Moon was already diving back down, his hands searching through the thick liquid. He found Mirage's mane and pulled with all his strength, hauling the horse's head above the surface.
Mirage coughed violently, his sides heaving as he struggled to breathe. But he was alive.
They swam toward what appeared to be a ledge or platform—a section of the chamber wall that was above the liquid line, creating a place where they could rest.
Moon pulled himself up first, then helped drag Mirage onto the platform with Selene's assistance. The exhausted horse collapsed immediately, breathing heavily but stable.
"Everyone okay?" Moon asked, still catching his own breath.
"Alive," Selene confirmed, wringing red liquid from her hair. "Barely, but alive."
Moon created a flame in his palm to illuminate their surroundings, and what he saw made his breath catch for entirely different reasons.
