After eating sweet berries and drinking cool water from the stream, he felt a slight surge of strength and clarity in his head.
"Well, at least now I can think straight," he muttered to himself, brushing the grass off his shoulders. "Although I still don't remember anything..." He paused, looking at the trees. "Oh well, since I'm here... I'll have to figure it out."
He went deeper into the forest, carefully making his way between the bushes and trees. There was no path, but the soft grass and glowing plants seemed to push him forward, as if the forest itself wanted him to go on.
The fireflies reappeared, flitting above his head and between the trees. Sometimes one of them would land on his shoulder, leaving a warm, light tingling sensation. He jumped up, brushing it off his arm, and muttered
"No way, I'm not going to eat fireflies."
A few minutes passed, and then he noticed plants with unusual leaves that glowed slightly from within. Their scent was soft, sweet, almost soothing. He bent down, sniffed, ran his fingers over the leaves, and a smile reappeared on his face.
"The forest is strange, but... pleasant," he said.
He walked on, periodically tasting berries and checking the stream for drinking water. Gradually, the light began to change: the sun was sinking lower, and the shadows of the trees were getting longer.
"Ah... so the day is almost over," he remarked, looking around. "I need to think about where to spend the night. I don't want to sleep right on the grass, especially if something... strange lives here."
He stopped at a small clearing. The plants here were low and soft, and at the edge of the clearing stood a tree with a wide, sturdy trunk under which he could take shelter.
"Hmm... this is my shelter... probably," he said, checking the spot with his hands. "You can hide from the wind and rain under it."
He carefully spread some grass and leaves on the ground to make himself an improvised place to sleep. Fireflies swirled above him, creating a soft glow, like a night light.
"Okay, forest... show me what you can do at night," he said with a slight smirk as he sat down under the tree. "And I'll try to sleep."
Night gradually descended on the forest. Moonlight filtered through the foliage, casting a silvery glow on the leaves. Fireflies glowed brighter, shimmering with green and blue lights, like little stars that had fallen from the sky.
He lay on the soft bedding and listened to the forest. The wind rustled the leaves softly, and somewhere in the distance there was a quiet crack — perhaps a dry tree had fallen, or perhaps it was someone or something alive.
"Hmm..." he muttered. "You're a strange forest... calm, but at the same time, you don't let me relax."
He turned his head, watching the fireflies slowly circle around him. Their twinkling created an almost magical atmosphere, and he thought with a slight smile: well, at least it's beautiful here... even at night.
He took a deep breath of the forest air — sweet, fresh, slightly exciting. His eyes slowly closed, and sleep began to overtake him. The fireflies continued to circle slowly around him, the rustling of the leaves lulling him quietly, and the faint sound of a stream somewhere in the distance creating an almost lullaby-like sound.
"Okay..." he muttered, almost in a whisper. "I'm safe for now..."
And with that thought, he wanted to drift off into a light sleep.
But in the blink of an eye, the world around him changed.
He opened his eyes and froze.
The forest... was burning...
Not with ordinary fire, but with black, thick, tar-like flames that slowly devoured the trees, grass, and leaves, leaving only darkness behind. The smoke was thick and acrid, and the air stung his nostrils and burned his lungs.
"What..." he gasped, not believing his eyes. "Why... is the forest... on fire?!"
He took a step, but immediately fell. The flames spread slowly, as if alive, and approached him. The fireflies disappeared. The forest, which had been soft and pleasant, now seemed alien and dangerous.
His heart was pounding wildly. Suddenly, a chill of horror ran down his spine. He didn't understand what was happening, but his instincts told him to run.
"No!" he shouted to himself, jumping to his feet. "I have to run!"
He rushed deep into the forest, stumbling over tree roots and soft grass, which now seemed slippery and sharp. Black fire crept across the ground, flaring up here and there, hissing menacingly, and it seemed to devour everything around it with some kind of evil determination.
And suddenly, without thinking, he said:
"Again...?"
The words came out almost as a whisper, and he froze for a moment, but then immediately ran on. He didn't understand why he had said it. Again... what? What was repeating itself?
He rushed toward the faint light in the distance, his heart pounding in his chest, his legs barely obeying him, and the black fire almost catching up with him.
"I have to... to the light..." he gasped, and at that moment, the ground beneath his feet seemed to disappear.
He stumbled, fell, and the world around him instantly exploded with light and darkness at the same time.
And then he suddenly opened his eyes.
At first, he didn't understand where he was. Everything was quiet. The sun was already high above the forest, soft morning light filtering through the foliage, flooding the grass and bushes with golden radiance.
He was breathing heavily, his palms trembling.
"Is it... morning?" he said, still not believing it. "So... it was a dream..."
He sat up, looking around. Everything was as before: soft grass under his feet, fireflies slowly circling above the flowers, a stream quietly babbling nearby, and unusual plants exuding a pleasant aroma.
"Damn..." he muttered, rubbing his face. "What was that?"
His heart was still pounding, but the fear gradually subsided, and he exhaled.
He took a deep breath, looking back at the familiar plants and the soft light of the grass.
"Okay..." he said, getting to his feet. "Time to go again. There's a lot of forest ahead, and... a strange day is beginning."
With that, he stepped back into the forest, where fireflies flickered slowly, the grass rustled softly underfoot, and the world was both familiar and mysterious, as if inviting him to new discoveries.