Verdam did not give Caspian time to recover.
Moments after the last echoes of laughter faded from the tower chamber, the Saint turned on his heel and walked away, already speaking.
"Come. If you are to be useful, you should at least know why."
Caspian followed, still unsteady, his thoughts spinning. He had survived a miniature sun, faced judgment from light and night alike—and now the Saint spoke as if that had merely been a formality, Caspian prayed to the gods that was just his personality.
They descended through the tower and crossed several corridors guarded by Awakened soldiers. Every gaze lingered on Caspian. Some held suspicion. Others curiosity. A few barely concealed fear.
They entered a massive circular chamber.
The war room.
A detailed map of the surrounding lands was carved into the marble floor, illuminated by hovering spheres of golden light. Markers of gemstones and metal stood in precise formations—armies, strongholds, routes of advance and retreat.
Around the map stood figures, some of men, some of women, all unfazed.
Ascended, judging by their powerful heartbeats.
Generals, commanders, strategists, the elite of the elite, the hope lf the citadel.
And all of them were already there.
Caspian stopped short.
They turned toward him as one.
No surprise.
No confusion.
Just assessment, like they were waiting for him, but how could it be, he had finished the trial not even five minutes ago, unless...
"You knew" Caspian said slowly, eyes flicking to Verdam. "You knew I would pass the trial."
Verdam smiled faintly.
"Of course."
Caspian's jaw tightened. "How?"
The Saint folded his hands behind his back, gaze drifting to the map.
"Because my brother" he said calmly "is arrogant to the point of idiocy."
The room remained silent.
Verdam continued, voice unhurried.
"If one of his creatures were to develop free will, he would not tolerate it. He would not observe it. He would not test it." His smile sharpened. "He would destroy it immediately."
Caspian felt a chill crawl up his spine.
"The fact that you walked away from the Citadel" Verdam concluded "means he did not notice you—or dismissed you. Either way, it told me everything I needed to know."
One of the generals spoke, a stern woman clad in white-and-gold armor.
"My lord, if that is correct, then the Tyrant remains unaware."
"For now" Verdam replied.
He turned back to Caspian.
"Which makes you invaluable."
Caspian swallowed. "So… what exactly is the plan?"
Verdam gestured, and the lights above the map shifted.
Three cities glowed.
One burned crimson.
One shone gold.
One flickered silver, dimmed and distorted.
"The three Citadels" Verdam said. "The foundation of this world."
He pointed first to the golden city.
"The Citadel of the Sun. Mine."
Then to the silver one, Caspian recognized the path his finger followed on the map, it was the one he himself took.
"The Citadel of the Stars. My elder brother's domain. Once."
A brief shadow crossed his face.
Finally, his finger rested on the crimson mark.
"The Citadel of the Moon."
The room felt colder.
Verdam straightened.
"Long before one became corrupted of his own ambition" he said "there were three brothers."
Verdam's voice tinted with sorrow.
"When we came of age, the gods granted us eternal youth. Not immortality—youth. And with it, gifts tied to the celestial bodies."
He raised one finger.
"To me, the middle brother, was given the Light of the Righteous. The power to burn away falsehood, corruption, and lies."
A second finger.
"To my elder brother, was given the Stargaze. The power to see paths unseen. To carve a future for his people."
A third finger.
"And to the youngest… was given the Guiding Moonlight."
The illusion shifted—soft silver light flowing like a river.
"It was a gentle gift" Verdam said quietly. "The power to sustain the flow of life. To maintain balance. To nourish all things that breathe.If people were hungry and thirsty he could command the water in the sky to fall on their fields and help the crops grow, if someone was wounded, he could command the blood to go back to their bodies and seal their wounds, a gentle power indeed."
Caspian's chest tightened.
"Together." Verdam continued "we built cities of righteous people. Safe paths. Abundance. Stability. A world that worked."
The silver light darkened.
"But my youngest brother didn't believed that was enough, he believed that his gift was the best and most powerful among the three of us, and wanted to rule himself, but because his power wasn't enough, he asked the gods for more, and they answered, he received another gift."
The room seemed to hold its breath.
"Immortality."
Murmurs spread among the generals.
"But nothing given by the gods is perfect" Verdam said. "His first gift became his only weakness."
The map zoomed in on the Citadel of the Moon. Caspian still surprised of how advance it was that runic technology
"The Guiding Moonlight is the only thing capable of killing him."
Caspian's eyes widened, confused.
"Then why hasn't—"
"Because he is not a fool" Verdam interrupted. "He wove a great spell around his city. One that bars all who do not belong."
He looked directly at Caspian
"Only creatures of the night may enter freely."
Silence crashed down.
Understanding struck Caspian like a blade.
"…That's why you need me."
Verdam nodded.
"You are the only being within this Nightmare capable of reaching the high tower and retrieving the Guiding Moonlight."
"And then?" Caspian asked quietly.
Verdam's smile vanished.
"Then we end him."
One of the generals stepped forward.
"With the Moonlight removed, his gift dissapear. Our forces will strike immediately."
Verdam shook his head.
"No. I will strike."
The room stiffened.
"This is not a war" the Saint said softly. "It is a fratricide."
His gaze hardened.
"It is since he decided to kill our older brother..." His eyes glimmering with images of the past. "Luckily, i can feel him weaker than before, our older brother surely must have stood his ground against him."
Caspian thought of the bleeding cut in the Tyrant's chest.
"And you" he said to Caspian "will be my knife in the dark."
Caspian felt the weight of the plan settle fully onto his shoulders.
"What if he wake up and regain his power before we could take the Guiding Moonlight?" he asked.
Verdam shrugged his shoulders.
"Then the Citadel of the Sun will fall next" he said simply. "And this world will drown in blood."
Caspian exhaled slowly.
"…When do we leave?"
Verdam smiled again—sharp, bright, dangerous.
"Immediately."
Caspian thought he should get used to the Saint's nature.
"Of course..."