Chapter 341 — Boundaries

Damian’s eyes snapped open.

He was kneeling on the ground outside his dormitory, breathing hard, sweat streaming down his face despite the cool night air.

"W-where... where did that memory come from?"

His mind raced, trying to understand.

’Elizabeth Murdock... a main character? Someone important enough that the old beggar mentioned her specifically?’

The implications crashed through him like waves.

’Why don’t I remember this? Why didn’t I... I should have known this. Should have remembered hearing about her from the novel.’

But the memory had been locked, sealed behind walls he couldn’t break until now.

’Something triggered the unsealing. Something specific happened to break the seal and–’

Then he remembered Elizabeth’s words from months ago, her voice echoing in his memory.

’Some of your memories are sealed. They’ll unlock when certain conditions are met.’

His hands clenched into fists.

"Did something happen to trigger the unsealing?"

Then another thought crashed through, cutting through everything else like a blade.

Robert’s voice, confused and worried.

’President Elizabeth hasn’t returned yet. There is no communication and no explanation.’

Damian’s blood ran cold.

’The memory unlocked... because the condition was met. Because Elizabeth is...’

He couldn’t finish the thought.

"Gia."

He activated his Academy watch, pulling up the communication interface.

No response came back from the AI.

"Gia, I need you. It’s urgent."

Still nothing except empty silence.

His pulse quickened.

"Aiko."

The familiar cheerful voice emerged after a brief delay, but her tone carried unusual concern.

"It’s been a long time, Damian. You usually don’t need my help these days. Something happened?"

"Where’s Gia? I need to talk with her immediately."

The urgency in his voice must have communicated itself clearly.

Aiko went silent for several long seconds.

When she spoke again, her voice had lost all its usual lightness.

"I’m... unable to reach the main consciousness. There’s no response from Gia at all."

Damian’s world tilted.

He broke into a run, his speed carrying him across campus in seconds, his feet barely touching the ground as he closed distance toward the first-year dormitories where his peers used to live last year.

*****

CRASH

The door to Adrian’s room exploded inward under Damian’s Aura-enhanced kick, wood splintering and frame buckling.

The room was empty.

Bed made, belongings organized, but no sign of the purple-haired friend who should have been sleeping here.

"Kuro!"

Damian’s voice cut through the night.

Shadows rippled across the floor like disturbed water, darkness gathering and taking shape.

The raven materialized slowly, his crimson eyes gleaming with intelligence as he emerged.

Kuro cocked his head, confusion radiating through their bond.

’Stupid human shouting! Kuro was training! What–’

"Can you track Adrian using anything here? His scent, his Aura signature, anything?"

The raven hopped around the room, his sharp eyes scanning every surface, his perception far beyond normal animals.

’No... Kuro need death energy to track properly. Living things not easy for Kuro to sense.’

Damian’s jaw clenched, frustration and fear mixing in his chest.

Then Kuro went completely still.

His head swiveled toward the window, staring out into the distance beyond the Academy grounds, beyond Tranquil City’s lights.

’But... Kuro see something else.’

His mental voice carried unusual weight.

’Death energy... far away... too much death... suppressed but not hidden from Kuro... Death never escapes Kuro’s eyes.’

The raven’s body enlarged suddenly, growing from small bird to massive creature capable of carrying a person, his feathers seeming to absorb all surrounding light.

Damian climbed onto Kuro’s back without hesitation.

’That’s where she might be... I need to check at least. No other option. If I’m wrong, I’m wrong. But if I’m right and I do nothing...’

He couldn’t finish that thought either.

"Use your maximum speed...."

****

BOOM

The sound barrier shattered as Kuro launched from the window, his wings cutting through air with force that created visible shockwaves.

Buildings blurred past, the Academy campus becoming a smear of light and shadow.

Tranquil City spread below them, the Mafia’s territory marked by crimson symbols glowing against darkness.

And throughout the city, S rank awakeners sensed the disturbance.

****

[Orphanage Rooftop - Tranquil City]

Gregor stood with arms crossed, his greying hair ruffled by night wind, his experienced eyes tracking the massive raven’s flight path.

"He’s moving toward the northern outskirts."

Beside him, Vash’s bulky frame blocked moonlight, his bald head gleaming.

"Something serious happened to make him rush like that."

Castor’s analytical mind was already processing patterns.

"He looked in our direction before leaving. A glance, brief but deliberate. He knows we’re watching."

Yara stepped forward, her healing-specialist nature making her more attuned to distress.

"Should we follow?"

Gregor’s expression became serious, his veteran instincts screaming warnings.

"He left the choice to us."

His voice carried weight.

"In his mind, he already owes us for the protection we’ve provided. But he doesn’t realize how much he’s done for us... he gave us safe haven when every Noble family wants us dead and provided purpose beyond mere survival."

He looked at his three companions.

"We’ve watched for months now. Seen everything he’s built. Every choice he’s made."

Vash grinned, his blunt nature showing through.

"I say we join the Mafia officially. As real members, not just guests hiding in the shadows."

Castor nodded slowly.

"Agreed. But not before we tell him the truth. About which families are hunting us, about why we’re fugitives and about what connecting with us will actually cost him."

Yara’s gentle face became stern.

"Our fates will be tied together if we do this... He needs to understand the danger."

Gregor’s eyes never left the distant speck that was Kuro and Damian disappearing into darkness.

"Make sure he stays safe, Vash. If whatever he’s rushing toward is something you can’t handle alone..."

Vash was already moving, his body blurring as S rank speed carried him across rooftops.

"You know how to call us if needed."

Then he vanished, following Damian’s path.

****

[Northern Outskirts - Beyond Tranquil City]

Empty fields stretched under moonlight, abandoned warehouses casting long shadows.

Kuro’s flight slowed as they approached something that shouldn’t exist.

A dome.

Massive beyond comprehension, stretching hundreds of meters, maybe kilometers in every direction, its surface shimmering with dark orange Aura that pulsed like a heartbeat.

Physical Domains came in many forms, but their boundaries fell into three categories.

The rarest and most costly was a Sealed Boundary, a prison of Will that prevented anything from entering or leaving, burning through the user’s Aura reserves at catastrophic rates while demanding absolute concentration to maintain.

The most common was an Open Boundary, no barrier at all, just the manifested reality extending outward like a sphere of influence, the user’s Will reshaping the world within their reach without wasting power on containment.

And between these extremes lay the One-Way Seal.

A compromise that allowed entry but prevented escape, trapping targets inside while conserving enough power for the Domain user to maintain other skills, other battles and other manifestations of their absolute authority over reality.

’Is it a completely sealed boundary, or one-way seal?’

Damian’s mind categorized automatically as they approached.

He reached out, his hand touching the barrier’s surface.

His fingers passed through like pressing against water.

’One-way seal... People inside can’t escape, but outsiders can enter.’

The choice told a story.

Whoever created this Domain was already engaged in something that demanded most of their Will and Aura, something so taxing that they couldn’t afford the expenditure of a complete seal.

They needed their targets trapped but couldn’t waste power on keeping everyone else out.

Kuro crossed the threshold, and reality changed.