The village of Nafarin, the only one that might be near the Misty Forest, carried a name full of mystery. Its very name seemed to emerge from an enigma that had never been unraveled. A village where its people always lived in a shroud of silence and ambiguity. In the past, rumors suggested that the villagers were allies of the demons. But what was even stranger was that these same villagers had saved the Crown Prince’s life.  

Later, it was said that they did so out of guilt, but no one was ever certain. Their perpetual silence, like an impenetrable wall, responded to none of the speculations. Then, one day, under strange and unknown circumstances, the entire village was massacred. No one ever discovered who was behind this or why it happened.  

"Nafarin Village."  

Sura nodded and said, "Good, it’s not too far. Teleporting will be easier."  

With slow and precise movements, she traced an imaginary circle in the air, as if weaving its lines from threads of light. After a moment, the circle transformed into a black vortex that led to the village.  

"Go inside."  

Without hesitation, I stepped through. An infinite space filled with energy enveloped me, pulling me through to the other side. When my feet felt solid ground again, I realized my assumption had been correct. We were less than an hour away from the Misty Forest. The thick fog in the forest was like a sea of uncertainty, shrouding all directions. No path was visible; even the sunlight seemed lost within it.  

"We’ll stay here for now until the Crown Prince arrives," Sura said nonchalantly.  

"The Crown Prince? How do you know he’ll be here tomorrow?"  

"What? What do you mean? Tomorrow?"  

My eyes widened in shock. This event was supposed to occur seven days from now. How was it possible that Ayleran, the Crown Prince, would arrive in this cursed village tomorrow? Could I have been mistaken?  

Sura smirked, as if amused by my disbelief. "That little prince decided to come looking for you, so he started moving a bit earlier."  

I fell silent. This was impossible! Time had completely shifted. Everything I thought I knew had been thrown into chaos. If his decisions had changed, would the attacks and subsequent events change too?  

"Don’t worry. That boy will be fine. You just need to be prepared."  

I stared at her, a mix of fear and frustration swelling within me. "Can you read my mind?"  

Sura chuckled. "We’re connected through our contract. Naturally, I can enter your thoughts whenever I want."  

I took a deep breath and said, "That doesn’t matter right now. One way or another, we need to save him and get to the palace."  

Sura glanced around. Her sharp gaze fixed on a nearby tree, and with a swift motion, she transformed it into a small cabin. The cabin didn’t appear to have a physical existence; it seemed more like an illusion, visible only to Sura and me.  

"This cabin will remain here until the day after tomorrow. You need to bring that boy inside, no matter what it takes, to hide him from the infiltrators."  

I let out a small, bitter laugh. "Not a bad idea."  

I walked toward the cabin and stepped inside. Despite its modest exterior, the interior was surprisingly spacious. It was a perfect hiding place for the Crown Prince. Now, I just needed to prepare myself to save him.