Olivia's POV
I slipped out of the palace under the cover of night, the cold air biting against my skin as I made my way to the forest. My heart pounded in my chest, filled with both fear and anticipation. I had to do this. I had to find out who I truly was, where I came from. Being an orphan was hunting me for the umpteenth time in my lifetime. I couldn't stay in that palace any longer, with everyone watching me like a ticking time bomb. Even Bustan, with his reassurances, couldn’t ease the uncertainty growing inside me.
The letter I had carried with me since I was a child—worn and fragile from years of being folded and unfolded—was my only clue. It spoke of a village deep in the forest, far beyond the palace borders. A place where I could find the answers to my origins. I needed to u
