The first thing Liyam could remember was bliss. The utter calm of a dreamless sleep, where the boundary between mind and matter was blurred. His mind was mostly empty, devoid of all memories except one: his name. The one thing that penetrating this silence.

 And then he woke up

 At first Liyam was sure he was trapped in a furnace, as the raging heat suggested. He winced in pain, his skin red. Any part of him exposed to open air was blistering. Vertigo and the temperature made it extremely difficult to think, yet somehow Liyam managed.

 He scanned the area, his senses taking in as much of his surroundings as possible. The walls of this windowless room were made of a shiny metal. He was strapped to one of the storage cases that dotted the room. The room hummed, as if from a large engine. He somehow knew that it was the cargo hold to a ship. Behind him was another person, their backs pressed together, strapped by the wrists. Liyam could feel her long hair stick to the back of his neck. He felt her heaving breath. She was awake.

 "Welcome to the party," he made an effort to laugh, but it only caused him pain, "are you ready to get out of here?"