Darkness.
That was all Atticus could see. He couldn't feel his hands or legs; he couldn't feel anything.
'Am I dead?' Atticus thought. 'How can I think then?'
'It's different from the last time I died,' Atticus couldn't help but notice the difference between the last time he died and now.
The last time was swift; he had just been shot, died, and opened his eyes immediately, finding himself as a baby. There was no in-between.
'No, I'm not dead.'
As Atticus was trying to figure out what was happening, the darkness suddenly changed and receded, and the scenery shifted into a familiar dojo-like setting.
Atticus noticed that he could feel his body again. All the pain he was feeling before was nowhere to be found. His piercing headache was gone. His body's arch was gone. His bleeding eyes were gone. He was good as new.
He also noticed that his attire had also changed into a kimono.