Amber light penetrated through the leaf veins, casting mottled amber-colored spots on the canopy. Orlen opened his eyes, letting his consciousness awaken from the chaos. He stretched out his palm, holding it up before his eyes, observing how the light passing through his palm dyed his skin a translucent light green. This was something every Leaf Dweller child would do—confirm that their connection to the Spirit Branch Tree still existed.
"Get up, little sleepyhead," a raspy yet gentle voice came from outside the cabin. "Even the Root Dwellers are up earlier than you."
Orlen climbed out of the bed lined with soft downy leaves, shaking off the dewdrops on his body. He walked out of the small cabin woven from bark and fibers, and was met with the warm morning currents. Ms. Adelle—his foster mother—was hanging a string of fruits on the vines of the porch to dry. She wasn't human, but a creature known as a "Forest Pendant," possessing translucent wings and skin covered with moss.
"How did you sleep last night?" Ms. Adelle asked, without turning around. She could always sense Orlen's presence, even with her back to him.
"I dreamed of those voices again," Orlen said, "sounds like thousands of leaves rubbing against each other in the wind."
Ms. Adelle put down her work and turned to face Orlen. A hint of worry flashed across her weathered face, but it quickly returned to calmness. "That's just the Spirit Branch Tree singing, child. She has expectations for you."
Orlen nodded, but didn't truly understand the meaning of these words. Fifteen Withering Seasons had passed, and he had grown accustomed to such vague explanations. Ms. Adelle was always like this—speaking in riddles, leaving one perplexed.
Their home was located in the middle layer between two giant leaf islands, belonging neither to the prosperous Tree Crown aristocratic area nor to the lower Root Zone. This was a forgotten wilderness, the habitat of the Forest Pendant tribe and other neutral creatures. Orlen was the only human Leaf Dweller here, and as far as he knew, he might be the only Leaf Dweller who didn't live on a leaf island.
"After breakfast, we'll go collect today's nectar," Ms. Adelle said, handing Orlen a bowl of liquid that emitted a faint glow. This was the dew she collected from the Spirit Branch Tree's young buds every morning, rich in energy that could keep Leaf Dwellers energized all day.
Orlen took the bowl and drank it all in one go. The liquid slid down his throat, spreading warmth throughout his body. This was the feeling of life connected to the Spirit Branch Tree; even in this remote place, the tree's grace could still reach him.
"Today it's your turn to find the way," Ms. Adelle said. "Show me what I've taught you these days."
Orlen nodded, tightening the iris light filter at his waist. This was essential equipment for any Leaf Dweller who left their native leaf island, preventing photosynthetic rejection reactions. Although Orlen couldn't remember where his original leaf island was, Ms. Adelle insisted that he wear it at all times.
"Safety first," she always said. "You're not a Forest Pendant; you can't move freely between the branches like we can."
They left the cabin and climbed along the spiral patterns on the trunk. Orlen had walked this path countless times; he could feel every change in the rough surface beneath his feet and hear the pulse of energy flowing beneath the bark. Ms. Adelle followed behind him, occasionally flapping her wings to maintain balance.
After climbing for about half an hour, the trunk became more humid, and a sweet scent filled the air. Orlen stopped, closed his eyes, and gently touched the bark with his fingertips. The veins of the Spirit Branch Tree pulsed under his fingertips, transmitting signals to him.
"East," he said. "The nectar is crystallizing more over there today."
Ms. Adelle smiled and nodded. "Your perception is becoming more acute."
They changed direction, moving toward a depression on the east side. There, numerous small tubular structures grew on the Spirit Branch Tree's trunk, exuding crystalline liquid. This substance was called "Light Honey," a concentrated form of the Spirit Branch Tree's energy, usually only accessible to the aristocrats in the Tree Crown layer. But in this forgotten corner, they could quietly collect some.
Orlen took out a special container made by Ms. Adelle—a small pouch woven from leaf fibers, coated with special resin to make it waterproof. He began carefully collecting the Light Honey, taking only one drop at a time, never being greedy. Ms. Adelle had taught him that the Spirit Branch Tree's gifts should be respected, not plundered.
As he focused on his work, an unusual vibration came from above. Orlen looked up and saw a distant leaf island shaking unnaturally.
"What's happening?" he asked, pointing in that direction.
Ms. Adelle followed his finger and her face suddenly turned pale. "The Withering Season has come early," she said softly. "That island is beginning to detach."
Orlen's eyes widened. The Withering Season—that time when the Spirit Branch Tree's energy weakens and the leaf island environment deteriorates—was supposed to be at least a month away. But now, that distant leaf island was already showing signs of withering, its edges tinged with a rust-like brown.
