Trees blurred together as I stumbled through the dense forest, feeling like I'd passed the same twisted trunk at least three times. I was hopelessly lost, disoriented in the maze of trees that seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction. Somehow, I’d missed the edge of the forest, the one that was supposed to lead me to the dirt road. Instead, I was swallowed by the wilderness, my path becoming more confusing with each step. To make things worse, my phone’s flashlight kept shutting off to cool down, leaving me in darkness for what felt like eternity.

I leaned against a sturdy tree, my hands on my knees, gasping for breath. My wounds stung, my chest ached with every breath, and the exhaustion was seeping into my bones. It was like a never-ending nightmare, one I couldn’t wake up from.

“Ah…” I exhaled shakily. “Okay, okay, calm down. Where did I come from here?”

I spun in place, desperately searching for something recognizable, but everything looked the same. It felt like the forest was swallowing me whole. Finally, too drained to stand, I sank to the ground, my back resting against the rough bark of the tree, and switched off my phone’s flashlight to give it a break.

I pulled out the map I'd gotten from the Guild, squinting at its worn surface. It didn’t have a handy “You Are Here” marker, and I couldn’t make sense of my position among the maze of trees.

“Great,” I muttered under my breath. “Shit… I even lost my school uniform.”

Then, a thought hit me—the translucent box had mentioned something about a map update after I entered Kinowa. My hope flickered to life as I stood up, took a deep breath, and called out, “Open… map?”

To my relief, the translucent box appeared again, this time displaying a detailed map in front of me. It was far more advanced than the paper map I'd been holding. Icons marked specific areas, showing where different animals could be found. Directly at my current location, marked with a bright red X, there was an image of a bear. A little to the north, the map indicated deer, and further on was a creature I couldn’t recognize—it had the body of a wolf but was covered in scales, with elongated limbs and a serpent-like tail. Its presence on the map made it clear that it wasn't an ordinary forest animal.

Not too far from my position, the map displayed a city encircled by towering walls, labeled "Kinowa." Hope sparked in my chest as I realized that I might be close to civilization. When I took a few steps, the X on the map shifted with me, indicating my movements.

“Yes… thank you, mysterious box thingy,” I whispered with a dull voice.

Determined to reach Kinowa, I straightened up and began to walk in that direction, following the map's guidance as it tracked my steps.

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Emerging from the forest, I spotted the familiar sight of the tavern with the school uniform hanging on its wall. Wiping the cold sweat off my brow, I picked up my pace, heading toward the eastern entrance. Relief washed over me—I was finally out. I’d almost lost my life for a strange flower that I didn’t even know the purpose of.

Reaching the gate, I knocked firmly and took a step back. A small peephole slid open, and a guard's eyes peered out, examining me.

"Who goes there?" he asked, his voice gruff.

"I’m... I’m Axel," I replied, still catching my breath. "I was out for a quest."

"Anyone with you?" He squinted at me.

"No, sir," I said, shaking my head.

With a nod, he closed the peephole, and the gate creaked open just enough for me to slip through. My legs wobbled as I stumbled inside, the guard watching me with a raised eyebrow. He secured the gate with a heavy clank, then grabbed his spear from the wall and returned to his post.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"What happened to you, boy?" he asked, his gaze lingering on my torn and bloodied hand.

"I... tried to pick a flower. Redama… redema? But it got me," I said, my voice hoarse.

"Got you?" He let out a short chuckle, shaking his head. "Even my five-year-old daughter knows you don’t just grab redama like that. You use a fire spell to make it close its petals first, then you pick it up."

"Oh," I muttered, feeling foolish. "Well… noted."

The guard gave me a pitying look but said nothing more, and I nodded at him in thanks before turning toward the Guild. My mind was set on one thing: ending this day. I needed a warm bed, a place to sleep, and to forget about everything that just happened.

