The revelation that the Philosopher's Stone is a fragment of Mortivax's essence leaves Damian, Nerrisa and Linda thinking. Damian's determination to turn his curse into a weapon is inspiring but dangerous. Nerrisa and Linda agree that if they are to stop Mortivax, they need to uncover more about his nature, the Philosopher's Stone, and the ancient seal. An idea popped up in Linda's head, she looks at Damian and Nerrisa with a smile on her face, filled with curiosity at what and why is she smiling, they asked her what she was thinking about and then she suggests consulting the Codex Mortivax, an ancient tome said to detail Mortivax's creation, imprisonment, and ultimate purpose. After sharing the good news, there was also a bad news.
Nerrisa recalls that the Codex is hidden within the Labyrinth of Mortivax, an ever-shifting maze deep beneath the mansion. Created by Damian's ancestors, it was designed to keep the Codex hidden from anyone seeking Mortivax's power. But however Nerrisa never knew it was connected to mortivax until now. entering the labyrinth comes with its risks, its traps are alive, carrying out mortivax's will and it has claimed countless lives.
Damian ,Nerrisa and Linda prepares for the little adventure beneath the mansion, knowing that Damian's worsening corruption will make him vulnerable in the labyrinth. They arm themselves with alchemical tools, spells, and protective charms crafted from their earlier trials. Before entering, Damian performs a brief meditation, channeling the Philosopher's Stone to stabilize himself, but this was only transient.
The entrance to the labyrinth lies in the mansion's lowest dungeon. They walked down for hours, going down a never ending stairs. When the group unlocks it, they are greeted by a swirling portal of dark mist and eerie whispers. As they step inside, they find themselves in a sprawling maze with shifting walls, dimly lit by ghostly blue torches.
The labyrinth plays on their minds, conjuring illusions of their deepest desires to lead them astray.
Damian sees himself free from the Philosopher's Stone, living a normal life with Nerrisa and Linda in peace, he sees the mansion more lively and full of nature's blessings.but these things were nothing but a mere illusion.
Nerrisa envisions her family alive, celebrating her as a renowned alchemist.
Linda sees herself as a hero, having erased all her past failures.
Already falling deep into this world of illusions, they began to realize that it was all fake. Realizing the illusions' false nature, Damian, Nerrisa and Linda fights to reject the lies. Damian uses the Philosopher's Stone to cast a revealing light, shattering the illusions, but the effort takes a negative turn on his body. After successfully escaping the grasp of unending illusion and Desires the group encounters shadowy doppelgängers of themselves, representing the worst parts of their personalities.
Shadow Damian taunts him for relying on the Stone's power and gives him a lucid image at his inevitable corruption.
Shadow Nerrisa mocks her fears of failure, calling her a burden to Damian, telling her it's hee fault that Damian is in more mess and that Damian will surely meet his end one way or another.
Shadow Linda accuses her of being reckless and unworthy of her abilities.
The group must confront these shadowy versions, countering their taunts with their determination and trust in each other. They destroy the doppelgängers by channeling their unity into a combined alchemical attack, but there struggle and battles is far from over. In the labyrinth's heart, they face a monstrous alchemical construct, a Sentinel Chimera. It's a fusion of stone, metal, and dark energy, crafted as the ultimate guardian of the Codex Mortivax. The creature is nearly impervious to physical attacks, and its roars disrupt alchemical incantations.
Linda uses her Pendant of Aetherial Binding to weaken its magical defenses, Nerrisa moves into action, she crafts a quick explosive compound to damage its core. Damian also joins in, in the fight. Damian, despite his pain, uses the Philosopher's Stone to amplify the others' attacks.
After hours of restless battling with this monstrosity, the Sentinel Chimera collapses, revealing a pedestal with the Codex Mortivax resting on top it. The Codex is bound in blackened leather, its cover engraved with glowing red sigils. When Damian touches it, the Philosopher's Stone reacts violently, emitting bursts of energy. Nerrisa and Linda manage to stabilize him, but the Codex opens itself, revealing an ominous prophecy:
"The Stone's wielder and the Dark One are bound as one. To end Mortivax, the wielder must sever his own soul."
These words strikes fear in the heart of the group. shaken but relentless , Linda speculates that there might be another way to stop Mortivax without sacrificing Damian, but the Codex's warning weighs heavily on all of them.
As they attempt to leave the labyrinth, it begins to collapse, Mortivax's essence rejecting their theft of the Codex. Now they must navigate a series of traps and collapsing walls. Damian uses the Stone to hold the labyrinth together long enough for them to escape, but the corruption spreads further through his body, leaving him barely conscious, Linda and Nerrisa drag's him back to the mansions main chambers.
Back in the safety of the mansion, the group begins deciphering the Codex. They discover a lead on an ancient alchemical ritual that might sever Mortivax's influence from Damian without destroying him, but the ritual requires a powerful artifact: the Heart of the Aether, said to be hidden in the ruins of an ancient alchemical civilization.
Damian, though weak, declares:
"If the Heart of the Aether is what we need, then that's where we're going. We've come too far to let Mortivax win now."
As Damian finishes speaking, a sudden tremor shakes the mansion. Shadows flicker unnaturally across the walls, and an ominous voice echoes through the chamber, filled with malice:
"You cannot outrun me, nor sever what is eternal."
The group exchanges uneasy glances, realizing Mortivax's influence is far st
ronger than they feared.