"‘Why should I trust you?’ the boy asked, his voice laced with suspicion. ‘If I trust you, what’s to stop you from betraying me?’  

‘Brother,’ she said, her voice steady despite the urgency in her eyes, ‘this isn’t the time for doubts. You have to trust me.’  

A tense silence followed, broken only by the distant thunder of hooves pounding the earth. The sound grew louder, more insistent. There was no time to argue.  

She seized his wrist and pulled him forward. He resisted at first, his body stiff with hesitation, but the growing threat left him no choice. Reluctantly, he followed her, each step a surrender to her determination.  

She led him to an unassuming cabin hidden amidst the trees, its entrance marked by faint, glowing sigils on the ground—Sura's handiwork. As soon as they stepped inside, a shimmering veil of magic enveloped the structure, rendering it invisible to the outside world.  

‘You’re safe now, brother,’ she said, releasing his wrist.  

Ayliran’s eyes darted around the room, adjusting to the dim light. ‘Where are we?’  

‘An illusion,’ she replied, gesturing to the rustic walls.  

‘An illusion?’ he echoed, his brow furrowed.  

‘Yes. Once we leave, this place will vanish as though it never existed—just like now, hidden from sight.’  

Ayliran stared at her, his expression a mixture of disbelief and curiosity. To him, she was just a simple village girl. How could someone like her wield such power?  

‘You… you know magic?’ he asked cautiously.  

‘Brother,’ she said, a flicker of a smile crossing her lips, ‘if you’ll let me tend to your wound, I’ll tell you a secret.’  

Without waiting for a reply, she retrieved a cloth from her satchel—a shimmering, enchanted piece gifted by Sura—and began wrapping it gently around his injured shoulder. He watched her in silence, his gaze shifting between her hands and the cloth.  

‘What is that?’ he asked finally.  

‘A healing cloth,’ she said simply.  

‘Healing?’  

‘That’s right. Someone gave it to me. It’ll help.’  

He didn’t reply, his guarded silence lingering.  

‘Do you want to hear the secret now?’ she asked, her tone teasing but with a hint of pride.  

‘Go on,’ he said, his voice heavy with caution.  

She stood tall, brushing back her disheveled hair to reveal her face fully. ‘I’m the one you came to this village looking for.’  

His eyes narrowed, suspicion clouding his features. ‘You? What do you mean?’  

‘The devil’s angel,’ she said, her voice unwavering. ‘Isn’t that why you came here?’  

His breath caught for a moment. ‘That’s true… but why should I believe you?’  

She tilted her head slightly, studying him. ‘Do you remember what my mother looked like?’  

‘Somewhat. I know her features,’ he admitted cautiously.  

‘Then compare them to mine.’  

She stepped closer, her messy hair falling away from her small face. He studied her closely, his gaze lingering on her rich, chocolate-brown hair and her striking eyes, so reminiscent of her mother’s, though they lacked the fiery red hue he had expected.  

‘Your features… they match,’ he murmured. ‘But why would you help me? Shouldn’t you be running away?’  

‘Run?’ she repeated with a soft chuckle. ‘Running would only bring me closer to death. Besides, I’ve done nothing wrong to be afraid of you.’  

He exhaled slowly, the weight of her words sinking in. ‘So… you’re willing to come to the palace with me?’  

‘That’s right, brother,’ she said, her tone resolute.  

Ayliran sighed deeply, his gaze dropping to the ground. Though she had given him hope, the shadow of despair still lingered in his eyes. Could he truly return to the palace after all that had happened?

The boy's face reflected a deep sense of despair, as though no hope of returning to the palace remained within him. His eyes carried shadows of fear and exhaustion, and there was little I could do to change that. I certainly couldn’t promise him safe passage back to the palace.  

"Uh... Can you remove that cloth?" he murmured softly, his voice barely audible.  

He reached for the knot in the cloth, untied it carefully, and began moving his arm. No pain. His wide-eyed stare met mine, disbelief painted across his expression.  

"It’s really... healed. Thank you."  

I offered him a small smile, though worry lingered in my mind. "I’m glad the pain is gone. Can you tell me how many of your knights were infiltrators?"  

He hesitated, his gaze dropping as he delved into his thoughts.  

"About three of them infiltrated my guard. The others were imperial knights and went in another direction. They’re probably still wandering the forest, looking for me."  

"Brother, how far is it from here to the imperial palace?"  

"About three days’ journey."  

This presented an opportunity. Despite the long distance, creating a one-way teleport to the palace might still be possible. Of course, such a feat would require immense power.  

"Teleport..." I muttered under my breath.  

"Teleport?" He sounded skeptical. "You’d need an incredible amount of power to reach the palace."  

"I can get help from someone."  

He shrugged slightly, doubt evident in his demeanor. "How do you plan to manage that in a place like this?"  

I stood up from the wooden floor and began pacing around the cabin. More than ever, I needed Sura’s help. But the problem was, I didn’t even know how to summon her.  

Ayleran’s puzzled gaze followed my every move, confusion etched on his face.  

"What are you doing?" he asked, his tone carrying both curiosity and wariness.  

"Uh... Honestly, I don’t know," I admitted, letting out a frustrated sigh.  

Suddenly, the entire cabin was flooded with an intense light. Before I could even process what was happening, a massive portal materialized in the center of the room.  

"Wow... This portal..." I whispered, unable to hide my astonishment.  

Ayleran’s voice was calm yet laced with awe. "That’s the royal palace portal—the largest portal in Heaven."  

"But... why is it here?"  

"Maybe... I don’t know. But that’s not important. What matters is that it’s here now. All you need to do is come with me."  

He rose to his feet and approached the portal, but before stepping through, he paused and turned to wait for me. His growing impatience was evident in the furrow of his brow.  

"What’s wrong? Didn’t you say you wanted to come?"  

"I did, but if I come... it might..."  

"Don’t worry. Everything will be fine," he said with quiet conviction.  

I took a hesitant step toward the portal. This was it—my first step toward altering my destiny, my first move toward vengeance. Yet an unshakable doubt gnawed at me. What if my mother’s words weren’t what I believed them to be? What if they imprisoned me instead? After all, I was a demon whose energy core carried angelic blood.  

"Alright..." I murmured under my breath.

There was no other option. Staying in the forest meant resigning myself to a rescue that might never come.  

I stepped into the portal. It was so powerful that it felt as though I was treading on air. My body seemed to dissolve into particles, and the blinding light scorched my vision. After blinking several times, I found myself standing in an immense, opulent hall.  

"Your Highness... Are you alright?"  

A group of maids rushed toward Ayleran, their faces etched with concern. Before they could notice me, I darted behind Ayleran and clung to him, using him as a shield to hide myself.  

"I’m fine. Thank you for your concern," he replied, his tone steady and composed.  

Ayleran glanced at me from the corner of his eye and leaned in to whisper,  

"Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you."  

His words, spoken so softly yet so assuredly, brought an unexpected sense of calm over me. No one—no one but my mother—had ever promised to look after me.  

How was I supposed to react? This unfamiliar moment left me overwhelmed, unsure of what to feel or how to respond. All I knew was that, for the first time in a long while, I didn’t feel entirely alone.