Chirp Chirp
Yawn
How long was I asleep?
I don't know… but it felt like forever.
My vision was blurry at first, but the moment my eyes adjusted, I froze. I was in a forest, but definitely not a normal one.
The trees towered like ancient giants, thick and impossibly tall, their canopies forming domed ceilings of green high above me. Sunlight poured through the gaps in golden beams, scattering soft patterns across the ground. Grass rose up to my waist, lush and vibrant, swaying like waves under a warm breeze. Wildflowers glimmered with bright colors, each one sparkling like tiny stained-glass shards. Even the tree bark shimmered faintly with silver streaks, as if the forest itself was holding magic in its veins.
The air smelled clean and warm, full of sunlight and greenery. Everything felt peaceful, quiet, and strangely watchful, like the whole forest was holding its breath.
I wanted to admire it longer, but the sunlight was too much for my eyes.
Ugh, this light is killing me. I better get under some shade.
I walked toward a nearby tree and settled beneath it. I tried to remember why I was here, but my memories were just… blank. No matter how hard I tried to focus, nothing came. My head was pounding, my vision kept spinning, and my throat felt painfully dry.
I can't remember anything, but water comes first. I need to find some, a-s-a-p!
So I walked. And walked. And walked. For minutes? Maybe hours? I kept hoping I'd stumble upon something familiar or at least a river, but instead I found myself looping around the same trees.
Worst of all, I had this nagging feeling. Like I was being watched.
Maybe it was just some wild animal eyeing me. Whatever it was, it didn't attack, so I tried not to panic. But my legs were shaking, my throat was dry, and everything around me was slowly blurring.
"Seriously?! Just how big is this place?!" I shouted.
My voice cracked. I felt myself about to drop.
Then something moved in front of me. A small shape, quick and strange. For a second, I could've sworn I saw a tiny two-headed lizard. I blinked hard.
Ugh… I'm definitely dehydrated. That has to be a hallucination.
I was pushing my limit when I heard it.
The sound of running water.
My eyes widened.
"That's… a river! A river! Oh my God, water!"
I sprinted toward the sound, tears forming as I practically dove toward the riverbank. I drank like my life depended on it.
"Oh, sweet sweet water, how I've missed you!"
Once I calmed down, I noticed something in the water.
A reflection.
I leaned closer… and froze.
Staring back at me was a black and white cat. Sleek fur, clean markings, white around the face and chest, black covering the rest. And the eyes… huge, bright, and violet.
I tilted my head.
It tilted its head.
I blinked.
It blinked.
I lifted a paw.
It lifted a paw.
"Wait… wait… wait…"
"I…"
…
"I'm a cat?!"
My voice cracked in disbelief.
"W-wait, wasn't I a cat before? Why am I surprised? What is going on?!"
Even though I couldn't remember anything about my past, something inside me insisted this wasn't normal. This wasn't who I used to be. My panic was growing again.
And then… I felt it.
A presence behind me.
A low growl rumbled through the air, followed by the sound of drool hitting the grass. My whole body froze. I didn't even need to turn around. I already knew that whatever was behind me was absolutely not something I wanted to meet.
I forced myself to look anyway.
It was the same two-headed lizard from earlier… except much, much bigger. Elephant-sized, armored in jagged obsidian scales, each head glowing faintly red with those terrifying eyes. Two long necks twisted independently, and its teeth looked like a collection of mismatched knives jammed into two enormous jaws.
Everything about it screamed danger.
It lunged at me.
I screamed. I couldn't move. And right when it was about to devour me, something completely insane happened.
A massive boulder rolled out of nowhere and crashed right on top of it.
I blinked.
"What… what even…"
It felt like a scene ripped straight out of a comic. The timing was so perfect I almost forgot to breathe. As soon as my body responded, I bolted.
Behind me, the monster let out a roar so loud it made nearby leaves shake. The ground trembled under its steps, and somehow it was way faster than anything that size should ever be.
My heart hammered painfully.
Badum Badum Badum Badum
Oh God, oh God, oh God…
It's catching up! Move, tiny legs, please move!
How am I supposed to outrun that thing?! I'm literally pocket-sized!
Just when it was about to reach me, the trees behind me suddenly collapsed one after another, forming a path of obstacles that slowed the monster down. I didn't know why or how it was happening, but something was helping me.
And I wasn't about to question it. Not now.
It eventually vanished from sight, so I stopped to catch my breath. I turned around…
And found myself at a dead end.
"Of all the things… Why a cliff?!?"
Before I could even think, the two-headed lizard burst out from the trees again. It had gone around, circling me like it knew exactly where I would end up.
My legs gave out. I was trapped. One step behind me meant falling off the cliff. One step forward meant getting eaten.
So I just stood there, strangely calm.
Was I… someone who died before? Is that why I can't remember anything? Because right now, this calmness doesn't feel normal.
I stared into the creature's gaping mouth.
Aah… so this is it. My life is really ending this fast. I didn't even get to know who I am.
It lunged.
But instead of biting me, it slipped.
On a banana peel.
And fell off the cliff.
I stood there in total disbelief. "Ehhhhhhhh?! W-what just happened?!"
There's no way that was normal. No way that was a coincidence. Something was seriously messing with probability here.
Either the lizard was the unluckiest creature alive… or I was somehow stupidly, absurdly lucky.
Whatever it was, it saved me.
As my breathing steadied, I turned around to see if the monster was really gone. And that's when I saw it.
The world beyond the cliff.
Floating islands drifting across the sky. Waterfalls flowing upward instead of down. Massive manta-ray-like creatures gliding through the air. Colossal fish and crabs battling in the distance. Birds as big as planes soaring above. Trees rising like skyscrapers. Forests stretching endlessly into the horizon.
It was magical. Beautiful. Terrifying.
And somehow, I was in the middle of all of it.
I… I need to get out of here!