Chapter 397: The Start of Insight

**Dorothy’s POV** “We’ve already wasted too much time tonight. It’s time to restart the original plan.” Even as I crossed the threshold of the vine-covered doorway, the surreal nature of this encounter lingered in my mind. Everything about tonight felt otherworldly, as though I had stepped into a realm governed by rules beyond my comprehension. What was the secret behind this mysterious door? Was it some ancient form of sorcery, or perhaps a unique power exclusive to the elves? Despite my keen senses, I couldn’t detect any magic emanating from it. Could this phenomenon have been born of the princess’s sacrifice, or had it always existed? The idea of a *guardian spirit* raised even more questions. What exactly had the nameless princess become? Was she an eternal soul bound to the palace? Had her essence merged entirely with its walls and corridors? Or was it the palace itself that had become an extension of her being? The answers to these questions seemed perpetually out