Rosaline lay on the bed, her breathing steady as she drifted into sleep, while Celestia sat motionless in the chair, lost in thought. Hours passed. The weight of the system's message clung to her mind, a relentless presence gnawing at her resolve. She barely noticed time slipping away, her body still, her thoughts spiraling deeper into the abyss of uncertainty.
Then, without warning, the room was consumed by a blinding light.
The Codex of S̶o̶l̶a̶r̶a̶ pulsed with an eerie glow, the golden radiance twisting unnaturally as it expanded outward. Celestia's vision blurred, her breath catching in her throat before her eyes fluttered shut. When they opened again—
She was elsewhere.
A realm beyond time itself, where the remnants of past and future intertwined. The sky churned with shifting hues, civilizations rising and crumbling in an eternal cycle. And before her stood—herself.
But different.
This Celestia radiated something darker, something untethered from restraint. Her smirk was edged with cruelty, black hair, crimson eyes sharp with an unsettling gleam. She moved without sound, her presence suffocating yet enthralling, an overwhelming force that sent a shiver down Celestia's spine.
Then—she vanished.
Only to reappear an instant later, whispering at her ear.
"Destroy them."
The voice slithered into Celestia's mind like silk and steel, wrapping around her very essence.
"Burn the forest. Take what you desire. That is the only truth in this world—power is seized, not given."
Celestia turned, but before she could react, a shadow loomed overhead.
A massive dragon descended from the heavens, its form shifting between ethereal and real, its obsidian scales rippling with power. It watched her, its glowing eyes void of mercy. And then—just as quickly—it disappeared, fading into the endless sky as if it had never existed.
The other Celestia stepped closer, her fingers tracing the air between them, eyes glinting with amusement.
"All that's holding you back are meaningless attachments. Morals. Principles." Her voice dropped lower, dripping with venomous persuasion. "Let them go. Embrace what you were meant to be and what you want... deep down."
A sudden, deafening heartbeat pounded in Celestia's ears. The air grew heavy, suffocating. Her breath hitched.
The figure's hand shot forward.
Cold fingers pierced Celestia's chest—her body convulsed as pain unlike anything she had ever felt flooded her senses. Her knees buckled, a strangled gasp leaving her lips.
And then—A wrenching pull.
Her heart—beating, trembling—was ripped from her chest.
Celestia's vision blurred, her body frozen in pure shock as her own heart pulsed weakly in the figure's grasp.
"This... is this what's stopping you." The other Celestia turned the organ in her fingers, inspecting it with a look of disdain. "This foolish attachment to hesitation. To doubt. To something as trivial as 'emotion.'"
She tilted her head, a wicked smile forming.
"What if I replace it? A heart unbound by weakness. A serpent's heart. One that knows only conquest, destruction, and the will to take everything without hesitation."
Before Celestia could react, the hand plunged back into her chest.
A searing, unnatural cold spread through her veins. Her lungs tightened as a foreign energy invaded her being, slithering into every fiber of her existence. A raw, overwhelming power unlike anything she had ever felt before.
Celestia gasped, her vision spinning.
Suddenly a description appeared.
━━━『 Codex of Distortion 』━━━
The Codex of Solara has been devoured, its radiance twisted into the abyss.
The Codex of Distortion no longer guides. It tempts. It whispers. It molds its wielder into something beyond mortal constraints, stripping away hesitation, remorse, and weakness.
Emotion is simply a chain. Break it.
Morality is simply a cage. Escape it.
The world is not won through kindness, but through dominion.
The bearer of this Codex will no longer waver. Indecision will be purged. Sentiment will be dulled. Devoid of unnecessary distractions such as compassion and restraint.
In exchange, the Codex of Distortion grants unparalleled clarity. The ability to see the world for what it truly is—a place of power, waiting to be seized.
Those who stand in the way will crumble. Those who beg for mercy will still be met with death.
There is only one path now.
And it leads to domination.
All the bearer must do is open the Codex, read, and learn.
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When Celestia's vision returned to normal, she was back in the hotel room, her body drenched in sweat. Her heart pounded violently against her ribs, each breath coming in ragged gasps as she forced herself upright.
