consciousness slowly returned, like a surfer catching a wave after being dragged under by the tide. A low hum echoed in his ears, vibrating through his skull. He blinked, but the darkness didn’t budge. He squeezed his eyes tighter, then opened them again. Still black. Not total darkness, though. Flecks of light danced at the edge of his vision, like sparks from a dying fire.

“Where… where am I?” he mumbled, his voice raspy and dry. He tried to sit up, but a searing pain shot through his chest, making him gasp and collapse back onto whatever he was lying on. He was on his back, the rough surface scratching at his skin. He pushed himself up onto his elbows, peering into the dimness.

He was in a crater, the edges jagged and steep. The sky above was a bizarre mix of purples and blues, swirling together like paint splattered across a canvas. No stars he recognized. No sun he could name. He was somewhere else, somewhere new.

“Okay,” he said, the word barely audible. “Okay, think. Slowly. How did I get here?”