Fire blazed, water flowed, and on this planet, signs of change gradually began to appear.
And at the end of that change, the earth drew breath once more.
The silent ground began to tremble.
Soon, a small fissure appeared there.
Through the cracked rift, a faint vibration spread outward.
The earth was moving.
The planet was covered in dark, arid land.
Yet upon it, at last, green shoots began to sprout.
At first, they were very small.
It was a movement so faint it was nearly invisible.
But that was not all.
Their true form was that of trees.
The trees deepened their roots, and their branches stretched toward the sky.
Thus, trees were born.
And it was not merely a single tree.
As the roots continued to dig into the earth, the land exhaled an endless breath, as if in pain.
But the earth could not withstand the strength of those roots.
It was the moment a green, lush forest was born upon the dark and desolate land.
The growth of the trees was visibly swift.
They continued to stretch toward the sky.
Grass, too, received some kind of energy and grew alongside them.
Soon, the trees intertwined with one another, and the grasses danced with the wind.
For the first time, life made its existence known to the world.
That sight was not a simple movement of nature.
It was energy that possessed a will.
Soon, it sought to give itself form.
A symbol of itself, a being that would represent it.
And at last, the forest gave birth to a single existence.
It was the figure of a human covered in grass and moss, and its skin was rough like tree bark, yet warm.
When she moved her arms, the sound of branches brushing against one another rang out, and within her pupils, patterns like leaf veins slowly surfaced.
“Haaaah……”
The being opened her mouth as if trying to draw in air.
Like all living things in the world, she inhaled and exhaled.
With green eyes, she gazed upon the forest that had given birth to her.
Her name was Dryan.
The lord of trees and the creator of life.
She whispered softly.
“Dryan, Dryan……”
Dryan already knew her own name.
A name that symbolized trees and life itself.
She was part of the forest, and the forest was none other than herself.
She was the master of this forest.
When Dryan breathed for the first time, the trees around her swayed.
The grasses rippled and bent their bodies toward her.
A lush forest dense enough to fill the sky, fresh thickets of greenery.
This was a forest not yet governed.
The trees were growing without direction, and the vines were tangled without order.
Then now, it was her turn to rule the forest.
The one who would govern the energy of trees, Dryan.
Her skin was like living bark, and her hair swayed in the wind like undergrowth.
Her fingertips held young sprouts, and her eyes contained the depths of the earth.
Her chest beat slowly as if breathing, and when she breathed, her body filled with clear air.
Dryan raised her hand.
At her fingertips, a sprout bloomed.
It was not a simple leaf.
It was life that possessed a will.
When she stretched her hand forward, the forest moved.
The wind flowing from her hand shook the trees, and the leaves danced and whispered.
Vines entwined with one another, forming a single shape.
The trees extended their roots and supported her.
And directly before her, her throne was formed.
The forest had prepared a seat for her.
Dryan slowly took a step forward.
The forest opened a path for her.
Leaves circled around her, moving with her as if alive and breathing.
The entire forest was following her.
She ascended the throne.
Dazzling light shone through the leaves, as though welcoming her.
At last, a ruler had been born in this forest.
Dryan spread her hand once more.
At her will, the trees swayed, and the leaves fluttered.
Whenever she breathed, the drooping branches and leaves of the trees danced as if they had come alive.
The forest was now hers.
Dryan, now she was the emperor of the empire of trees.
The forest was waiting for her voice.
Dryan opened her mouth.
Her voice echoed through the forest.
“All beings of this world, hear my words. My name is Dryan. I am tree, forest, and life.
This is the great forest where I was born. Thus, from this moment forth, this place shall be reborn as my empire.
I shall stand tall like a tree, and I shall put down roots so that I will not be shaken. I shall stretch out my branches, and my leaves shall receive the light.
I shall make all things grow. For I am one who can bestow life upon you.
Life is not mere existence. Life is that which grows. The world does not stop. Nor does it die. The world enjoys eternal life, and so it always grows; accordingly, our forest shall also always change and grow.
I am a being like the forest. I change, and therefore, I exist. I am firm, yet flexible.
Because I am life, I can become anything. I shall become roots, and I shall become branches. And I shall become the forest.
This is our empire, Silva. It is the beautiful place where our new age shall open.
