He recalled being submerged in a pool of thick, all-consuming blackness. Within that dark place, he moved in and out of consciousness, with snippets of life and moments from a distant past resurfacing. He was utterly alone and knew the gods had abandoned him; yet a lady, whose face he had first seen eons ago, occasionally entered his desolation. When she was there, she provided knowledge and understanding that he would need one day, along with a measure of hope and sustenance amidst the bleakness that enshrouded him. Days, months, and years upon years passed while he floated somewhere between life and death, unable to make a final decision on either. Then, one day—the earth shook.





