He woke on cold stone, rubbing grit from his eyes as dry wind brushed past him. All around rose towering cliffs-ancient monoliths rising skyward like broken fingers, scattered across a vast, endless void.
He turned, heart pounding, and realized he was stranded atop one of them-a narrow outcrop, barely wider than a car.
Confused, he tried to remember how he got there. Nothing. His memories floated just out of reach, like smoke slipping through his fingers. The harder he tried, the more they fled-as though his own mind conspired against him.
He edged toward the precipice, peering down into shadow. Nothing moved below. No bottom, no echo. He picked up a jagged rock and hurled it over the ledge. Silence. The void swallowed it whole.
"Hello?!" he shouted.
His voice bounced back, warped by distance. No answer. Only emptiness.
Above, the sun hung high and still, unblinking. Heat pressed down on him like a weight. He squinted, sweat trailing down his face. He couldn't stay there forever. That's when he saw them-thick vines trailing from a neighboring tall pillar, swaying faintly in the breeze.
If he could reach it, maybe he could find something. Answers. Shelter. Anyone.
He'd always loved adventure-mostly thanks to his uncle, who had dragged him into the high school climbing club years ago. Still, nothing in those afternoons scaling school gym walls prepared him for this. There were no crash mats here. No ropes.
He tore down one of the thickets of vine, tying it into a makeshift zipline. Gripping the twisted cord with trembling hands, he swung across the gap. Wind whistled past his ears. The stone on the other side rushed closer. He slammed against the ledge and hauled himself up.
At the summit, he gasped.
The view was staggering. Pillars stretched endlessly in every direction, a forest of colossal stone columns piercing the clouds. The horizon faded into blue haze. The silence was deafening. And still-it offered no answers.
His legs buckled beneath him. Exhausted, he dropped to the ground and stared up at the unmoving twilight. The heat grew gentle, the sky dimmed-and finally, his eyelids slipped shut.
And he slept.
The Next Morning
He jolted awake.
A man stood in front of him-tall, dressed like a soldier, face expressionless.
He scrambled to his feet. "Who-where-what is this place?"
The man didn't respond. He spoke instead in a language He didn't recognize-harsh, clipped syllables full of thick consonants.
He repeated his questions, voice rising in desperation. Still, no answers. Just that same unreadable gaze.
Then, the man stepped forward. He slung a rope over hiss body and clipped a hook to it.
He flinched. "Wait-what are you doing?"
The man looked up. He followed his gaze.
A massive blimp hovered just above the pillar-monstrous and silent.
Suddenly, the rope jerked.
He was yanked into the air. Wind tore past him. The sky spun. Then: a hatch opened in the belly of the ship. Arms pulled him inside and unhooked the gear.
Dozens of people stared back at him-confused, frightened, just like him.
Before he could speak, a boy stepped forward.
"Hey. What's your name?"
He opened his mouth. "My name is... is..."
Nothing. No sound. Just static in his head.
Panic rushed in. He staggered backward, clutching his skull. "Where... am I?"
The boy shook his head softly. "I don't know anything either," he said, gently. "But... Can we be friends?"
The question caught He off guard-so human in a place that felt anything but.
They talked for a while, sharing the tiny, broken pieces of memory they did have. Nothing fits together. And yet-talking helped.
"It feels like a dream," he said, almost smiling.
"For now, maybe that's enough."
Then the boy added, more seriously: "Promise me... we'll stick together. We'll find a way out. Or at least-find the truth."
He nodded. "I-"
THUD.
The entire ship jolted. Screams exploded. Someone-or something-was onboard.