Chapter 196 — The Earth Vessel
Brook woke before sunrise.
He hadn't slept well.
The fourth mark had remained on his arm for most of the night.
Every time he closed his eyes, he could feel something moving toward him.
Not quickly.
Not threateningly.
Just—
closer.
Brook sat up.
The mark was still there.
He stared at it.
"Okay."
Nothing answered.
He waited.
Still nothing.
Brook sighed.
"Worth trying."
Then the ground beneath his bed moved.
Brook froze.
A tiny crack appeared across the floor.
Grass pushed through it.
Brook slowly looked down.
The grass bent toward the door.
Brook stood.
"Of course."
He found the others already awake.
Crowley stood outside with his arms crossed.
Sera was practicing Word magic near one of the walls.
Henry sat beside her.
Charon had formed a tiny bird on his shoulder.
The bird kept pecking Henry's head.
"Stop."
Peck.
Henry sighed.
"Charon."
Peck.
Crowley looked at him.
"You're losing to a bird."
"He isn't a bird."
Charon proudly said:
"Bird."
Henry stared at him.
Crowley smiled.
"I like him."
Henry looked at Brook.
"Please kill him."
Crowley looked offended.
"You can't."
Henry sighed.
"Unfortunately."
Brook stopped beside them.
Crowley noticed his expression.
"What?"
Brook looked toward the distant road.
"Someone's coming."
Henry's smile disappeared.
Sera stopped practicing.
Crowley looked toward the horizon.
"Silvet?"
Brook shook his head.
"No."
"How do you know?"
Brook looked down at the fourth mark.
"I just do."
Crowley sighed.
"That is not an answer."
Brook started walking.
"It'll have to be."
The guards of Asteria were already moving.
Word had spread.
Someone was approaching.
Queen Hebe stood near the gate.
Brook joined her.
Hebe looked at him.
"Friend?"
Brook watched the road.
"I don't know."
"Enemy?"
"I don't know."
Hebe sighed.
Brook glanced at her.
"Sorry."
"I wasn't expecting a better answer."
Crowley smiled.
"I like her."
Hebe ignored him.
Then—
the ground moved.
Not violently.
The guards immediately raised their weapons.
Brook didn't.
The earth beneath his feet felt calm.
Grass slowly grew along the road outside Asteria.
The grass continued.
Farther.
Farther.
Until it disappeared beyond the horizon.
Brook's fourth mark burned.
Everyone stared.
A figure appeared.
Walking alone.
Slowly.
The guards prepared.
Sera raised her hand.
Henry stood behind Brook.
Charon moved from his shoulder.
It began spreading over Henry's arm.
Crowley watched.
The figure stopped.
They were too far away for Brook to see clearly.
Then—
the ground rose.
A stone lifted beneath the figure.
They stepped forward.
And the Earth carried them.
Brook's eyes widened.
The figure moved closer.
Not teleporting.
Not flying.
The ground itself was moving beneath their feet.
Henry whispered:
"Okay."
Crowley looked at him.
"That's new."
The figure reached the gates.
Then stopped.
Brook finally saw them clearly.
A young woman.
Or—
Brook frowned.
No.
Something about her appearance kept changing.
Her face wasn't moving.
But Brook couldn't decide how old she was.
One moment she looked young.
The next—
older.
Not physically changing.
His mind simply couldn't hold one image.
The woman looked at him.
Brook's fourth mark exploded with pain.
He dropped to one knee.
"Brook!"
Sera rushed forward.
Brook raised his hand.
"Wait."
The woman looked down at him.
Her arm was covered by cloth.
Then—
she pulled it back.
A symbol appeared.
A mark.
Brook's fourth mark.
Not identical.
Connected.
Everyone became silent.
Brook slowly stood.
"You."
The woman nodded.
"Yes."
Brook stared.
"You've been following me."
"No."
Her voice was calm.
"Then why are you here?"
She looked toward the ground.
"Because we were both called."
Brook looked down.
The grass beneath his feet was growing.
The woman took a step forward.
Every guard immediately raised their weapons.
She stopped.
Brook didn't move.
"Who are you?"
The woman looked directly at him.
For the first time—
her face stopped confusing him.
She looked completely human.
"Tala."
Brook waited.
"That it?"
Tala tilted her head.
"What else do you need?"
Henry whispered:
"I like her."
Sera looked at him.
Henry immediately looked away.
Brook stepped forward.
"You're the Earth Vessel."
Tala's expression changed.
"Vessel?"
Crowley stepped closer.
"That wasn't the name you were hoping for?"
Tala looked toward him.
"I don't know what that means."
Brook frowned.
"You control the Earth."
"No."
The ground beneath them moved.
Everyone stepped backward.
Except Brook.
Tala looked down.
"The Earth controls itself."
Brook stared.
"That's not an answer."
"It is."
Crowley immediately whispered:
"She's going to fit in perfectly."
Brook ignored him.
Tala looked toward Brook's arm.
"You carry it."
Brook looked down.
"The Earth Source."
Tala nodded.
"It should have been yours first."
Everyone became quiet.
Brook looked at her.
"What?"
Tala stepped closer.
Crowley immediately moved.
Hellfire appeared in his hand.
Tala looked at him.
The fire disappeared.
Crowley froze.
Henry stared.
Sera raised her hand.
"Stop."
