Short Story – The Eternal One (Patreon)

[A/N: Thought about this on my way back home a few days ago, but didn't write it down at that time. Correcting that mistake now, I finally wrote it. It's rather short, but I hope you enjoy it all the same!]

Short Story – The Eternal One

A man stood at the station, waiting for his train to arrive, to take him home after a long day of work.

He didn't have a particularly interesting job, being just a small accountant in a big office full of them. His life was generally rather unremarkable – average.

The man was in his late thirties, but he didn't have a family. No wife, no child.

When he was young though, he often imagined himself being the father of two children, a little girl and a boy, while having a gentle and caring wife.

In the end, life has taught him that dreams seldom come true.

The perception of love and family in society having been twisted by movies, series, social media, and others, making it nearly impossible to build up a genuine relationship with a partner.

He had learned to accept it, while his life grew duller with every moment, with every breath he drew.

Finally, he could faintly see the train in the distance approaching his platform.

It was at this moment when his eyes looked into the distance and closed for but a split-second, that 'he' suddenly disappeared in his own mind.

'He' became just one set, of myriad memories from different lives, as the Eternal One slowly opened his eyes again.

Dropping the suitcase in his hand, the Eternal One turned and approached the tracks without hesitation.

A few others noticed his movements, calling out to him, but he ignored them all, as he stepped off the platform.

Cries of horror echoed on the platform, as the onlookers expected him to fall to his doom, with the train being only a few dozen meters away.

But reality betrayed their fears, as the Eternal One stepped onto the air as if it was flat ground.

Shock and astonishment thick in their outcries now.

Turning around he looked at the humans with empathy, feeling their deep-seated longing for something that gave their life meaning. For love, friendship and purpose.

And as the shouts of the onlookers grew frantic once again, seeing the train nearly arriving at his position, the Eternal One simply turned his hand, and the whole world froze.

Time being a mere illusion in front of his might.

Sighing out audibly, he recalled the memories of his latest life and understood, that he had once again failed to create a world where peace and compassion reigned, instead of greed and power.

A silent tear rolled down his cheek as if to proclaim his deep-seated sorrow for all the suffering his failure had caused the creatures of this world.

Suddenly an invisible force wiped away the tear, as the voice of a child echoed in his mind: "Forgive yourself, Father. It is in their nature, they have such a great capacity for evil."

“I know.”, he voiced out in reply, the fabric of reality trembling under the weight of his words, as he continued, “But there is good in them too, it just has to be brought to light.”

This time, the voice of the world didn't reply, but the Eternal One could feel the Earth disagreeing with his words.

Sighing to himself, he proclaimed: “You will see, someday I will succeed. Begin anew.”

At his last two words, civilization turned to dust, as the human race went extinct in but a moment.

Nature reconquered the surface, vibrant greenery taking back what had once belonged to it.

And when the world had returned to its primal stage again, the homo genus reappeared on the face of the Earth. To once again fight for their survival and prosperity.

The Eternal One had meanwhile transformed itself into one of them, returning to his eternal cycle of reincarnation, until someday he would reawaken to judge his creation.

Success or failure.

His unending patience allowing him to repeat this cycle for eternity, until the day they would pass his judgement. Compassion having finally found its rightful place as the top priority in their hearts.

He wasn't anxious about success, as he was the Eternal One.