THE BLACKTHORN CODEX
Episode 39 — Shadowwalk
November 17, 1945 — 12:40 AM
The Guardian watched every movement. This test would not end until he determined if they could survive both the shadows and themselves.
The ruins still smoked from the recent bombardments. Each step made the rubble crunch beneath their feet, each breath seemed swallowed by the surrounding chaos. Clarisse and Léandre moved forward, the Codex floating between them, casting a green glow that cut through the darkness of the night.
"The ghosts…" Clarisse murmured, clutching the Codex. "They move as if time itself had possessed them."
"They are the echoes the Guardian created," Léandre replied. "They won't let us pass."
Benjamin Borax, still at a distance but present in their minds, guided their movements:
"Ignore them, focus on the Codex. The shadows can do nothing against those who advance without fear," he murmured.
An explosion shook the collapsed buildings. Ghostly silhouettes of Japanese soldiers appeared, their faces indistinct, their clawed hands as if they wanted to grab them. Clarisse focused the entity's energy within her, but Benjamin intervened from a distance, reinforcing their protective barrier:
"Now!" Borax yelled in their minds. "Form a circle, channel your strength, and advance!"
The bomb shrapnel and shadows were repelled by a green halo that erupted around them, but the Codex vibrated impatiently, as if the ordeal were about to intensify.
They reached the collapsed building that served as a landmark. Inside, a spiral staircase led to a dark basement. The Codex projected a downward light, signaling the next step.
"We continue," said Leander. "Each floor is a potential trap."
"Yes... and the Guardian is still watching us," replied Clarisse. "I can feel it."
Shadows formed on each step of the staircase: ghosts of soldiers, frightened civilians, and twisted shapes that Clarisse's entity seemed to recognize. The Codex vibrated more strongly, as if it wanted to absorb them or project them further. Benjamin Borax murmured an incantation from a distance, causing protective glyphs to appear around them, slowing the onslaught of illusions.
"We must pass... and keep our minds clear," said Borax. "The shadow tests your souls."
Once in the basement, they discovered an ancient, abandoned Buddhist shrine, half destroyed by bombing. Statues were broken, but the air vibrated with a familiar energy. The Codex rose in the center, like a magnet, and cast a circle of light around them.
"This is where the Guardian wants to see your choice," Leander murmured. "Every test so far was only preparation."
Clarisse closed her eyes, feeling the entity within her shift, hesitate, and Borax mentally guided her breathing and concentration:
"You must decide. Total fusion or measured control. The Codex will tell you your next destination if you succeed."
The Guardian finally appeared, this time tangible, its red eyes blazing in the gloom of the sanctuary. It approached slowly, weighing their every move. The green barrier of the Codex flickered. Each step was a silent duel between will and power.
"We cannot back down," Clarisse murmured.
"No…" Leander replied. "It's now or never."
And as the Guardian raised his hand to test their final limit, the Codex vibrated violently, ready to propel them towards the next test, where time and space would bend again, to continue testing their courage and mastery of shadow.