He stood on the sidewalk, panting, his heart hammering against his ribs. He felt a profound sense of loss, a phantom limb pain for a life he couldn't remember. He knew he had lost something precious. He knew he had paid a price.

As he turned to walk home, defeated, he caught his reflection in a shop window. He looked older. His hair was thinner.

"Right," Elias said, suppressing a shiver. "I have cash."

Here’s a short story based on that idea: