The moment we crossed the white barrier, the world changed.
The suffocating darkness that dominated the outer forest disappeared.
In its place stood a civilization.
My eyes widened slightly.
Another dome.
A second barrier stretched above the settlement like a miniature sky.
Unlike the black barrier surrounding the island, this one shone with a faint silver-white glow.
Sunlight filtered through it naturally, bathing everything beneath in soft light.
An entire city existed beneath the protection of this dome.
And it was far larger than I expected.
Walls.
Massive walls divided the city into separate sections.
Each wall stood hundreds of meters tall.
Black metal gleamed beneath the sunlight.
Vibranium.
Pure black vibranium.
Even from this distance I could feel the density hidden within the material.
The walls weren't built merely for defense.
They existed to separate the different classes of the Nyxari civilization.
The outer district.
The middle district.
The inner valley.
Three regions.
Three worlds.
The guide noticed my gaze.
"The city is divided according to bloodline."
I remained silent.
He continued.
"The outer district houses those with diluted bloodlines."
My eyes moved toward the distant streets.
Humans.
Beastkin.
Hybrids.
People carrying traces of panther blood.
Some possessed feline ears.
Others had slit pupils.
A few had tails.
Most appeared entirely human.
Unlike what I expected, the outer district wasn't poor.
It was thriving.
Vehicles moved through the streets.
Hover platforms floated between buildings.
Energy-powered transport systems connected various districts.
Large screens displayed information.
Factories operated in the distance.
Technology.
Far more advanced than anything found in most territories.
Not everyone devoted their lives to combat.
Some became engineers.
Researchers.
Merchants.
Artisans.
The outer district seemed designed for them.
The guide noticed my surprise.
"The Nyxari do not reject progress."
I nodded.
That much was obvious.
The further inward we traveled, the stronger the people became.
Soon we approached the second wall.
This one was larger.
Heavier.
Older.
Beyond it stood the true heart of Nyxari civilization.
The domain of the pure bloods.
Leopards.
Jaguars.
Cougars.
And the countless clans descended from them.
The atmosphere immediately changed.
The technology became less noticeable.
Training grounds appeared everywhere.
Warriors sparred openly.
Children practiced movement techniques atop rooftops.
Assassins disappeared into shadows only to emerge behind instructors.
Everywhere I looked—
Combat.
Strength.
Discipline.
The very air felt sharper.
Like a blade hidden beneath silk.
Different clan banners fluttered throughout the district.
Golden Panthers.
Blood Panthers.
Moon Panthers.
Shadow Panthers.
Each clan carried its own traditions.
Its own territory.
Its own history.
Yet all ultimately served beneath one ruler.
The Patriarch.
The deeper we traveled, the quieter everything became.
Soon we reached the third wall.
The final wall.
The largest of them all.
Even the guide unconsciously straightened his posture.
Respect.
The place beyond this wall clearly held significance.
The gates opened.
And we entered the Inner Valley.
My eyes narrowed.
This place was completely different.
No markets.
No merchants.
No distractions.
Only power.
Massive clan headquarters occupied different sections of the valley.
Treasuries.
Resource halls.
Training facilities.
Inheritance grounds.
Ancient libraries.
Everything important to the Nyxari race was gathered here.
The future of the race.
The strength of the race.
The wealth of the race.
Protected behind the strongest wall in the city.
And at the center of everything—
I finally saw it.
The Patriarch's Residence.
Even from kilometers away it dominated the landscape.
A massive pink barrier surrounded the entire estate.
Perfectly circular.
Roughly five hundred meters in all directions.
Yet the mansion itself occupied only a small portion of that space.
My eyes swept across the remaining area.
Uneven ground.
Massive craters.
Broken terrain.
Hundreds of repaired sections.
The signs were obvious.
Arena.
Training grounds.
Battlefields.
The Patriarch trained people here.
The strongest members of the race.
Perhaps even clan leaders themselves.
The closer we got, the more obvious it became.
Gravity chambers.
Time chambers.
Cultivation halls.
Weapon pavilions.
Training equipment unlike anything I had ever seen.
Countless people trained within the outer grounds.
Some meditated.
Others fought.
Many carried injuries.
Yet every one of them possessed terrifying auras.
These weren't ordinary warriors.
These were people personally guided by the strongest Nyxari alive.
Then my eyes rose toward the mansion itself.
Purple-black vibranium.
The material absorbed light.
Giving the structure a strange appearance.
Black.
Yet purple.
Purple.
Yet black.
The entire mansion resembled a sleeping predator.
A beast waiting to awaken.
A low wall surrounded it roughly one hundred meters away.
And at the center—
The entrance.
I stopped walking.
For a moment.
Even Father smiled slightly.
The entrance wasn't a door.
It was a panther.
A colossal black panther carved into the mansion itself.
Its body rested upon the ground.
Its jaws opened wide.
The lower jaw merged directly with the pavement.
The upper jaw stretched overhead.
Rows of razor-sharp teeth formed the gateway.
Anyone entering had to walk directly into its mouth.
As if willingly allowing themselves to be swallowed.
The massive black gates beyond were already open.
Waiting.
Watching.
Inviting.
Or perhaps warning.
I couldn't tell which.
Father continued forward.
I followed.
The darkness inside the panther's mouth swallowed us whole.
And for some reason—
Every instinct in my body screamed.
Whatever awaited me inside...
Was far worse than any battle I had fought so far.