In the beginning, there were those who did not age.

They lived beyond seasons, beyond eras, beyond the rise and fall of empires. Time did not press upon them, nor did death wait nearby. Their lives were long enough that feelings dulled, excitement faded, and there was nothing left to anticipate. Lifetimes were not a concept here. One could be powerful. One could also be endlessly bored.

These were the immortals.

They belonged to different clans: the Heavenly Clan, the Foxes, the Goblins, and others. Each clan is governed by their own laws and commanding different powers. Immortals did not die naturally. They could only be destroyed by one another, extinguished into oblivion.

What does love mean when time has no weight? When even a year passes like the blink of an eye?

There is one realm that stands as an exception.

It is neither above nor below the immortal domains. It exists apart from them, almost like a parallel world. Time here is brief, narrow, and unremarkable to those who have never entered it. Almost like watching a movie.

It is called the Humanverse.

In this realm, time is counted in brief units. A single lifetime lasts, at best, a hundred years. Lives are fragile. Hearts can break.

All immortals must enter the Humanverse at least once.

This passage is known as the Trial.

When an immortal undergoes the Trial, their power remains, yet they must refrain from revealing it before humans. They are required to act within human limits, no longer permitted to stand apart from consequence.

They can choose to eat, sleep, desire, age, and grieve as humans do. After a hundred human years, they may return to the Immortal world.

The Trial does not test strength. It does not reward virtue. It asks only that the immortal experience human desire and emotion fully.

Some complete the Trial and return unchanged. Or so they claim.

Others return carrying things. A hesitation where certainty once stood. A regret that serves no purpose. A sorrow that ebbs and flows without cause.

It is said that some immortals choose to remain incognito within the Humanverse, allowing eternity to slip away unnoticed. Nobody knows what kept them there.

Such accounts are spoken quietly. No record confirms them.

Trials were not created as punishment. They exist because immortality alone is lacking.

Without loss, there is no weight to choice. Without limits, there is no depth to feeling. Without the fragile human heart, tenderness has no value.

This realm is where immortals come to understand the power of impermanence. Nothing lasts forever, and a single moment can alter one for eternity.

These are not tales of gods watching from a distance. The Humanverse is where things get close and personal.