Our Silva Empire was not born to conquer. It was born to grow. We grow. We extend. We put down roots, and we do not waver.
Life is the strongest existence in the world. None shall be able to deny it. True power shall be released only in the land where life grows.
Therefore, I am the forest. I shall embrace the land, fill the earth, and make the world breathe.
Our Silva Empire shall cradle all life. We shall grow together, and we shall live together.
The law of Silva depends on life. Strong branches stretch toward the sky. Yet even if a branch breaks, do not grieve. It shall return to the soil and be born anew as new life. All things cycle, and all things are born again.
All beings of this world, remember this. Life shall move you. Wherever life reaches, new forests shall sprout, and a new age shall open. But if you defy life, that which does not grow shall rot, and that which is isolated and cut off shall perish.
I am the one who leads Silva, and I am the one who governs life. Our Silva Empire begins here. It shall spread forth from me, Dryan. Our Silva shall sow seeds upon this barren land and breathe life into it.
Do not fear. Even in darkness, seeds do not sleep. Even beneath the soil, life is breathing. Nor does it live alone. Even this forest we see now is the result of the harmony of countless lives. I shall lead you, so you need only be reborn together with me.
Now, this world is no longer still. Silva is growth, change, and an endless cycle. I, Dryan, bestow a mission upon you, so cease this chaos and grow with me, spread forth with me. Make this world richer with life.
Remember. Silva breathes. Silva shall not die. Silva shall grow without end. So long as Silva exists, we shall enjoy eternal life. Silva shall be everlasting!”
With Dryan’s declaration, the Silva Empire was founded in her forest.
Her forest moved as if responding to her words.
The silent forest recognized her existence and began to move as a single current.
She raised her head toward the sky.
When she stretched out her hand, the giant trees slowly began to raise themselves.
Branches extending along with her hand intertwined with one another, forming a vast structure, and vines tangled together to create sturdy walls.
Now, the citadel was complete.
The citadel of the Silva Empire was not a mere building, but a living life.
The majestic trees that soared upward were still breathing, and the lush forest enveloped the city.
Bluish leaves covered the ceiling, and massive tree trunks extended like pillars.
The forest created its own order.
Dryan cried out.
“From now on, this place shall be called Dryandel. It is the heart of the Silva Empire, a city where life flows. At last, Dryandel has begun to breathe!”
Dryan walked toward the throne.
Around her throne, energy cores were scattered.
Energy cores in which pure energy slept.
She looked over the energy cores.
“There are lives here that have not yet awakened. I shall breathe life into you as well.”
When she stretched her hand toward the energy cores, small leaves began to sprout from her fingertips.
Soon, as those leaves fell upon the cores, the cores slowly began to take on a green light.
The energy cores responded.
They writhed as if they had received life from Dryan.
By Dryan’s hand, those energy cores soon transformed into Life Cores.
Dryandel, the living, breathing heart of the Silva Empire, came alive.
The trees swayed gently, surrounding the entire city.
The forest of Dryandel was order, power, and life.
Dryan sat upon the throne.
With a comfortable smile, she whispered quietly.
“Now, the Silva Empire is complete. We shall move for the sake of our mission. We shall grow without end.”
With the birth of the Silva Empire, the age of trees began.
Before anyone knew it, the forest spread until its end could no longer be seen.
The countless lives surrounding Dryan lived and moved according to the order she had created.
The forest of the Silva Empire breathed, and life grew.
The world was undergoing change after change, seeking to find balance.
Yet the balance of the world still seemed incomplete.
When trees grow, the earth must cradle their roots.
Everything had spread and grown, but perhaps now, something solid was needed.
Far away, the earth trembled again.
Something buried within the earth was slowly growing harder.
Something hidden for ages was trying to rise.
Deep within the ground, a tremendous weight could be felt.
The earth held its breath, and the pressure grew stronger.
As clods of soil crumbled, metal trapped within the rock slowly began to reveal itself.
A glittering light seeped out through the cracks.
From deep underground, a vast resonance spread outward.
A cold and solid energy.
It was like the sound of metal, and at the same time, like a heavy pulse.
The world was about to change once more.
The world needed something unyielding.
It needed something that could not collapse.
Now, the time had come for metal to appear.