Page 134 of Dark Awakening

The ground trembles beneath my feet, and chunks of rock plunge to the floor from above. My heart races, and I look around frantically for Rhyland. He's at my side, scooping me up and sprinting away with me in his arms. As we run through the winding tunnels, he darts around the dangers threatening us—giant stones barreling from the ceiling and earth-shaking vibrations. I cling to him, trusting his speed and skill to take us somewhere safe.

I glance behind us and see Adrian and Erik, the whites of their eyes flashing in the darkness as they jump between the cascading rocks. My heart hammers against my rib cage as Rhyland comes to a halt.

I swallow hard. “What’s wrong?”

He exhales sharply, his breath hot on my face. "The way's blocked. We're trapped!"

My heart seizes in my chest. I look down at the crown's glimmering surface. We've come too far to fail now.

Danica

74

Erik and Adrian’s faces flush, and their chests heave. I am about to uncoil myself from Rhyland when a shower of thick boulders cascades from the ceiling. Without thinking, I throw my hands up in front of me and shut my eyes. A white-gold glow shimmers above me as if an invisible force field has materialized around us. The boulders hang there for a split second before Rhyland shouts and moves us with his speed as they crumble.

His gaze shoots to mine, disbelief etched on his face. “How did you do that?”

I shake my head in confusion. “I don’t know.”

Rhyland wastes no time, sprinting ahead down the now-open cave corridor. Rocks and boulders continue to rain down around us, but he weaves through them with ease and speed.

Adrian trails behind us, flicking his wrist every few steps and casting magic that causes the more enormous boulders to break into pieces before they can reach us.

A tremor rocks the Earth, followed by a sharp crack, and Rhyland stumbles. Before I can do more than take a breath, I am thrown and airborne for what feels like an eternity before slamming hard into the ground. Sharp rocks and pebbles scrape against me as I tumble, jagged rocks digging into my skin.

My hand grasps frantically for anything to steady me, and I feel a momentary relief when I am met with something solid. I seize the crown with a white-knuckled grip and cling to it desperately! The weight of the world suddenly shifts beneath me. The ground cracks open in seconds, and a wave of terror surges through my body. I'm plummeting toward a black abyss, helplessly free-falling, while my mind races frantically for some way to save myself. The scream that rips from my throat is like nothing I've ever heard, full of horror and despair.

In a split second, my life seems to rewind in my head like the opening scene of a movie. Before I can react, something heavy slams me hard and knocks the wind out of me. The scent of Rhyland fills my nostrils before I open my eyes. He has caught me mid-fall and is now dashing through the debris as more rocks cascade down from the cave ceiling.

“Hang on!” He shouts,

Taking a deep breath, I wrap my arms around his neck and cling on for dear life.

Rhyland and I jolt through the winding passageways of the lost city, racing against time. Each jump is higher than before, with Rhyland landing in precarious positions, almost falling each time, yet never letting go of me.

We reach a large opening, and Rhyland thrusts me toward it. After what felt like an eternity of darkness, the sun greets me with its brilliant warmth. I land on the ground, hard—breathing heavily from exhaustion.

My eyes frantically scan the area for Rhyland. He holds the edge of crumbling ground as it continues to collapse beneath him. Without hesitation, I launch forward and land hard on my stomach, crushing the air from my lungs.

"Rhyland!”

Ignoring the pain that shoots through my body, I grab tightly onto his shirt and pull with every last ounce of strength I have.

Rhyland’s weight comes crashing down on top of me. We're both desperate for air and exhausted— as the Earth continues to crumble around us, I witness the Lost City of Ancients being swallowed into nothingness.

Rhyland shoots up from the ground like a rocket, scooping me up swiftly and taking off down the path. I cling to him with every stride he takes as my heart races. He finally stops and gently sets me down on the safe ground. He collapses onto his knees, chest heaving with deep breaths. I drop to my knees in front of him and cling to him tightly, desperation clawing at my throat.

My lungs scream out for air as I ask between gasps, “Erik, Adrian… Are they okay?”

He shakes his head, still panting from the adrenaline rush of his mad dash. His strained voice is quiet as he says, “I… I don’t know.”

I can see the worry etched in his features and feel my heart heavy with fear as a lump forms in my throat. I had lost track of them after my inevitable tumble down the steep slope—what if they were stuck down there?

A wave of nausea surges through me as bleak thoughts crowd my mind, and tears fill my eyes.

I'm startled to hear footsteps quickly approaching me. I spin around to find Adrian and Erik, their faces lined with fatigue.

They gasp for breath, both eager to catch it before they speak. “Glad to see you two made it out,” Erik says.

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