As I made my way down the street, I caught sight of the elf’s body still hanging by that rope. A crude sign was nailed to her chest, reading, "Death to all elves," scrawled in rough letters. A few crows perched on the body, their crimson eyes glinting in the dim light. My stomach turned at the sight, and I forced myself to look away. This world felt harsher and more brutal with each passing moment, and I knew I had to find a way back to my monotonous life—the life I actually understood.

Reachinf the Guild, I opened the door and I trudged up to the counter, where the man behind it barely glanced at me before returning to his book. But when he finally noticed my disheveled state, he raised an eyebrow.

"Done," I said, dropping the flower onto the counter. My voice came out as a tired croak.

"What happened to you?" he asked, his gaze shifting to my bloodied hand. "You look like you’ve been through hell."

"That flower," I muttered, pointing at it. "It nearly killed me when I tried to pick it with bare hands."

He gave me a sympathetic nod and pulled out two silver coins from under the counter. "Here. We offer healing services for one silver if you need it. Looks like you could use it."

I didn’t hesitate. "Yeah, sure," I said, handing back one of the coins.

"Head through that door," he said, pointing to a nearby room. "A healer will be with you shortly. Oh and… I won’t charge you for that map. Don’t worry.”

“Hmm. Thanks.”

With a weak nod, I dragged myself to the door, feeling the eyes of the Guild members on me as I walked past. I stepped inside and closed the door behind me, finding a simple room with nothing but a small bed and a wardrobe. The window showed the quiet street outside, where only two guards patrolled.

I sat on the bed, exhaustion pulling at my limbs. A few minutes later, the door opened, and a man with a gentle smile entered.

"Hello," he said, his voice calm and soothing. "Let’s take a look at that wound."

He took my hand, inspecting the damage. The flower’s blade had pierced straight through my palm, and seeing it up close made my stomach churn. He chanted softly under his breath, and a faint green light glowed in his hands as he began to heal me.

I winced, feeling the strange warmth spreading through my hand. "That’s... a healing spell?" I asked, eyes wide.

"Yep," he replied, focused on his work. "First time seeing one?"

"Y-yeah," I stammered.

The wound on my palm closed slowly, though the ache lingered. After a few moments, he crouched down to check my leg, where the wooden splinter had pierced me. His eyes glowed with the same green light as he expertly pinpointed the injury.

"How did you know?" I asked, surprised. "Where my injuries were, I mean."

He smiled slightly, showing his glowing eyes. "High-level spell. Lets me see injuries clear as day."

"Oh," I muttered, feeling slightly awestruck.

He repeated the healing process on my leg, then stood up, pulling off his gloves and tucking them into his pocket.

"You're a student at Redwood Academy, right?" he asked, a hint of curiosity in his tone.

"N-no," I said, shaking my head. "I’m not a student there."

"Really?" His eyebrows arched in surprise. "It’s illegal to be wandering around without attending the academy at your age, you know."

"Yeah," I said, nodding, trying to keep my expression neutral. "I’ll… look into it."

"Good," he replied, giving me a firm nod. "And remember—don’t touch redama with bare hands again, or you’ll be poisoned and start seeing things that aren’t really there."

"What?" I asked, stunned. "You mean the monsters I saw—they weren’t real?"

"Yep," he said with a grin. "Just hallucinations. Redama does that to you if you mess with it wrong. Makes you see your worst fears."

I shook my head in disbelief. "It all felt so real."

"That's how it works," he said, patting my shoulder. "Take care, kid."

I left the room with a sigh, feeling the lingering pain but grateful for the healer's help. As I exited the Guild and stepped onto the street, I made up my mind to find The Diamond Eyes tavern, like the coachman had suggested. I needed somewhere warm to stay, somewhere that didn’t feel as hostile as this world.

“Ugh…” I muttered to myself, limping slightly. “Wounds are healed, but the pain’s still there.”

Even though the injuries were closed up, every step sent a jolt of pain through my leg. And my hand—it still refused to form a proper fist after that flower’s attack. One thing was clear: this world wasn’t pulling any punches.