath the city, the sealed chamber remained completely still.
The ancient stone door stood untouched.
Except for one thing.
A thin crack had appeared across its surface.
From inside the darkness beyond the door…
a faint voice whispered:
"Brook…"
Then silence returned.