The Immortal Philza Minecraft

Eternity

Can you imagine being immortal?

I've lived for centuries. I've watched wars wreaked upon worlds so old that their names have been lost to time. Memories of faces that look just like the ones I see before me now, always popping up at the most inopportune times. I've listened to the same wind that I created, rustling the leaves in kingdoms built from nothing, destined to fall.

The other gods of this world are not nearly as old as I. They futz around, building things that won't last, destroying things to hurt temporary people. They are as immature as I was, back when I was alone. They have yet to realize that these people are blips on a never-ending timeline. The blocks that they place have been placed thousands of times before, and will be placed again thousands of times. Their passing fancies, infatuations with certain nymphs or humans, will be forgotten. Their efforts will have been wasted.

I fill my mind with memories. I cling to the names and faces that were so important to me. The ones that matter always find their way to me again. When I first looked into the eyes of my son, I remembered them. Wilbur's name was Wilbur before, and it will be Wilbur again. My remembering can be a burden, but I always find them and help them if I can. The crows will remind me of the ones I've forgotten, if they somehow slip through the cracks.

Techno was the same. I found him, huddled in the snow, a knife in his hand and blood down his front. The words in his mouth sounded so familiar, they felt like breathing in the memory of his old life. He had already changed his name, but I still slip and call him Protesilaus every once in a while. He found it funny, when he was young. I told him the stories of his past, wondering if he would recognize them. On the surface, he did not. But his eyes would light up when I told the stories of him and his old friends, hanging on my every word as the kingdoms rose and fell before his eyes. He especially loved the stories of his uncle. Heracles never ceases to amaze people, it seems. Techno inherited his uncle's bravery. But they called Heracles unbeatable, too.

With Tommy, it's difficult to tell. His face flashes in mind, dancing through eons, taunting me. His name is always just on the tip of my tongue, but I can never place him. I thought he might be a deity himself, at first, coming to trick me in some way. I tried to ignore him. Tommy, of course, is un-ignorable. Wilbur couldn't leave him, and although Techno certainly stated his hatred for the boy, I could see he was attached.

And so he came with us. The crows don't remember him from before, or if they do, they haven't said. But I could swear I knew his face. His eyes are especially frustrating. But I've been patient before. This time will be no different, I'm sure.

My old friends, my boys, all lead such different lives. Or, they did. Wil... my boy was always getting himself in too deep. I couldn't save him; not the first time, and not now. His lives have been matches, burnt out almost as fast as they've been lit. This one hurt the most, of course. I wake up every morning to the feeling of my sword in his chest. I'll wait, of course, for next time. I'll try harder, to make sure his life means more than being a catalyst.

Time has been foggy, lately. I can't quite pinpoint the cause. It may just be my age getting to me, of course. I have no idea how long I will last. The trillions of sunsets I've lived through all blend together in my mind, wishes made on stars that no longer exist fading with the light. My bones feel heavier now, as if they want to finally sink into the ground and be relieved of their load.

Eternity feels like forever.