After almost drowning in a surfing accident, Bevan has an out-of-body experience which leads him to consider his own mortality and the possibility of life after death. In a second brush with death, he loses his left leg below the knee and is left facing months of recovery and rehabilitation. While in hospital, Bevan is visited by a stranger – a Maori claiming to be his grandfather. The appearance of the old man heralds the start of strange dreams which follows the events of New Zealand's Waikato War of 1863. Bevan puts these dreams down to the effects of the strong pain medication, but when they continue after he leaves hospital he starts to search for answers. Who is the Maori warrior called Haki and what is his connection to Bevan? An explanation can only be found in another place and time – when Bevan dies a third time.