THE BLACKTHORN CODEX
Episode 30 — The Guide to the Depths
November 16, 2023 — 3:12 PM
Léandre exchanged a worried look with Clarisse. The third altar wasn't just waiting for them. It was already preparing its trap.
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The old man stood motionless in the middle of the alley, his veiled eyes seeming to probe Clarisse and Léandre beyond their faces. The wind lifted the hem of his coat, revealing a bony hand marked with ancient scars.
"You won't go down alone," he said hoarsely. "The silence down there devours faster than death."
Clarisse approached cautiously.
"Who are you?"
A cold smile touched the old man's lips.
"They call me those-who-return. But no name is necessary." What matters is the path.
3:20 PM — Entrance to the Catacombs
He led them to a rusty iron door, hidden behind a stone wall near Denfert-Rochereau. The passage wasn't an official entrance, but a forgotten breach, carved into the stone. The old man took out a twisted key, forged from tarnished metal, and slipped it into the lock.
A sinister creak echoed, as if the metal itself refused to open. Then the door gave way.
An icy breath escaped from the darkness.
"The third altar is there," he said simply. "But know this: every step through this labyrinth will be a step toward yourselves. The catacombs reflect not the stone, but the soul."
3:30 PM — First Level
The lit torches cast their flames onto walls covered with skulls. The empty eye sockets seemed to be watching, eternal witnesses to the living who dared to cross this threshold. Clarisse shuddered. Every bone seemed to whisper her name.
"Leander... they're watching us."
"No," he replied, clutching the Codex. "They're watching what we carry."
The old man walked ahead of them, his steps steady despite the darkness. At times, he murmured inaudible prayers, as if trying to soothe the walls themselves.
3:45 PM — The Crossroads of Shadows
They reached a vast circular room where several tunnels intersected. In the center, a broken slab bore faded engravings. The Codex began to vibrate violently. Leander opened it: a page was writing itself.
"Here was taken the oath of the gaze. He who advances will never be alone: a thousand eyes will follow his steps, even in the dark."
Clarisse placed a hand on the stone. A dull warmth rose from the slab, then a crack slowly opened. A greenish glow escaped, and heavy breathing filled the room.
The old man stepped back, his features tense.
"The third altar is awakening. You have crossed its threshold."
Leander clutched the Codex to him.
"Then we can no longer retreat."
And in the silence of the catacombs, the aligned skulls seemed to smile, as if the dead themselves were awaiting the coming ritual.