"We must go back," Ms. Adelle said, urgency in her voice. "If the Withering Season comes early, many things will change."
They quickly packed up the Light Honey they had collected and descended rapidly along the way they had come. Orlen felt a sense of unease spreading in his heart. The Withering Season meant the Great Migration, meant war, meant a test of survival. Although he had never experienced it himself—Ms. Adelle always took him to a safe place deep within the Spirit Branch Tree before the Withering Season arrived—he knew enough details from his foster mother's stories.
Back home, Ms. Adelle began packing essential items, preparing to migrate to a safer place. Meanwhile, Orlen stood outside, looking at the discoloring leaf island in the distance, his mind full of questions.
"Why would it come early?" he asked. "Isn't the Spirit Branch Tree regular?"
Ms. Adelle paused her work and sighed. "The Spirit Branch Tree does have its regularity, but even regularities can be broken." She walked to Orlen's side and placed a calloused hand on his shoulder. "Perhaps it's time to tell you a few things."
She led Orlen to a secluded space behind the cabin, where there was a small pond, its surface as calm as a mirror. Ms. Adelle took a small bottle from around her neck and poured a few drops of the Light Honey they had just collected. The water's surface immediately rippled with golden light, then formed an image.
The image showed a massive leaf island, more spectacular than any Orlen had ever seen. On the island stood a miniature Spirit Branch Tree, emitting a soft glow that illuminated the entire island. But the image quickly darkened as a group of black shadows climbed onto the leaf island from the edges, surrounding the small Spirit Branch Tree.
"This is Eternal Light Island," Ms. Adelle explained. "It was once one of the most prosperous leaf islands, with the most powerful Floating Brahma and the most advanced Spirit-Drawing Tower. But three days ago, the Gu Tribe invaded and occupied the Spirit-Drawing Tower."
Orlen looked at the water's surface in surprise. "Isn't the Gu Tribe supposed to wait until the Withering Season for large-scale activity?"
"Normally, yes," Ms. Adelle's voice became serious. "But this time is different. Someone—or rather, some beings—are changing the rules of the Spirit Branch Tree."
The image on the water's surface changed again, showing countless Gu Tribe members building some kind of structure around the Spirit-Drawing Tower, like a giant cocoon. Ms. Adelle waved her hand, and the image disappeared.
"We must leave as soon as possible," she said, "for the Root Layer."
"The Root Layer?" Orlen repeated in surprise. "But that's where the exiled Darkened State Residents live!"
Ms. Adelle nodded, her eyes flashing with complex light. "Yes, and it's also where you truly come from."
Orlen felt a wave of dizziness, as if the Spirit Branch Tree had suddenly turned upside down. "What?"
"Fifteen Withering Seasons ago, I found you in the Root Layer," Ms. Adelle said, her voice softening. "You were a newborn infant, abandoned in the chaos of the Great Migration. Your mother—I only saw her back—was a Darkened State Resident, but she had a glow about her different from other Darkened State Residents."
Orlen looked down at his palm, where his skin was darker than that of ordinary Leaf Dwellers, with a metallic quality. This explained why he was always different, always able to feel the Spirit Branch Tree's pulse more strongly than others.
"I don't understand," he said. "If I'm a Darkened State Resident, why can I endure photosynthesis? Why don't I need to rely on the Spirit Branch Tree's direct nourishment like other Leaf Dwellers?"
Ms. Adelle shook her head. "That's precisely the answer we need to seek in the Root Layer. The early arrival of the Withering Season is no coincidence, nor is the occupation of Eternal Light Island. The Spirit Branch Tree is changing, and you, my child, seem to have some connection to this change."
She stood up, spreading her wings to gently wrap around Orlen. "Pack your things; we leave tonight. The journey will be dangerous—the Gu Tribe has already become active, and the Leaf Dwellers will begin their Great Migration. We must avoid them and head to the Root Layer alone."
Orlen nodded, feeling both fear and a secret anticipation in his heart. For fifteen years, he had lived in this forgotten corner, listening to stories about the Spirit Branch Tree world without truly experiencing it. Now, fate seemed to be pushing him toward that wider, more dangerous world.
Night fell, and the Spirit Branch Tree transformed from warm light to cold light, with the energy flowing through the leaf veins turning silver-blue. Orlen took one last look at their small cabin, then followed Ms. Adelle on an unknown journey.
Behind them, in the distance, Eternal Light Island was completely covered with amber-colored rust spots, like a withered scar imprinted on the Spirit Branch Tree's never-fading canvas of life.