THE BLACKTHORN CODEX
Episode 24 — The Map of Knots
November 15, 2023 — 12:15 PM
The bridge, though seemingly calm, still bore the scars of the opening of the Chasm. Léandre and Clarisse understood that their role had only just begun: to protect the world from forces they were only 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 Codex's test had only just begun.
---
Léandre and Clarisse left the bridge of Marseille, the Codex clutched to them like a fragile talisman. The city seemed to have returned to normal, but every glance, every breath reminded them of the fragility of this illusion.
In a secluded room in Leander's apartment, they spread the Codex out on the table. The pages trembled, casting shifting shadows on the walls. Leander slowly turned the pages, discovering ancient diagrams, tangled symbols, and notations written in forgotten languages.
"It's... a map," Clarisse murmured, her voice still weak. "A map of the nodes."
Leander nodded. The altars weren't isolated; they formed an invisible network, connected by a force even the Codex couldn't fully explain.
"Each altar is a point of power. If they awaken, the fragments of the First Altar can grow stronger," he said. "We must find them before that happens."
They began tracing the paths, following the clues in the Codex. The places seemed innocuous: an ancient cloister in Spain, an abandoned well in the Carpathian Mountains, a forgotten crypt in southern Italy. But each bore the mark of the masters of the ritual, the creators of the altars.
Clarisse placed a hand on the Codex, feeling the residual vibrations of the First Altar.
"They wanted... someone to follow this map. Someone... to protect this knowledge."
"Yes," Leander replied. "And we are that someone."
As they studied the pages, the Codex cast shifting shadows, revealing tiny figures, like ghosts: the guardians of the knowledge, those who had created the altars and whose shadows persisted through the centuries. Leander felt their presence, ancient and imposing, a reminder that every decision made could have irreversible consequences.
"We are not alone," Leander said, his voice low. And some of these guardians... may not wish us well.
Clarisse squeezed Léandre's hand, aware that their path would be fraught with danger.
"Then... let's begin. Every knot found is a chance to contain the shadow. Every extinguished altar is a victory."
The Codex vibrated faintly, as if to approve their decision. The first journey would take them far from Marseille, across Europe, in the footsteps of the ritual masters and the still-active altars. But already, a shiver ran through their bodies: the knowledge of the ancients carried within it a latent danger, and each step toward the altars risked awakening forces far more powerful than anything they had faced so far.
And as they left the room, sunlight fell on the open Codex, casting shadows on the wall that already seemed to be spreading, announcing that their quest was only just beginning.