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September 1st 5,000,002,025. The day the whole world would collapse to a void of life and death, wrapped prettily in vines and grass taller than shops, and even humans themselves. The day the world would supposedly come to it’s end, at last.
9.5 billion years came and went, as the human race spent centuries evolving and creating. Inspiring and destroying. Living and dying. Travelling and enjoying themselves. I, once human, now cursed with the brutal world of immortality, was subjected to years and years of suffering and misery, as I watched every person I’ve ever loved meet the same fate.
It is said that every person has control over their destiny and outcome in life, but is that really accurate? At all? Death is inevitable, and we all meet that black cloak with a scythe sometime in our life. I never really understood why people say that to me.
Although, I can’t really blame them, I look nothing like what you’d expect a 5,000,000,000+ year old person to look like. Maybe old? Maybe wrinkly? But I look eternally 24. However, now I have doubts about wether I will get any older.
I never really thought this would ever be the case, but a little bit over 5 years ago, scientists came forward with a warning about the sun’s explosion coming our way earlier than we have ever expected or imagined. I laid in bed days on end, wondering if this really will be the end of humanity. Despite that, today was a particularly difficult day, even for me.
It was announced this morning that the astronomical phenomena is bound to happen by the end of the day. Now, while this made people isolate themselves in their houses even more than before to spend time with their family, I decided to go out for a while.
As I walked, I couldn’t help but think how I never thought I’d see my hometown like this: abandoned by time and hugged by nature. Maybe it would’ve never happened, but until more than one person every week come out to gather supplies, there’s no room for hope.
People stopped caring about flowers, how their gardens looked, and animals were left running wild around town unless they were house animals, which was mostly cats and a few dogs here and there. They stopped caring about our planet, and as much as I would love to finally meet my end, I didn’t want the others, who have not lived half as long as I have, meet the same end this early.
First, I visited one of my favourite cafes — or better yet, what was left of it — and went up to the roof. The view from there was always beautiful, facing the sunset directly, with fairy lights circling overhead. A lot of couples went there on dates, and so did I, until I gave up on trying to love. Creatures like me shouldn’t mingle with mortals, and that’s a strict rule I set for myself a long while ago. We will never work out. Ever.
Next, I decided to stop by the beach. The sand was as soft as I remembered as I felt it massage my feet in a way that showed it hasn’t been stepped on for ages. I glanced towards the skyline, wondering if this is really what everything has come to.
After a while, since it was afternoon already, I went back home to eat. While I was making my favourite lunch, I put on my precious playlist one last time, trying to enjoy it to the fullest for as long as possible.
I perfected this recipe long ago, and by trying multiple different combinations, I finally chose a favourite after so long. Who would’ve thought my favourite would be my childhood recipe? I spent months trying to decode my grandma’s cook book, which was stained and worn out, with the words barely even visible anymore, but I managed.
After I ate, I headed for the cemetery. To see my loved ones’ graves. Talk to them one last time. Place flowers down one last time. Spend time with the ghosts of my past. I waited and waited, leaning against those stone plates as I talked out loud to the air for the nth time since I was cursed.
Once in a while, my eyes drifted to the sun, now turned into ‘a red giant’. “Any minute now” I say to myself as I close my eyes, breathing in this hot mess of air before exhaling it once more.
This is the end. No more living anymore. Finally something is able to happen that can actually kill me. The day I can rest in peace has actually arrived and I’m… glad. But a part of me is also somewhat disappointed, for some reason.
I don’t have any regrets, so I shouldn’t feel like that… right? My last 7 minutes ware filled with my family and partner from when they were still alive. Their smiles, cries, deaths, laughs, all of their emotions and special moments filled my mind once more as the solar system began to fall apart and rip into pieces, scattered around the void of stars and beautiful colours around.
When I came to my senses once more, I thought that I had survived this as well, and was doomed once again to living, forced to endure and adapt to yet another environment in which I couldn’t die. But that wasn’t the case.
I woke up on a beach. Sky bluer than sapphires. The ocean was a clear and calm aquamarine colour. So clear you could see the starfish and crabs underneath, sometimes passed by banks of fish which were too fast and small too catch, but eye catching in their colour.
It wasn’t long before someone came from behind and hugged me. I could recognise that scent anywhere: my dear wife. I don’t think I’ve ever turned around and hugged someone faster than I’ve hugged her.
