Astrid didn't know how long she was unconscious.
Seconds? Minutes? Hours?
All she knew was darkness. Silence. The thundering of her own heartbeat in her ears.
She tumbled through nothing, lost and terrified, not knowing which way was up or down or if either even existed anymore.
She didn't want to open her eyes.
She was too scared.
This wasn't like anything she'd ever experienced.
She was only six years old.
She'd never faced danger like this.
She'd never been truly afraid before—not like this, not bone-deep terror that made her want to curl into a ball and disappear.
But she had no choice.
Because around her, sounds began to emerge from the darkness.
Screaming.
Crying.
Weapons clashing.
Arrows whistling through air.
Swords slicing through flesh.
The horrible, unmistakable sounds of violence and death.
And unable to hold back any longer, Astrid's eyes snapped open.
She was in a jungle.
