Chapter 158 — Brook
Henry ran.
He did not know where he was going.
The tunnels twisted around him.
Every turn looked the same.
Broken stone.
Ancient walls.
Darkness.
But he kept moving.
Because Michael had told him to.
And Henry did not know what terrified him more.
The fact that Michael had spoken to him—
or the fact that Lucifer had agreed.
Behind him—
something exploded.
Henry stopped.
The entire underground world shook.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
A second impact followed.
Then a third.
Henry turned.
"Brook?"
Nothing answered.
Then a roar tore through the tunnels.
Not the Morkr.
Brook.
Henry's face went pale.
He started running back.
Brook appeared above the Morkr.
His body was already moving.
The moment he arrived—
his foot came down.
The Morkr twisted.
Brook's heel shattered the stone where its head had been.
The creature lunged.
Brook disappeared.
Devil's Instincts.
The Morkr's claws passed through empty air.
Brook appeared behind it.
His fist struck its spine.
The Morkr was launched forward.
Brook vanished.
Appeared.
Strike.
The creature hit the wall.
Brook vanished again.
The Morkr turned.
Brook was gone.
It looked left.
Right.
Above.
Nothing.
Then Brook appeared directly in front of it.
The Morkr stopped.
Brook's eyes stared into its empty face.
For a moment—
neither moved.
Then the Morkr smiled.
Brook's head tilted.
"You're not him."
The creature laughed.
Silvet's voice travelled through it.
"No."
Brook's fingers curled.
"But he serves me."
Brook disappeared.
The Morkr turned.
Brook's fist struck its jaw.
The impact broke the creature's neck.
It hit the ground.
Brook appeared above it.
The Morkr moved.
Brook disappeared.
A claw cut through the space where his chest had been.
Brook appeared beside it.
His knee struck.
The Morkr's ribs cracked.
Brook vanished.
The creature turned again.
Brook appeared.
Elbow.
Teleport.
Palm.
Teleport.
Knee.
The Morkr could no longer react.
It was being hunted.
Inside Brook—
Michael watched.
Brook.
No response.
Lucifer was silent.
Death watched Brook's lifeline.
The crack had spread.
Not across his body.
Across something deeper.
Brook teleported again.
The Morkr's body hit another wall.
Brook.
Michael's voice became louder.
Still—
nothing.
Lucifer finally spoke.
He's not listening.
Michael answered immediately.
Then make him.
Lucifer went quiet.
For once—
there was no amusement.
Brook appeared behind the Morkr.
The creature was barely standing.
Black fluid leaked from its body.
It turned slowly.
Silvet's voice came again.
"You are becoming interesting."
Brook stopped.
The Morkr smiled.
"I wondered how long it would take."
Brook's eyes narrowed.
"How long what would take?"
The Morkr laughed.
"For you to stop pretending."
Brook disappeared.
The Morkr's smile remained.
Brook appeared behind it.
His hand closed around its head.
The creature struggled.
Brook's grip tightened.
Silvet's voice remained calm.
"The Maker will be pleased."
Everything stopped.
Brook froze.
The Morkr smiled.
"There it is."
Brook's eyes moved.
Slowly.
"What?"
"That anger."
Brook's grip tightened.
The Morkr's body began to crack.
"Use it."
Brook stared.
"Lose yourself."
Michael's voice exploded through Brook.
NO.
Brook's body went still.
The Morkr laughed.
Lucifer spoke.
Quiet.
Don't listen to it.
Brook's fingers trembled.
The Morkr whispered:
"You already are."
Brook screamed.
The entire chamber exploded.
Henry felt it.
He fell.
Stone collapsed around him.
The Ectoplasm surged across his body.
Protecting him from the falling debris.
Henry pushed himself upward.
"Brook!"
Then—
Brook appeared in front of him.
Henry froze.
Brook was breathing heavily.
Blood covered him.
One arm was broken.
His clothes were torn apart.
Henry looked at him.
"Brook?"
Brook didn't answer.
Henry stepped forward.
The Ectoplasm reacted.
It pulled back.
Away from Brook.
Henry stopped.
His stomach dropped.
The Ectoplasm was afraid.
"Brook."
Brook slowly raised his head.
Henry saw him.
His eyes.
Still Brook's.
But distant.
Like Brook was somewhere behind them.
Watching.
Trying to get back.
Henry swallowed.
"We have to go."
Brook stared at him.
Henry took another step.
"Brook, it's me."
Brook tilted his head.
The movement was slow.
Unnatural.
Henry's heart began pounding.
"Henry."
Henry exhaled.
"Yes."
Brook blinked.
Once.
His face changed.
Confusion.
"Why…"
Brook looked around.
Then back at Henry.
"Why are you afraid?"
Henry couldn't answer.
Brook looked down.
At his hands.
Blood.
His own.
Azael's.
The Morkr's.
Brook stared at it.
Then laughed.
Henry took a step backward.
Brook's laughter stopped.
His head slowly lifted.
"I don't remember."
Henry's face went white.
"What?"
Brook looked around the chamber.
"I was…"
His eyes narrowed.
"I was fighting."
Henry didn't move.
Brook touched his head.
Then stopped.
"Azael."
His voice sounded distant.
"Where is Azael?"
Henry looked toward the darkness.
Brook's body tensed.
Henry saw it.
"No."
Brook disappeared.
Henry shouted:
"BROOK!"
Brook appeared again.
Ten feet away.
Henry froze.
Brook's Devil's Instincts had moved him.
There had been no attack.
No danger.
But Brook had teleported anyway.
Brook stared at Henry.
His breathing became faster.
"I didn't do that."
Henry said nothing.
