Timeless Eternity: Chronicles of Eldoria

Onto the world • Chapter One

"In the vast, wide world of this mystical realm, our planet Eldoria is ever evolving endlessly," the Grand Elder would tell us, as if to share the ancient woman's tale of knowledge. "While time flows differently for us than for most other living creatures, we are the Eternals."

In the paradise of our elven forest, I could see a sort of barrier upon the area, like a dome. It was massive, and many of the elves enjoyed the terrain of endless trees and lush vegetation.

It had been nearly a thousand years since I had been reborn; I coined the phrase "relentless rain" as my nickname. None knew I was once human, as even explaining what a human was perplexed them, as no such race existed. I kept my "dreams" to myself, sharing them with only a few.

The expanse within the barrier wasn't infinite; I traveled for years to find its limits. Once I did, I returned home to my castle.

Each Eternal, as they called themselves (though I internally referred to them as elves), had a strange social structure unlike that of humans or people from Earth. The term "family" encompassed all members as a whole; the distinction between 'me and yours' didn't exist.

I had parents, but they weren't "parents" in the traditional sense; all adults were my parents, and all children were my brothers and sisters. We Eternals aged slower than most other creatures; the only beings comparable were the sky-turtles, which aged much slower than us, placing us in second.

In human terms, I was now around 14 years old, or in Eternal years, one thousand and seven hundred. I was a young teenager, yet also the most turbulent youngster of our generation. Elves didn't register emotions the same way humans did, but my past experiences as one conflicted within my genes, resulting in a misbalance of emotions and a sense of individual indifference precoded within me.

To others, I was the most sensitive and relentless person, never one to relax. I despised relaxation, as it meant enjoying doing nothing for nearly five hundred years! In the grander scheme, we had the luxury of time; our lifespans were nearly unlimited. However, this wasn't entirely true; records noted an age range of 17,000 to 21,000 years as the oldest.

Our elder was already 16,000 years old, the most patient person I had ever seen, yet her gaze had a mysterious effect, as if she saw into your soul.

"Other enigmatic beings commonly refer to us as 'Chronos,' 'immortals,' 'guardians,' 'undying cursed ones,' or with evermore new monikers upon us unraveling in time," she appeared reminiscent, a slight smile tinged with sadness creeping but quickly fading like the wind as she continued, "So, by outsiders, we who possess a lifespan far surpassing that of any other mortal creature, for every hundredth and a half or so years that pass in their ages, is merely a day elapsed in our realm." She'd stare at the skies as we gazed upwards, filling in her wonder with our own.

"This unique relationship with time has sculpted the very essence of us, the Eternals. Understand that we, Eternals, see the passage of time as fluid and elusive, with centuries slipping by like mere moments in the grand tapestry of our lives." Her gaze shifted down, focused; no longer afar, she wanted to ensure we heeded her warnings and lessons.

Listening to her in this white marble-walled house, a massive chapel where lines of nature meet architectural beauty, I was among my four peers. We elves, or Eternals, had a low population standard. Even I, once human, felt no attraction to the handsome and beautiful people around me. I felt no inclination toward procreation, detached from the hunger of it. That was the one thing I found most interesting, as an intellectual.

"As a result, we must possess a deeply rooted sense of patience and contemplation, viewing the fleeting struggles and triumphs of mortal races with a mixture of curiosity and detachment," she declared, the air still as if her voice had commanded it, no sound heard as she stared deep into our eyes. Like a passing storm, she relaxed, and we felt at ease, having passed whatever test she had set for us.