This sentience at the heart of the storm reached deep inside me and ripped me apart atom by atom. The pain seared through me in an endless current, electrocuting me. Time receded into a confused jumble with every part of me that dissolved away. With my last sliver of awareness, I grabbed hold of all my bits, meticulously gathering each molecule, and carefully binding it to myself. It was like playing a cosmic game of Pac-Man, scurrying to stay ahead of ghosts eating me up.

What are ...