Scapegoat

Elia is second in line to the throne, with the Holy Emperor as his maternal uncle and the Crown Prince as his cousin. Banished to a monastery in a remote region immediately after reaching adulthood, he is allowed to return to the Holy Capital for just one day a year—on the Crown Prince's birthday. On his 17th birthday, the Crown Prince leads Elia through a secret passage within the Holy Palace, claiming he will reveal a secret known only to the Holy Emperor … “Angel…” There stood a stuffed angel. An angel whose entire body was wrapped in chains like bat wings, with only its head exposed. “This isn’t human. It isn’t an angel, either. This is a hybrid of a fallen angel and a human. Elia...