[Prepare for appraisal…]
The words echoed faintly in Caspian's mind.
Caspian was still drowning.
Cold water rushed past him, dragging his battered body downstream as the river claimed him like just another piece of debris from the ruined battlefield. His limbs felt heavy, distant, as if they already belonged to someone else.
Normally, this was where it ended.
The Spell would pull him free.
The Nightmare would collapse or something like that.
Seconds passed.
Nothing happened.
The river slammed him against a submerged rock, knocking the air from his lungs. Pain flared sharply—real, vivid, unmistakable.
Caspian's eyes widened.
"Why—" he choked, water flooding his mouth. He twisted desperately, claws scraping uselessly against stone as the current dragged him under again.
Still nothing.
No warmth.
No pulling sensation.
No separation between body and soul.
Another second passed.
Then another.
Panic bloomed.
Why am I still here?
Caspian kicked hard, forcing himself upward. His head broke the surface, and he sucked in air greedily, coughing violently as the river continued to carry him away from the battlefield.
"Why are you silent?!" he screamed hoarsely into the night sky. "Get me out of here!"
Caspian said, expecting answers.
For a heartbeat, there was only the sound of rushing water.
Then—
The Spell spoke.
[Your presence has disturbed the slumber of the Gods.]
Caspian froze mid-stroke, nearly swallowing water again.
"…What?"
The river did not stop.
[The Gods are dead and cannot reach you.]
His heart hammered.
Dead…?
Then the Spell continued.
[Storm God feels his mark upon your soul, sending a blessing from beyond the grave.]
[Beast God thanks you for killing her corrupted blessed one, sending a blessing from beyond the grave.]
[The Beast God demands a new moon.]
Caspian's breath hitched.
Before he could process that—
[Shadow God feels disappointed in the death of his blessed one, sending a curse from beyond the grave.]
The words struck harder than any blow.
A curse.
From the God of Death, the Shadow God?.
Caspian's blood ran cold.
"Wait—" he tried to say, but the river swallowed his voice.
[Creature of the Night, receive your blessings and curses.]
The world shattered.
The river vanished.
The cold disappeared.
Gravity released him.
Caspian found himself standing—no, floating—in the void.
An endless black void stretched in every direction, vast beyond comprehension. Countless stars burned softly in the distance. Between them ran innumerable threads of silver light, impossibly fine yet unmistakably real.
They connected everything, like a vast link of neurons.
Caspian stared, breath caught in his throat.
Even without being told, he understood.
This was the Spell.
Not its voice.
Not its interface.
But its body.
A colossal network of luminous strands, pulsing like neurons in an incomprehensible mind, exchanging information across infinity. Theories flooded his thoughts—arguments scholars on Earth had fought over for decades.
Is the Spell alive?
No one had ever known.
Standing here, Caspian felt the terrifying certainty that the question itself might be meaningless.
The Spell was appraising him.
And it was taking its time.
He decided to look up the memory he had received earlier.
[You have received a Memory: Moonlight Crown.]
Caspian laughed weakly. This also had to be a great memory if it came from a Corrupted being
His body shook, half from exhaustion, half from disbelief. If the name meant what he thought it meant…
"Tyrant " he whispered. "So you didn't take everything with you after all."
Caspian waited for the appraisal, it did not came.
"You're taking your time, huh?" Caspian muttered, trying to steady himself.
Since he had nothing else to do, he summoned the Memory.
Runes flared into existence.
***
Memory Rank: Supreme
Memory Tier: III
Memory Type: Armor
Caspian's breath hitched.
Supreme.
Even without seeing the description, his hands were already shaking.
He forced himself to read.
Memory Description:
Verdam of the Celestial Bodies was also a great artisan. This was his greatest achievement—yet not for himself.
It was meant as a gift.
A crown of silver light, forged so the Moon might wear the Sun's love as armor.
For what is Moonlight, if not the reflection of the Sun's devotion?
But the brother he wished to gift it to was already lost.
Later, the Sun befriended a Creature of the Night. Together, they crossed lands, bled and fought and laughed.
When the war ended, the Sun wished to pass this gift to the New Moon.
He never had the chance.
Creature of the Night… no—Caspian.
Even if your life is surrounded by shadow, never forget the Light.
May Day and Night bless your path, always.
Caspian stared.
His vision blurred.
He did not wipe his eyes.
He didn't have time to cry.
The Spell resumed.
[Aspirant! Your trial is over.]
The silver threads around him pulsed brighter.
[A creature of the night found himself walking beetween Day and Night, fleeing he was able to find the Sun, and together they reached the dominion of the night, the creature of the night stoled the Moon, and watched as Day and Night destroyed eachother, in the end, the creature of the night killed the Sun, the Stars and the Moon, and only he remained.]
The words carved themselves into his soul.
Then the tally began.
[You have defeated 452 Dormant Humans, names unknown.]
[You have defeated 12 Awakened Humans, names unknown.]
[You have defeated 101 Awakened Beasts, Creatures of the Night.]
[You have defeated 2 Transcendent Humans: Saint of the Stars, Verdam of the Celestial Bodies.]
[You have defeated a Corrupted Tyrant: Tyrant of the Moon.]
Caspian's knees weakened, what an incredible performance that had to be.
[You have received the Storm God's blessing.]
[You have received the Beast God's blessing.]
[You have received the Shadow God's curse.]
[You have become a New Moon over the flow of Life and Death.]
[Final appraisal: Glorious. Your rebellion was peerless.]
His heart thundered, Glorious, Glorious!.
[Dreamer Caspian, receive your boon!]
[You have been bestowed a True Name: Moonlight Deliverer.]
Caspian gasped.
A True Name.
In his first Nightmare.
Having one alone placed him among the elite, getting it on his first nightmare placed him among the elite of the elite.
Then—
[You have been bestowed a True Name: Monarch of the Night.]
"…What?"
His mind reeled.
Two?
That was impossible.
True Names were absolute—singular expressions of existence given by the spell.
The Spell did not pause.
[Your Aspect is ready to evolve. Evolve Aspect?]
Caspian didn't hesitate, his mouth opened and talked before his mind could get over the two true names.
"Yes."
[Dormant Aspect: Creature of the Night is evolving…]
Caspian prayed to the gods that blessed him to get at least a trascendent aspect.
[New Aspect acquired.]
[Aspect Rank: Divine.]
Caspian's breath stopped.
Divine?!
[Aspect Name: Moon over the Flow.]
Before he could even process that—
[New Aspect acquired.]
[Aspect Rank: Divine.]
His vision swam.
"…Another?"
[Aspect Name: Shadow of the Moon.]
Caspian stood frozen, overwhelmed.
Two True Names.
Two Divine Aspects.
This wasn't just abnormal.
It was unheard of, imposible, this had to be a bug, but the spell could even have bugs? He didn't think it could.
Caspian summoned the runes to check his new aspect, or aspects? He didn't knew what was going to happen.
Aspect: Moon over the Flow
Aspect Rank: Divine
Aspect Description:
As the Moon governs the tides, you hold dominion over the flow of Life and Death, guiding them as their divine intermediary.
Innate Ability: Moon Blood
Ability Description:
Any Creature that tastes your blood will be unable to kill you. The power carried within it cannot be destroyed again.
Caspian swallowed hard.
A divine survival ability indeed, and no sight of a second aspect after all.
The spell continued.
[The First Seal was broken.]
[Awakening dormant powers…]