The World of Zinnia
Of flowers, born from fantasy
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.
“From the Abyss, a dream was dreamt. And from that dream, a world was born. The world knew only peace, and its people flourished.
However, a great war arose across the lands. Hearts once pure were filled with malice, and that darkness seeped back into the dream from which the world had come. What was once beautiful began to wither, tainted by the hatred of those within it.
Then the Abyss stirred.
The Abyss bled into the world, spreading like a shadow, devouring everything it touched, undoing the dream.
Amidst the consuming darkness, a single light appeared. A hero, bearing a sword of pure radiance. With an unwavering resolve, the hero fought against the Abyss, sealing it away. The corruption was cleansed, and the lands were restored.
Like a fading memory, the hero vanished from the world, and only a sword of light remained, lost to the ages.”
Now, with the seal weakened, the Abyss stirs once more, its darkness seeping into the world again.
And Zinnia must choose to face the darkness, as the hero once did.
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
13 January 2026
“Happy new year!
Currently, I have almost completed the writing/planning for Zinnia’s story, and I’m in the final stages of finalising the music. Some of my friends have heard the drafts, and they quite enjoyed it.
Regarding the story… Zinnia’s world should not exist, even though her world is tied to a world within the Passing Worlds. Because of that, Zinnia has to make an important decision near the end, to fight for her world, or allow her world to disappear. She chooses to fight despite everything, but I have not decided if she wins or loses in the end. Maybe I will keep that a secret for now.
I hope you enjoy the music when it is out!
Books containing the concept arts and story of the Passing Worlds will be released alongside the music.”
Ngiam Teo
31 January 2026
“I am happy to announce the title of the performance!
Of Fleeting Worlds: For The Dawn
When I look back at my older music (when Naryūpha was still under the project code name Seasons of Another World), I can see how much I have grown since then. Every step was like a part of an adventure, and I am happy with where I am now. I will still continue to work hard, and do my best to improve!
The main theme for this performance (and also Zinnia’s Theme) has been revealed, and I am really excited to finally share it with you. It reflects the heart of all the themes I have written so far, and it was created with a lot of care.
I hope you will enjoy the piece, and the full performance!
I realised it has been about eight years since I first started the Worlds project. I considered calling this performance a 7th Anniversary special, even though it might not be a real anniversary. Maybe it is not exactly that, I thought it would be nice celebrating it.
The timeline regarding the worlds has been released too, so feel free to explore it!”
Ngiam Teo
All creative ideas and written/musical content were produced solely by Ngiam Teo, without the use of artificial intelligence.