As dawn broke, the village was slowly coming to life. Birds chirped in the distance, and the villagers were starting their morning routines. Inside the dimly lit room, Kai, Lyra, and Arion sat in tense silence, the weight of their conversation from the previous night still lingering in the air.
Kai's eyes were fixed on the warding stone that Arion had placed beside the Codex. The stone's faint glow had dimmed, but its presence still unsettled him. He could feel the Codex's dark energy recoiling from it, as if the stone was suppressing its power just as Arion had said.
Lyra, however, was still on edge. She didn't trust Arion, and her gaze constantly flickered toward him, her hand resting on the hilt of her dagger. Kai could sense her unease, but he knew they couldn't afford to dismiss Arion's offer without at least hearing him out.
"So," Kai finally said, breaking the silence. "If what you say is true, and the Codex is more than just a source of power, then how do we stop it from consuming me? You said you could teach me, but what does that really mean?"
Arion leaned forward, his sharp eyes locking onto Kai's. "The Codex is ancient—far older than you realize. It was created to imprison entities of immense power, dark forces that seek to break free and spread chaos across the realms. Every time you draw on the Codex, you're not just using its power—you're weakening the prison that holds those forces."
Kai felt a chill run down his spine. "And what happens if the prison breaks?"
Arion's expression darkened. "If the prison breaks, the entities within will be unleashed upon the world. They will corrupt everything they touch, and nothing will be able to stop them. That's what happened to Tharun. He thought he could control the Codex, but in the end, it controlled him."
Lyra scoffed, crossing her arms. "And you expect us to believe that you know how to stop all this? That you just happened to show up at the right moment with all the answers?"
Arion didn't flinch at her hostility. "I don't have all the answers, but I do know how to slow the Codex's influence. The warding stone is one part of that. It can help suppress the Codex's power, giving you time to learn how to control it. But it's not a permanent solution. The only way to truly stop the Codex's corruption is to sever its connection to the entities it holds."
Kai frowned. "Sever the connection? How do we do that?"
Arion's gaze shifted to the Codex, his voice lowering. "The Codex is bound by ancient magic, magic that predates most of the knowledge we have today. To sever its connection, you'll need to find the original creators of the Codex—or what remains of them. They are the only ones who can help you break the bond before it consumes you entirely."
Lyra raised an eyebrow, her skepticism clear. "And where exactly do we find these 'creators'? Are they just conveniently waiting for us in the nearest town?"
Arion shook his head. "No. They exist in places hidden from the world—ancient ruins, forgotten temples, places where the Codex's power first took root. There are whispers of such places in the eastern mountains, far beyond the reach of most people. But they are not without danger. The closer you get to the source of the Codex's power, the more its influence will grow."
Kai leaned back, his mind racing. He had never expected that his journey with the Codex would lead him to such dangerous and ancient forces. He had thought that gaining the Codex's power would make him stronger, but now he realized that it was only bringing him closer to destruction.
"If we go after these creators," Kai said slowly, "we'll be walking into a trap, won't we? The Codex will fight back."
Arion nodded solemnly. "Yes. The Codex will try to stop you. It will test you, tempt you, and weaken you at every turn. But if you can resist its pull and make it to the heart of its creation, you might just have a chance to destroy it—or at the very least, to control it."
Lyra crossed the room to stand beside Kai, her arms still folded defensively. "This is all too convenient. You show up, tell us we need to go on some grand quest to stop an ancient evil, and we're just supposed to trust you? How do we know you're not leading us into a trap?"
Arion met her gaze steadily. "I don't expect you to trust me blindly. But I have no reason to deceive you. I've spent my life studying relics like the Codex, and I've seen firsthand what happens to those who fall under its spell. If you don't act now, Kai will become another Tharun—a puppet for the dark forces within the Codex. And when that happens, it won't just be Kai who suffers. The entire world will be at risk."
Lyra glanced at Kai, her expression softening slightly. She could see the weight of the decision in his eyes, the burden of responsibility that now rested on his shoulders. Despite her mistrust of Arion, she couldn't deny that something needed to be done.
"It's your call, Kai," Lyra said quietly. "But if we go down this path, there's no turning back. We'll be putting everything on the line."
Kai looked at the Codex, the dark symbols still glowing faintly on its cover. The power it offered was immense, but the cost was far greater than he had ever imagined. He thought about Tharun, the mercenaries, and the looming threat of the entities trapped within the Codex.
He had no choice.
"We'll go," Kai said, his voice firm. "If there's a chance to stop the Codex from consuming me—or anyone else—we have to take it. But we'll be careful. We won't trust anyone blindly."
Arion nodded in approval. "That's the right choice. I'll guide you as far as I can, but the journey will be dangerous. You'll need to be prepared for what's to come."
Lyra sighed, shaking her head slightly. "Well, I hope you know what you're doing, Kai. Because this is sounding more and more like a death sentence."
Kai offered her a weak smile. "You said it yourself, Lyra. We don't have much of a choice."
With that, the decision was made. As the morning sun rose higher in the sky, casting long shadows over the village, Kai, Lyra, and Arion began their preparations. The journey ahead would take them to the farthest corners of the land, to places where the Codex's dark power had first been born.
And with each step they took, Kai knew the Codex would be watching—waiting for its chance to strike.
End of Chapter 14