The rest of the cavern appeared the same as it had during the brief explosion of light she’d created when she’d dove into her power. It wasn’t as bright as that had been, but it wasn’t dark as night this time either. The glass shards she’d seen all over the ceiling and walls were now emitting a soft glow, like a wild collection of natural lanterns.

She shivered, crossing her arms over her naked chest, and arched her neck back, her mouth popping open at what she saw. “Holy gods.”

It was like standing in the middle of the night sky, stars surrounding her for as far as she could see. Appearing in an array of colors and vibrancy, they also varied in size, some smaller than her palm while others were several arm spans wide.

Careful not to impale her feet on any shards growing from the ground, she worked her way toward one of the walls, keeping her senses on high alert for any movement or sound.

It was unnaturally silent, the echoing movements of her body making her feel like a damn bear stomping through a forest.

Following along a wall, hoping it would eventually lead her to another room, or an exit or something, she looked closer at the pieces embedded within it.

Every single chunk was unique, jutting out in uneven, random directions. She stepped closer to a large, pink-tinted shard, reaching out a hand to touch it. The soft glow it emitted flared brighter, blinding her until she had to squint to see.

Deciding she shouldn’t touch an unknown, glowing rock, she yanked her hand back, watching as it dampened back to its original state. Stepping up to another one, this one smaller and darker in color, she reached out again, and just like the first, it reacted.

She glanced behind her where she’d woken up and noticed what she hadn’t before. The rock she rolled on was no longer glowing either.

“What the fuck is this place?” she murmured, pulling her hand back to stare at it. Was it her, or did they react to any kind of body heat? Chewing her lip, she took several steps away, avoiding touching any pieces on the ground.

Unsure how to force herself awake, she darted a look over her shoulder, desperately hoping to catch sight of an exit, and nearly screamed when a dark figure stood only a few yards away. She lurched back, whacking her head on the wall and felt her heart leap into her throat.

It was a person. Or, at least, she was pretty sure it was. Whoever it was, was completely obscured.

They wore a dark cloak, their face hidden beneath a deep hood. If it wasn’t for the bare feet she could see poking out from the bottom, she’d have thought them to be some omen with the way they’d appeared out of nowhere.

“Kültha?” she called out hesitantly, squeezing one thigh over the other and tightening her arms around her chest. Why did she have to be naked?