The World of Zinnia
Zinnia’s story takes place in its own timeline, set in another world parallel to the overarching story and worlds of the Passing Worlds. Some places and events may feel familiar, yet her adventure is filled with new challenges and discoveries, unfolding entirely on its own.
The name Zinnia has stood out to me for a long time. I don’t actually remember where I first heard it, maybe it was in a song, but ever since then, it has stuck with me. There’s something about the name that feels both mysterious and powerful, as if it carries a story of its own. I knew I wanted to use it for a character, but for a long time, I couldn’t find the right place for it.
In the worlds I’ve imagined, I tried making Zinnia one of the main characters, but it didn’t really fit. I remembered a recurring dream I used to have: standing in an endless grassy meadow beneath a starry sky. One day I wondered, what if the meadow wasn’t grass, but flowers instead?
That simple thought remained with me, and I realized none of my existing worlds was directly linked to flowers (or to dreams), which somehow felt like a missing piece. I began to imagine Zinnia’s world as one where flowers were at the heart of everything, maybe even a world born from a flower, or perhaps just a fleeting dream.
As for Zinnia herself, I imagine her as kind and graceful, yet enduring, like a flower that bends in the wind but never breaks. She has a role to play in the main overarching story, but for now, I’m keeping it a secret. Currently, Zinnia and her story exist in its own timeline, set in a parallel world apart from the main story, though it is still tied to something (and someone) very important.
I wrote music for Zinnia when I was in the early drafts of her story. The first piece I finished was a prelude, which I handwrote and gave to a close friend as a gift. Since then, I’ve been working on more music and developing her story further.
I’m excited to share more with you as Zinnia’s story continues to bloom, and I hope you’ll continue exploring the world of Zinnia with me.
Ngiam Teo
8 September 2025
“Occasionally, I like to study the etymology of words in my spare time (and it’s also how I come up with the names for some of my characters and worlds). Recently, I have been looking at words relating to flowers, and stumbled upon “anthology”. It comes from Latin anthologia ( a collection of poetry), which traces back to the Greek anthologia, meaning “flower-gathering”. Anthos is “flower”, and logia means “collection” or “gathering”. Zinnia’s story feels a little like an ‘anthology’ to me: another familiar gathering of stories and worlds, with her own world based on the idea of flowers (and perhaps dreams).
It’s all very fitting, don’t you think?”
Ngiam Teo
Coming soon!