The Lightless Forest, Central Banyan.
Surrounded by pink fluorescent leaves, there was a vast treetop platform.
A wooden cabin stood at its center. Not far from the cabin, if one looked closely, a little red-haired girl lay motionless on the grass.
By her side, a fluffy little white rabbit kept silent vigil.
No one knew how much time had passed. Then, suddenly, the little girl's finger twitched.
Her body slowly began to show signs of life, no longer as still as a corpse.
With a few mumbled, unclear syllables, she groggily opened her eyes.
The first thing that entered her sight was a milky-white little rabbit lying on her chest, staring up at her.
*Huh??*
Instinctively, she reached out to push it away, but the rabbit was quick and agile, lightly hopping onto the grass beside her before she could.
The little girl ignored it for a moment and quickly sat up to survey her surroundings.
The sun was warm, birds sang, and flowers bloomed. In the distance, the trees were full of pink fluorescent leaves, and the very air seemed filled with a beautiful, ethereal quality.
"Is this... heaven?"
She looked around uncertainly, a wave of disappointment washing over her.
So she really had died, after all?
She hadn't lived nearly long enough...
But just as she was wallowing in self-pity, the tangible feeling of energy flowing within her suddenly surged back.
"No... wait, I'm... not dead?!"
Her eyes widened as she raised her hands in disbelief.
Then, taking a deep breath, she pinched her own soft, slender arm.
Ouch!
Feeling the sharp pain, the little girl's eyes grew brighter and brighter, and an incomparable surge of excitement flooded her heart.
*I'm alive!*
Watching her series of reactions, the little white rabbit beside her didn't make a sound, simply keeping her silent company.
The next moment, the little girl's attention turned toward it.
Having calmed herself somewhat, she finally had the presence of mind to observe the little rabbit properly.
It was covered in milky-white fur and had a pair of deep blue eyes — so pure and flawless, so dazzling, they looked less like eyes and more like two tiny gems.
Its ears were equally unique: fluffy, spherical little tufts rather than the long, upright kind one would expect.
Yet they didn't look strange. On the contrary, they made it even more endearing.
*So cute!!*
The moment she saw it clearly, the little girl's eyes lit up, stars practically twinkling in her pupils.
This little white rabbit was the cutest animal she had ever seen — so exquisite it hardly seemed like a real creature.
Unable to resist, she took two steps forward, slowly crouched down, and gently, carefully scooped the little white rabbit into her arms.
It was then that she noticed the small necklace around its neck.
It was a blue-and-white piece, so finely and delicately crafted that it was clearly very precious. Hanging from it was a small, rabbit-paw-shaped tag with the character "Ruǎn" engraved on it.
The size of it, though, was more like a bracelet — better suited to be worn on a person's wrist. It was only because the little rabbit's body was so small that it could fit around its neck at all, and even then, it hung a little loose.
"Ruǎn... is that your name?"
The little girl read the tag aloud, giving the rabbit a few gentle pats as she did.
Then she glanced at the wooden cabin not far away, a guess forming in her mind.
Could it be that the owner of that cabin had saved her?
And this little rabbit might be the cabin owner's pet?
Full of curiosity and questions, the little girl walked toward the wooden cabin, still holding the rabbit.
"Hello? Is anyone there?"
Arriving at the door, she called out cautiously.
No response.
"Hello? Anyone home?"
She tried again.
Two seconds passed. Five seconds. Ten — and still no sound came from inside.
The little girl shifted the rabbit to one arm, freeing her other hand to knock.
"Hello..."
Her voice trailed off. Because the moment she lightly tapped the door — barely any force at all — it creaked open a crack on its own.
It wasn't locked?
The mystery only deepened in her mind.
She gently pushed the door open.
A faint, pleasant fragrance greeted her, and what came into view was a clean, tidy, and refreshingly arranged interior.
"Hello? Is anyone here?"
Mindful of manners, the little girl didn't step straight inside. She stood at the entrance and checked one more time.
The result was the same as before. No movement whatsoever.
*Seems like no one's home...*
With that thought, she tiptoed inside.
Throughout the whole process, the little white rabbit in her arms remained perfectly behaved and silent. Only its sapphire-like eyes held a glimmer of something that looked almost human.
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A/N: I'm still an inexperienced translator, but I do have a Patreon! It might look a bit empty right now, but webnovel chapters will be posted daily 2 chapters every day and advanced chapters will be available on Patreon. It may not seem like much at the moment, but who knows what the future holds!
patreon.com/Vorzeichen