Helana stood still on the central island, her wings shimmering like an interweaving of amber and crystal in the dim light. As Orlen, Calmur, and Mora approached, she inclined slightly forward, a silent welcome.
"I sensed your coming," Helana's voice was clear as flowing water, yet carried power. "Especially you, Serra's son. Your energy creates ripples in the Forest of Recollection, awakening dormant memories."
"Ms. Adelle sent us to find you," Orlen said directly, taking the leaf letter from his chest. "She said you know the next step. Our home was destroyed by the Gu Tribe, and she mentioned she has moved something."
Helana took the leaf, gently caressing its surface, as if reading information far beyond the words. "Adelle did indeed come here, just two days ago. She brought something precious and foresaw your arrival."
"So the seed is here?" Calmur asked eagerly.
"Not exactly. Adelle did bring the seed here, but the Forest of Recollection is not the final safe place. To protect it, we performed a separation."
Helana led them across the sky bridges between the small floating islands, arriving at the central island. The miniature Spirit Branch Tree on the island emitted a strong light, with complex runes spiraling around its trunk, like history written in light.
"The Forest of Recollection is a container for the Spirit Branch Tree's memories," Helana explained. "Each floating island corresponds to an important moment in the Spirit Branch Tree's history. This central tree is the earliest memory of the Spirit Branch Tree—the memory of its germination from a seed."
She lightly touched the trunk, and the runes immediately pulsed with golden light. "When Adelle arrived with the seed, we discovered that the seed resonated strongly with the central tree. At the same time, we also sensed threats approaching from afar."
"To protect the seed, we performed a separation ritual, extracting the seed's essence—its life code—and storing it in this memory tree. The physical form of the seed was taken away by Adelle, hidden elsewhere."
"So now the seed is in two parts?" Orlen tried to understand.
"Yes, without the life code, the seed is just an empty shell; without a physical carrier, the life code cannot grow into a new Spirit Branch Tree. This kind of separation is an ancient protective measure."
Helana retrieved a small transparent amber container from a crevice in the trunk. Inside flickered golden liquid, flowing like a living entity.
"This is the container for the life code," she handed it to Orlen. "You must recombine it with the seed. Adelle took the seed to the Withering Season resistance front line—'Edge Leaf State.' The Floating Brahma Talia there is one of the few Floating Brahmas resisting the Gu Tribe invasion."
Orlen accepted the container, feeling warm energy spreading from his palm. The amber pendant on his chest immediately responded, flickering with the same rhythm.
"Your Heart Core Fragment recognizes it, confirming the connection between you and the seed."
"Where is Edge Leaf State? How do we get there?" Calmur asked.
"Edge Leaf State is located at the outermost periphery of the Spirit Branch Tree, one of the newest Leaf States. The usual routes have been occupied by the Gu Tribe, but the Forest of Recollection has a secret passage—through the 'Memory Flow,' a kind of energy channel connecting different parts of the Spirit Branch Tree."
"I've never heard of such a channel," Calmur said in surprise.
"Few know about it, because they don't exist physically, but as energy states. Only under specific conditions does the Memory Flow manifest."
She turned to Orlen: "Your Heart Core Fragment and life code container will help you see and enter the Memory Flow. But I must warn you—the Memory Flow is not just a passage, but a river of the Spirit Branch Tree's memories. Upon entering it, you will experience fragments of the Spirit Branch Tree's history and might get lost in past memories."
Orlen carefully tucked the container into his garment: "I'm ready. Please tell me how to enter the Memory Flow."
Helana signaled to Mora, who guided the Reverers to form a circle around the central tree. They began to emit harmonious humming, the frequency gradually increasing until ripples appeared in the air.
"The Memory Flow needs the guidance of collective consciousness to manifest," Helana explained, as she took out two small vials of glowing liquid. "This is the Dew of Memory; drinking it will help you synchronize with the flow."
Orlen and Calmur each drank a vial, the liquid bringing an unusual clarity, as if their thoughts were washed crystal clear.
As the humming intensified, golden lines appeared in the air, flowing like streams through the Forest of Recollection, connecting the various floating islands, forming a complex network.
"That is the Memory Flow," Helana pointed to the thickest stream. "It will take you directly to Edge Leaf State. To enter the Memory Flow, you need to fully surrender your mind, like jumping into water, but the target is a leap of thought, not body."
Orlen took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and felt the warmth from the pendant and container on his chest. When he opened his eyes again, the Memory Flow had become nearly solid. He stepped forward, reaching out to touch the golden stream.
An immediate warm current spread throughout his body, and his vision began to distort. He felt his body becoming lighter, as if losing physical constraints.
"Don't resist," Helana's voice seemed to come from far away. "Follow the flow, but don't forget your destination. No matter what you see, don't linger too long. Memories will try to hold you, especially those with emotional connections to you."
Orlen felt a tug, and then the world became blurry. When his vision cleared again, he saw a young Darkened State Resident woman standing in the Root Layer, holding a glowing flower.
"Mother," Orlen silently recognized her, even though she was younger than in his dreams.
Serra in the memory did not notice his presence, focused on the flower in her hand. A young Calmur walked to her side, and they conversed, their smiles full of youthful vitality and exploratory enthusiasm.
Orlen wanted to move closer, to hear their conversation clearly, but the real Calmur reminded him: "Don't linger; these are just shadows of the past."
The memory dissipated, and they continued forward. Scene after scene flashed by—the Spirit Branch Tree in its younger days, the formation of Leaf States, the birth of the first Leaf Dwellers, the early peaceful coexistence of the Gu Tribe and Leaf Dwellers, the outbreak of the first conflict, the inequality in resource distribution leading to clashes, the formation of the aristocratic class, the exile of Root Layer workers...
Orlen witnessed important moments in the Spirit Branch Tree's history, each scene deepening his understanding of this world. He began to realize that the current chaos was the eruption of contradictions accumulated over hundreds of Withering Seasons.
The Memory Flow accelerated, the changing scenes causing dizziness. Orlen struggled to stay awake, remembering that the goal was to reach Edge Leaf State.
Suddenly, a particularly vivid memory blocked their path—Serra's final moments, surrounded by the Gu Tribe, holding the sprout. She divided her life energy into two parts, one flowing into the infant in her arms, the other enveloping the sprout, then turned to face the Gu Tribe...
"No!" Orlen cried out, trying to reach through the memory to save her, but his arms only passed through the illusion.
"This has already happened," Calmur said sadly. "We cannot change the past, only remember and move forward."
The memory scene distorted, and Orlen felt a strong pull. His vision blurred again, then suddenly cleared. They stood on an unfamiliar Leaf State, surrounded by dense vegetation and fresh air. In the distance stood a glowing tower—a tall Spirit-Drawing Tower cultivated into a tower shape.
"We've arrived," Calmur looked around. "This is Edge Leaf State."
Orlen felt the effect of the Memory Dew fading, the golden Memory Flow gradually disappearing. He touched the container and pendant on his chest, ensuring they were safe and intact.
"Talia's Floating Brahma Tower is over there," Calmur pointed to the glowing tower. "According to Helana's instructions, Ms. Adelle and the seed should be there."
"Let's go," Orlen stepped forward with determination. "Ms. Adelle and the seed are waiting for us."
The wind of Edge Leaf State gently caressed them, as if welcoming these travelers who would determine the fate of the Spirit Branch Tree. Golden sunlight filtered through the leaf layers, laying a layer of radiance on their path, like a symbol of hope, guiding their way forward.