As they ventured deeper into the dark forest, the air didn't just grow heavier—
It felt as if everything around them had begun to awaken.
Branches shifted slowly despite the absence of wind.Black leaves whispered to one another in hushed, unnatural tones.
The forest no longer felt like a collection of separate trees…but a single, massive organism.
Alive.
Watching.
Koharu wrapped her arms around herself, shivering.
"There's something wrong here," she whispered."It feels like… with every step we take, the forest is holding its breath… watching us."
Aurelia walked at the front as always, her posture proud and unshaken. Each step crushed dried branches beneath her feet like brittle bones.
Swen leaned closer to Koharu, muttering under her breath:
"Maybe we should've listened to you and gone around, princess…Even my alchemist instincts are starting to get uncomfortable."
Soon, the trees thinned.
The ground turned soft—wet.A thick mist rolled in, and the terrain sank into a swamp.
From every direction, tiny red eyes flickered in the dark.High-pitched screeches echoed through the air.
Swamp rats.
Aurelia raised her hand, golden flames beginning to form—
But Swen immediately grabbed her arm.
"Wait! Those are our food, Aurelia! Don't turn them all to ash—let Shinju handle it."
Shinju didn't hesitate.
Dozens of Yin needles formed instantly in the air around him.
They shot forward at invisible speed—
Piercing through the swarm one by one.
Moments later, silence returned.
The creatures were dead. Clean. Ready.
They set up camp in a small clearing within the forest.
A fire crackled to life, its orange glow casting long, twisted shadows across the black trees—turning them into towering monsters dancing in the dark.
But for Koharu…
The world had already shrunk to one thing.
Food.
The moment she tasted the roasted meat, her eyes lit up.
"This was definitely the right decision!" she said, mouth full.
Swen burst into laughter.
"What happened, princess? Didn't your 'diet' last very long?"
Koharu raised a drumstick triumphantly, grinning.
"It would've been an insult to the Void not to eat this!"
When the feast ended, they lay back around the fire, full and relaxed.
Koharu stared up at the pitch-black sky, her voice softening.
"You know…" she said quietly,"Back in the Land of Angels, we had endless sweets, fresh fruits, flowers… and people who were always smiling."
She paused.
"But my heart was never at peace there. I was never truly happy."
Her gaze shifted slightly toward them.
"But here… in the middle of nothingness… with all of you…"
A faint smile appeared.
"I feel like I'm finally where I belong. I'm really glad I met you."
Aurelia turned her head slightly toward her.
"You may not be strong," she said calmly,"but you bring hope and warmth to all of us."
Her golden eyes shifted toward Shinju.
"I never understood humans before. I thought they were all deceitful."
A pause.
"But even this child… consumed by darkness…"
Her gaze lingered.
"…is good at his core."
She exhaled softly.
"Perhaps we judged your kind too harshly. Maybe… humans and dragons truly can coexist."
Amid this warmth—
They were unaware of a truth.
A pair of eyes watched them… from within the darkness.
The stranger remained hidden in the shadows of a tree.
"So these are the uninvited guests…" he thought.
"The one with the golden eyes… dangerous. I'll need to be careful."
Then—
His gaze shifted to Shinju.
And froze.
Shinju sat cross-legged, entering meditation.
The Yin energy around him began to gather—condense—take form.
Then…
He absorbed it.
The stranger's eyes widened in disbelief.
"What…? That's impossible."
"He can materialize the essence of the Void?"
His breathing grew sharper.
"I must have him. If I can control him… there won't be a single force on this planet that can stand against me."
Time passed.
The group decided to take turns keeping watch.
Swen took the first shift.
But…
Full stomach.Exhaustion.
Before long—
She was fast asleep, snoring softly on the rock she had chosen as her post.
The stranger smiled.
"Perfect timing."
From the ground…From the tree trunks…From the leaves above…
Thin, black strands began to move.
Like strands of hair.
So fine they were almost invisible.
In truth—
The entire forest was made of them.
A vast, living nervous system.
Through these strands, the stranger infiltrated his victims—slipping through the back of the neck, reaching the brainstem…
Turning them into puppets.
The strands slithered toward Koharu, Aurelia, and Swen—
But just as they were about to pierce their skin—
They were repelled.
Pushed back.
The pure Yang protection from the Elysium pills rejected them.
Connection was impossible.
The stranger's expression twisted in shock.
"What…? That shouldn't be possible!"
"They should be mine!"
"Why aren't my strands working?!"
Then he turned to Shinju.
And something even stranger happened.
Instead of resisting—
Shinju's body absorbed the strands.
Like a sponge.
The stranger froze.
"This man… isn't normal."
"He's eating them…"
Sweat formed on his brow.
"If I use more, I might take control… but it'll take too long."
"And waking him… is too risky."
The strands quickly withdrew.
At that moment—
Koharu suddenly woke up, clutching her stomach.
"Ugh… I really overdid it this time…"
She glanced toward Swen—
Still asleep.
Snoring.
Koharu smiled faintly.
"Swen fell asleep, huh? …Well, I'm already awake. Might as well let her rest."
She stood up and walked away from the camp to find a quiet place.
After finishing, she began heading back—
Suddenly—
A large hand clamped over her mouth.
Cold steel pressed against her throat.
A voice emerged from the darkness.
Cold.
Sharp.
Unforgiving.
"Stay quiet."
A pause.
"Do as I say… and I won't hurt you."