And so, Proto completed his journey through Somnus’ Palace. He’d saved the world! He’d been confronted by a choice to end all choices! And now he’d reached a clear, definitive ending.

  Was it a happy ending? Reasonable minds could disagree on what was happy—especially when more than one ending was possible, and picking one meant giving up the others. Choosing wrong is rarely happy. And it’s even less happy when what you would’ve chosen isn’t a choice!

  Still, setting aside whether it was happy or not, all could agree on one thing—there had been an ending.

  So when Proto found himself hurtling through a grey void, with faraway stars streaking in parallax as he tumbled, without any recollection of having just visited a dream, he felt confused.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Did I fall asleep without realizing it? Have I forgotten where I was?

  Galaxies swirled as he pondered his plight. He was quite sure he was misunderstanding something. And yet, on a deeper level, he also felt sure—the answers to his questions were yes and yes.

  How, though? None of this made sense. How had he ended up here? And by “here,” what did he mean? The starry greyness he was hurtling through? Or . . . ?

  Before the misty ambiguity in his mind could finish coalescing toward an answer, Proto reached something.

  Everything changed. Everything was dim blue light. And pervading it all was dreamy music, its strains welcoming him back to something he’d once known.

  But what? What is it . . . ?