Pain coiled within my body, each twist a new note in a symphony of agony. It sang through me, echoing until even my thoughts were dissonant cries. Everything blurred as my eyes struggled to focus. Was I asleep? Was I dying? The air itself pressed down, and I gasped at its strangeness. Searing images fought through the haze, branding themselves onto my mind. Lyle. His fading heartbeat. I had lost consciousness. But now I was awake, blinking into the darkness.

 “You’ve finally woken ...