Whew. Volume 3 was A LOT. In the best, most layered, emotionally intense way possible. After a helpful recap from the previous volumes, this installment dives deep into the psychological and emotional wounds of its characters—particularly the trauma, heartbreak, and vulnerability that have shaped who they are.
Let’s talk about Zylith. Her character is painful and powerful to watch unfold. She doesn’t understand love. She doesn’t know how to give it, receive it, or even recognize it—and that’s rooted in her upbringing. Raised in a home where love was transactional and violent, where anger filled the air more than affection, Zylith learned to buy friendships, to be emotionally absent, and to protect herself through detachment. She equates connection with payment and control—and we see how this has stunted her emotional development.
On the other hand, Vera, from a humbler background, processes her trauma in the opposite direction. She takes pain and turns it into strength. She uses her childhood as a motivation to be different, to be kinder, stronger, and more compassionate. It was so moving to see how both girls navigated trauma—but how differently they responded to it.
The complexity deepens with Zelan, who still remains an enigma. We know he’s famous in his world. We know about his hospitalized mother and his brother. But his mystery adds tension to the emotional and social knots being pulled tighter every chapter.
What I found especially powerful in this volume was the sharp critique of patriarchy and how women are objectified in this world—treated like commodities or tools for male desire. There’s a pivotal scene where Vera, who is male-presenting, is mistaken for a man. The second her femininity is discovered, her strength is diminished in the eyes of her opponent—even though she proves herself by taking him down. That moment was brilliant symbolism. Women are often underestimated, but they have the power to shatter oppressive systems—even when the systems hit back.
One antagonist in this arc—a man who represents patriarchal aggression and post-capitalist anger—loses his job and transfers all his rage onto women. First through violence, then through twisted sexual entitlement. His assault on Zylith is framed as “what he’s owed,” and it’s chilling. But again, the women fight back. They don’t go down without a scream, a fist, or a shattering of glass.
And the ending? I DID NOT SEE IT COMING. That final fight scene—Zylith falling, broken glass everywhere, Zelan’s voice shouting from above, Vera in shock—it left me breathless. We also get that awkward but revealing moment where the romantic tension becomes a triangle (maybe even a poly-triangle?) and we’re left wondering: who loves who? Who’s hiding what?
Episode 37–51 were packed with intensity, layered character arcs, complex trauma, social critique, and a cliffhanger that has me running to WEBTOON to read what happens next.
I’m honestly amazed at how the writers have handled this emotional weight while still pushing the story forward. Volume 2 didn’t land with me as strongly, but Volume 3 more than made up for it. Emotional. Complex. Raw. And so real.