As the first light of dawn broke through the heavy clouds, Lyra pushed herself up from the cold stone floor. Her limbs ached from exhaustion, but the memory of her mother’s voice gave her renewed purpose. “Follow this path,” her mother had said. And Lyra knew she had to find the palace.
With her energy still weak from the transformation, she took slow, measured steps toward the road that stretched ahead. The air was crisp with the scent of morning dew, and the distant sound of life stirring in the kingdom ahead filled her with a strange mixture of hope and fear.
For hours, she walked. The landscape gradually changed, from wild, untamed woods to fields dotted with cottages and farms. As she neared the kingdom’s heart, the towering palace came into view, its grand walls bathed in golden s
