A gentle breeze runs through the bright green leaves of the trees. The trees that were surrounding a forest, filled with colourful flowers and animals all happily playing. 

In the middle of the forest, there lay a person, sleeping soundly without a care in their face. Mint green hair and animalistic features. Dotted deer ears and a short tail, mixed with the colour of their skin and hair.

Their ears pick out the gentle sound of the wind and animals. Then slowly, they open their eyes and get up. The person looks around in confusion, not knowing the area they were in, they hesitated going to look around. But curiosity won them over as they put on a determined face and set off to wander around the unfamiliar area. 

No matter where they walked to, everything was as unfamiliar as before.

Strange yet familiar plants.

Neverending paths.

Hostile animals…

After walking around the forest for over an hour, the mint haired person was still looking for a way out. They had already gotten tired of the same looping scenery that felt like a maze. And the fact that all the animals were avoiding them didn’t make them feel any better; wearing their spirits out physically and mentally. Stuck in silence, with the same thoughts replaying in their head since waking up.

‘Where am I..?’

‘Who am I..?’

‘Why am I here in the first place…?’

.

.

So many questions, but no-one to answer them. 

They decided to take a break and went to sit against a tree. As they quietly inspected their scarred hands, they spotted a group of animals peeking at them. In that group was a specific white bunny with red eyes that had trailed them since the beginning. Seeming like it wanted something.

Out of curiosity, The mint haired person started to approach the group of animals but specifically the bunny. And attempted to carefully pet it. 

As they were getting close all of the other animals fled, except for the bunny.

They slowly extend their hand out.

“Hey, it’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you.” They say in a gentle tone.

The bunny observes for a while, sniffs their hand and finally rests its head on their palm. Being excited by the fluffy and cute bunny resting on their palm, they gently lift the bunny and rest the bunny on their thigh, slowly petting its soft fur.

“I… I’m C-Cyrus..?” The person pauses to think. “Yeah! I’m Cyrus, what about you little bunny?”

“...”

A dramatic pause. 

The bunny literally stares at the person’s– Cyrus’ face with a blank look on its face.

Upon realising, Cyrus lets out a nervous laugh. “We’re not that different from each other.. But I guess you’re just lacking in the ‘talking’ aspect.”

Cyrus referred to the fact that they were a half-breed; half human, half animal. But it didn’t give them a special ability to suddenly start understanding the speech of a literal animal. While they shared the same traits, they were still different species.

“So!” Cyrus continues talking to the bunny again, not caring anymore about anything. “Do you know the way out of this forest? You don’t have to talk, obviously. You can just point the way… or lead me somewhere… Ahaha..” They were clearly slowly losing it.

For a while the bunny just kept observing Cyrus who was at this point just talking to themselves, but suddenly it hopped off Cyrus’ lap and started hopping away. Surprised, Cyrus quickly got off the ground and started running after the bunny, in fear of being alone again.

Every once in a while, the bunny would stop and wait for Cyrus to catch up, then would start hopping away again. It went on for hours, to the point that Cyrus was beyond exhausted and started to be unwilling to follow the bunny anymore. In the back of their mind, they actually had hope that the bunny would lead them out of the forest… Maybe their expectations were a bit too high for an animal.

Cyrus shakes the thoughts out of their head. They thought that even if there was no exit, at least they had the bunny as company, so following it would somewhat be worth it. Thus they continue going through the obstacles of the forest.

After what felt like forever, chasing a rabbit that didn’t respond, the forest finally came to an end. Cyrus was so surprised. They felt flustered as they took a deep breath and they take a step to the outside of the forest. 

The first thing their eyes met was the setting sunset that was shining its golden light onto the beautiful scenery filled with a valley of colourful flowers, mountains and luscious green grassy fields.

Their eyes were tearing up. It felt like breathing for the first time, for someone who had been a prisoner of the forest maze for hours or even days, they couldn’t tell. The sky in the forest never changed, just stuck in that sunny sky. Like time wasn’t moving inside the forest.

Cyrus stood still with the bunny still next to them, then crouched in front of it. 

“Well then…” They start their sentence with a melancholic look on their face, “I admit, it wasn’t fun following you around like that… But you still led me out of that ‘prison’, so for that.. I thank you, Ren.”

“...” 

Another dramatic pause was born between them. 

“I..! I mean.. I named you ‘Ren’ just now since I thought it would be rude to call you nothing after all this time.. I hope you won’t mind.” They give ‘Ren’ a wide smile. “I’ll be off then, hopefully we’ll meet again!”

Cyrus waves off to the bunny and sets off wandering to wherever the fates will lead them to.

.

.

.

“Hmph. Until we meet again, Cyrus.”