Ch 1: The Leaf That Should Not Glow
Chapter One: The Leaf That Should Not Glow
Elios didn’t believe in magic—at least, not the leaf-glowing, whisper-humming, tickle-the-back-of-your-neck kind of magic.
He believed in clever things: moss gears, beetle hinges, and the way spider silk shimmered when caught just right in the morning sun. His tree house workshop was full of small contraptions powered by dew drops and wind. Moss gears spun silently, soft and springy—perfect for delicate machines that grew from living things. Beetle hinges, carved from the gleaming shells of forest beetles, held his inventions together with surprising strength.
But this leaf was different.
It was glowing.
Not glittering or shining in sunlight—glowing from the inside out. Its pale green veins pulsed gently, like a heartbeat. The glow wasn’t bright, but alive. It seemed to hold something. Not just light—something deeper. Something like energy or thought.
High above, Coda the parrot fluttered down to Elios’s shoulder. His feathers were ruffled, his voice curious.
“That leaf is doing a thing. Should leaves do things?”
“Not like that,” Elios said, narrowing his eyes.
“Touch it?” Coda suggested.
“Why is that always your suggestion?”
Coda gave a dramatic squawk and flared his wings. “Touch the leaf, find your fate! Glowing plant or magic gate!”
The leaf pulsed again.
Before Elios could answer, the leaf pulsed again. A sound—like the faint whoosh of wind through a flute—whispered through the clearing.
Then, quite suddenly, the ground beneath their feet gave a polite little pop and vanished.
They didn’t fall so much as slide.
Colors blurred. Light twisted. Everything felt like it was being stirred by a giant spoon made of sound. Elios tried to shout, but it came out as bubbles. Coda flapped wildly beside him, feathers everywhere.
And then—
Silence.
When Elios opened his eyes, he was standing on something soft and springy, like jelly made from fog. The air smelled like peppermint and lightning. Around them stretched a strange new world: translucent trees with spiraling trunks, floating orbs that pulsed with tiny sparks, and rivers of slow-moving light.
Coda tumbled to the ground beside him and immediately stood up, fluffing indignantly.
“Not a normal forest,” he observed.
“No,” Elios agreed, brushing glowing mist from his sleeves. “Definitely not.”
They turned in slow circles, trying to take it all in. There was no sky above—only a dome of golden threads, like the roots of a tree made of stars.
“Maybe we fell into a dream,” Elios said
“Or a very complicated soup,” Coda replied.
From behind a swirl of glowing mist, a voice spoke. Deep and warm, like the earth after rain
“You have entered the Cytoplasma,” it said.
A tall figure emerged—draped in silver robes stitched with spirals. His eyes glowed softly, like coals resting under ash.
“I am the Mitochondriarch,” he said, bowing. “Welcome, Elios.”
“How do you know my name?” Elios asked, stepping back.
“Because,” the figure said gently, “you are Lightbound.”
Elios blinked. “What does that mean?”
“It means,” the Mitochondriarch said, “that you are connected to something ancient. Something powerful. Something alive.”
“Like… light?” Coda guessed.
“Exactly,” the Mitochondriarch smiled. “And the glowing leaf—it was only the beginning.”
Elios looked down at his satchel of tools—moss gears, beetle hinges, all clever things. But none of them had ever glowed. None had ever whispered or whisked him into another world.
Coda’s Poem: The Leaf’s Secret
Touch the leaf, find your fate
Glowing plant or magic gate?
One may shimmer, calm and slow,
A living leaf with light aglow.
But if it hums or pulls you near,
Step with care—your path’s unclear.
It might not root or bloom or grow…
It might just open—and let you go.
Chapter One – Glossary
Beetle Hinges (fictional item)
Miniature mechanical hinges made from beetle shell, prized for their lightness and strength.
Coda (fictional character)
A talking parrot with vibrant feathers and a love for poetry. Loyal companion to Elios.
Cytoplasma (fictional place)
The central realm inside the Cell Kingdom—a soft, glowing, jelly-like world where everything begins.
Cytoplasm (scientific term)
The thick, jelly-like substance inside cells that surrounds and supports the organelles and facilitates cellular processes.
Elios (fictional character)
A thoughtful boy who finds himself drawn into the mysteries of the Living World after discovering a glowing leaf.
Glowing Leaf (fictional object)
A mysterious leaf that pulses with inner light and serves as the portal into the Cell Kingdom.
Lightbound (fictional title)
A title given to those marked by the energy of the Living World—individuals capable of understanding its secrets and shaping its fate.
Mitochondria (scientific term)
Organelles known as the “powerhouses” of the cell; they convert nutrients into ATP, the primary energy currency of the cell.
Mitochondriarch (fictional character)
A glowing-eyed guide who seems to know more than he says. Guardian of deeper cellular wisdom within the Cell Kingdom.
Moss Gears (fictional item)
Small, springy gears woven from enchanted moss, used in forest-crafted machines that require gentle, living motion.
The Living World (scientific term) A mysterious network of life energy that connects all living things—both magical and real. In biology, this term also refers to all organisms on Earth: microorganisms, plants, animals, and humans.
Lightbound Cast