"W-What the fuck was that…?" she muttered between heavy breaths, her chest rising and falling rapidly. A sharp, searing pain coiled within her ribcage, twisting like something foreign that didn't belong.
Then—she lurched forward.
A wet, metallic taste filled her mouth before a violent cough. Blood splattered onto the floor in dark crimson streaks. Her fingers trembled as she wiped her lips, her pupils constricting as she stared at the mess beneath her.
She clenched her hands into fists, her nails digging into her palms as blood dripped onto the floor. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, but it wasn't just that. It was like she could hear more. The slow, steady rhythm of Rosaline's breathing. The distant echoes of footsteps in the hallway. The subtle shifting of the wind outside the window.
"W-What the hell is happening?" Celestia whispered, her voice barely above a breath.
She staggered toward the mirror, gripping the edges of the wooden frame to steady herself. Her chest still heaved from exhaustion, her skin slick with sweat. But that wasn't what made her stomach twist in unease.
It was her eyes.
She watched, frozen in place, as the emerald green of her irises slowly faded—darkening, shifting—until they gleamed with a deep, haunting ruby hue.
Solace Solara sat upon his throne, exhaling slowly as his sharp gaze darkened. "I see… I feel it. The tides are shifting." His voice was cold, laced with a quiet amusement as a low chuckle rumbled from his chest.
Beyond the towering windows, lightning tore through the skies, illuminating the storm-wracked sky. Winds howled, rattling the glass, while rain cascaded in relentless sheets.
His fingers drummed against the armrest of his throne. "The Codex… has been opened. But who…" His crimson eyes narrowed. "Who in the hell could have opened it? The Solara bloodline... should be the only who has access to open that cursed book. But which one of these bastards..."
Rising from his seat, Solace moved with deliberate grace. His long black and white hair swayed with each step as he strode toward the grand doors, pushing them open with ease.
Stepping outside, he sighed, lifting his gaze toward the churning sky, the rain slamming against his skin as a smirk tugged at his lips.
"I can't blame anyone for doing it... but, I couldn't open it... so who did?" he scoffed, a hint of amusement lacing his words. With a final glance at the storm above, he turned on his heel and strode back inside. The grand doors groaned as they swung shut behind him, sealing the castle in silence once more.
Celestia's breath came in ragged gasps as she steadied herself, her fingers slipping from the mirror's surface. She wiped the sweat from her brow, inhaling deeply before exhaling in a slow, measured breath. Her pulse gradually steadied, though unease still clung to her.
Steeling herself, she strode toward the closet, pulling out a fresh set of clothes before making her way to the bathroom. The door clicked shut behind her as she exhaled another sigh, her gaze falling upon the steaming water, wisps of heat curling into the air.
"What… the hell just happened?" she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
Then, a chilling realization struck her.
"The woman… that first trial… She said, 'Don't wait long though…'" Celestia's breath hitched. "I-Is this what she meant?"
A wave of doubt settled over her as she undressed and slowly lowered herself into the bath. The heat wrapped around her, seeping into her tense muscles, but the unease within her only deepened.
"Should I have continued those trials?" she wondered aloud, her voice barely audible over the gentle ripples of water.
Her eyes fluttered shut, her body sinking further into the embrace of the warmth, but her mind remained restless.
Within the celestial halls of Astraea, a grand chamber stretched endlessly, lined with towering pillars of pure starlight. Hundreds of divine beings and gods occupied the vast assembly, each seated upon thrones adorned with the symbols of their dominions. The air crackled with divine energy, tense and restless.
At the center of it all, the Guardian of the Cage—an ancient entity whose sole purpose was to oversee a single cage—sat with a heavy expression. His very presence radiated authority, yet an uncharacteristic unease clouded his golden eyes. He exhaled slowly before speaking, his voice carrying across the chamber like the toll of a distant bell.
"The cage of the beast… is cracking."
A heavy silence fell over the room, suffocating, absolute. Then—
BOOM!
A god, wreathed in storms, shot to his feet, his fury splitting the skies above Astraea. Thunder rumbled, lightning arcing wildly around his form as his voice roared through the chamber. "What do you mean… it's cracking? That's not possible!"