Chapter 42 – The Road to Blackhaven
Haven was gone by sunrise.
The settlement that had stood among the trees for years was now nothing more than empty buildings and cold fire pits.
The people had left before dawn.
Some traveled north.
Others went east.
They didn't travel together.
Elias had explained why.
"Groups attract attention."
Brook remembered the words as he walked through the abandoned settlement.
There were footprints everywhere.
Broken crates.
A child's toy left beside one of the houses.
A cooking pot still hanging over a dead fire.
It felt wrong seeing a place emptied so quickly.
Sera stopped beside the toy.
"How long did they live here?"
Elias, who was preparing to leave, answered.
"Almost twelve years."
Sera looked at him.
"And now it's gone."
Elias nodded.
"That's life outside."
Brook looked around.
"You don't seem angry."
Elias tightened the straps on his bag.
"I am."
"Then why aren't you?"
"Because anger doesn't rebuild a home."
Brook didn't answer.
Elias handed him the compass from the previous night.
"Keep this."
Brook looked at it.
"Why?"
"It belonged to your father."
Brook's eyes widened.
"What?"
Elias smiled faintly.
"Thomas gave it to me five years ago."
"Why?"
"He told me to keep it until you came."
Brook stared at the compass.
The metal was old.
There were scratches across the surface.
On the back were two initials.
T.S.
His father's initials.
Brook closed his hand around it.
"What did he say?"
Elias looked toward the road.
"He said you would eventually leave the Wall."
Brook swallowed.
"He knew?"
"Your father believed you would."
"Why?"
Elias looked at him.
"Because he knew you wouldn't accept a life built on someone else's decisions."
Brook looked down.
The words sounded exactly like something his father would have said.
"Did he say where he was going?"
"North."
"Blackhaven?"
Elias nodded.
"But he didn't stay there."
Brook looked up.
"Where did he go?"
"Further north."
"How far?"
"I don't know."
"Then what do you know?"
Elias hesitated.
"Your father was searching for someone."
"Who?"
Elias looked toward Crowley.
Brook followed his gaze.
Crowley stood several meters away, checking his equipment.
"Who?"
Elias lowered his voice.
"A man who had lived outside the Walls for centuries."
Brook frowned.
"That's impossible."
Elias smiled.
"You're carrying two Sources."
Brook went silent.
"Maybe impossible isn't the right word anymore."
They left Haven shortly after sunrise.
Elias traveled with them.
Brook hadn't expected that.
"You're coming?"
Elias nodded.
"For part of the journey."
"Why?"
"Because the road to Blackhaven isn't safe."
Crowley looked at him.
"Nothing outside is safe."
"Exactly."
The five traveled north.
The forest gradually became thinner.
The ground turned rocky.
They passed abandoned settlements.
Some were completely destroyed.
Others were still inhabited.
Brook began to understand what Elias meant.
The outside wasn't one world.
It was hundreds of worlds existing beside each other.
Some places were peaceful.
Others were dangerous.
Some people feared the Shinokuni Kings.
Others hated them.
Some had never heard of the Kings.
And some worshipped beings Brook had never heard of.
Around midday, they reached a river.
A broken bridge crossed it.
Elias stopped.
"We can't use that."
Henry looked at the bridge.
"It looks stable."
"It's not."
Brook stepped closer.
"How do you know?"
Elias pointed.
There were deep scratches across the wood.
"Something uses this crossing."
Sera looked at the river.
"An Abomination?"
"No."
Elias's expression changed.
"Something worse."
Crowley looked at the water.
"Don't move."
Everyone froze.
Brook looked down.
The river was still.
Too still.
Then something moved beneath the surface.
A shadow.
Huge.
It passed beneath them.
Brook stepped backward.
"What the hell was that?"
Elias whispered:
"Keep walking."
They moved away from the river.
The shadow followed them.
Brook could see its outline beneath the water.
It was enormous.
Too large to be an Abomination.
It moved beneath the surface for nearly a minute.
Then disappeared.
Henry exhaled.
"What was that?"
Elias shook his head.
"Something that lives there."
"That's it?"
"Would you like a name?"
"No."
"Then keep walking."
They traveled for several more hours.
By late afternoon, they reached a small village.
Unlike Haven, this place was surrounded by a wooden wall.
Several armed people watched them approach.
Elias raised his hand.
"We're travelers."
A guard looked at him.
"You're from Haven."
Elias nodded.
"Where is everyone?"
"North."
The guard looked toward Brook.
"And them?"
"Travelers."
The guard's eyes moved toward Crowley.
He immediately reached for his weapon.
Crowley noticed.
"Relax."
The guard stepped backward.
"You're him."
Brook looked at Crowley.
Again.
Crowley sighed.
"I really should have picked a less recognizable face."
The guard lowered his weapon.
"King Crowley."
Henry frowned.
"Why does everyone know him?"
Elias laughed.
"Because he ruled half the northern territories before the Walls were built."
Brook stopped.
"Half?"
Crowley gave Elias a look.
"Do you enjoy making my life difficult?"
"Very much."
Brook looked at Crowley.
"You ruled half the north?"
Crowley continued walking.
"Apparently."
Brook followed.
"You never mentioned that."
"You never asked."
"You said you had a kingdom."
"I did."
"You didn't say it was huge."
"It wasn't."
Elias laughed.
"It was."
Crowley looked at him.
"Elias."
"Fine."
The guard opened the gate.
"You're safe here tonight."
Brook looked around.
"What's this place called?"
"Rook's End."
Brook nodded.
They entered.
That night, Brook couldn't sleep.
He sat outside the inn where they were staying.
Crowley joined him.
