The world of the Link is surrounded by Chaos, where terrible monsters live. People hide behind a high palisade, trying not to go out after dark, and tell legends about werewolves that can slip through the Barrier. Young Kotena doesn’t belong among the monsters, but in the village she is considered “an outsider.” She endures bullying in the home of her stepfather until he gives her away in marriage to pay a debt. The unlucky bride is sent through the forest, where deadly dangers await her. An attack by robbers promises inevitable death, but among the snow-covered thickets a mysterious creature appears… Or is it a person? Or a creation of Chaos? Will it help her, or will it turn Kotena’s life into an even bigger nightmare?