I missed this woman so much it hurt. I missed her so much I was willing to offer myself to any higher being that would agree to accept my request. So much so that I tried anything written in any book I could find that could end my suffering; only if it meant I could be with her once again. If we were able to hug for longer, I wouldn’t let her go, but she insisted I follow her somewhere.
I wasn’t entirely sure where we were heading, but I decided to trail behind. Soon, we arrived at this modern house between the trees: it had ceiling windows and slanted roofs, cozy lighting inside and a spacious porch with a small couch and a few chairs, on which were pillows and blankets for extra comfort. A wooden bridge was leading us towards the front door, crossing this small river with koi fish swimming gracefully along the current, which lead to a large pond around the house.
My parents were waiting on the other side, along with my grandmother. “They were willing to wait” I heard my wife say. Confusion washed over me: “What do you mean ‘willing to stay’?” She didn’t answer me, just muttered a simple “I’ll tell you later” before she gestured to go over to them.
They looked the same as I remembered. The same as the day they left. My dad was still wearing his favourite shirt, with that silly hat he always wore. My mom was wearing her favourite blue dress, swaying calmly along the wind. Meanwhile, my grandmother, was sitting down on a hanging chair, smiling softly as we approached.
Dinner was exactly as I hoped it would be: pleasing and delicious. After a while, though, my parents and grandmother went to bed, so me and my wife remained behind. We retreated to the balcony, where we laid down on the floor to watch the stars:
“What did you mean earlier?”
“What did I mean by what?” My wife asked
“The whole ‘they were willing to wait’ thing” I paused “what was that all about?”
“…nothing in particular”
“Tell me” I insisted
“Love, it was nothing.”
“Agy, please. I did not wait this long to meet you again only to not get any answers for my questions.”
Aglaia sighed “We all got a set time to stay here. After it was over, we had to choose between waiting until you arrived or… disappear once the timer is over…”
I hesitated “I… don’t think I follow?”
“No other relative of yours or mine is here. They chose to disappear once the timer turned 0. We, however, chose to wait for you.”
“…So what will happen now?”
She didn’t answer.
“Love?”
“…”
“Agy?”
“…”
“Aglaia.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what?”
“Wake up, Zach”
“…”
“Wake up.”
---
Next time I opened my eyes I was surrounded by endless black around me. Nothing seemed real, but nothing seemed fake either.
A small tablet appeared in front of me, filled with questions I could receive an answer to. I pressed on the first one: “what is this place?” - “This is the afterlife. Welcome and enjoy!”. Second question: “What happened to the others?” - “There are no others here”. Third inquiry: “What was the last place?” - “False afterlife. ‘Last place’ was made specifically for you from your memory fragments.”
And so I cried. Cried and screamed and kicked and tried to get out of there but nothing would open up a rift and it seemed like the time is slowing down — if there even was such a term as ‘time’ in this hell — and I suddenly couldn’t breathe and then-
Of course. Of course that’s what it was. Because creatures like me don’t deserve to have nice things. Or better yet, scratch that. Not creatures, but monsters. I only hurt people. I can’t feel anything anymore. “To feel is to be human”, or so they say. I have none. *“Anything I would never want to lose is always lost. It is a given that everything that is worth wanting will be lost the moment I obtain it.”*
What good is it to keep searching, then? If I waited so long for my death just to be stuck in this… purgatory, then why bother giving me a fake happy ending at all?
Isn’t that right, Niki? I know you loved toying with me the moment you started writing my story. And you, reader. I hope you enjoyed this far more than Niki has.
This world is nothing more but a mere joke to you. A small universe filled with lies where you are the higher beings and we’re the puppets, playing obediently on your stage. Tell me, is it really that funny watching others suffer for years? But until then — until I finally get my answers — I’ll stay here: in this endless void the universe has created for me. Specifically for me.
Farewell, until next time.
Credits:
Not sure if I made any references to any books or so, but I did use one quote from the anime “Bungou stray dogs”, which is written in (I hope) italic font and quotation marks. (“Anything I would never want to lose is always lost. It is a given that everything that is worth wanting will be lost the moment I obtain it.” )
Bleach_Eater Sun 07 Sep 2025 12:08PM UTC
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