Page 54 of Passions Ignite

“Watch out!” Zoey yelled as a large rock tumbled down, barely missing them.

They dodged to the side, but the ground was giving way faster than they could move. Zoey’s heart was in her throat as she pulled Lux to her feet again. The strain on Lux’s face was impossible to ignore, and Zoey knew that she was pushing herself to the limit.

“Zoey, I—” Lux started.

“Don’t. We’re not stopping.” Zoey’s voice was fierce, leaving no room for argument.

They continued their desperate climb, the ground shifting underfoot, but Zoey’s focus was entirely on getting them to safety. She barely noticed the scrapes on her hands and knees or the sting of dirt and rocks as they pelted her skin. All that mattered was moving forward.

The noise around them was deafening, the roar of the landslide filling her ears. Zoey felt the ground lurch again, and her heart skipped a beat as she saw a massive section of the hillside give way, sliding down with a terrifying speed.

“Move now!” Zoey said.

They surged forward, adrenaline coursing through Zoey’s veins. She could hear Lux’s labored breathing, but she didn’tslow down. There was no time. The ground continued to crumble beneath them, but Zoey refused to let fear take over.

“We’re going to make it,” she said, more to herself than to Lux.

They kept moving, but Zoey could feel the strain in her muscles, the fatigue setting in. Her legs felt heavy, her breath coming in ragged gasps, but she pushed it all aside. There was no room for weakness here, not when their lives were on the line.

Suddenly, the ground beneath them gave a violent jolt, and Zoey felt herself lose her balance. She let out a gasp as she stumbled, pulling Lux down with her. They both hit the ground hard, but Zoey didn’t waste a second. She was back on her feet in an instant, pulling Lux up beside her.

“Come on!” Zoey urged.

Lux winced as she tried to stand, her ankle buckling beneath her. Zoey’s heart dropped at the sight, but there was no time to dwell on it. She wrapped an arm around Lux’s waist, supporting her as they stumbled forward.

“We’re almost there,” Zoey said again, even though she wasn’t sure where “there” was. All she knew was that they couldn’t stay where they were.

The roar of the landslide was deafening now, the ground beneath them shaking with an intensity that made it hard to stay upright. Zoey could feel the fear clawing at her insides, but she shoved it down, focusing on Lux and the path ahead.

They moved as fast as they could, but the ground was slick with mud and debris, making every step a battle. Zoey’s legs burned with the effort, but she didn’t stop. She couldn’t stop. Not when they were so close to getting out of this alive.

But then she heard it—a crack, louder than anything else around them. Zoey’s eyes widened in horror as she looked up to see a massive boulder breaking free from the hillside above them.

“Run!” Zoey screamed, but there was nowhere to go.

The boulder crashed, and the ground trembled beneath the impact. Zoey’s heart pounded as she tried to move, but the ground was shifting too fast and the mud pulled at her feet. She could feel the panic rising in her chest, but she forced herself to stay calm.

“Zoey!” Lux’s voice was filled with fear, and Zoey turned just in time to see her stumble again, her ankle giving out beneath her.

“Lux!” Zoey’s voice cracked as she reached out, grabbing Lux’s hand just as she started to fall.

But the ground beneath them was giving way. Zoey could feel herself being pulled down, the weight of the mud dragging her down with it. She struggled to hold on, her grip on Lux’s hand slipping as the ground shifted beneath them.

“No, no, no!” Zoey’s voice was frantic as she tried to pull Lux back up, but it was no use.

Lux’s foot was caught, and her ankle twisted painfully beneath the weight of the debris. Lux let out a cry of pain, her face contorting in agony as she tried to free herself. Zoey watched, helpless.

“Not again,” Lux whispered.

Zoey’s hands trembled as she tried to dig Lux’s foot out, but the mud was too thick and the rocks too heavy. She could feel the panic rising in her chest, the fear threatening to overwhelm her. But she couldn’t let that happen. She couldn’t let Lux get hurt again.

“Hold on, Lux. I’m going to get you out of this,” Zoey said.

But even as she said the words, Zoey could feel the ground shifting beneath them again, the landslide continuing its relentless descent. She heard the roar of the earth around them, the sound of trees snapping and rocks tumbling down thehillside. And in that moment, Zoey knew that they were running out of time.

She looked at Lux, her heart breaking at the sight of her in so much pain. But there was no time to hesitate, no time to think about what could happen next. Zoey had to act, and she had to act fast.

“Zoey, you have to go,” Lux said.

---