Ena lived in a small rented room and worked at a shop to make a living. Unfortunately, she could barely afford to pay the rent, and many days passed without her being able to pay. Eventually, the landlord threw her out, telling her to leave and only return once she had the money. Ena, at just 17 years old, was left with nothing. She was all alone in the world.
Her parents had died in a car accident when she was a young child, and she had no memory of where she had come from. She only had a necklace given to her by her father, which always made her feel connected to him. But now, with nothing left to hold on to, she felt lost and hopeless.
One day, feeling utterly broken, Ena went to a river near the city, where she jumped in, deciding that her life had no purpose. As she sank into the water, she felt an unexpected sense of peace, as though all her pain was being washed away. Clutching the necklace, she noticed something strange—a large, oval-shaped mirror submerged beneath her.
Curious, she swam toward it and saw her reflection in the mirror. She thought to herself that she wanted to see herself one last time before the end. She placed both hands on the glass, and suddenly, two hands reached out from the mirror, grabbed her, and pulled her inside. She was thrown into a small, old room. The mirror then returned to its normal state, leaving her with no way to escape.
Confused and frightened, Ena wondered what was happening. Who was the girl she had seen in the mirror, and why was she smiling at her? Her mind raced, and then she realized, her necklace—the one her father had given her—was gone. It had been stolen by the girl who looked like her.
In distress, Ena sat down, crying. The necklace had meant everything to her, and now it was gone. Just then, a soldier wearing old-fashioned clothes opened the door. He looked at Ena with surprise in his eyes and said, "What's your name, beautiful girl?"
Ena, still angry and upset, shouted, "Who are you, and why should I tell you my name?"
The soldier replied calmly, "You're not safe here. Come with me."
Ena was suspicious. "Why should I go with you?"
"Please, you're not safe here. Come with me," the soldier insisted.
"Why am I not safe?" she asked, her voice trembling.
The soldier answered, "What's your name?"
"Ena," she said reluctantly.
"You're a thief, and the king's men are looking for you. If they catch you, you won't survive," the soldier warned.
Ena was taken aback. "What do you mean? Who is Deni? Where is she?"
The soldier explained, "Deni is a thief who stole important diamonds. She's the one who took your necklace."
Realizing the connection, Ena said, "That's why she took my necklace."
The soldier, sensing her distress, said, "Please, come with me. I'll take you to a safe place."
Ena, still feeling guilty for her earlier outburst, apologized, "I'm sorry, I treated you badly."
The soldier said, "There's no time for that now. Please, follow me." He took her hand and led her through the back door of the room. They started running through the streets, but as they turned a corner, another soldier stopped them.
"Where are you going? You looking for Deni?" the soldier asked.
The first soldier quickly hid Ena and replied, "No, Deni isn't here. I'm searching the nearby areas."
"Alright," the other soldier said, walking away.
Once they were safe, the soldier turned to Ena. "Don't go down any other streets. This is the safest place. I'm going to the commander's place to ask for a holiday."
Ena was shocked. "The commander gave you a holiday in this situation?"
"Yes," the soldier said with a slight grin. "I'm the prince of this kingdom."
Ena was stunned. "What? You're the prince?"
"Shh!" the soldier—now revealed to be the prince—whispered. "Don't speak so loudly. I'll be back in two seconds."
Ena, amazed by the revelation, said, "Okay, go quickly."
The prince disappeared, leaving Ena to wait. As the sun set, Ena began to wonder if she had traveled back in time. She smiled at the thought, but then she noticed four shadows approaching.
Hiding behind a stack of boxes, she heard the voices of men who were making lewd comments about her. "Hey, little lady, you got a problem?" one of them asked, leering at her.
Ena, frightened, yelled, "Don't touch me!" and struggled to get free. "Leave me alone, you bastards!"
The men taunted her, saying, "Oh, you're a brave girl."
As they moved closer, Ena screamed for help. Just then, the prince returned, and with a commanding voice, ordered, "Leave her alone, or I'll throw you in prison!"
The men, terrified, apologized and quickly ran away. The prince turned to Ena and said, "I'm sorry I was late," as he took her hand and led her to safety.
"Where are we going?" Ena asked.
"The palace," the prince replied.
"But what if someone recognizes me?" she asked, worried.
"No one knows who Deni is," the prince reassured her.
A few days later, the prince took Ena to the market, where they saw a woman running quickly, only to disappear. The commander then asked the prince for help in catching her. The prince explained, "That's when I realized you understood what was happening."
Ena breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you for helping me."
The prince's horse arrived, and he invited Ena to ride with him. "It's my first time riding a horse," she admitted.
"Don't worry," the prince said. "Just ride with me today." They rode together to the palace.
When they arrived, Ena marveled at the beauty of the palace. "Wow, it's amazing!"
The prince led her inside and said, "Come with me. I'll show you your room." As they entered, the king looked at Ena and asked, "Alex, who is she?"
The prince responded, "She knows about Deni. That's why I brought her here for questioning. Do you have any objections?"
The king nodded. "No, it's fine."
The prince showed Ena to her room and said, "Rest now. We'll talk tomorrow." He smiled. "Thank you for helping me."
Ena, feeling a sense of gratitude, said, "Sweet dreams."