The king's words hung in the air, and Lyra felt a surge of defiance. She knew that she couldn't give in to her father's demands, not now, not ever.
"I won't do it," Lyra said, her voice firm. "I won't be a part of your plan to exploit the entity's power."
The king's face turned red with anger. "You fool," he spat. "You don't know what you're dealing with. I'll show you the true power of the entity."
As the king raised his hand, the temple began to shake, and the air was filled with an otherworldly energy. Lyra felt herself being lifted off the ground, and she knew that she was in grave danger.
Kael sprang into action, grabbing Lyra's hand and pulling her towards him. "We need to get out of here," he shouted above the din.
Together, they stumbled towards the entrance of the temple, the king's guards closing in on them. Lyra could feel the entity's power coursing through the temple, and she knew that they had to escape before it was too late.
As they reached the entrance, a blast of energy shot out, knocking them off their feet. Lyra felt herself flying through the air, and everything went black.
When Lyra came to, she was lying on a cold, stone floor. She groaned, her head pounding, and sat up slowly. Kael was beside her, his eyes locked onto hers.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice low.
Lyra nodded, taking stock of her surroundings. They were in a small, dimly lit room, with stone walls and a low ceiling.
"Where are we?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I think we're in the castle's dungeon," Kael said, his eyes scanning the room. "We need to get out of here, Lyra. The king won't stop until he gets what he wants."
Lyra nodded, her heart pounding in her chest. She knew that they had to escape, but she also knew that it wouldn't be easy.
As they looked around the room, Lyra spotted a small window high up on the wall. It was their only hope.
"Kael, can you reach the window?" she asked, her voice low.
Kael nodded, and together, they managed to boost each other up to the window. Lyra peered out, her eyes adjusting to the bright light.
"We're on the east side of the castle," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "If we can make it to the forest, we might be able to lose the guards."
Kael nodded, his eyes locked onto hers. "Let's do it," he said.
And with that, they made their escape, dropping down from the window and sprinting towards the forest. They knew that their journey was far from over, but they were determined to stop the king and break the curse.
As they ran, Lyra felt a strange sensation building inside her. It was as if she was tapping into a deep well of power, a power that she had never known she possessed.
"Kael, I think something's happening," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Kael turned to her, his eyes locked onto hers. "What is it?" he asked.
Lyra hesitated, unsure of how to explain. "I don't know," she said. "But I think I'm starting to understand what's going on."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?" he asked.
Lyra took a deep breath. "I think I'm starting to remember," she said. "I think I know what's going on with the curse."
Kael's eyes locked onto hers, and Lyra could see the excitement building in them. "What is it?" he asked, his voice low and urgent.
Lyra hesitated, unsure of how to reveal the truth. But as she looked into Kael's eyes, she knew that she could trust him.
"I think I'm the key to breaking the curse," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "And I think I'm not who I think I am."