Her blood pounded in her ears, drowning out every other sound. Any voice calling out, any noise from the world beyond, she heard none of it.

She couldn’t open her eyes.
She couldn’t let go.
She couldn’t stop pulling.

All she knew in that moment was blood and the terrible weight of Stardust dragging her downward. The rest of the world seemed to fade away until it was only the two of them, locked in a desperate struggle for survival, suspended in a single, endless moment.

Then suddenly there was a violent lurch.

She stumbled backward with surprising force, teeth still buried in Stardust’s scruff as the ground finally gave way beneath them. Only when her back slammed against the earth did she release her friend.

Her eyes flew open as the air was knocked from her lungs. She gasped, dazed from the sudden impact.

Bloody-muzzled, she stared at Stardust in disbelief as her vision swam and the thunder of her heartbeat roared in her ears.

Adrenaline still surged through her veins, leaving her trembling as she forced herself back onto unsteady paws.

At last her gaze landed on the rune, the thing that had nearly claimed their lives.

Resentment flared hot in her chest.

Still, she grabbed it.

Turning back to Stardust, she moved quickly to her side, helping her up and urging her forward, pushing her to put as much distance between them and that cursed place as possible.