"Where..."

Florian blinked.

Once.

Twice.

"...am I?"

The question left his lips in a quiet breath, more confusion than fear.

The first thing he noticed was the air.

It was cool and clean, brushing gently against his skin. It carried the faint scent of flowers and damp earth, the kind of smell that came after rain, calming and familiar in a way he couldn’t place.

This wasn’t the manor.

It wasn’t the white room he had just fallen asleep in.

When Florian finally lifted his head and really looked around, his breath caught. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

He was standing in the middle of a forest.

No. Not just a forest.

It stretched endlessly in every direction, filled with towering trees whose trunks were thick and ancient, roots twisting deep into the earth.

Their branches reached high above him, weaving together like the arches of a grand cathedral. Light filtered through the leaves in soft beams, scattering across the ground in shifting patterns.

Beyond the trees, he caught glimpses of something more.

A garden.

Wild flowers bloomed freely, unrestrained and vibrant. Vines curled around pale stone, and colors blended together in a way that felt too perfect to be natural.

Florian swallowed.

’This is... beautiful.’

The thought barely had time to settle before realization followed.

’...I’m dreaming.’

The truth came easily. There was no panic, no rush of fear. The world didn’t distort or fade the way ordinary dreams did. Everything was sharp. Solid.

He could feel the grass beneath his boots. The gentle chill in the air. Even the steady rhythm of his own breathing.

’Is this one of those dreams?’ he wondered. ’One of the original Florian’s memories?’

A lucid dream.

The kind where his mind didn’t create something new, but replayed something that had already happened.

Something he was meant to witness.

His chest tightened slightly.

Because if that was the case, then this wasn’t going to stay beautiful for long.

Carefully, Florian took a step forward.

Then another.

Nothing shifted. The ground didn’t tremble. The sky didn’t darken. The forest remained calm, almost welcoming, as if inviting him deeper.

He walked further in, his gaze drifting upward.

The trees were massive, far larger than anything he had seen in Concordia.

Their branches intertwined so densely overhead that they formed a living ceiling. Leaves rustled softly, and the light that slipped through felt warm against his skin.

The place was serene.

Peaceful.

And that alone made his nerves prickle.

’Dreams like this are never just peaceful,’ he thought. ’Not for me.’

He frowned slightly as another thought crept in.

’This doesn’t feel like Concordia.’

The sheer number of wild plants, the untamed flowers growing wherever they pleased, the lack of rigid paths or manicured grounds. It all felt different.

’Is this... Floramatria?’

The idea lingered. He had never been far outside Diamond Palace, not truly. Still, something about this place felt alive in a way Concordia never had.

’I should just keep going.’

If this was a memory, then standing still wouldn’t give him answers.

Florian continued walking, letting himself at least take in the scenery. The towering trees swayed gently as he passed, almost as if they were aware of him.

The scent of flowers grew stronger, richer, wrapping around him like a quiet comfort.

He took a slow breath.

’Ah,’ he thought wryly. ’Nothing like the calm before the storm.’

Then he saw it.

Movement.

High up in one of the trees.

’What is that?’

Florian stopped and squinted, tilting his head back. At first, he thought it was nothing more than leaves shifting in the breeze, or maybe a bird adjusting its footing.

But the movement was... strange.

It didn’t flutter. It didn’t glide.

It hopped.

And there were no wings.

Curiosity tugged at him, pulling him closer before he could talk himself out of it. He took a few careful steps forward, eyes fixed on the branch.

The closer he got, the clearer it became.

And then he froze.

"...Bunnies?"

Two small black rabbits were stuck on one of the thick branches. Their long, lopped ears drooped at their sides, twitching every now and then.

They were pressed close together, tiny bodies tense, wide eyes shining with fear.

Florian frowned.

’How did they even get up there?’

They looked so fragile. So out of place. Like they had no business being that high above the ground.

A strange thought crept in, uninvited.

’Is this supposed to mean something?’

He didn’t know why the idea unsettled him, but it did. The longer he stared at them, the heavier his chest felt.

He glanced down the path ahead, then back up at the branch.

’I should keep going to get this dream over with.’ he told himself.

But his feet refused to move.

With a quiet sigh, Florian stepped closer to the tree and lifted his arms slightly. "Hey," he said softly. "It’s okay. You can jump. I’ll catch you."

The bunnies didn’t react.

They didn’t even turn their heads.

They stayed exactly where they were, trembling faintly, as if he didn’t exist at all.

Florian stared up at the branch, hands resting on his hips.

’Okay. Think,’ he told himself. ’I can’t just leave them there.’

Why? He didn’t know.

But he felt sort of responsible, so he was doing this.

Not like it would hurt. This would be a change from the usual crazy dreams.

Now...

The tree was enormous. Its trunk was wide and smooth, with no obvious footholds.

He tilted his head back, squinting.

Florian wondered if he should try climbing it, but quickly dismissed that idea.

’I don’t even know how to climb a tree,’ he admitted silently, irritation creeping in. ’This is ridiculous—’

Something shifted.

Florian blinked.

From the trunk, small protrusions began to form. Not quite stairs, not quite branches.

They jutted out in uneven intervals, rough and natural, as if the tree itself had decided to lend him a hand.

He stared at them.

Slowly.

Suspiciously.

’That is... convenient,’ he thought. ’Way too convenient.’

The forest remained quiet. The bunnies were still there, pressed together, watching him.

Florian hesitated.

Every instinct told him this was a bad idea. Dreams did not do things like this unless they wanted something in return.

But then one of the bunnies shifted, its ears twitching nervously.

Also, it was his dream technically.

Florian sighed.

’Damn it.’

He placed his foot on the first step.

The bark was solid beneath his boot.

He climbed.

Higher and higher, pulling himself up with effort he did not expect to need. His arms burned. His breath grew shallow. The tree felt endless, like it kept stretching the closer he got.

’Now why am I getting tired?’ he thought, teeth clenched. ’Can’t I at least be physically fit here?’

But his body did not agree.

By the time he reached the branch, his hands were shaking.

Florian pulled himself up carefully and crouched, steadying his breathing. The bunnies were right in front of him now.

Close enough that he could see the faint rise and fall of their chests.

"Hey," he said softly, holding out his arms. "It’s okay. I’ve got you. Come here."

They didn’t move.

They just stared.

Curious.

Silent.

Florian frowned. "Come on," he urged. "I didn’t climb all this way for nothing. It’s dangerous for you two to be up there."

Nothing.

No reaction.

He shifted his weight and tried to move closer along the branch, reaching out slowly.

Just a little more—

His foot slipped.

The world lurched.

Florian’s breath caught as the branch vanished beneath him.

"What—!"

He fell.

The air rushed past his ears, his heart slamming violently in his chest.

’Fuck. Seriously?!’ he thought as if i was not his own fault. ’Why must something like this always happen!’

Then—

Warmth.

Weight.

Two small bodies collided into his chest.

Florian gasped, instinctively wrapping his arms around them.

"Now you jump?!" he exclaimed, half-panicked, half-disbelieving.

The bunnies clung to him, tiny paws gripping his clothes as if they had chosen that exact moment on purpose.

Florian held them tight, curling his body around them protectively, bracing himself for impact.

’I hope this doesn’t hurt.’

And just before he hit the ground—

"Your Highness, wakey wakey!"