No sound, no time, no direction, no light, no dreams.

Consciousness was awake as never before, descending through a darkness.

The descent seemed never-ending.

There was only darkness around, only silence.

as well as

Pain.

It's not at all clear when the pain actually started.

The moment the pain was perceived, the pain that seemed to tear through his entire body had spread throughout his entire body.

Not as if.

Rather, the pain is ...