Villain's Last Chance
Chapter 36: Path of the Codex

Chapter 36: Path of the Codex

The Council’s decree still echoed in my mind, their voices lingering like ghosts in the hollow chambers of my thoughts. You must master the Codex, or you will not be strong enough to face what lies ahead. The words had settled into my bones, heavier than any burden I had carried before. It wasn’t a request—it was an ultimatum. And so, I had no choice but to leave.

I stood at the edge of the city, the weight of my decision pressing down on me. The sprawling expanse of the capital stretched behind me, its towering spires and winding streets now a world apart. This was my home, the place where I had grown into the woman I was today. Yet, I had to abandon it in search of something greater, something I didn’t yet understand.

Cairon stood beside me, his presence steady and unwavering. His dark cloak billowed slightly in the crisp night breeze, his expression unreadable as he watched me. He hadn’t questioned my decision—not truly. He knew as well as I did that there was no alternative. Still, I sensed the tension in his posture, the silent resistance in the way his fingers tightened around the reins of his horse.

"It won’t be easy," he said finally, his voice low. "Mastering the Codex isn’t just about knowledge. It’s about control. Understanding the power that lies within it."

I exhaled, my breath a soft cloud in the night air. "I know."

We had waited until nightfall to leave. It was safer that way. The fewer eyes on us, the fewer questions. There were those in the city who would not take kindly to my departure, who would see it as an act of betrayal or cowardice. But staying would have been the true mistake. I wasn’t ready—not yet—and I needed to be.

Cairon moved first, mounting his horse with practiced ease. He extended a hand to me, his dark eyes scanning my face. "Are you sure about this?"

I hesitated. Not because I doubted my choice, but because this was the moment of no return. Once I left, there would be no turning back. No safety net. No familiarity. Only the unknown.

But the Council was right. If I didn’t master the Codex, I would never be strong enough to change the fate that loomed ahead.

So, I took his hand.

The moment I was settled behind him, Cairon spurred the horse forward, and the city began to fade behind us. The streets grew quieter, the towering walls shrinking into the distance. The wind rushed against my skin, carrying the scent of damp earth and distant forests.

The night swallowed us whole.

---

We rode for hours, the city now nothing more than a distant memory behind us. The landscape shifted as we traveled further from civilization—cobblestone roads gave way to dirt paths, open fields turned into dense forests that loomed overhead like silent sentinels.

The Codex.

The very thing that had brought us here, that had uprooted my life once more. It wasn’t just a book of knowledge—it was something far more dangerous, something ancient and powerful, older than even the Council itself. It held secrets I had only begun to scratch the surface of, and I needed to master them before it was too late.

Cairon kept a steady pace, his silence both comforting and frustrating. I knew he was watching me, gauging my every reaction, waiting for me to falter. But I wouldn’t—not this time.

The first time I had held the Codex in my hands, I had felt it—an energy unlike anything I had known before. It was more than magic; it was alive. The pages pulsed with something ancient, something that whispered to me in a language I didn’t understand. And that terrified me.

"Where are we going?" I asked finally, breaking the silence.

"To the ruins," Cairon said simply. "There’s no safer place for you to train."

The ruins. I had heard whispers of them before, stories passed down through generations. A place untouched by time, hidden deep within the mountains. If the Codex had a place in this world where its power could be fully understood, it was there.

We traveled until dawn, stopping only when the horses needed rest. The sky had begun to shift from the deep blue of night to the soft hues of morning, streaks of gold and violet painting the horizon.

I dismounted, stretching my stiff limbs as I glanced around. We had stopped in a clearing, surrounded by towering trees and the soft murmurs of a nearby stream. Cairon tied the horses to a low branch before turning to me.

"Get some rest," he said. "We have a long way to go."

I shook my head. "I need to study the Codex."

"Elara—"

"No," I cut him off. "I don’t have time to waste. The Council didn’t send me away just to wander through the wilderness. They sent me because I’m not strong enough yet."

He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face before nodding. "Fine. But don’t push yourself too hard."

I sat down near the base of a tree, pulling the Codex from the satchel at my side. The leather was cool beneath my fingertips, the golden lettering gleaming even in the dim morning light. I hesitated before opening it, bracing myself for whatever lay within.

The moment my fingers brushed the pages, a surge of energy shot through me. My vision blurred, the world around me fading as the words on the page shifted, rearranging themselves into something unreadable. My chest tightened, my breath hitching as a voice—soft yet insistent—whispered in the back of my mind.

You are not ready.

I gasped, my grip tightening on the book as the energy pulsed through me, foreign yet familiar. The pages burned against my skin, but I refused to let go. I couldn’t.

"Elara!"

Cairon’s voice was distant, but I could feel him beside me, shaking me, trying to pull me away. But I couldn’t let go. The Codex wasn’t just testing me—it was speaking to me. Calling me.

I forced myself to breathe, to focus. My fingers trembled as I willed the energy to settle, to bend to my will rather than consume me.

And slowly, the whispers faded.

When I finally pulled away, my heart was hammering in my chest, sweat dampening my brow. I looked up to find Cairon watching me, concern etched into every line of his face.

"What the hell was that?" he demanded.

I swallowed hard, my fingers still trembling as I traced the edges of the Codex. "It’s awake."

His brows furrowed. "What do you mean, awake?"

I exhaled shakily. "The Codex isn’t just a book, Cairon. It’s alive. And it’s watching me."

A heavy silence settled between us. He didn’t speak, but I could see the weight of my words sinking in. Whatever I was dealing with, it wasn’t something to be taken lightly. And this was only the beginning.

I clenched my fists, determination hardening my resolve. No matter what it takes, I will master the Codex.

Because if I didn’t—I wouldn’t survive what was coming next.

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