Episode 43 — Selerion: The Sunken World
November 17, 1945 — 5:50 AM
> They held hands, preparing for the unknown, as the green light of the Codex enveloped them, propelling them toward their next test.
The Codex still pulsed between Clarisse and Leander, their green light illuminating the floating ruins of the suspended temple. The Guardian, invisible but omnipresent, watched their mastery of shadow with a silent smile.
Suddenly, an icy blast pierced space. The Codex vibrated violently, and a flying wizard, a black, floating silhouette, emerged from the void. His red eyes glowed like embers, and he held a wand engraved with ancient runes.
"You thought this would be it?" the wizard hissed.
Before Clarisse and Léandre could react, he reached out his hand, and a wave of evil energy engulfed them. The world blurred, the suspended buildings melted into a green mist, and they were teleported to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, where light never penetrated.
Around them, the icy black water enveloped them. Immense, tentacled abyssal creatures emerged from the darkness, their luminescent eyes staring at intruders. Their whispers echoed like forgotten incantations.
"This is... hell," Léandre murmured, his voice trembling.
"No... it's an even worse world," Clarisse said. The Codex calls it Selerion.
Thousands of kilometers away, at the monastery in Japan in 2023, Benjamin Borax felt their distress. With a silent gesture, he multiplied, his multiple forms traversing time and space, until he appeared beside Clarisse and Léandre on the ocean floor.
"You won't be alone here," he murmured.
As soon as he merged with them, a new energy flowed through them. They felt superhuman strength, their bodies light as the wind, capable of flying underwater, their muscles and reflexes heightened tenfold. The entity within Clarisse seemed to calm down, now responding to their combined will.
"We can... defend ourselves," Clarisse said, her eyes sparkling.
The Guardian, behind the flying sorcerer, watched silently, curious to see how their powers would evolve.
The sorcerers of Selerion emerged around them, marine fighters practicing mixed martial arts, combining ancient techniques with supernatural powers. Léandre and Clarisse had to face several opponents simultaneously, using their new abilities for the first time:
Fire: Project liquid flames to burn abyssal creatures.
Ice: Freeze water around enemies to immobilize them.
Volcano: Create explosions and jets of underwater magma.
Lightning and Electrocution: Paralyze hostile sorcerers.
Appearance and Vanishing: Teleport a short distance to dodge.
Mental Power: Disrupt the weak minds of sorcerers, gaining temporary control.
Despite the hostility and pressure of the water, they were able to repel the first attacks, combining their powers and strategy. Borax, at their side, guided every move, correcting the trajectory of their attacks and anticipating the spells of the Guardian and the flying sorcerer.
"We have to find the exit..." said Léandre, panting.
"And survive..." Clarisse added.
The Codex floated above them, drawing luminescent glyphs that indicated a path to the surface... or to another of the Guardian's traps.
The world of Selerion looked like a living hell, but merging with Borax and mastering their new powers gave them a glimmer of hope: that they could resist the shadow, the Guardian, and the sorcerers, while searching for a way to escape this abysmal disaster.