"Well, to start, I woke up alive when I expected to die. I had to sort through my memories in the true reality to make sense of my circumstances. It was... disorienting, as I'm sure you can imagine."

Still, his tone sounds resigned more than defensive, and he also heaves a sigh. "But I digress. It's good to see a familiar face, and this absurd set of circumstances wouldn't be nearly as interesting without a worthy rival."