The heavy stone doors groaned as they swung open, revealing the dark heart of the Vault of Thoth. A cold wind swept through the chamber, carrying the scent of ancient stone and forgotten magic. This was a place untouched by time, a tomb built not to house bodies but to protect knowledge too dangerous for mortal minds.

Alastor led the way, stepping into the vault with Selene and Aurora close behind. The air inside was different—heavier, charged with the kind of energy that made the hair on the back of their necks stand on end. It felt like stepping into another world, one where the gods still watched from the shadows.

The walls of the chamber were covered in intricate glyphs, glowing faintly in the darkness. Symbols of infinity, death, and rebirth twisted across every surface, shifting subtly as if they were alive. At the center of the room, resting on a raised stone pedestal, lay the Codex of Eternity—an ancient tablet carved from black stone, inscribed with knowledge that could reshape the fabric of existence.

Alastor’s heart pounded as he approached the pedestal. This was what they had been searching for. The Codex of Eternity contained the final pieces of the Code of Thoth—the knowledge needed to manipulate the loop and free them from its control. It was the key to ending Lucius’s reign.

Aurora scanned the glyph-covered walls with wide eyes, her neural interface buzzing with interference as it struggled to process the ancient data. "This is... beyond anything I’ve ever seen," she whispered. "The entire vault is a puzzle—a map of time itself." She gestured toward the tablet on the pedestal. "That’s the core of it. The Codex of Eternity."

Selene stepped closer, her violet eyes narrowing as she studied the strange inscriptions on the stone tablet. "It doesn’t look like much," she muttered. "Just a bunch of symbols and scratches."

"It’s more than that," Aurora said, her voice low with reverence. "These glyphs… they aren’t just language. They’re instructions. A blueprint for controlling the loop."

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Alastor reached out, his fingers brushing the cold surface of the Codex. The stone felt ancient and powerful, humming with the same energy that pulsed from the scarab beneath his sleeve. The inscriptions glowed faintly beneath his touch, shifting like a living thing. This was the answer they had searched for.

But as he stared at the swirling patterns etched into the stone, a knot of unease tightened in his chest. The Codex wasn’t just a key—it was a lock. And locks required something to open them.

Aurora’s expression darkened as her neural interface synced with the glyphs on the tablet. Her breath hitched. "There’s... something more," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"What is it?" Alastor asked, though he could already feel the answer clawing at the edges of his mind.

Aurora’s eyes flicked toward him, a grim understanding settling over her. "The Codex doesn’t just show you how to control the loop—it tells you how to end it. But unlocking its secrets requires a ritual."

Alastor’s stomach twisted. He knew what was coming next.

Aurora swallowed hard, her voice heavy with dread. "It requires... a death that won’t be reborn."

Silence settled over the chamber like a shroud. The words hung in the air, cold and final.

Selene’s hand tightened on the hilt of her blade, her expression unreadable. "A death outside the loop?" she murmured, more to herself than anyone else. "That’s... impossible. Every death resets the cycle. That’s the whole point."

"Not this one," Aurora said quietly. "The Codex demands a sacrifice. Someone has to die—and stay dead. No resurrection. No reset."

Alastor stared at the intricately carved tablet, the swirling glyphs glowing faintly beneath his hand. This was the price for knowledge. The Codex of Eternity held the secrets they needed to break the loop, but it demanded something in return—a life that would never come back.

"The price for knowledge is life," Alastor muttered, his voice hollow. He knew what the Codex required—and the weight of that truth settled over him like a noose.

Aurora shifted uneasily beside him. "Whoever makes the sacrifice... it’s permanent. There’s no coming back from this."

Selene’s gaze flicked between the Codex and Alastor, her jaw tight. "So, what’s the plan?" she asked, her voice low and steady. "Are we going to pay the price... or not?"

Alastor exhaled slowly, his mind racing. This was more than just a trial. It was a choice—a choice that would shape the future of the rebellion, the loop, and every life caught in its grip.

And someone would have to pay the price.