Chen stood on a balcony carved out of living wood, gazing in awe.
The world below him pulsed with life.
The Tree Tavern—if it could even be called a "tavern"—was colossal. The first floor alone stretched like a town built within a living tree, with spiral streets winding around the massive trunk and glowing bridges arching between giant inner branches. The roof high above glistened like stars caught in a leafy dome, while bioluminescent plants lit walkways with shifting hues of blue, gold, and green.
Shops lined the walkways—cafés floating on platforms of flower petals, gambling dens carved into glowing mushrooms, tailors measuring robes that fluttered before they touched the ground, stalls selling jewelry that whispered when touched, and libraries with books that blinked open like eyes.
The people—if that's what you could call them—were just as strange.
A pair of levitating fox spirits argued over a teacup. A goblin vendor haggled with a tree stump that had a face. A man with a lion's mane wore a waiter's outfit while balancing six trays midair. And above, soaring gently through indoor thermals, were winged creatures that seemed part-human, part-parrot.
Chen's heart pounded with so much excitement it almost hurt. His first instinct was to sprint into the crowd and touch everything.
So he did.
Down the winding staircase he ran, past flower lanterns and a mossy wall where a bard was playing a lute made of windchimes. The music danced on his skin like sunlight. A wind spirit passed him, giggling as it pulled the hood of his jacket slightly tighter around his neck.
"Hey—!" he called, laughing in surprise.
He stopped at a food stall where something that resembled popcorn was floating in mid-air and crackling softly like fireflies. The menu shimmered and changed languages every few seconds.
Chen tried to ask the stall owner—a woman with bark for skin and glowing green eyes—if he could have a sample. She smiled politely and gestured toward a floating screen with golden numbers.
It looked like a pricing board.
The first item was listed as 3 Glims. Another was 1.5 Sprites, and a glowing drink labeled Dreamshatter Ale cost 6 Petals.
"I… don't have any money," Chen admitted sheepishly.
The bark-woman tilted her head and shrugged kindly, but motioned to the line behind him.
Chen stepped away, face red.
Okay, so you needed magical money here. He supposed that made sense.
He kept walking, drinking in the sights: floating laundry folding itself, shoes that danced to music, a potion shop with its own orchestra made from jellyfish. It felt like an entire town packed inside one giant wooden body.
Eventually, his feet brought him to a warm, inviting building tucked into a spiraling branch alcove. Its sign read:
The Nesting Cup – Tea, Coffee, Charm & Cakes
Through the crystal-glass window, Chen saw velvet chairs, glowing flowerpots, and a display of pastries that shimmered like stardust. A soft melody played inside. It felt… cozy. Like a magical café designed just for weary souls.
A bell tinkled as he pushed open the door.
He was immediately hit by the scent of cinnamon, roasted hazelnut, and honeyed cream. Inside, a few odd customers—like a floating jelly-eye and a cat-sized dragon reading a novel—looked up, then returned to their drinks.
"Welcome to The Nesting Cup!" said a cheerful voice.
Chen turned and saw a girl behind the counter.
Well, "girl" might be inaccurate. She had soft blue skin, hair made of wispy clouds, and four arms that worked in perfect harmony—pouring coffee, stirring milk, organizing cups. A crystal circlet floated above her head.
"Uh—hi," Chen said. "I was just looking around."
"Feel free to look," she said with a smile. "Though if you plan to eat, I should let you know we charge in Bloomleaf or Smilepoints."
"Right. I don't have any of those either."
"Well, let me know if you change your mind." She winked, then turned back to her tasks.
Chen, feeling a bit awkward, wandered toward a shelf full of enchanted teacups. One of them had little wings and fluttered each time a customer nearby sneezed. He reached out to inspect a glowing green saucer—
—and knocked over an entire tower of teacups.
They crashed to the ground in a horrifying, symphonic shatter.
Everyone turned.
The floating dragon hissed. A feathered man dropped his fork. Even the cozy music stopped for a second, like the instruments had gasped.
Chen's heart stopped. "I—I didn't mean to—! I was just looking—!"
The blue-skinned barista floated toward him, arms folded, eyebrows raised. "That was the Limited Edition Celestial Set…"
"I can work it off!" Chen blurted, bowing fast enough to hit his forehead on the counter. "Please, I'm sorry—I didn't mean to touch anything, I didn't even know how expensive it was, I can clean or mop or serve or whatever you need, I just—please don't kick me out!"
She stared at him.
Then sighed, and smiled.
"You're lucky we always need help."