"You've got questions."
Brook looked at him.
"About you?"
"Yes."
"Many."
Crowley sat.
"Ask."
Brook was surprised.
"You're actually going to answer?"
"Some."
Brook smiled.
"Of course."
He thought for a moment.
"How old are you?"
Crowley stared at him.
"That's your first question?"
"Yes."
Crowley sighed.
"Old enough."
"That's not an answer."
"It wasn't meant to be."
Brook laughed.
"Fine."
He looked at Crowley.
"Why did you leave your kingdom?"
Crowley stared into the darkness.
"Because I realized I couldn't protect everyone."
Brook waited.
Crowley continued.
"When I was younger, I thought being powerful meant you could prevent suffering."
"And?"
"And I learned that power doesn't work that way."
"People still die."
"Yes."
"Even if you're strong enough to stop it?"
"Sometimes."
Brook thought about Mercer.
"That's what happened with the Watchmen."
Crowley nodded.
"Yes."
Brook looked at him.
"You could have saved them."
Crowley didn't answer.
Brook's voice became quieter.
"Could you?"
Crowley looked toward the road.
"Not all of them."
"Some?"
"Maybe."
Brook's jaw tightened.
"Then why didn't you?"
Crowley looked at him.
"Because if I had unleashed what I used to be…"
He paused.
"…you wouldn't have been standing here."
Brook stared at him.
"What does that mean?"
Crowley stood.
"It means there are parts of me that should stay buried."
Brook rose.
"That's exactly what people say before something terrible happens."
Crowley smiled.
"Maybe."
Then he walked away.
Brook watched him disappear.
He was beginning to realize something.
Crowley wasn't hiding his past because he was ashamed.
He was hiding it because he was afraid of what would happen if anyone saw the whole truth.
The next morning, they continued north.
Blackhaven was now only five days away.
But the landscape had changed.
The trees became twisted.
The sky remained dark despite the sun being high.
Elias stopped.
"Don't go farther."
Brook frowned.
"Why?"
Elias pointed ahead.
The road disappeared into a field covered in black grass.
"Dead zone."
Henry looked at him.
"What does that mean?"
"Magic doesn't behave normally there."
Sera frowned.
"How?"
"Spells can change."
"People can hallucinate."
"Sometimes memories become confused."
Brook looked at the field.
"Then we go around."
Elias nodded.
"Three extra days."
Brook sighed.
"Fine."
They turned east.
For several hours, nothing happened.
Then Brook stopped.
"Wait."
Everyone looked at him.
"What?"
Brook looked toward the forest.
"I heard something."
Crowley immediately drew his sword.
"Where?"
Brook pointed.
"There."
Nothing moved.
Then a voice came from the trees.
"Brook."
He froze.
His father's voice.
Again.
Sera looked at him.
"Did you hear that?"
Brook nodded.
Crowley stepped forward.
"Don't follow it."
The voice came again.
"Brook."
"Help me."
Brook's breathing changed.
His father.
Alive.
Calling for him.
He stepped forward.
Crowley grabbed him.
"Don't."
"Let go."
"No."
"My father is there."
"You don't know that."
"I heard him."
"So did I."
Brook looked at him.
Crowley's expression was grim.
"It's not him."
The voice came again.
This time it sounded exactly like Brook's mother.
"Brook…"
He froze.
Crowley tightened his grip.
"Look at me."
Brook did.
"Whatever that thing is…"
Crowley said quietly.
"…it knows what you want."
The voice became louder.
"Brook!"
He closed his eyes.
The Source beneath his skin burned.
The forest shifted.
For a moment, Brook saw his mother standing between the trees.
She was smiling.
She looked exactly as he remembered.
"Mom…"
He took a step.
Crowley slapped him.
Brook stumbled backward.
"What the hell?"
Crowley grabbed his shoulders.
"Stay here."
Brook stared at him.
"You hit me."
"Yes."
"You actually hit me."
"You're welcome."
Brook was furious.
Then he looked back toward the forest.
His mother was gone.
Only trees remained.
Brook's anger disappeared.
He understood.
Crowley had saved him.
Again.
That night, Brook sat alone.
His father's compass rested in his hand.
The needle wasn't pointing north.
It was pointing directly toward the forest they had just left.
Brook frowned.
He turned the compass.
The needle moved.
He turned again.
It followed the same direction.
Brook stood.
Crowley appeared behind him.
"You noticed."
Brook turned.
"This compass isn't normal."
"No."
"What does it do?"
Crowley looked at it.
"It doesn't point north."
"Then what?"
Crowley stared toward the dark forest.
"It points toward what you're looking for."
Brook's heart stopped.
"My parents?"
Crowley nodded.
"Possibly."
Brook looked down at the compass.
The needle trembled.
Then settled.
North.
Toward Blackhaven.
Brook smiled.
"We're going the right way."
Crowley looked toward the horizon.
"Maybe."
Brook frowned.
"What's wrong?"
Crowley didn't answer.
Far in the distance, beyond the trees, a faint red glow appeared in the sky.
Then another.
Then dozens.
Crowley slowly reached for his sword.
Henry woke.
Sera stood.
Elias came out of the shelter.
Everyone looked north.
The glow grew brighter.
Elias whispered:
"Blackhaven."
Brook stared.
"That's Blackhaven?"
Elias shook his head.
"No."
His face had gone pale.
"That's a warning."
Crowley looked at Brook.
"We're too late."
Brook tightened his grip around his sword.
"Then we stop wasting time."
The five began moving north.
Behind them, the forest remained silent.
Ahead…
the sky burned red.
And somewhere beyond the horizon, something was waiting for them.
End of Chapter 42