The Last Waltz of The Withering Flower

"Long time no see, &%$@ia... Judging by your expression, I'm assuming you didn't catch my name due to the restriction huh? Well, no matter, because you will meet me once more when you are… ripe enough." The mysterious woman, veiled by a cloak of darkness, smiled predatorily before reverting to her normal expression.

"Oh my, did I scare you? I suppose even the great &%$@ia Von A#^*urn know the concept of fear in this miserable state." The space around us spiraled each time her giggle reverberated in the empty vacuum of darkness.

"That was quite entertaining, but since we are running out of time, let's make this short. You are being reincarnated…" She looked at me—no… it looked like she was looking through me.

"You… You look bored." She walked in a circle with her arms crossed before stopping and looking through me again.

"Ah yes, people outside of this Branch may find this quite… cliche. Well, let me assure you, this girl's story might be something you guys are used to, but this story is a biography of the Greatest Hero that has ever existed." Before elaborating, I can feel my body being pulled downward. 

"Wait…" I said faintly before light consumed my vision. However, before I was completely consumed by the light, I saw a tree, a tree that seemed to carry the weight of the world. Then, I saw a tiny branch fall and disintegrate into ashes. 

I woke up on a soft mattress, a mattress that screams middle class. Soon after, reality set in.

"Damn, that was a weird dream… Did I watch too much anime before going to sleep?" I sighed as I got up from the bed with a weary yawn. I opened the blind to let the sunlight in.

"Damn, that's bright." I turned around and did my daily routine. I grabbed my phone and left my apartment and drove to my university.

"Good morning." I greeted the guard with a smile and checked in with my ID.

"Good morning." The guard responded with a despondent tone.

I was a bit offset by this, but didn't think much of it. I walked to my first class, Data Analysis. 

As I entered the class, there was barely anyone there as always. This class was so boring, that people either left the course or never showed up unless it was an exam. I walked to my usual seat and fiddled with my phone until the professor started class.

"That's cute." I scrolled on Instagram and chuckled at the silly antics of puppies. 

I doom-scrolled for half an hour before the professor walked in with a large encyclopedia.

As always, the professor started the lesson, half of the class was either watching sports or playing games on either their laptop or phones. 

The incomprehensible concepts being shot out like bullets served as a lullaby, my mind drifted into the dream realm.

That was a nightmare that I would never wake from again. 

"What? Where am I?" I looked at the vast plain on the horizon. The smell of flowers and the refreshing sensation of the wind made me question reality. 

"Is this what they call a lucid dream?" I pinched my arms to see if this was a dream.

"Oww." Dread then hit me like a truck.

"Oww? Wait, what the hell?! This isn't a dream?!" I did a few more tests to test my five senses. Regretfully, I passed every single one of them… That was the only exam I didn't wish to pass, besides for diseases. 

"Oh right, let me check for my most valuable possession." I searched through my pockets.

"Right, why can't I ever have nice things? Of course, my phone is not with me." I sighed and decided to just walk aimlessly down the plains, hoping to find something, literally anything… That was what I thought.

"THIS DOES NOT COUNT TOWARDS THE 'ANYTHING'!!!" I yelled as I ran away from a goblin that was chasing my ass.

"I watched too much… cultured anime to know where that is going if that bastard catches me!" As the green gremlin tried to grab me, I tripped on a rock then face-planted into the dirt, and sprained my ankle like the idiot that I was.

"Yeah, I'm cooked. Looks like I will be a mother of a hundred goblins." I gagged in disgust at the thought. I tried to run, but the goblin was too close for it to even matter. 

"Get down!" A soothing shout echoed through the green plains Before I even had time to admire the soothing voice, I instinctively ducked down. 

"This smells like lilies…" 

The floral scent completely hypnotized me and made me forget the situation I was in.

A second later, a warm substance splattered onto my back. A foul stench overwhelmed the pleasant floral aroma, snapping me back to reality.

"Oh shit! I forgot!" I looked back to see a girl who was about my age sheathing her sword by a beheaded goblin. I threw up at the sight, yet I couldn't help but be entranced by her… averageness?

Something about her average appearance clashed with the usual 'knight in shining armor' trope. Her armor wasn't even white, let alone shining. Where are the hot men, or women in this type of situation? 

"Umm, thank you… I honestly don't know how to thank you enough. May I ask for your name?" Despite how average-looking she was, my heart still raced. Something about her drew me in. 

"Apologies for the late introduction, my name is Silvia Von Ashburn. A pleasure to meet you, traveler." Her graceful speech and mannerisms sealed the deal for me. 

"I love you, please marry me!" Even I couldn't comprehend what I said. Maybe I was just crazy, but that day was both the best and worst of my life.

'This is why I can't get into relationships' I lamented internally.