I was conscious. That was the first thing I realized.

Then came the pain. Headache. Migraine.

My head rang as sharp pangs ran through it. It felt like a vice constricting my skull, as it trembled uncontrollably.

It felt like I had awoken from a long slumber. Yet, it felt as if I hadn’t slept in days.

I was surrounded by darkness. Engulfed by it. A heavy, overwhelming darkness. Beyond black, beyond color.

And yet, I could feel the warmth of light.

I tried opening my eyes. Only to be greeted by a rush of blinding light.

It was brighter than any star, than any sun. Brighter, even, than brightness itself.

Going from pure darkness into pure brightness was an intensity unlike any other.

I couldn’t keep my eyes open for more than a split second. And even after I shut them, I could still feel a burning sensation lingering in my retinas.

I stayed in this state, for an indefinite amount of time. Fearing the light. Wishing to submerge back into the darkness, where it had been safer. Until gradually, my body began to adjust to the environment around me and I started to regain my senses.

As the warmth of the rays intensified and the light slowly seeped through my shut eyes, I began to grow a better understanding of who I was.

I had a body. With hands and feet.

Eyes. Ears. Lips. And a nose.

Though, I could neither hear nor smell. My eyes were too sensitive to light to allow for sight. And all I could mutter were unintelligible groans.    

I could locate where my limbs were, yet they didn’t react to any attempt to produce movement.

In this state, I felt more like a mind stuck in a failed body than a person.

And yet, I could feel pain perfectly fine.

Yes. It was pain that I regained quickest.

The pain of the burning light.

The pain of something cold and sharp, stabbing into my legs.

The pain of the damp air brushing against my exposed skin.

And the pain of touch, taste, smell, sound, and sight all rushing in at once.

A sudden and violent barrage of sensations.

The taste of smoke as it filled my lungs. The smell of burning wax mixed with stagnant air. The sensation of chains that coiled around me. The sound of nearby whispers. And the sight…

Of a thousand burning flames.