Tala looked at her.
Sera's spell didn't activate.
Sera frowned.
Crowley tried to summon Hellfire again.
Nothing.
Tala looked at them.
"Don't."
Brook stared.
The ground beneath Crowley's feet rose.
Just slightly.
Enough to make him lose balance.
Crowley caught himself.
Tala looked toward Brook.
"You don't need them."
Brook's expression changed.
Crowley immediately stood.
"What did you say?"
Brook raised his hand.
Crowley stopped.
Tala looked at him.
"They cannot protect you from what is coming."
Brook's fourth mark burned.
"What is coming?"
Tala remained silent.
Brook stepped forward.
"Answer me."
Tala looked at him.
"You have seen it."
Brook's expression changed.
The vision.
Him.
Older.
Blood on his hands.
Bodies surrounding him.
Brook's voice became quieter.
"That wasn't me."
Tala didn't answer.
Brook stepped closer.
"That wasn't me."
The Earth trembled.
Tala looked toward the ground.
"The Earth does not predict."
Brook froze.
"It remembers."
Silence.
Henry looked between them.
Crowley stopped smiling.
Brook stared at Tala.
"What does that mean?"
She looked back at him.
"The future has happened before."
Nobody spoke.
Brook's mind went blank.
The words felt impossible.
Tala continued.
"Not exactly."
Brook clenched his fist.
"Then explain it."
Tala looked toward him.
"Later."
Brook stared.
Crowley laughed.
Brook turned.
"Don't."
Crowley raised both hands.
"Sorry."
He wasn't sorry.
Tala entered Asteria.
Queen Hebe had objected.
Brook had eventually convinced her.
That hadn't gone well.
But the Earth reacted every time Tala moved farther away.
Brook's mark burned.
Tala stopped.
Brook's pain stopped.
Tala walked.
The pain returned.
Eventually—
Hebe gave up.
"Fine."
Brook looked relieved.
Hebe pointed at Tala.
"But if she destroys anything—"
Tala looked around.
"The stone is already damaged."
Hebe stared.
Crowley immediately turned away to hide his smile.
Sera covered her mouth.
Brook sighed.
Henry whispered:
"I really like her."
Sera elbowed him.
Inside the palace—
Tala stood before the others.
Brook remained across from her.
"What do you know about me?"
Tala looked at him.
"Not enough."
"Helpful."
"Honest."
Brook sighed.
She looked at his marks.
"Three of them should never have awakened before the fourth."
Brook folded his arms.
"Yeah. I know."
Tala looked surprised.
"Who told you?"
"Crowley."
Tala looked toward him.
Crowley smiled.
"I occasionally have useful information."
Tala ignored him.
"The Earth Source was supposed to stabilize you."
Brook's expression changed.
"Stabilize me?"
"Yes."
Tala walked toward him.
Brook's body tensed.
Tala stopped.
"The other Sources are not natural."
Brook stared.
"What?"
"They exist beyond the Earth."
She touched her own mark.
"This one belongs here."
Brook's fourth mark burned.
"The Earth should have prepared you."
"For what?"
Tala looked at him.
"Everything else."
Silence.
Brook looked down.
Michael.
Lucifer.
Death.
Three beings inside him.
Three Sources.
All activated before the Earth.
And now—
the Earth was trying to catch up.
Tala's expression became serious.
"You were never supposed to fight all three inside yourself."
Brook remembered the crystals.
The battle.
The final test.
He looked at her.
"Then why did I?"
Tala was silent.
Brook immediately noticed.
"You know."
"No."
"Tala."
"I know something."
Brook waited.
Tala looked toward the floor.
"The Earth felt you before you were ready."
Brook's expression changed.
"What?"
"Something happened."
Brook stepped closer.
"What happened?"
Tala looked directly at him.
"I don't know."
Brook stared.
Crowley sighed.
"Of course."
That night—
Brook stood outside Asteria.
Tala joined him.
Neither spoke for several minutes.
Then Brook asked:
"Why did you come?"
Tala looked toward the sky.
"The Earth wanted me here."
"That isn't enough."
Tala looked toward him.
"Isn't it?"
Brook sighed.
"No."
Tala smiled slightly.
For the first time—
she looked completely normal.
"You're afraid."
Brook looked at her.
"No."
Tala looked at his arm.
"The mark hurts when I leave."
Brook didn't answer.
"You're afraid because you need something."
Brook stared.
"And?"
"You don't like needing things."
Brook looked away.
Tala continued.
"The Earth is not asking you to trust me."
Brook frowned.
"What?"
"It is asking you to meet me."
Brook looked toward her.
"And what happens now?"
Tala looked toward the horizon.
"The Earth waits."
Brook followed her gaze.
The ground trembled.
Far away—
something moved beneath the Earth.
Not approaching.
Not yet.
But waking.
Tala's expression changed.
Brook noticed.
"What?"
Tala looked at him.
For the first time since arriving—
she looked afraid.
"We are too late."
Brook's fourth mark exploded with pain.
The ground beneath Asteria cracked.
The city shook.
People screamed.
Brook stumbled.
Tala grabbed his arm.
The Earth calmed.
But the words remained.
Too late.
Brook looked toward her.
"What are we too late for?"
Tala stared toward the darkness beyond Asteria.
And whispered:
"The Earth remembers."
End of Chapter 196