A week had passed, and the juvenile Spirit Branch Tree had grown to one-third the height of the Heart Axis cavity. Its branches were spread out, its foliage dense, and the light it emitted had transformed from the initial golden color to a gentle tone where amber and emerald green intertwined. Orlen kept daily vigil beside the tree, sensing the increasingly harmonious energy exchange between it and the original Spirit Branch Tree.
"Can you feel it?" Orlen placed his palm against the juvenile Spirit Branch Tree's trunk, saying to Calmur who stood nearby, "They are conversing, establishing some kind of mental connection."
Calmur nodded, his eyes flashing with amazement: "Yes, the energy fluctuations have synchronized. This is proceeding much more smoothly than Serra anticipated."
Around the Heart Axis, the Gu Tribe had established temporary dwellings, but unlike before, these structures no longer interfered with energy flow, instead conforming to its natural path. The Gu King came daily to observe changes in the juvenile Spirit Branch Tree, his expression a mixture of confusion and reverence.
"Gu Tribe scholars have made preliminary findings," the Gu King approached Orlen this day, his voice no longer carrying hostility. "The juvenile Spirit Branch Tree is establishing an entirely new energy distribution network that will break the existing monopolistic structure."
"Meaning resources will be distributed more equally?" Orlen inquired.
"Precisely. We've detected that energy supply to remote Leaf States has already increased by thirty percent, while nourishment received by the Root Layer is also steadily rising."
Orlen smiled; this was exactly the change his mother had hoped for. His fingers lightly caressed the amber pendant on his chest, feeling a warm satisfaction. Since the juvenile Spirit Branch Tree's growth, the pendant had become more tranquil, as if having completed its mission, but still maintaining a faint connection with his heart.
As they conversed, a commotion came from the Heart Axis entrance. Ms. Adelle led a contingent inside. Her wings had healed, regaining their former luster. Behind her was a figure Orlen had never seen before—a tall, elegant woman wearing the emblem of a Floating Brahma.
"Talia!" Calmur exclaimed in surprise.
The Floating Brahma of Edge Leaf State had come in person. She walked slowly toward the juvenile Spirit Branch Tree, her eyes filled with undisguisable amazement.
"A true miracle," she said softly. "The entire Spirit Branch Tree world is talking about this newborn tree. The energy tides have begun to shift; all Leaf States are feeling the change."
"How have the upper layer aristocrats and other Floating Brahmas reacted?" Orlen asked, this being one of his main concerns.
Talia's expression became complex: "As you might expect, reactions are mixed. Some welcome the change, seeing it as a new stage in the Spirit Branch Tree's evolution; others feel threatened, worried their privileges will be weakened." She paused briefly. "But no one can deny that the juvenile Spirit Branch Tree's influence is profound and positive. Signs of the early Withering Season have completely receded; all Leaf States have regained vitality."
"There's another important message," Ms. Adelle interjected. "The Root Layer has undergone significant changes. Elder Eliel has sent word that Darkened State Residents' skin is beginning to show photosynthetic reactions, able to directly absorb light penetrating from the upper layers. This has never happened in history."
Orlen opened his eyes wide in surprise: "The juvenile Spirit Branch Tree is eliminating boundaries, not just physical ones, but physiological ones as well."
"Not everyone welcomes this change," Talia reminded. "The upper council has convened an emergency meeting to discuss how to respond to this 'anomaly.' Many Floating Brahmas are concerned about the dissolution of power structures."
"Then we must help them see new possibilities," Orlen said firmly. "The Spirit Branch Tree world doesn't need to rely on oppression and inequality to maintain order."
At that moment, the juvenile Spirit Branch Tree suddenly emitted a slight tremor. Several leaves fell, spinning in the air, forming a peculiar pattern, then slowly floating toward Orlen.
Orlen extended his hand to catch these leaves; they arranged themselves into a clear arrow shape in his palm, pointing toward the top of the Heart Axis.
"It's guiding us," Orlen realized. "I need to go see what's happening at the top."
Everyone present looked up. The top of the Heart Axis connected to a passage leading to the upper layers, the location of the power center and residence of the highest-ranking Floating Brahmas.
"This could be a trap," Calmur warned. "The upper council might be trying to separate you from the juvenile Spirit Branch Tree."
"Or the juvenile Spirit Branch Tree might be sensing some opportunity," Talia pondered. "If we could let the upper layers directly experience the juvenile Spirit Branch Tree's influence, perhaps it could change their stance."
Orlen gazed at the leaves in his hand, feeling a firm guidance: "I must go. This is the path my mother started; I need to complete it."
"Then we will go with you," Ms. Adelle said resolutely. "You don't have to face this alone."
Talia nodded in agreement: "I can serve as a Floating Brahma representative, providing some degree of legitimacy."
The Gu King unexpectedly also stated: "I will send two Gu Tribe guards to accompany you. Now that the juvenile Spirit Branch Tree has changed everything, the Gu Tribe should also participate in shaping the new order."
The plan was quickly established. Orlen, Calmur, Ms. Adelle, Talia, and two Gu Tribe guards formed an unusual delegation. Before departing, Orlen touched the juvenile Spirit Branch Tree once more, feeling a reassuring power flow into his body.
"It will maintain the connection," he explained to the group. "No matter how far I go, I can feel its presence."
The team began ascending along the spiral passage on the inner wall of the Heart Axis. As their altitude increased, the light became brighter, and a peculiar floral scent permeated the air—this was the unique fragrance of the upper layers, representing privilege and exclusivity. But now, this fragrance seemed to have incorporated a new element, a more earthy, more inclusive scent.
"The Spirit Branch Tree is changing," Talia said softly. "Not just its physical structure, but its core characteristics. This kind of change, the upper layers cannot ignore or deny."
As they approached the top of the passage, Orlen suddenly stopped. The pendant on his chest began to heat up, while a premonition surged in his mind.
"Someone is waiting for us," he said. "More than one person."
Outside the passage entrance, ten or so Floating Brahmas and upper layer aristocrats dressed in magnificent attire stood in neat formation, expressions serious and complex. At the forefront was an elderly Floating Brahma, his eyes flashing with sharp light, observing this unusual delegation.
"Serra's son," he began, his voice carrying both authority and a certain hesitation, "The council has been waiting. We need to talk—about you and that tree that has changed everything."
Orlen straightened his posture, feeling the continued support from the juvenile Spirit Branch Tree and the courage inherited from his mother. He stepped forward, ready to face this conversation that might determine the future of the Spirit Branch Tree world.
"I am willing to listen, and I hope to be listened to," he responded calmly yet firmly. "For the juvenile Spirit Branch Tree brings not a threat, but hope for the common prosperity of all life."
In this moment filled with uncertainty, Orlen understood that the real challenge was just beginning. The seed his mother had planted had taken root and sprouted, but to help it grow strong, to change deeply rooted inequality and divisions, would require more wisdom, courage, and time.
And he, as the bridge connecting two worlds, was ready to meet every challenge brought by this peaceful revolution.