The last thing Hugh had felt or experienced before he thought he died was the blast of an incredibly fast projectile passing right above him. Despite having his eyes closed, he sensed the bright streak that the projectile left in the air it flew through. However, he didn't even have time to think about what it could be as he lost consciousness to the pain and physical trauma of his injuries.
However, despite believing otherwise when everything went dark, Hugh obviously didn't die as he still felt like he was being beaten and tossed around. The pain momentarily awoke him before sending him back into unconsciousness. His brain was still too addled from all the blows the Rat King inflicted on him to think clearly.
When Hugh finally woke up, having recovered enough to have coherent thoughts, he was no longer bouncing around, and the world didn't feel like it was falling and rising all the time. The clearheadedness also helped him realize how badly injured he was.
