(Meanwhile, Veyr’s POV, The Eternal Garden)
The Eternal Garden shimmered in quiet perfection, its sprawling meadows gleaming beneath a sky so vividly blue it almost hurt to look at.
The air carried the faint perfume of moonshine flowers and dew-soaked leaves, while the whisper of an unseen stream sang softly somewhere in the distance.
Veyr lay upon the cool grass, his arms tucked behind his head, eyes half-lidded as he stared up at the drifting clouds.
Peace was supposed to be comforting, yet in this place, it only gave his thoughts room to stir.
’Should I cooperate with him?’ he wondered, his gaze following a lone feather spiraling through the breeze.
’Raymond seems willing to betray his father, but I just don’t buy it.
My instincts tell me that there is more to his offer than what meets the eye, however, if I outright refuse to play his game, I’ll never find out what that missing piece is.’
He thought, as he sighed softly and recalled their earlier encounter.
Raymond’s demeanor had been edgy back then, his tone almost panicky, while his choice of words seemed like he was genuinely scared to do this as well.
There was desperation in his gaze, perhaps even determination, but Veyr did not see an ounce of betrayal.
’He wants something,’ Veyr thought, pressing his thumb against the grass.
’Something beyond the simple skill exchange.
He’s just not telling me what, yet.’
The grass rustled faintly beneath him as he sat up, his expression thoughtful, eyes reflecting the gentle azure of the sky above.
Yet, despite his doubts, a small part of him considered the offer.
Perhaps Raymond was indeed willing to betray his father.
Perhaps he was desperate enough to trade loyalty for power.
’Maybe I should test him,’ he thought, his lips curling faintly. ’Teach him one of the lesser techniques, perhaps. See how he reacts. If he keeps his promise, that will speak volumes. If he breaks it, I will know exactly what kind of man he is.’
He thought as he leaned forward, plucking a single blade of grass between his fingers as the idea formed more clearly in his head.
’Shapeshift could do,’ he mused.
’It is dangerous but manageable, a technique that can expose his true motives without risking much. He doesn’t need to know that I lack mastery over all fifteen forbidden methods, nor that I will ever teach him more than two.
But if I give him one and then observe him closely, I can then learn more about his true intentions than any words could hope to reveal.’
He concluded, as he laid back down on the grass again, his mind already made on how to approach this problem.
—------------
(Meanwhile, Inside Kaelith’s Tea Pavilion, Another Corner of the Eternal Garden)
Far across the garden, where the sunlight poured through crystalline branches and reflected upon ivory stones, Kaelith sat opposite his son at a polished jade table.
The air was filled with the fragrant steam of freshly brewed tea, its golden hue shimmering within delicate porcelain cups.
"You think he will fall for it, Father?" Raymond asked at last, his tone measured, his sharp eyes fixed upon the man sitting across from him.
Kaelith smiled faintly, his gaze resting upon the rippling tea as he stirred it slowly with an ornate silver spoon. "Yes," he said softly, his voice smooth, unhurried, almost regal. "I think he will. They always do."
Raymond tilted his head slightly, curiosity flickering in his eyes as Kaelith continued.
"The Dragons of the Cult have all shared the same personality throughout history.
They believe themselves chosen, destined, touched by fate. And when something too good to be true presents itself, they don’t question it. They believe it is the universe rewarding them for their struggle."
He paused briefly to take a sip, savoring the taste as his smile widened by a fraction. "He will play along, at least for a while. Perhaps he’ll hesitate, perhaps he’ll doubt you at first, but he’ll come around. Pride is a dangerous weakness, my son, and even the wisest of them cannot see when it blinds them."
Raymond set his cup down gently, his fingers tracing its rim as a thoughtful silence followed. "So, you truly think he will reveal some of the forbidden methods?"
"In time," Kaelith replied. "First he’ll test you, then he’ll decide to test himself. He’ll give you a small piece of what he knows to gauge your reaction. But once he does, once that line is crossed, it will only be a matter of time before he gives away more. That is how trust works for men like him—they mistake curiosity for control."
Raymond nodded slowly, his expression serious now. At first, when Kaelith had insisted that they be the ones to oversee Veyr’s confinement, Raymond hadn’t understood why.
The Eternal Garden was not a prison, and usually Kaelith never allowed mortals to reside in here for too long, however, as the plan unfolded, he finally began to see the threads connecting each step.
"You never intended to keep him here just for observation, did you?"
Raymond asked quietly as Kaelith chuckled and leaned back in his chair as his eyes gleamed with a dangerous calm.
"Observation is the polite word for it, yes.
But no, my true intention was far more practical.
I wanted him here so that you could study him up close— Entice him. Make him trust you. And in doing so, make him reveal the Cult’s forbidden arts."
Raymond’s brows furrowed slightly. "But I thought you already knew all fifteen of them. Afterall, before Uncle Soron, it was you who was being prepared to become the next Sect Master of the Cult, no?"
Raymond asked, as Kaelith’s laughter echoed softly, carrying with it a hint of bitterness.
"Yes, I was. But that was two thousand years ago. My father created the original fifteen techniques, but who’s to say my brother hasn’t forged new ones since then? Time changes even gods, my son, and my brother has always been inventive. If I am to face him in the battle that awaits us, I cannot afford to be caught unprepared."
He swirled the tea once more, his reflection shimmering faintly on the liquid’s surface. "The forbidden methods were once our family’s legacy, but they could have evolved, just as he could have.
I need to know if new ones exist—and if they do, I need to know how they work before the war begins."
Raymond leaned forward slightly, the weight of his father’s words settling in his chest. "So that’s your real goal behind confining him here, I see it now."
Kaelith smiled faintly, his gaze lifting from his cup to meet his son’s.
"Bringing him here, healing his wounds, giving him the freedom to move around. It’s all a part of my plan.
To be brutally honest, I could not care less if he were roaming the Eternal Garden naked, or went hungry for a month.
However, I gave him back his dignity, his respect, his freedom, just to give him the illusion that he’s in control here.
For hope, my son, is a dangerous force all in itself.
If we let him believe he is testing you. Let him think he is in control. In the end, he will teach you everything he seeks to protect—and when that time comes, we will have already won."
Kaelith taught, as Raymond finally realized, just how terrifying his father was behind his outwardly noble demeanor.