THE BLACKTHORN CODEX
Episode 46 — The Storm of Reflections
November 17, 1945 — 9:30 AM
The Codex emitted an intense pulse. 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.
The heart of Selerion was an ocean of shadows and reflections. The black water rippled to the rhythm of invisible incantations. Every movement of Clarisse and Léandre created ripples of light in the Codex, illuminating the abyssal cavern where the sorcerers waited, silent and motionless.
Suddenly, psychic doubles appeared around them, perfect replicas capable of reproducing their powers: fire, ice, volcano, lightning, explosion, and even appearance/disappearance. Each double advanced with its own awareness, anticipating their attacks and disrupting their fusion with Borax.
"They're testing us..." Léandre murmured, his eyes scanning the moving forms.
"Yes... and we must understand them to surpass them," Clarisse replied.
The first double launched a swirling jet of ice, freezing the water around Clarisse and partially immobilizing her. Léandre reacted instantly, combining lightning and teleportation, striking the double in the side and scattering it into fragments of electric light.
Another duplicate emerged from the shadows, summoning an underwater volcanic explosion, sending debris and columns of liquid lava flying. Clarisse created a shield of fire and ice, absorbing the blast and redirecting the shards against multiple enemies simultaneously.
The duplicates multiplied, each illusion adopting a different tactic:
One attacked with spiraling lightning, aiming to paralyze them simultaneously.
Another used apparition/vanish, striking by surprise and vanishing before they could react.
A third harnessed mental power, projecting visions of fear and loss in an attempt to break their concentration.
Borax amplified their fusion, creating a perfect synchronization: Clarisse and Léandre could anticipate attacks and respond with combinations of elemental powers.
Clarisse unleashed a torrent of icy fire: flames that burned and froze simultaneously, disrupting the duplicates and preventing them from forming a coordinated network.
Leander used Volcano + Electrocution, striking the scattered duplicates and neutralizing their illusions in a split second.
The fight transformed into an underwater ballet, where every explosion of magma, every column of ice, and every lightning bolt illuminated the abyssal darkness. The psychic duplicates dispersed and returned, learning from each attack and adapting their strategy.
"They understand our movements..." Leander said, panting.
"Then we must create new patterns," Clarisse replied, concentrating.
Together, they combined Volcano + Lightning + Teleportation, striking several duplicates simultaneously and sending shockwaves through Selerion. The duplicates shattered into fragments of iridescent light, but others immediately appeared, ever more numerous.
Borax projected an extension of his consciousness to analyze each duplicate and reveal their essence. Clarisse and Leander were finally able to discern Selerion's true face behind the illusions: a matrix of spells, a network of sorcerers using telepathy and projection to create an infinite army.
"This is no longer a physical fight," Clarisse murmured.
"It's a duel of perception and mental mastery," Leander added.
For the first time, they managed to pinpoint the source of the duplicates: a dark sphere floating in the center of the cavern, radiating hypnotic energy. The sorcerers could no longer hide behind their illusions, and Clarisse and Léandre concentrated all their powers:
Fire and ice spiraling, creating a destructive vortex around the sphere.
Volcano + teleportation, simultaneously striking all corners of the sphere.
Electrocution and explosion, neutralizing the duplicates' energy.
Mental power, disrupting Selerion's mind and weakening the illusion matrix.
The sphere shattered into a thousand fragments of black light, and the psychic duplicates dissipated. The sorcerers, realizing their vulnerability, retreated into the depths of Selerion, leaving Clarisse and Léandre to catch their breath.
"We've figured out their strategies..." said Léandre. —"And now we can consider the plan to return to our time..." Clarisse murmured.
The Codex floated above them, shining more brightly than ever, as if to signal the next challenge: the heart of Selerion and its ultimate masters.