(Within the Eternal Garden, Veyr’s POV)

For a long moment, Veyr simply stood there, staring at Raymond in utter disbelief, his mind blank as his mouth refused to form words.

The proposal that had just left the Demi-God’s lips sounded absurd, unreal even, as though the man were joking or worse, testing him.

He blinked once, then twice, trying to piece together what he had just heard, yet the silence that followed only made the air feel heavier.

’Can I even trust this man?’ he thought, his gaze fixed sharply on Raymond’s face. ’What guarantee do I have that he won’t trick me and leave me to rot the moment he’s already gotten all that he needs from me?’

His brows furrowed slightly, suspicion curling through his chest like smoke. Raymond stood there calmly, arms folded behind his back, smiling faintly as if he had just offered Veyr the most natural deal in the universe.

’Does he even know what the Cult’s secret techniques are? Or can I just bullshit my way through this and feed him nonsense?’ Veyr wondered, his eyes narrowing as he studied the Demi-God’s expression, searching for any flicker of deceit.

He raised an eyebrow, still silent, still unwilling to break the stare.

’Nah, I probably can’t fake all of them,’ he realized, the thought bitter in his mind. ’He’ll notice something’s off if I do. But even if I wanted to teach him, I don’t even know all fifteen forbidden techniques myself.’

A quiet sigh escaped him, his shoulders lowering slightly as the weight of the situation sank in, until finally, he spoke.

"What guarantee do I have," he asked slowly, "that you won’t betray me the moment I give you what you want? It’s not like I can trust your word for it."

His tone was steady, yet underneath it lay the faint edge of challenge, as though daring Raymond to prove him wrong.

And to his pleasant surprise, the Demi-God did not seem to take offense.

Instead, he nodded thoughtfully, as if considering the question with genuine seriousness.

"A fair point," he said at last.

"How about I show you a gesture of goodwill to help you trust me better?"

He suggested, as he lifted the delicate flower still held between his fingers and gently placed it in Veyr’s hand.

"This," he said, "is the Moonshine Flower. In case you’re unfamiliar, it only grows here in the Eternal Garden. It’s quite special, it has five petals, each one capable of changing the fate of a monarch."

Veyr glanced down at the flower. Its petals shimmered faintly under the divine light, glowing with an ethereal hue that shifted between blue and silver. The surface of each petal seemed to pulse faintly, as if alive, resonating with an ancient mana far beyond anything found in mortal realms.

Raymond smiled faintly as he continued, his tone casual but deliberate. "You need just one petal of this flower to concoct a Demi-God potion. So, in theory, a full flower gives you enough material to make five such potions.... provided, of course, that you can acquire the other rare ingredients required for the brew."

Veyr’s eyes narrowed in confusion as he turned the flower slightly, examining its strange texture between his fingertips. "Other ingredients?" he asked, his voice low but curious.

As listening to that question, Raymond’s smile deepened, his tone turning sly.

He leaned closer, close enough that Veyr could feel the faint warmth of his aura pressing faintly against his skin.

"Teach me one forbidden move," he said quietly, "and I’ll tell you about them."

Veyr stared at him, silent once again, as Raymond stepped back, clearly enjoying the moment.

"Until then," the Demi-God added, "keep that flower close, Dragon. Tuck it somewhere safe, inside your robes perhaps. Usually, no one can pluck a Moonshine Flower from the Eternal Garden without Father knowing, but..." he paused briefly, his eyes glinting with mischief, "...I’ve found a way around that. He won’t notice this one missing."

Veyr looked down at the flower once more, uncertain whether to be impressed or alarmed. The petals shimmered faintly in his palm, cool to the touch yet radiating a divine warmth deep within.

Raymond reached forward and gave his shoulder a light pat, the gesture oddly casual considering the weight of their exchange.

"Think about it, Dragon," he said with a smirk, his tone smooth and confident, as though he already knew what Veyr’s answer would be. "I’ll be back for your decision tomorrow."

Before Veyr could respond, Raymond’s form shimmered faintly, his outline distorting into threads of golden light that scattered into the air like fading fireflies.

And then he was gone.

The silence that followed was deep, broken only by the soft hum of the Garden itself, the whisper of divine winds moving through the silver leaves.

Veyr stood there for a while, still holding the flower, its faint glow reflecting in his eyes as conflicting thoughts swirled within him.

Was this a genuine gesture of goodwill, or a well-laid trap?

He couldn’t tell.

’The Demi-God Breakthrough Potion is extremely important for the future of the Cult.

If it really can’t be brewed without this flower, then it’s a priceless treasure that needs to be protected at all costs....’

He thought as he slipped the Moonshine Flower carefully into the inner fold of his robes.

’If there is even a sliver of truth in what he said, then maybe, just maybe, I have a chance to escape this place alive.’

He thought, as although he had not made his mind on whether or not to trust Raymond just yet, he felt like he should play this game just a little while longer, until he could uncover Raymond’s true intentions behind this offer.

*Sigh*

A long sigh left his lips as he looked towards the beautiful sky above, and wondered as to why fate was playing this cruel game with him? And as to what it really wanted?

However, no matter how he framed the question, the heavens did not reply, as in the end, he had to make that choice on his own.