Kaelen Vance sat up in the hemp hammock, his right hand sliding off his black silk blindfold.
He blinked against the soft indigo luminescence filling the basalt cavern.
Beside the glowing magma fissure, the battered book pulsed like a fallen star.
The light was cool and serene, casting pale silver reflections across the basalt ceiling.
Kaelen swung his bare feet over the edge of the hammock, his toes sinking into the warm volcanic sand.
He stretched his shoulders, feeling the pleasant looseness in his joints.
A four-hour nap in the dry cavern air had done wonders for his back.
He walked over to the wicker shelf and picked up the book with steady hands.
