Something stirred.
Caspian gasped sharply and clutched his chest, fingers digging into flesh as an unfamiliar sensation bloomed deep inside him.
It wasn't pain.
It wasn't pleasure either.
It was… strange.
As though something slumbering had finally opened its eyes.
His soul trembled.
Not violently—no, this was subtler than agony, deeper than ecstasy. It felt like every fragment of his existence was being shaken awake, infused with a power that did not descend from above, nor seep in from some external source.
This power came from within.
It had always been there.
Waiting.
Sleeping.
Now, it was rising.
Caspian's breath grew unsteady as that dormant force spread outward, threading through every fiber of his being. His emotions sharpened instantly—fear, joy, grief, resolve—each one suddenly vivid, precise, undeniable.
It reminded him of drinking blood.
That moment when clarity replaced haze, when the world slowed and every movement became effortless.
But this was deeper.
More fundamental.
A miniature star ignited at the center of his chest.
Not metaphorically.
He felt it.
A dense, radiant core burning just beneath his sternum, radiating waves of heat that pulsed outward in steady rhythms. The warmth rolled through his torso, seeped into his shoulders and stomach, then flowed down his arms and legs until it reached the tips of his fingers and toes.
Under that heat, his body changed.
Bones strengthened, reforged as if infused with power. Muscles tightened and realigned, shedding inefficiency. Organs beat stronger, blood vessels widening and reinforcing themselves to withstand pressures they had never known before, and he also thought about how he was going to be after that transformation, after all, after awakening one becomes more beautiful.
He felt alive, almost like when he drank the Saint's blood, now, remembering them, they were really handsome, but for some reason he haven't thought about it before, maybe because he had too much on his mind, or because he had the standards of a Creature of the night.
Each second deepened the transformation.
Each heartbeat hammered new certainty into his soul.
A quiet confidence settled in Caspian's chest—not arrogance, not recklessness, but the unshakable knowledge that he had endured his first nightmare.
With his powers awakened and his will tempered by the horrors of the First Nightmare, he was no longer prey.
Eventually, the star's heat softened.
Its burning intensity cooled, replaced by a soothing coldness that washed gently through his body, like moonlight flowing through water. The chill rose slowly, reaching his neck… his jaw… his skull.
And finally—
His eyes.
Caspian blinked.
His vision split.
For a moment, he saw double.
Then the world shifted.
He stood upon the shore of a calm, endless sea. Its surface was smooth as glass, reflecting a vast sky illuminated by silvery light.
A Moon hung above the waters.
Not blazing.
Not overwhelming.
Serene.
Perfect.
Caspian knew what he was seeing by the knowledge passed to him by his father, and the other awakened he had met before.
"My… Soul Sea."
And that Moon—
"My Soul Core."
Yet something was wrong.
Soul Cores were usually more like suns—burning, radiant.
This one was a Moon.
As he studied it, he noticed two glowing spheres orbiting it like satellites. Smaller, but potent. They pulsed with familiar power.
His Memories.
Two of them.
Two powerful ones.
Joy surged through him so fiercely that he almost laughed.
Supreme and Divine memories.
A Divine aspect.
A True Name.
For a fleeting moment, he forgot—
The curse from Shadow God.
Then he noticed the reflection.
The Moon's reflection upon the sea was not silver.
It was crimson.
Caspian frowned.
The crimson reflection seemed… deeper than it should be. Thicker. As if something lurked beneath its surface.
He focused.
The Soul Sea responded.
The world inverted.
The crimson Moon rose.
The silver Moon dimmed.
And beneath the blood-red light, someone stood upon the water.
Someone familiar.
Too familiar.
It was him, but he was different, maybe that's his new looks as an awakened, people changing completly a lot was rare, but not imposible, before, he was normal, brown hair and brown eyes, he was already handsome, even if it sounded a bit cocky, but he was pretty popular with people his age, but know, he was even more attractive, his jaw was sharper, he looked a bit taller, althought he didn't had a reference, his eyes were of a beautiful red, and his hair had a beautiful, silvery coloured streak, flowing from the front of his parting, which was slightly more to the right side of his head, down to the sides, falling close to his ears, his skin paler than before, but shining a bit.
The figure smiled.
And that smile sent a chill down Caspian's spine.
"Look who finally decided to acknowledge his own shadow."
The voice was his.
Perfectly.
