A lone child walks up the moonlit, stone steps of the temple and lights the sacred fire, summoning the Lost One, god of all things. The child stares up at the god…

Child: I heard you can grant wishes. Can you grant mine? I wish to become like you, Guardian God, I refuse to allow myself to grow old and die. I want the power to live eternally, I want to become king and wear a crown of gold. And I want the world to kneel at the mention of my name. That is my wish.

Lost One: I am everything to the blazing sun down to the darkest part of the earth's core. I am always watching, I know when the world will end and I know when the sun will be reborn and blaze once again.

But do you know who I am? I am the one who watches from afar, forever cursed to guard this world. Whether it be war or sickness I will always watch the world as it crumbles into dust. That is my curse. I have watched as all of those I loved fade away. Do you still wish to be like me?

Child: You know when the world ends, you will reign eternally. You have power, what more could you possibly need than that?

Lost One: Do you know how I came to be, child?

Child: No, I was only told that you guard the world. 

Lost One: I will tell you my tale then, child, and you will tell me if this is what you really want.

Lost One: Have you heard of the saying wish upon a star? I used to love to watch the star showers as a child. I thought I knew what I wanted most back then, so I stood under a shooting star after having a fight with my older brother, the only family I had, my parents had died before I could set their faces to memory. 

I stood there and wished for a life that would never end. The old gods heard the conviction in my wish and my wish was granted, I was given an eternal life, I was given all knowledge, I was given the strength to tear down empires with a single flick of my hand. I left home that night while my brother was asleep and set out to make a name for myself. I never once looked back.

Time flew by, I barely noticed the years pass, my appearance never changed, and I never aged or weakened like mortals did. I was well over one hundred when I made my way home once more, not realizing at the time how many years had truly passed. 

I returned to a rotted log cabin and my brother’s mossed over tombstone. 

My only family was long gone, and I had refused to say goodbye the night I left. 

That is the price for immortality, the price of ascending and becoming a god. 

You will lose everything you have ever cared about and you will be forced to watch humanity break itself down and rebuild itself for all of eternity. 

Those before me warned that there would be no turning back. I refused to listen, I never listened back then, so they gave me what I wanted, and I was alone.

I was much like you, child, young and wild, hungry for power. 

It took me one hundred and sixty seven years of watching mortals cease to exist to finally realize the mistake I made with my wish all those years ago. 

So please Child, do not ask for this. 

Never aging, having the strength of a thousand men, the ability to harness and use magic. None of it is worth it. 

Listen to my warning, child, do not make the same selfish mistake that I did. 

No matter how much you think this is what you want, it is just the darkness inside of you. 

Child: …

Lost One: I will ask you one last time, do you truly want this?

Child: No… No I don't

The lone child turns and leaves the temple. He walks down the stone steps and into the forest beyond. The summoning flame goes out, the god has gone… But the lone child returns each week to keep the god company, the god’s words sit heavy on his heart. He will join the god as an immortal when he is old and ready.