THE BLACK THORN CODEX
Episode 23 — The Signs of the First Altar
November 15, 2023 — 10:30 a.m.
The Marseille bridge was gradually returning to calm. The city still slept, unaware that its destiny had fallen into darkness. But Léandre and Clarisse now knew they were bound to this ancient power, bearers of forbidden knowledge and a terrible responsibility.
And in the silent heart of the First Altar, a gentle pulse continued, like a reminder that even sealed, the abyss was never completely conquered.
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The Marseille bridge seemed to have returned to normal. The sun filtered timidly through the arches, illuminating the damp stone. The river flowed at its usual pace, and the few passersby were unaware of the horror that had unfolded a few hours earlier.
Yet Leander and Clarisse knew that nothing had truly returned to normal. Fleeting shadows still danced at the periphery of their vision, whispers rose on the wind, too subtle for the inhabitants to hear. The Altar, though sealed, continued to vibrate gently, like a heart beating beneath stone.
Clarisse leaned against a pillar, breathing deeply. Her eyes had returned to a human color, but a dark fatigue lingered.
"I thought it would end with the ritual..." she murmured.
"We have contained the Chasm," Leander replied, "but it is not destroyed. Fragments remain, roots... and perhaps other altars, just as ancient."
Leander opened the Codex, quickly scanning its pages. A series of diagrams and cryptic notes described forgotten places, altars similar to the First, scattered across Europe and beyond. "Look at this…" he said, pointing to the inscriptions. "If one Altar is sealed, another can awaken. The masters of the ritual have disseminated their knowledge to ensure the continuity of their plan…"
Clarisse felt a shiver run down her spine.
"We must warn the others," she whispered. "But how can we find these altars before they awaken?"
The Codex seemed to implicitly answer this question. Its pages pulsed faintly, and one word echoed in Leander's mind:
> "Look for the nodes."
The morning wind carried the whisper away, but in their minds, it was clear: the nodes were the points where the altars had been created, scattered places of ancient power, ready to be awakened if the balance were ever upset.
The bridge, though seemingly calm, still bore the scars of the Chasm's opening. Leander and Clarisse understood that their role had only just begun: to protect the world from forces they were only just beginning to understand.
And as they left the bridge, the sunlight reflecting off the water seemed too bright, almost unreal. The shadow of the First Altar lingered, a reminder that victory was fragile and that the test of the Codex was only just beginning.