The world was silent, as if holding its breath.
At the top of a colossal tree, its branches seemingly brushing the sky, a solitary nest rested nestled among the leaves. Within this nest, a creature had just been born. A bird, alone, opened its eyes for the first time.
Its plumage, still damp and fragile, already shimmered with an otherworldly light, as if the sun's rays had tangled themselves within its feathers. Its eyes, large and innocent, reflected an infinite sky, filled with unanswered questions.
"I'm hungry."
The thought crossed its mind, clear and insistent. The bird did not speak, but its thoughts resonated in the air, like a whisper only the wind could hear. It turned its head, searching for something, anything, to ease the hunger gnawing at its belly. But there was nothing. Just emptiness, the wind, and the vastness of the tree that cradled it.
"Why am I alone?"
The question lingered, unanswered. The bird cried, a soft, melodic sound that faded into the rustling of the leaves. Its wings, still frail, fluttered weakly, as if already yearning to escape this prison of solitude.
The hunger became unbearable. Instinct took over. The bird looked down, toward the ground so far below, so mysterious. It didn't know what it would find there, but it knew it had to try.
"I must eat. I must survive."
With a courage it didn't know it possessed, it jumped.
The wind whistled past its ears as it fell, its wings flapping frantically, trying to grasp something, anything, to stop the descent. But it was too young, too inexperienced. The ground rushed up at a terrifying speed.
"I'm going to die."
The thought flashed through its mind, but before it could fully comprehend it, the bird landed.
Miraculously, it crashed onto a bed of straw, soft and welcoming. Pain shot through its body, but it was alive. It was breathing.
"Where am I?"
It looked around. The straw was arranged in a circle, as if someone had prepared it just for the bird. Was this a sign? Help from somewhere beyond?
The bird struggled to its feet, its wings trembling. The hunger was still there, but now there was also a glimmer of hope. It began to explore, pecking at seeds scattered on the ground. Each bite was a revelation, a discovery.
"I'm not alone."
The thought came to it as it ate. Something, or someone, had been watching over it. Perhaps this world wasn't so hostile after all.
But the bird knew this was only the beginning. It had to learn, to grow, to understand. And perhaps, one day, it would fly.
After regaining some strength, the bird began to walk. Its legs, still clumsy, carried it across a thick carpet of soft moss. The forest around it was a deep, almost unreal green. The trees, towering and majestic, seemed made of jade, their smooth, gleaming trunks reflecting the filtered sunlight. The leaves, broad and lush, formed a canopy so dense that the sky was reduced to a mosaic of blue and gold.
The bird moved slowly, observing everything with insatiable curiosity. Its eyes, unique, captured details no other creature could perceive. It saw the veins in the leaves, the tiny insects crawling on the bark, and even the particles of dust dancing in the beams of light.
But there was something else.
Faint blue particles, almost invisible, floated in the air. They seemed alive, as if dancing to the rhythm of a silent melody. The bird followed them with its gaze, fascinated. They swirled around the trees, passed through the leaves, and even seemed to gather around the bird itself.
"Mana."
The word came to it instinctively, as if it had always known what to call these strange particles. It didn't know what it meant, but it felt important.
It stretched out a wing, trying to touch one of the particles. It danced around its feathers before vanishing into the air. The bird felt a strange warmth, as if the particle had transferred a subtle energy to it.
"What is this?"
The question went unanswered, but the bird knew it had to learn more. It continued walking, following the blue particles that seemed to guide it through the forest.
After a while, the bird arrived in a clearing. At its center stood a tree even larger than the others, its trunk shimmering as if made of precious stones. The mana particles converged toward it, forming a luminous halo.
The bird approached, feeling a powerful energy emanating from the tree. It placed a foot on the bark and closed its eyes.
"I am home."
The thought came to it, clear and soothing. For the first time since its birth, it felt safe.
But it knew this was only the beginning. The jade forest, the mana, this giant tree—it was all part of a much greater mystery. And the bird was determined to uncover it.