CHAPTER 5: THE FIVE-POINT CODEX

THE FIVE-POINT CODEX

The forest was silent.

Kevin stood in the middle of the clearing, staring at the Codex floating beside him. Five points. He couldn't take his eyes off it.

The crimson glow around the black cover slowly faded until only a faint light remained. He reached out, and the Codex drifted closer. When his fingers touched the cover, a strange warmth ran through his hand.

He flinched. "What are you?"

No answer.

Of course not. It was a Codex, not a person.

Kevin almost laughed. "Right. I'm talking to a book."

A loud growl cut him off.

The creature was getting back up. Its body cracked as it pushed itself off the ground.

"I thought that explosion finished you."

The creature roared.

Kevin raised his hand, and the Codex opened. Its pages started turning fast.

"Wait..."

A strange symbol lit up on one page. Energy gathered around his palm, and he pointed it at the creature on instinct.

"Go!"

A burst of crimson energy shot from his hand.

BOOM!

The creature was thrown backward. Kevin stared at his palm. He had done that. He had actually done it.

A smile spread across his face. "I did it."

The creature stood up again.

His smile vanished. "...Or maybe not."

It charged. The pages turned and a second symbol appeared, but Kevin didn't understand it. The creature swung, and he ducked. The attack missed him by inches. He rolled across the ground and scrambled to his feet.

"Think!"

He looked at the symbols. He didn't recognise any of them. He had spent years studying magic. He knew the basic principles, the attributes, how spells were formed. But this was different. The energy inside the Codex felt heavier and deeper than anything he had ever touched. Almost ancient.

The creature attacked again. Kevin jumped aside.

CRASH!

The ground shattered where he'd been standing. He stumbled and wiped blood from his cheek.

"Okay... maybe I don't need to understand it yet." He raised his hand. "I just need to survive."

The Codex opened.

"Give me something."

The pages stopped on one glowing symbol. He felt the energy gather.

"Now!"

A blade of crimson energy flew forward.

SLASH!

The creature's arm split open, and it staggered back, screaming. Kevin stared at the Codex.

"That actually worked."

Then the creature vanished.

"What?"

Kevin spun around. The clearing was empty. Nothing but trees.

Something moved behind him.

He turned too late. The creature slammed him into the ground.

BOOM!

Pain tore through his body. The Codex flew out of his reach.

"No!"

He stretched for it, and the creature grabbed him by the throat. His feet left the ground. He clawed at its arm, but the grip only tightened. He couldn't breathe. His vision started to fade.

Not again.

The Codex lay in the dirt, just out of reach. Kevin stretched out his hand.

"Come..." The word barely left his mouth. "...back."

Nothing.

The creature lifted him higher. His eyes began to close.

Then the Codex moved.

It rose slowly from the ground. Kevin's eyes opened. The five points began to glow, and the Codex shot toward him.

CRACK!

A wave of energy burst between Kevin and the creature and threw it across the clearing. Kevin dropped to his knees, gasping.

The Codex floated beside him.

"You came back."

It opened, and a new symbol appeared. Kevin felt the energy around him grow heavier.

The creature charged one last time.

Kevin stood. His legs were shaking and every part of him hurt. He was exhausted.

But he wasn't afraid anymore.

He raised his hand. The crimson energy gathered, the Codex blazed, and he looked straight at the creature.

"I'm not losing."

He released the spell.

BOOOOOM!

The whole clearing lit up. When the light faded, the creature was gone.

Kevin was still standing. Barely.

The Codex slowly closed. He looked down at his hands. For eighteen years he had believed there was something wrong with him. That he was weak. That his magic was useless. That everyone had been right.

But now he understood. He hadn't been empty.

Something had been waiting.

He looked at the Codex. Five points, a black cover, crimson light, and a power he didn't understand.

"I'm going to figure you out," he said.

Then he remembered the stranger.

He turned quickly. The young man was still lying near the trees. Kevin ran over and knelt beside him.

"Hey. Can you hear me?"

The stranger's eyes slowly opened. He looked at Kevin, then at the Codex, and his face changed at once.

Fear. Pure fear.

"What?" Kevin said.

The stranger tried to speak. His voice was weak. "Where... did you get that?"

"I don't know."

His eyes went wide. "You shouldn't have that."

Kevin frowned. "What does that mean?"

The stranger didn't answer. He kept staring at the five-point Codex like he'd seen something that should have stayed buried.

Then he whispered, "It's back."

Kevin went still. "What is?"

The stranger closed his eyes. "The..." His voice faded.

Kevin leaned closer. "The what?"

His eyes opened one last time. His lips moved.

"The... the..."

He never finished. His head fell to the side.

"Hey! Wake up!"

Kevin shook him gently, but the stranger had fainted.

The forest suddenly felt colder.

Kevin looked at the Codex. Five points. Crimson. Black.

It's back.

What had the man meant? What was back?

Slowly, he closed his hand around the Codex.

"What are you?"

It gave no answer.

And far beyond the borders of Valeris, something opened its eyes.