Dustin stepped forward and gave a respectful nod toward the skeletal remains.

"Sir, I mean no disrespect. I only seek a way to survive here. If I manage to leave, I will remember your kindness."

The moment his words fell, the withered bones stirred faintly. A dim wisp of light drifted out of the skeleton, gradually coalescing into the translucent figure of an elderly man with white hair and a long white beard.

"3,000 years have passed," he began as he studied Dustin, a trace of surprise flic