Brook disappeared.
Henry turned.
Brook stood behind him.
"Brook."
Brook stepped backward.
His expression changed.
Fear.
Real fear.
"I didn't tell myself to move."
Michael spoke.
You must stop.
Brook froze.
Henry stared at him.
Brook slowly looked upward.
"Michael."
The voice did not respond.
Brook's eyes moved.
"Lucifer?"
Silence.
Then Lucifer spoke.
We're here.
Brook closed his eyes.
Death remained silent.
Brook felt the lifelines.
Henry.
The distant groups.
Azael.
The Morkr.
And—
his own.
Brook looked down.
The crack was no longer a crack.
His lifeline was splitting.
Henry whispered:
"What is it?"
Brook looked at him.
"I don't know."
For the first time—
Brook sounded afraid.
Then the Morkr moved.
Far away.
Brook's head snapped toward it.
Henry grabbed him.
"Don't."
Brook looked at Henry's hand.
Then toward the darkness.
His body trembled.
Henry saw him fighting.
Not physically.
Internally.
Brook took a step toward the darkness.
Then stopped.
Henry tightened his grip.
"Stay here."
Brook looked at him.
For a second—
Henry saw the Brook he knew.
"I'm trying."
The Morkr roared.
Brook disappeared.
Henry's hand closed around empty air.
Brook appeared before the Morkr.
His fist was already moving.
The creature raised its arms.
Brook's strike stopped.
One inch from its face.
Brook's entire body shook.
The Morkr smiled.
Silvet's voice came through it.
"Fight."
Brook screamed.
His fist struck the creature.
The Morkr was thrown backward.
Brook appeared beside it.
Strike.
Teleport.
Strike.
Teleport.
Strike.
Each time—
Brook screamed.
Not in anger.
In resistance.
"STOP!"
The Morkr struck.
Brook vanished.
"I SAID STOP!"
Brook appeared above it.
The Morkr raised its claws.
Brook's body moved.
Devil's Instincts.
But this time—
Brook fought the movement.
His body tried to strike.
Brook stopped himself.
The Morkr smiled.
"You cannot control it anymore."
Brook's hand struck.
The Morkr's chest collapsed.
Brook froze.
His eyes widened.
He had not meant to do that.
The Morkr fell.
Brook stepped backward.
Then his body moved.
He disappeared.
Reappeared.
The Morkr tried crawling away.
Brook appeared in front of it.
Henry finally reached the chamber.
"BROOK!"
Brook stopped.
The Morkr lay beneath him.
Helpless.
Broken.
Henry stared at Brook.
"Don't."
Brook didn't move.
Silvet's voice whispered.
"Do it."
Brook's fingers closed.
Michael spoke.
Brook.
Lucifer spoke.
Listen to Henry.
Death showed Brook something.
His lifeline.
Henry's.
Sera's.
Crowley's.
Shoyo's.
Rick's.
Everyone.
Brook saw the people waiting for him.
Brook's hand began to lower.
Henry took a step forward.
"Come back."
Brook looked at him.
His face twisted.
For one moment—
Brook came back.
"I…"
His voice broke.
Henry smiled.
"Yeah."
Brook looked at his hand.
Then suddenly—
the Morkr moved.
Brook's Devil's Instincts reacted.
Brook vanished.
The Morkr's attack missed.
Brook appeared behind it.
His hand went through its chest.
The creature stopped.
Henry froze.
Brook stared at his own arm.
The Morkr looked down.
Black fluid began spreading across Brook's hand.
Then the creature collapsed.
Silence.
Brook slowly pulled his arm free.
The black fluid remained.
Crawling across his skin.
Henry whispered:
"Brook."
Brook didn't look at him.
The black fluid spread farther.
Then—
Brook smiled.
Henry stopped breathing.
Brook's smile slowly disappeared.
His head turned toward Henry.
"Henry."
The voice sounded normal.
Henry didn't move.
"Brook?"
Brook looked confused.
"Why are you crying?"
Henry touched his face.
He hadn't realized.
Brook stepped toward him.
Henry stepped backward.
Brook stopped.
His expression changed.
Something inside him understood.
Henry was afraid.
Of him.
Brook looked down.
His body.
His hands.
The blood.
The black fluid.
The broken arm.
Brook whispered:
"What did I do?"
Michael answered.
You fought.
Brook's eyes narrowed.
Lucifer remained silent.
Brook shook his head.
"No."
Death showed him fragments.
Azael.
The Morkr.
Henry.
The attacks.
The moments Brook could not remember.
Brook's knees weakened.
Henry stepped toward him.
Brook suddenly teleported away.
Henry spun.
Brook stood against the wall.
Far away.
His back pressed against the stone.
"Don't come closer."
Henry stopped.
"Brook."
Brook covered his face with one hand.
His voice trembled.
"I can't…"
His body disappeared.
Reappeared.
Disappeared.
Reappeared.
Each teleportation became more uncontrolled.
Henry ran toward him.
"BROOK!"
Brook appeared above him.
Henry looked up.
Brook vanished.
Appeared behind him.
Then—
everything stopped.
Brook stood in the middle of the chamber.
Completely still.
Henry slowly turned toward him.
"Brook?"
Brook lowered his head.
Michael whispered:
He's still here.
Lucifer answered:
Barely.
Death showed nothing.
No warning.
No future.
Nothing.
Brook slowly raised his head.
Henry looked into his eyes.
And realized—
Brook was looking at him.
But he wasn't seeing him.
Henry whispered:
"Brook?"
Brook smiled.
Not cruelly.
Not happily.
Empty.
Then he spoke.
"Who?"
End of Chapter 158