Chapter 190 — The Unexpected Mark
Silvet had been searching for the Book of the Future for longer than anyone knew.
Not a book.
Not an object.
A person.
Someone whose dreams carried pieces of what had not yet happened.
He had searched kingdoms.
Shinokunis.
Ruins that no longer appeared on maps.
He had followed prophecies that ended in silence.
He had questioned people who believed they knew the future.
Most of them were wrong.
Some were lying.
Others had simply dreamed.
But Silvet knew the difference.
The real Book of the Future existed.
And he intended to find them.
Then—
Brook arrived in Asteria.
Silvet felt it.
He had been nowhere near Asteria.
Far beyond its borders, Silvet stopped walking.
His expression changed.
Something had entered the Shinokuni.
Something familiar.
Brook.
Silvet slowly looked toward the distant horizon.
"Asteria."
He had not expected Brook to travel there.
That alone wasn't important.
What interested him—
was what came with him.
A presence.
Something Silvet could not immediately identify.
For the first time in a long time—
information did not immediately come to him.
Silvet stood still.
Listening.
Searching.
Nothing.
Then he smiled.
"Interesting."
He changed direction.
And began traveling toward Asteria.
Days later—
Silvet stood beyond the borders of the new Shinokuni.
He looked toward the distant walls.
Asteria.
He had never been here.
Not once.
He studied the structure from a distance.
The name interested him.
Asteria.
Falling stars.
Night.
Prophecy.
Divination.
Silvet's expression changed slightly.
"Appropriate."
But he did not yet know why.
He stepped forward.
Inside the palace—
Brook suddenly stopped.
Henry looked toward him.
"What?"
Brook looked around.
Sera noticed immediately.
"What is it?"
Brook remained quiet.
Crowley entered the room.
Then stopped.
Brook looked toward him.
"You feel that?"
Crowley's expression hardened.
"Unfortunately."
Sera looked between them.
"Feel what?"
Brook walked toward the window.
Outside—
Asteria continued normally.
People moved through the streets.
Guards stood along the walls.
Nothing looked different.
But Brook's instincts had changed.
Something was wrong.
Not dangerous.
Not yet.
But—
familiar.
Brook's expression darkened.
"Silvet."
Crowley immediately walked toward him.
"You're sure?"
Brook nodded.
"I don't know how."
Crowley looked toward the window.
"But I know."
Sera prepared a spell.
Henry stood.
Charon appeared from behind his shoulder.
"Fight?"
Henry looked at him.
"Maybe."
Charon became larger.
Henry immediately pointed at him.
"Not too big."
Charon paused.
Then became slightly smaller.
Henry nodded.
"Good."
Brook looked toward the door.
"We find him."
Crowley smiled slightly.
"Finally."
Sera sighed.
"Why do you always sound happy when something terrible happens?"
Crowley walked past her.
"Because it's more fun."
They found him outside Asteria.
Brook knew where to go.
He didn't know how.
His instincts simply pulled him beyond the city walls.
The others followed.
Crowley complained the entire time.
Henry complained that Crowley was complaining.
Sera threatened both of them.
Charon repeated random words.
By the time they reached the forest—
Brook stopped.
"Here."
Crowley looked around.
"There is nothing here."
Brook didn't respond.
He stepped forward.
A branch moved.
Then—
Silvet stepped from behind a tree.
Henry immediately raised his weapon.
Sera raised her hand.
Crowley smiled.
Silvet looked at him.
"Still alive."
Crowley frowned.
"Disappointed?"
Silvet looked toward Brook.
"I wasn't speaking to you."
Crowley stepped forward.
Sera grabbed his arm.
"Don't."
Crowley looked offended.
"Why?"
"Because you always make things worse."
"I don't."
Brook didn't take his eyes off Silvet.
"What are you doing here?"
Silvet looked around the forest.
"Exploring."
Brook frowned.
"Bullshit."
Silvet smiled.
"That's new."
"What?"
"You've become more confident."
Brook stepped closer.
Silvet watched him carefully.
Then—
he looked around.
Brook noticed.
"What are you looking for?"
Silvet's eyes returned to him.
"Something."
Crowley stepped forward.
"Specific."
Silvet smiled.
"I would tell you if I knew where it was."
Brook narrowed his eyes.
Silvet's answer sounded strange.
Honest.
Too honest.
Silvet walked past them.
Crowley immediately moved.
Silvet stopped.
Crowley's hand was already glowing.
"You're not walking into Asteria."
Silvet looked toward the city.
"Why?"
Crowley stared.
"Because I said so."
Silvet smiled.
"Excellent reasoning."
Crowley raised his hand.
Silvet sighed.
"Fine."
He looked toward Brook.
"I didn't come for your city."
Brook didn't move.
"Then why did you come?"
Silvet looked directly at him.
"Because you did."
Silence.
Henry looked toward Brook.
Brook stared at Silvet.
"Me?"
Silvet nodded.
"When you entered Asteria, something changed."
Brook's expression tightened.
"What?"
"I came here to find out."
Brook slowly raised his arm.
Silvet's eyes moved toward it.
Nothing.
The fourth mark was gone.
