THE BLACKTHORN CODEX
Episode 20 — The Roots of the Chasm
> The wind rushed beneath the bridge, carrying the whispers of swallowed souls, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still. The Altar, motionless but alive, waited.
And in the distance, the city of Marseille continued to sleep, unaware that its destiny had just changed forever.
November 15, 2023 — 7:15 AM
The Marseille bridge was silent, but the silence was heavy, almost tangible. The Altar of the Chasm pulsed beneath the surface, a dark energy that seemed to want to spread throughout the entire city. Clarisse, still on her knees, breathed with difficulty. Her green eyes reflected the gaping crack in the Altar, and each breath she took seemed to fuel the black light emanating from it.
Leander knelt beside her, the Codex open on his knees. The pages pulsed like a living heart, revealing symbols only he could read.
> "The Altar is ancient," he murmured, his fingers gliding over the parchment. "It was forged by forgotten priests, masters of the boundary between life and death. It is not simply a portal... it is an anchor. A root that plunges into the world of shadows."
Clarisse trembled, her hands still bound to the Altar's energy. The entity within her seethed, trying to regain control. Leander placed his hand on her shoulder, feeling the shadow bristle beneath his palm.
"It wants... it wants to spread," Clarisse murmured, her voice choked.
"I know..." Leander replied. "We must contain it before it affects the entire city."
A dull vibration ran across the bridge. The ancient stones creaked. From the ground emerged black roots, thin but strong, twisting like snakes, trying to sink into the river and cross the city walls.
Leander understood that each root was a fragment of the Altar, an anchor for the entity. Cutting them wouldn't be enough. The original connection had to be severed.
> "The Altar was built on a node of ancient memory," he explained, his eyes fixed on the runes shining through the cracks. "We must find the heart... or all will be lost."
Clarisse, despite the possession, nodded. She knew that her own existence now served as an amplifier. Every beat of her heart pulsed the Altar's energy.
"So... let's go now," she said with an effort.
"Yes... but stay focused. Don't let it possess you completely."
The wind rushed beneath the bridge. The black roots moved like serpents in unison. The entity screamed silently through Clarisse, an inner roar that made every stone tremble.
Leander opened the Codex and recited an ancient incantation, forgotten by all but the masters of the book. The black light of the Altar flickered, as if hesitating. Clarisse felt the entity's grip loosen, even slightly. A tiny crack opened in her consciousness.
"Just a moment..." Leander murmured, her hands trembling. "Just a moment..."
The crack in the Altar had not yet diminished, but the black light flickered for the first time since she had awakened. And in that fragile breath, Leander saw a possibility: contain the Altar... or die trying.
Slowly but surely, they began their struggle. The Altar wouldn't budge, but Leander and Clarisse had found their starting point.
And in the bowels of the city, the first roots that had emerged began to retreat, hesitant, as if waiting to see who would control this place now marked by the Codex and its secrets.