THE BLACKTHORN CODEX
Episode 35 — Echoes of Choice
November 16, 2023 — 7:10 PM
"The moment has come," murmured Leander. "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.
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The green light, the result of the fusion of Clarisse, the Codex, and the entity, gradually faded, leaving behind a heavy, vibrant silence. The room of the third altar seemed to breathe, as if every stone now contained a living memory of what had just happened.
Clarisse knelt, panting, feeling her body exhausted by the energy exerted. The entity, instead of overwhelming her, remained in the background, as if it had accepted the control of her will.
"We did it," Leander murmured. "But… at what cost?"
The ancient frescoes, now frozen, revealed a new image: Clarisse balancing the entity, while streams of shadows retreated from the previous altars. The Guardian of the Catacombs, still at the entrance, stepped back slightly, as if impressed by the mastery of the energy.
"He recognizes… your strength," Leander said. "But he won't leave. He waits. Always."
A vibration ran through the Codex. The pages rewrote themselves, inscribing new instructions, runes of protection, and warnings. Clarisse knew this was not the end, but a turning point.
"What will happen now?" Clarisse asked. "The altar… and everything it contains," Leander said, "are partially revealed to us. But secrets still remain. Forces that will awaken if we do not remain vigilant."
The walls of the room seemed to breathe, fleeting shadows dancing around them. The Guardian, his red eyes still shining, gave them one last silent warning before disappearing into the shadows.
"He will return," the old man murmured. "Every altar has its guardian. And every guardian... knows the truth about those who cross its thresholds."
8:00 PM
Clarisse and Léandre stood up, the Codex in their hands, their bodies tired but their minds awake. The altar, though extinguished for the moment, still vibrated slightly, like a heart beating beneath stone.
"We have passed the worst," said Léandre. "But the world... and the Codex... will never be the same." "We have chosen," replied Clarisse. "And now we must live with that choice."
A breath rippled through the room. The green light disappeared forever, leaving a peaceful gloom, yet charged with potential. The altar, the Guardian, and the catacombs had recorded their names in the history of darkness and shadows.
"Will we leave here... unharmed?" Clarisse asked. "Never again," Leander replied. "But we're together, and that's what matters."
And as they left the room of the third altar, the echo of their passage resonated through the catacombs, like a warning to those who would one day follow in their footsteps.