"Ready for the real show to begin?" Lily's words echoed in Briar's mind as she disappeared in a cloud of smoke. The fair had ended abruptly, and Briar walked home with Eva and Charles Royall in silence. "What did Lily mean by calling me 'Princess'?" Briar finally asked. Eva and Charles exchanged worried glances but said nothing. Later that night, Briar found a note on her pillow: "Do you want to know who you really are? Meet me at the old oak tree tonight."

The moon cast eerie shadows as Briar approached the ancient oak tree. "Oakley?" she whispered, thinking her friend had left the note. Suddenly, dark figures emerged from behind the massive trunk. Before Briar could scream, they grabbed her arms. A swirling portal opened in the tree's hollow. The shadowy figures pulled Briar through the portal as she struggled against their grip. From behind a nearby bush, Oakley watched in horror as his friend disappeared.

Oakley didn't hesitate – he leapt into the portal just before it closed. He tumbled through darkness before landing on cold, gray earth. Ahead, he spotted Briar swaying on her feet, her face pale with shock. Oakley rushed forward and caught her just as she fainted. A familiar laugh echoed around them – Lily's voice, but somehow older and more menacing. "Welcome to my domain," she said, stepping from the shadows in a black dress that seemed to absorb the dim light.

"Don't hurt her!" Oakley shouted, holding Briar protectively. His voice roused Briar, who opened her eyes and screamed at the sight of Lily. "Where are we?" Oakley demanded, glaring at Lily. "The Shadow Lands, of course," Lily replied with a smirk. "Where lost princesses come to disappear." With that cryptic statement, she vanished into the mist. Briar and Oakley found themselves alone in a strange landscape of twisted trees and purple skies.

"We need to find a way back home," Oakley said, helping Briar to her feet. "It's not safe here – the Shadow Princess destroys any other royalty who enters her realm." Briar dusted off her clothes and looked toward a distant castle on the horizon. "I need to go there," she said firmly. "That castle might have answers about who I really am." Oakley protested, but Briar's mind was made up. "Some things I have to do alone," she whispered, squeezing his hand before walking away.

Briar followed a winding path through a forest of silver-barked trees. Strange creatures watched from the shadows but never approached. The castle grew larger with each step, its black towers reaching toward the purple sky. Briar felt drawn to it, as if something inside was calling to her. "Who am I really?" she wondered aloud. A whisper seemed to answer from the wind: "Come and see, Princess of Light."

Meanwhile, Oakley wasn't about to let Briar face danger alone. He followed at a distance, watching for threats. The Shadow Lands felt wrong – too quiet, too still. Oakley remembered stories his grandmother told about parallel worlds and their dangers. "Hold on, Briar," he whispered. "I promised to protect you, and I will." He quickened his pace as the castle loomed ahead, determined to reach Briar before she encountered the Shadow Princess.

Briar entered the castle through massive doors that opened at her touch. Inside, portraits lined the walls – faces that somehow seemed familiar. She climbed a spiral staircase, drawn upward by an invisible force. At the top, she found a room with two thrones. One was black as night, the other covered in dust but clearly made of white crystal. "Welcome home," said Lily, stepping from behind the black throne. "Or should I say, welcome back, Princess of Light."

"What do you mean?" Briar asked, her heart racing. Lily circled her slowly, eyes gleaming. "Eleven years ago, a baby princess was smuggled from this realm to keep her safe from me," Lily explained. "That baby was you, daughter of the Light Queen." Briar shook her head in disbelief. "Eva and Charles have been your protectors, not your family," Lily continued. "And now you've returned just in time for me to complete my spell."

Before Briar could react, Lily said a bunch of strange words and Briar found herself walking towards a sewing needle. Before her body could react, she pressed the tip. Briar felt numb all over, felling her mind slip away. "A sleeping spell," Lily laughed. "The perfect way to drain the life out of you" Briar fought against the darkness closing in, but her eyes grew too heavy. Her last conscious thought was of Oakley and home. From the stairway, Oakley heard Briar's cry and raced toward the throne room, his heart pounding with fear.

Oakley burst into the throne room to find Lily standing triumphantly, her cape laying over a motionless form. "Here is your precious princess," Lily mocked, gesturing dramatically. Oakley didn't waste time with words – he rushed forward, scooped Briar into his arms, and ran. Briar was getting paler and paler by the minute. Oakley tried to make a run for it. Surprisingly, Lily didn't stop him, only made Briar float toward her and cast another spell. That spell made Briar go even limper and as white as paper. Lily cast one more spell that made Briar whimper. Then Oakley ran up to grab Briar, and made a run for it again. "Run all you want," she called after him. "Only true love's kiss can break my spells, so that means at midnight she'll die!" Somehow, Oakley found the portal home, carrying Briar through it with determination.

Back in their world, Oakley brought Briar to Eva and Charles. "Lily put her under a sleeping spell, and she said at midnight she'll die!" he explained breathlessly. Eva's face paled as she checked Briar's pulse. "There's only one way to break this magic," Eva said softly. "Oakley, you must kiss her – your friendship is the purest form of love." Feeling awkward but desperate to help, Oakley leaned forward and gently kissed Briar's forehead. Everyone held their breath, watching for any sign of awakening. Briar's eyelids fluttered slightly, but would it be enough to break the spell?