THE BLACKTHORN CODEX
Episode 45 — Masters of the Abyss
November 17, 1945 — 8:10 AM
The fight temporarily ended, the sorcerers stepping back to watch, intrigued by Clarisse and Leander's newfound mastery. But everyone knew this was only the beginning of a series of clashes. Selerion would not be easily dominated.
The Codex, now shining like a beacon in the abyssal darkness, pointed a direction to deeper ruins, where the most powerful sorcerers awaited and Selerion's true essence could be revealed to them.
The black water of Selerion rippled around them like a living creature. The abyssal sorcerers watched them, motionless, their eyes glittering with unreal colors. Clarisse and Léandre floated, fused with Borax, feeling the energy of the ocean and the vibrating Codex in their hands.
"Get ready, Léandre... they're not like the others," Clarisse murmured.
The first sorcerer appeared, projecting a tornado of flaming water, a column of incandescent liquid swirling around him. The heat and pressure made every movement difficult. Clarisse raised her hands and, fused with Borax, created an underwater volcanic shield, absorbing the attack and sending bursts of lava against the sorcerer.
Léandre, taking advantage of the distraction, combined lightning and teleportation, striking the sorcerer from behind with a jet of swirling lightning. The sorcerer screamed, his illusory doubles dissipating in blue smoke.
Two other sorcerers attacked simultaneously:
One projected instantaneous columns of ice, trapping the water currents and partially immobilizing Clarisse.
The other sent out a network of underwater lightning, transforming the water around them into an electrified labyrinth.
Clarisse, with a precise gesture, combined fire + ice, forming swirling spheres that melted the ice columns and deflected the lightning toward her enemies. Léandre unleashed a volcano + apparition/vanish, striking several sorcerers at once, leaving trails of magma that dissipated into black smoke.
A more powerful sorcerer surfaced, controlling the local gravity and pushing them toward the bottom. Their bodies, fused with Borax, became light as the wind, allowing them to fly underwater and dodge attacks.
Every punch, every projection of power was a deadly ballet:
Clarisse's underwater blast, which projected rotating bubbles of magma, creating a vortex that sucked in a wizard and their doubles.
Leander's spiral electrocution, striking three enemies simultaneously and temporarily paralyzing their psychic powers.
A combined mental wave, amplified by Borax, shattered the illusions generated by the wizards and revealed their true positions.
The Codex floated above them, etching luminous runes into the water, amplifying their coordination. The wizards, understanding their increased power, adopted more strategic attacks:
Dual attacks combining lightning and ice tornadoes.
Creating psychic doubles capable of copying their powers.
Distorting the space around them to cause collisions and disorient their movements.
Clarisse and Léandre managed to dodge and counterattack by perfecting their fusion:
Léandre concentrated lightning into a single column, capable of striking multiple targets in succession.
Clarisse manipulated fire and ice simultaneously, creating columns that exploded into a thousand shards, blinding their enemies.
Together, they could project illusioned doubles, confusing even the most experienced sorcerers.
After an intense assault, the sorcerers stepped back slightly, intrigued and respectful. Clarisse and Léandre, panting, observed their surroundings: ancient ruins, broken columns, and floating glyphs, all vibrating to the rhythm of their attacks and those of the sorcerers.
— "Each sorcerer has their own rhythm... but we're beginning to understand their strengths and weaknesses," said Léandre.
— "Yes... and if we keep fighting like this, we'll soon be able to think of a plan to return to our time," replied Clarisse.
The Codex pulsed intensely. A gigantic stone door appeared in the distance, in the center of a field of dark energy. The sorcerers instinctively protected it. Clarisse and Léandre understood: this passage led to the heart of Selerion, where the true masters awaited them, and where they would face the ultimate test of this abyssal dimension.
The battle was far from over. But for the first time, they felt a glimmer of hope, the conviction that their mastery of these powers, combined with Borax, could allow them to survive and progress in this hellish world.