Immortals: Slovenia

Zoran

My name is Zoran, and I am immortal. I have lived for more than two thousand years, and I have seen the rise and fall of empires, the birth and death of civilizations, the glory and misery of humanity. I have witnessed history, and I have made history. But I was not always like this. I was once a mortal man, living in a small village near the ancient city of Aquileia, in the Roman province of Venetia et Histria.

Aquileia was one of the first world heritage sites, a marvel of architecture, culture, and commerce. It was founded by the Romans in the 2nd century BC, and it soon became a strategic and prosperous hub of the empire. It had a magnificent forum, a basilica, a theater, a circus, a port, and an aqueduct. It was also a center of Christianity, and it hosted several councils and synods. Aquileia was a city of wonders, and I dreamed of visiting it someday.

But fate had other plans for me. One day, when I was 18 years old, a group of barbarians raided our village. They were the Huns, a fierce and savage people from the east, who had invaded the empire and caused havoc and destruction. They killed, burned, and plundered everything in their path, and they spared no one. I saw my family and friends slaughtered before my eyes, and I tried to fight back, but I was no match for them. They captured me and dragged me to their camp, where they tortured me for their amusement. They cut me, burned me, and broke my bones, but they did not kill me. They wanted me to suffer as long as possible.

But something strange happened to me. I did not die. I healed. Every wound, every scar, every injury, they all disappeared. I felt no pain, no fear, no sorrow. I felt nothing. I was alive, but I was not living. I was a shell, a husk, a corpse. I did not know what was happening to me, or why. I did not know if it was a blessing or a curse. I did not know if I was a man or a monster.

The Huns noticed my condition, and they were amazed and terrified. They thought I was a demon, a witch, a god. They did not know what to do with me. Some wanted to worship me, some wanted to kill me, some wanted to use me as a weapon. They argued and fought among themselves, and they forgot about me. I seized the opportunity and escaped. I ran away from their camp, and I never looked back.

I wandered the lands, alone and lost. I had no home, no family, no friends, no purpose. I had nothing. I tried to find a place where I could belong, where I could be accepted, where I could be happy. But I found none. Everywhere I went, I was an outcast, a freak, a pariah. People feared me, hated me, envied me, or exploited me. I was hunted, persecuted, betrayed, or enslaved. I was a stranger, a nomad, a wanderer. I was a loner, a rebel, a fugitive.

I lived through wars, plagues, famines, revolutions, and disasters. I saw the best and the worst of humanity. I saw the beauty and the ugliness of the world. I saw the light and the darkness of life. I saw it all, and I learned it all. I learned how to fight, how to survive, how to adapt, how to change. I learned how to speak, how to read, how to write, how to create. I learned how to love, how to hate, how to forgive, how to forget. I learned how to live, how to die, how to be reborn.

I changed my name, my appearance, my identity, my personality, my history, my story. I became whoever I wanted to be, whenever I wanted to be. I was a soldier, a scholar, a merchant, a poet, a king, a beggar. I was a hero, a villain, a saint, a sinner. I was a man, a woman, a child, an elder. I was everything, and I was nothing.

I traveled the world, and I explored its wonders. I visited every continent, every country, every city, every site. I saw the pyramids of Egypt, the temples of Greece, the colosseum of Rome, the wall of China, the Taj Mahal of India, the Eiffel Tower of France, the Statue of Liberty of America, and many more. I saw the first world heritage sites, and I saw the latest ones. I saw the old and the new, the past and the present, the ancient and the modern.

And that is how I came to be here, in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. It is a beautiful city, with a rich history and culture. It has a castle, a cathedral, a bridge, a river, and a park. It has a lively and vibrant atmosphere, with a mix of tradition and innovation. It is one of the newest world heritage sites, and it is one of my favorites. I have been living here for the past few years, and I have enjoyed every moment of it. I have a nice apartment, a good job, a few friends, and a lover. I have a life, a normal life, a happy life.

But I know it will not last. Nothing lasts for me. Nothing ever does. I know that sooner or later, I will have to leave. I will have to move on, to start over, to begin again. I will have to say goodbye, to everything and everyone. I will have to change, once more.

Because I am immortal, and I am alone.