The Karenlimus royal family, the symbol of glory and power in Paradise, carried a special, sacred gift—a gift passed down from father to son. Their healing ability was a unique blessing that showed itself in their ruby-colored eyes. That red color came from a special stone called Carnelian, which was at the core of their power; a magic stone with a dazzling shine that could give both life and death.

That stone, like a double-edged sword, had the power to either heal or completely destroy. If it fell into the wrong hands, its power could turn the world upside down. The name "Karenlimus" also came from that stone, like the destiny of this family was tied to the beauty and danger of the stone.

Among the members of the royal family, "Ilirian," the young Crown Prince, had an incredible healing power. This made him a real threat to the enemies of Paradise, especially the hell forces. Even though the palace had three heirs with Karenlian blood, Ilirian was the only one chosen for the throne—there was no competition in the family.

Years ago, "Rimen Karenlimus," the powerful and older Crown Prince of the family, took the throne without any protest from his younger brother, "Ryan." But what made Rimen's reign special was his endless love for his childhood friend; the little girl from the Garnet family, a family that was second only to the royals in Paradise. Their marriage was a true love story that produced two sons: Arien and Arksiel.

Arien, because of his charm, was called "the Sun of Paradise" and was always admired. But Arksiel, called "the Nightmare of Pain," was two years younger than Arien, but his presence was always scary and mysterious.

However, the family's happiness didn't last long. An unexpected event changed everything: the sudden death of Anisa, Rimen's wife and the mother of the two princes, shocked Paradise. She died in vague and mysterious circumstances, and this deep sorrow not only took Rimen away from the throne, but also made him disappear forever. Rimen gave the crown to Ryan and left his children alone in a hard and unsupported world.

That's where the story of the royal family changed. The saints of the church, with their great power, took away any right to succession from Arien and Arksiel. Even though they had royal blood, they no longer had any right to the throne. That's how Ilirian became the only remaining heir. But enemies were waiting to destroy Ilirian and end the Karenlimus family's reign forever.

But that couldn't happen. Ilirian had to get to the throne, and I had sworn to protect him.

"Ilirian... with your help, we'll get to the palace."

***

**In the Heart of the Misty Forest**

That afternoon, in the middle of the tall, tangled trees of the Misty Forest, the sound of fast-approaching horses broke the heavy, eerie silence of the forest. Her heart beat faster. She quickly hid behind a large boulder and sharpened her ears to hear the riders' conversation.

"Haven't found him yet?"

"No, it's like he's sunk into the ground."

"It's been an hour. That kid's gotta be around here."

"If we don't find him, we'll be the ones sacrificed."

The sound of hooves faded away, but their words swirled in her mind like a deep wound. Time had changed, and now she had little time.

*Damn these time changes... I have to find him faster.*

She followed the strange energy that was guiding her—the same energy that had given Ilirian the healing power of his hands. With every step she took, the fog around her got thicker, like the forest was trying to stop her. It was getting dark, but she knew she was close.

She took another step and suddenly felt the cold of a sword blade on her throat.

"Who are you? Why are you following me?"

The man's eyes were full of anger and suspicion, but something in his eyes looked broken. The poison was slowly taking over his body and even blurring his vision. She said calmly, "Lower your sword, brother. I came to help you."

The boy's look was full of suspicion. "Why should I trust you? Maybe if I trust you, you'll give me away."

The girl said in a soft but firm voice, "Brother, now's not the time for that. You have to trust me."

Moments of silence filled the air, a silence that was only broken by the sound of approaching hooves. A sound that was getting louder and more threatening with every moment.

The girl didn't waste the chance. She took her brother's hand and pulled. The boy resisted a little at first, but when the sound of hooves got closer, he had no choice but to walk with the girl.

They hurried to the cabin that had been hidden by Sura's magic. As soon as they went inside, the cabin was hidden from view by a soft, magic light, like it didn't exist at all.

The girl said, "Brother, now you're safe here."

The boy looked around. Little by little, his eyes adjusted to the dim light inside the cabin. He asked curiously, "Where is this?"

The girl ran her hand over the wooden wall and said, "An illusion. A cabin that only we can see."

The boy frowned. "An illusion?"

The girl nodded. "Yes. When we leave here, this cabin will disappear completely, like it never existed."

The boy stared at her. He couldn't believe it. To him, the girl just looked like a simple villager. How could she know something like that?

He whispered, "You... you know magic?"

The girl smiled. "Brother, if you let me heal your wound, I'll tell you a secret."

Without waiting for an answer, she took a healing cloth out of her pocket and gently wrapped it around the boy's injured shoulder. The boy, confused by what she was doing, just watched her.

He whispered, "What is this?"

"A healing cloth."

"Healing?"

The girl smiled and said, "Yes. Someone gave it to me. It helps a lot."

The boy went silent, but there was still doubt in his eyes.

The girl ran a hand through his messy hair and said, "Now, do you want to know my secret?"

The boy said in a quiet voice, "Tell me."

The girl said confidently, "I'm the one you came here looking for."

The boy's eyes widened in surprise. "You? What do you mean?"

"The Demon Angel. You came to find me, didn't you?"

The boy was startled. He held his breath and said with hesitation, "That's right... but why should I believe you?"

The girl said, "Do you remember my mother's face?"

The boy nodded. "More or less. I know what she looked like."

The girl came closer and said, "Then compare me to her."

She pushed her hair aside so the boy could see better. Her chocolate-brown hair and captivating eyes that were like her mother's caught the boy's attention. The only difference was the red color of her mother's eyes, which wasn't there now.

The boy whispered, "That's right. Your features match. But why do you want to help me? Shouldn't you run away from me?"

The girl chuckled softly, "Run away? That'll just get me closer to death. I haven't done anything to be scared or run away."

The boy calmed down a little, but there was still doubt in his eyes. He said in a gentle tone, "So you want to come to the palace with me?"

The girl, with a reassuring smile, said, "Yes, brother. That's what we have to do."

The boy took a deep breath and lowered his head. Even though the girl's words had given him some hope, a shadow of despair could still be seen in his eyes. Could he really get back to the palace?

His face showed deep despair. It was like he didn't even believe he could reach his destination. Small cracks of fear and fatigue rippled in his eyes.

He whispered, "Umm... can you open this cloth?" His weak voice slowly echoed in the space.

The girl gently came forward, reached for the knot in the cloth, and carefully opened it. The boy's arm moved gently without any sign of pain. He gave the girl a surprised look and said, "It's really... better. Thank you."

The girl answered with a faint smile, although there was a hint of worry in her eyes. "I'm glad you don't feel any pain. Do you think your knights will come looking for you?"