Runes appeared into existence—but they were not Caspian's.
Name: ???
True Name: Monarch of the Night
Rank: Dreamer
Soul Core: Dormant
Memories: [The Stargaze], [Moonlight Crown]
Echoes: —
Attributes: [Night Blessing], [Mark of Divinity], [Crimson Inheritance]
Aspect: Shadow of the Moon
Aspect Rank: Divine
Aspect Description:
[We admire moonlight for its purity, yet forget that on the other side of the Moon, horrors wait patiently in the dark.]
Innate Ability: Moon Shadow's Blood
Ability Description:
[Your blood is a curse upon the Moon Soul's shadow. When spilled upon any living being, it corrodes the soul like a parasite, stealing power for yourself.]
Caspian's breath caught, that's where the second true name and aspect went.
The figure stepped closer—then casually draped an arm around Caspian's shoulders, leaning in with infuriating familiarity.
"Hmmm…" the other him mused. "I guess I do need a name."
He tapped his chin theatrically, then grinned.
"Velpam."
The runes shifted instantly.
Name: Velpam
True Name: Monarch of the Night
Caspian reacted on instinct.
He swung.
"Unoriginal fiend!"
His fist passed straight through Velpam's face like mist.
Velpam chuckled softly. "Oh, come on. You noticed, didn't you? Verdam. Velpam. Poetic."
Caspian snarled. "Get out of my soul."
Velpam laughed. "Can't. We're roommates now."
He leaned closer. "We can't hurt each other. Stop trying."
He straightened, stretching lazily. "And I'm going to love my stay."
Before Caspian could respond—
The Spell spoke.
[Awakening Aspect Ability…]
Caspian turned away from Velpam, refusing to acknowledge him.
[Aspect Ability acquired.]
[Aspect Ability Name: Still the Current.]
Then—
[Aspect Ability acquired.]
Of course that fiend would get one too.
Velpam grinned and waved casually.
[Aspect Ability Name: Crimson Armory.]
Velpam clapped his hands, summoning both sets of runes. "Well?" he said cheerfully. "Want to compare status?"
Caspian scowled—but summoned his own.
Name: Caspian
True Name: Moonlight Deliverer
Rank: Dreamer
Moon Core: Dormant
Moonlight Fragments: [157/1000]
Caspian blinked.
Moon Core?
Moonlight Fragments?
Humans had Soul Cores. Soul Fragments.
This… wasn't human anymore, maybe.
He continued.
Memories: [The Stargaze], [Moonlight Crown]
Echoes: —
Attributes: [Night Blessing], [Mark of Divinity], [Crimson Inheritance]
Aspect: Moon over the Flow
Aspect Rank: Divine
Aspect Ability: Still the Current
Description:
[You may control the characteristics of any liquid you touch, hardening it or allowing it to flow freely.]
Caspian nodded slowly.
Versatile.
Dangerous.
He could work with this.
Before he could continue, Velpam placed his runes directly over Caspian's, forcing them away.
Velpam's grin widened.
Name: Velpam
True Name: Monarch of the Night
Rank: Dreamer
Crimson Shadow Core: Dormant
Moonlight Shadow Fragments: [157/1000]
Memories: [The Stargaze], [Moonlight Crown]
Echoes: —
Attributes: [Night Blessing], [Mark of Divinity], [Crimson Inheritance]
Aspect: Shadow of the Moon
Aspect Rank: Divine
Aspect Ability: Crimson Armory
Description:
[You may shape the flow into instruments of slaughter.]
Velpam smirked. "What? Cat got your tongue?" He leaned closer. "Yeah. I'm better."
Before Caspian could retort—
The Spell echoed once more.
[All power has a price.]
[You have received a flaw.]
Flaw: Undying Thirst
[You must drink blood regularly.]
Caspian clenched his fists.
"I was done with that…" he muttered darkly.
Velpam burst out laughing.
"Oh, that's rich—"
The Spell interrupted.
[You have received a flaw.]
Velpam's laughter died instantly.
"What?! No!!"
Flaw: Dark Side of the Moon
[You may only emerge when the bright side of the Moon allows it.]
Silence.
Then—
Caspian laughed.
For the first time since meeting Velpam, his laughter rang clear and sharp.
Velpam scowled.
"…I hate you."
Caspian smiled.
After all—
He who laughs last, laughs best.