Silvet frowned slightly.
Brook noticed.
"What?"
Silvet didn't answer.
Instead, he stepped closer.
Crowley moved.
Silvet stopped.
"Relax."
Crowley's expression remained cold.
Silvet looked back at Brook.
"You've changed."
Brook folded his arms.
"Yeah. That happens when people try to kill you."
Silvet smiled.
"That isn't what I meant."
Brook attacked first.
Silvet had barely finished speaking.
Brook moved.
His fist came toward Silvet's face.
Silvet stepped aside.
Brook continued.
Another strike.
Silvet blocked.
Brook twisted.
His elbow moved toward Silvet's ribs.
Silvet moved back.
Crowley watched carefully.
Brook was faster.
Different.
Silvet noticed.
"You're learning."
Brook attacked again.
Silvet avoided the strike.
Brook's body moved on instinct.
A source surged.
The air cracked.
Silvet blocked Brook's next attack with one hand.
Brook pushed.
Silvet's feet slid backward.
Then—
Brook's arm burned.
Silvet's expression changed.
Brook froze.
The fourth mark appeared.
For a moment—
everything became silent.
Silvet stared.
The confidence disappeared from his face.
His eyes widened.
Brook looked at his arm.
The mark was glowing.
Crowley stared.
Sera stopped breathing.
Henry whispered:
"What is that?"
Silvet took one step backward.
Brook looked at him.
"What?"
Silvet didn't answer.
Brook stepped forward.
The mark burned brighter.
Silvet's eyes remained fixed on it.
"No."
Brook attacked.
Silvet blocked.
But he wasn't watching Brook anymore.
He was watching the mark.
Brook attacked again.
Silvet moved backward.
"What is it?"
Brook demanded.
Silvet finally looked at him.
His voice was different.
Quiet.
"That wasn't supposed to happen."
Brook stopped.
"What?"
Silvet stared at the mark.
"That isn't what I was told."
Brook's expression hardened.
"By who?"
Silvet's silence answered the question.
Brook's eyes widened.
"The Maker."
Silvet didn't deny it.
Brook moved toward him.
Silvet stepped backward.
Brook grabbed his collar.
Silvet looked down at Brook's hand.
Then back at him.
"What did he tell you?"
Silvet's eyes returned to the mark.
For the first time—
Silvet looked genuinely uncertain.
Not afraid of Brook.
Not yet.
Afraid of what Brook represented.
Silvet quietly said:
"This changes things."
Brook tightened his grip.
"Answer me."
Silvet disappeared.
Brook's hand closed around nothing.
Silvet appeared several feet away.
A dark opening formed behind him.
Brook immediately moved.
Silvet raised one hand.
Brook stopped.
Not because of a physical force.
Because Silvet spoke.
"Brook."
Brook looked at him.
Silvet's calm expression had returned.
Almost.
"I was told many things about you."
Brook waited.
Silvet looked toward the fourth mark.
"But not that."
The mark began fading.
Silvet stepped backward.
"Enjoy Asteria."
Then he disappeared.
The dark opening vanished.
Brook remained silent.
Crowley walked toward him.
"You're going to tell me what that was."
Brook looked at his arm.
The mark was gone.
"I don't know."
Crowley frowned.
"That is becoming your favorite answer."
Brook looked toward where Silvet disappeared.
Sera stepped closer.
"Silvet knew something."
Brook nodded.
"Yeah."
Henry looked between them.
"He mentioned someone telling him."
Brook looked toward Henry.
"The Maker."
Silence.
Charon appeared.
"Maker?"
Henry looked toward him.
"Yeah."
Charon became quiet.
Brook noticed.
"What's wrong?"
Charon slowly disappeared behind Henry.
Henry looked toward the empty air.
"Charon?"
Nothing.
For the first time since gaining his free will—
Charon seemed afraid.
Far from Asteria—
Silvet stood alone.
His journey had ended.
For now.
He looked down at his own hand.
Then slowly clenched it.
The fourth mark.
That symbol should not have existed.
Not yet.
Not according to what he had been told.
Silvet looked toward the sky.
His expression became serious.
"I need answers."
The world around him disappeared.
Silvet stepped into darkness.
A place without roads.
Without time.
Without distance.
Ahead—
something existed.
A structure.
There was no ground beneath it.
Yet it stood.
There was no light.
Yet Silvet could see it.
He stopped before the entrance.
For the first time in a very long time—
Silvet hesitated.
Then—
the doors opened.
He entered.
The darkness closed behind him.
Back in Asteria—
Brook sat alone that night.
He stared at his arm.
Michael.
Lucifer.
Death.
Three marks.
Then—
the faintest sign of a fourth appeared.
Brook immediately looked at it.
The symbol began forming.
Then stopped.
Brook clenched his teeth.
"Who are you?"
Nothing.
He waited.
Then—
the floor beneath his feet trembled.
A small crack appeared.
Brook looked down.
Grass pushed through the stone.
The fourth mark disappeared.
Brook slowly looked toward the grass.
Somewhere—
someone was getting closer.
And now—
Silvet was going to the one person who might understand why.
The Maker.
End of Chapter 190