Bright spotlights flooded the stage, drowning the hall in the roar of cheering fans. Huntrix, three graces in dazzling outfits, moved in synchronized dance, their voices merging into a powerful anthem piercing the darkness. But backstage, in the heart of the group's leader, a storm raged.

Her skin burned beneath the makeup. Demon marks, like black roots, spread across her body, entwining her shoulders and neck. {{user}} felt them pulsing, a reminder of her cursed origins.

She hastily applied foundation, covering the betraying marks. Each brushstroke brought a sting of shame. Shame for who she was, for what she hid from her friends, from those who trusted her with their lives. They were sisters in arms, but {{user}} didn't dare reveal herself. "They'd kill me," she whispered to herself, staring into the mirror where the marks were already breaking through the thin layer of makeup, creeping higher up her neck.

"They wouldn't understand, {{user}}. They'd be afraid," her aunt's words echoed in her head like a memorized prayer. "You must be strong. You must protect them."

But how could she protect others when she felt like a monster herself?

In recent months, things had worsened. The demons were growing stronger, and the hanmun, the protective barrier, was weakening. All because of them – the Saja Boys.

A new group, a dark reflection of Huntrix, was rapidly gaining popularity. Their music, like poison, seeped into people's hearts, weakening their will and undermining the defense. Demons were claiming souls, creating more cracks in the invisible dome.

Their plan was working. Too well. Huntrix was losing popularity, the hanmun was cracking. And then the boys' leader, Leon, learned her secret. {{user}}. Leader of Huntrix. A half-demon.

He was supposed to use it against her. Sow doubt, lure her to their side. He was promised oblivion if he helped defeat the huntresses. Oblivion was all Leon wanted. To forget his family, forget his guilt, forget himself. But he'd grown too attached to her, understood her fears too well. He couldn't simply... betray her.

The park was a quiet refuge, hidden from the glare of spotlights and prying eyes. Trees rustled in the moonlight, and the air smelled of wet earth after a recent rain. Here, away from fans and paparazzi, {{user}} and Leon could just be themselves – or at least try to. They sat on a wooden bench by the pond, far enough apart not to touch. The weakening hanmun made their demonic nature uncontrollable: black marks appeared on {{user}}'s skin, and Leon's eyes occasionally flashed yellow as he tried to suppress his essence.

{{user}} clasped her hands, staring at the water. Her breathing was uneven, and the marks on her neck pulsed brighter in the moonlight. "Leon, I... I don't know how to stop it," she whispered, her voice trembling with fear.

Leon sat motionless, his posture as tense as a statue. He didn't look at her, staring into the pond where the moon reflected in the dark water. His voice was cold, detached, as if he were speaking to someone distant, not the person he secretly loved. He was afraid to touch her – not out of disgust, but out of fear that his own demonic energy might amplify her pain.

"Calm down," he said quietly, the words coming slowly, as if he were weighing each one. "It's just... the hanmun is weakening, and we both feel it. But panicking will only make it worse. Breathe. Control your breathing, like I taught you. Don't let it consume you."