Chapter 5: If I had a flower for every time I thought of you, I would only have one

After spending my whole day with Ceryn, I went home to rest. And now I'm trying to close my eyes, in a soft bed with a candle lit on my bedside table. So many things I went through today, I might never forget them.

The faint candlelight created a quiet atmosphere in my room. After talking with Mother... now I'm alone. In the silent night, the sound of crickets outside occasionally broke the silence in my room... I—

Can't wait... for... tomorrow—

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Fuuuhh… fuuuhh… srrrsshh… sshhh…

The rustling of the wind sounded soft in my ears. Its gentle breeze swept my feet, as if caressing them with the coolness of the morning. I felt my body lying on grassy ground. Has morning arrived?

With a little effort, I forced my eyelids open. They felt so heavy, as if something was holding them shut. My hand lifted, rubbing my still-sticky eyes. After that, I tried again to open my eyes—this time it felt easier.

A vast grassland stretched out around me. In the distance, a gleaming river sparkled in the light, and a low hill rose in my line of sight.

Where am I now?

My hands felt strange, different from usual. Slowly, this body rose from its reclining position, trying to understand the surroundings. As far as the eye could see, there were no signs of life—no trees, no houses. My eyes lifted to look up at the sun hanging directly in the middle of the sky, illuminating the vast, silent grassland.

Fuuuhhh… fuuhhh… srssh… srssh…

The wind blew softly, passing through my body, carrying the sound of rustling grass from the direction of the hill in the distance. For now, my steps will be directed towards that hill. Perhaps there's someone there who can help me.

Fuuuhhh… fuuhhh… srssh… srssh…

The gust of wind passed me again, still coming from the direction of that hill.

I began to walk, crossing the expanse of grass swaying gently in the wind. Each step felt silent, only the sound of rustling grass accompanying me. Unconsciously, my eyes lifted to the sky. The sun... moving? Its position was no longer in the middle, even though I had only taken a few steps.

Can the sun really move this fast...?

Slowly, I swayed my steps to climb the hill, step by step. My breath felt heavy, but I kept going. The higher I went, the stronger the wind blew, caressing my body coldly.

Fuuuhhh… fuuhhh...

The sound of the wind mixed with the srsshh… srrshhh… of the swaying grass, like faint whispers accompanying my journey to the summit. Every step felt lonely, yet something made me want to keep going up there.

Finally, I reached the top of the hill. From a distance, my eyes caught sight of a rather large tree, standing alone in the middle of the green expanse. Its leaves were falling slowly, sparkling in the sunlight like golden flakes blown by the wind.

As I observed more closely, it turned out that around the tree stretched a vast flower field, colorful and swaying gently with the wind. The distance was quite far from where I was standing now, but my curiosity grew stronger. Without much thought, I walked down the hill, heading towards that tree.

As I took each step, my eyes lifted to the sky again. The sun now appeared more inclined to the west, its rays starting to turn warm yellow. It seemed that time was creeping towards late afternoon.

I quickened my pace, wanting to reach my destination soon. The gust of wind passed through my body, carrying a fresh, calming aroma. The flowers around me swayed along, the rustling of their petals creating a soft sound that, for some reason, made me feel comfortable.

The tree was now only a few steps away from me. I slowed my pace, approaching it gently. The ground around it was slightly higher, and fallen leaves were scattered beneath it. The tree was quite dense among its foliage; the warm, yellowish afternoon sunlight penetrated through, softly illuminating my body. I let myself enjoy that peaceful feeling, then sat leaning against the tree trunk, trying to rest after running this far.

I gazed far ahead at the vast white flower field, swaying gently in the wind. The sight fleetingly reminded me of someone I knew… for some reason, a faint longing arose in my chest.

Unbeknownst to me, the sun slowly began to set, its rays fading into a golden hue. I quickly stood up from my seat.

It was then that a faint humming sound was heard. Soft, familiar to my ears, like a voice I had heard in the past. It became clearer and clearer. My heart beat faster. I stepped carefully, following the melody to the other side of the tree, the source of the sound.

Ceryn?

I saw her sitting, humming softly, her fingers busy arranging a flower garland. As soon as she noticed my presence, she turned and looked at me. "Sinhart..." she said softly. Then, her expression changed—a gentle smile bloomed on her face.

Ceryn rose, walked closer, then placed the garland on my head. Up close, I could see that the garland was imperfect; its knots were a bit loose, and the flowers weren't neatly arranged. It seemed Ceryn wasn't very good at making them.

Drrggrggdgd…

Suddenly, a violent tremor shook the ground. Ceryn and I almost lost our balance. The wind blew fiercely past us both, wildly swirling the leaves and flowers around. I glanced at the sky—the sun had completely disappeared. The sky had turned a bluish-black, as if night had arrived too quickly. The tremor only lasted for a moment, making me drop Ceryn's garland to the ground. "What happened?..." Ceryn asked, picking up the fallen garland.

I scanned my surroundings, looking carefully at every side. Nothing had changed… yet the atmosphere felt different. My gaze returned to Ceryn. She had been looking at the sky. Curiosity made me also lift my head, trying to see what she was actually observing. "Sinhart… what is that? Do you see it too?"

In the sky, something gigantic appeared—dark, enveloped in thick black smoke. The object plunged down, approaching with terrifying speed. The closer it got, the larger its size felt, consuming my vision completely. I didn't know… was it a creature, a giant rock, or something falling from the sky.

"Sinhart!" Ceryn screamed, running towards me, then embracing me tightly.

"Close your eyes!" her voice trembled, covering my eyes. The sound of the object grew louder, roaring in the night sky. Its vibrations seemed to press against my chest. Fear crept throughout my body. I wanted to run… I wanted to get out of here, but my feet felt rooted to the spot.

Suddenly, the thunderous sound vanished just like that. Silence. My body suddenly felt hot, weak, as if all my energy had been drained. With my remaining strength, I tried to open my eyes. At first, it was only pitch blackness, but slowly my eyes adjusted to this darkness.

A strange sensation ran through my body. My hand touched something—its surface was vibrating and hard, like wood.

Then, a continuous faint creaking sound of wood was heard. I turned my head, and it was then that my consciousness gradually returned.

The person who had been hugging me tightly was my mother—but she was fast asleep. So… everything that happened must not have been real. As I recall, I fell asleep in my bed at home after parting ways with my friends, but why am I here now? And why with Mother? Where is this?

Drrggrggdgd…

A strong vibration came from below, shaking my body. "Hahhh… this city's roads are full of potholes—" a man's deep voic

e was heard from the front. His voice was faint, as if blocked by a thick cloth separating this space from the outside. I sharpened my ears.

Who is that?

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