THE BLACKTHORN CODEX
Episode 34 — The Secret of the Deep
November 16, 2023 — 6:12 PM
And as they placed their hands on the altar, a green fissure opened in its center, sucking in the energy from the room. The Guardian stepped back, his red eyes flickering like flames, but this time, he could no longer stop them.
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The green fissure in the center of the third altar opened completely, revealing a passage that seemed to descend infinitely into darkness. The air was thick, laden with a metallic scent and an ancient breath, as if the stone itself had been holding its breath for centuries.
Clarisse took a deep breath. "It's… immense." "Yes," Leander replied. "But it's not just the size. It's what's inside."
They descended cautiously, the Codex illuminating their path. Each step echoed ominously. Murmurs, indistinct but persistent, seemed to move around them. The entity within Clarisse shuddered, but she remained silent, focused.
After what seemed like an eternity, they reached a vast underground chamber. The walls were covered with ancient frescoes: rituals, sacrifices, beings whose features were distorted by a power beyond human understanding. In the center, a pedestal stood, adorned with dark gems, absorbing the light around it.
"This is it," said Leander. "The origin. The ultimate secret."
Clarisse approached the pedestal. She felt a familiar energy, the one that had guided their path since the first altar. The altar was not only a place of power: it was a catalyst, a focal point for all entities connected with the shadows.
"What we do here," Leander said determinedly, "will decide the balance of everything that has been awakened so far."
Clarisse placed her hand on the pedestal. An intense green light burst forth, filling the room. The frescoes seemed to come to life, showing the cycle of altars: the Old Masters, human sacrifices, and… a version of herself merged with the entity, controlling or freeing the shadow depending on the choice it made.
"I… I sense it wants to act alone," Clarisse murmured. "Then we must synchronize," Leander said. "The Codex will guide us, but you decide whether the entity will be a tool or a weapon."
The room shook. The walls vibrated, fragments of stone fell to the floor. The Guardian, still at the entrance to the passage, watched without moving, his red eyes burning with curiosity and threat.
"He can't intervene directly here," Leander said. "But every second counts."
Clarisse focused all her energy, merging her will with that of the entity. The green light intensified, the Codex echoed like a beating heart in the darkness. The frescoes projected a final vision: a final choice, clear and brutal, that would determine the destiny of the altar and all those who had been bound to it.
"This is the moment," Leander murmured. "The moment to reveal the truth."
And with a blinding flash, the fusion of Clarisse, the Codex, and the entity was complete. The room of the third altar would never be the same again.