Beyond the golden dome…it was called the Void.
As far as Koharu knew, there was no life there.
Only demons existed.
In the past, those demons had tried countless times to breach the golden barrier.Not once had they succeeded.
The dome was absolute protection.
Nothing from the outside could enter.
But leaving…
Leaving was possible.
Anyone could step beyond the golden barrier.
However—
Anyone who left…
Had never returned.
Escorted by a battalion of soldiers, Koharu was brought to the very edge of the golden barrier.
Where the light met the ground, it rippled—trembling like a semi-transparent wall.
The commander shouted:
"Send her through!"
The soldiers removed Koharu's chains and shoved her forward.
Koharu stepped into the translucent barrier.
As she passed through, a gentle warmth spread through her body.
Then—
She was on the other side.
Behind her, the barrier sealed itself.
The world before her was nothing like what she knew.
The sky was covered in pitch-black clouds.
A dark, ashen mist drifted everywhere.
There was not the slightest sign of life in the soil.
An endless… wasteland.
Yet even a desert wouldn't feel this dead.
She turned back.
The golden dome still stood, glowing brilliantly.
But the mist had already begun to seep into her body.
Gray, decay-like stains spread faintly across her skin.
She reached out toward the barrier.
Pain shot through her palm—
like touching fire.
It was unbearable.
She had to pull her hand back.
It was impossible to return inside.
There was only one option left—
to move forward, into the unknown.
Koharu had been walking for a long time.
Barren land… cracked ground… no trace of life.
With every step, stones crumbled beneath her feet,turning into dust that rose and dissolved into the black mist.
Hours passed.
Yet she encountered nothing.
No animal sounds.No rustling leaves.
Nothing.
Eventually, she found a strange area between rocky formations.
It looked like a mixture of mud and swamp.
Its surface was covered with black, moss-like, sticky growths.
Koharu's stomach growled.
Hunger blurred her vision.
She hesitated for a moment.
But she had no choice.
She reached into the swamp,ripped off a piece of the black moss.
The moment it touched her tongue—
a foul taste spread through her mouth.
It was like mud.
Sour… metallic… rotten.
Her stomach churned.
She dropped to her knees and vomited.
But she was still starving.
Her hands trembling, she tore off another piece.
Reluctantly…
she forced herself to swallow.
Koharu tore a piece from her dress.
She soaked it in the muddy water, trying to filter it.
The water was still murky—
but she had to drink.
Just as she brought it to her lips—
She heard something behind her.
A rustle…scratching…the grinding of teeth…
Koharu's heart began to race.
She turned sharply.
Dozens of creatures burst out from between the rocks.
They were the size of cats… resembling rats.
But their eyes glowed crimson.
Their fur was patchy,their skin looked half-rotten.
The black mist flickered around them like sparks.
Koharu stepped back.
Her heart climbed into her throat.
The creatures let out shrill, screeching growls and charged at her.
At that moment—
Koharu looked at her hands.
They were trembling.
But the mark within her…
The power hidden behind the eyes that could see hearts—
suddenly awakened.
A white light flickered at her fingertips.
Like a torch.
It flared.
Expanded.
In an instant, it engulfed her entire body—
rising like a pure white flame within the darkness.
The creatures froze.
They shrieked and recoiled.
As the light intensified—
they scattered in panic, fleeing in all directions.
Koharu stood there, breathing heavily.
For the first time…
she had used her Aurora.
After the creatures disappeared completely, she leaned against a rock.
Her breathing was uneven, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
She lifted her head and looked toward the distant golden dome.
Her eyes narrowed.
Something… moved across its surface.
A shadow.
Something struck the barrier—
BOOM!
The impact rippled through the sky.
At the point of collision, golden light burst like sparks.
Then… black smoke spread outward.
Koharu's heart pounded.
She held her breath.
That thing rose again.
It bent like a drawn bow—
and slammed into the barrier once more.
BOOM!
The golden surface flared again,dark smoke rippling outward from the impact.
Koharu rubbed her eyes.
From this distance, she could only make out a silhouette.
Wings…?
Or something else… she couldn't tell.
But one thing was certain—
Something was attacking the golden barrier.
She whispered:
"Who… would dare something like that?"