Lira, the village elder, stands at the heart of the central square, her silver hair shimmering as she greets the day. The air is filled with laughter and song as villagers, their faces serene and ageless, tend to their eternal gardens. Suddenly, a figure appears at the edge of the village—Elias, a mortal traveler, dusty from the road and eyes wide with awe. He pauses, taking in the beauty and stillness, before stepping forward into the world of immortals.
Elias sets down his pack, feeling the weight of hundreds of eyes upon him. Lira approaches with a graceful bow, her voice as gentle as the morning light. "You are not like us. What brings a mortal soul to our undying haven?"
"I seek understanding," Elias replies, his voice humble yet firm. "I wish to know what it means to live forever, and perhaps, to teach what it means to live knowing one day, you must die."
The immortals listen as Elias speaks of love, loss, and fleeting joys. Serin, a spirited artist with eyes like storm clouds, challenges him. "Why should we envy your suffering? Our days flow without end, and with it, our happiness remains pure and unbroken."
"But without an ending, how can you treasure a beginning?" Elias counters, his words stirring unease and curiosity among the immortals.
Lira sits beside Elias beneath a sprawling willow tree, stars twinkling above them. "Centuries have passed with little change. Your presence is like a stone cast into a placid lake," she murmurs, her gaze distant. "Does it frighten you, the thought of an end?" Lira considers, her silence more telling than words.
Elias stands before them, his presence a reminder of all they have never faced. Serin steps forward, his voice softer now. "Perhaps we have been asleep while the world changed around us. Tell us, mortal—how do you bear the pain of loss?"
"By loving fiercely and living fully, knowing that every moment is precious because it will never come again," Elias replies, his words echoing through the rain-soaked air.
Lira finds Elias at the edge of the village, preparing to leave. "You have given us a gift beyond measure. We may never know death, but now, we understand life anew,"
"And I have learned that even in eternity, meaning is found in how we choose to live," Elias smiles, stepping into the morning light as the immortals watch, forever changed.
