Fountain of Youth

Immortality.

     Immortality.

     Something you have always dreamed of. Being "young forever". You'd have ample opportunity to do everything you've ever wanted in life, would never have to experience the pain and tragedy of death, and absolutely complete your bucket list.

     You weren't the only one. You knew plenty of people who would enjoy immortality and its benefits. However, you were smarter than other people, always thinking outside of the box and planning ahead. You knew it would be a painful, lonely life if you were to become immortal alone, so you always knew you'd have to have your best friend join you. Your best friend of 20 years, Jimin. You called him Mochi, in consideration of his cutesy acts alongside being your closest supporter and biggest fan (you'd also joke that he was a 'snack'). He'd always supported your far-fetched dreams, such as your dream of living forever. In fact, he's the one who put you onto the idea, ever since he read into a myth about a magical fountain that granted such a dream. He had told you all about it; the fountain resided somewhere in Spain, in an abandoned, mystical building with the history of empires etched into its walls.

     You were face to face with this fountain. It had taken years for you to find it, exploring each nook and cranny of the country, side by side with Jimin, until you came across it. Sweat dripped down your face; it was 35°C (95°F) in Granada, Spain. This city was littered with old, rustic buildings, but with a bit of modern touch in the more populous areas. Standing in the center of an overgrown, unkempt courtyard, surrounded by walls reaching at least 20 meters tall, you were watching the glistening water flow over the edges of the fountain into a tiny pool, in which the water kept flowing up the center of the fountain back into the top bowl. It didn't make any logical sense for the water to still be flowing for however long the fountain had been standing, but you didn't question it. It astounded you; years of searching, growing closer with your best friend, and preparing for immortality, all paid off now when you would take a sip of the water. You kept glancing around the fountain and the area around you, waiting, as though a booby trap had been set. It was eerily quiet, and something was itching at you to leave. Something bad was going to happen, and each of your instincts told you to flee.

     "What are you waiting for?" The gentle voice reminded you that Jimin had accompanied you. Your eyes landed on his, and for a moment you felt increasing doubt about this place.

     "I don't feel right about this, Mochi. What if I regret this? What if we regret this? What if someone has poisoned the water, or something hunts us when we become immortal?" You knew that, despite your arguments, Jimin would want to continue. He was more... spontaneous than you were, carefree and reckless. He was more interested in how many girls he could catch the eyes of than the idea of being able to complete everything possible.

     You suddenly felt as though it would be better, safer even, to be immortal without him.

     "Don't spoil this for us! You honestly worry too much— what's this..?" He was looking at a stand with a stone tablet on it, with writing engraved into it. As you looked at it more, you realized you didn't understand the language. You didn't even know what the language was. "Good thing I learned Latin. 'Dead language' my ass!" You couldn't help but frown as he shrugged off every idea that you had proposed to him. He was laughing, when you had specifically told him something was off... but what could you do?

     "Hm." His quiet murmur prompted you to zone back in from your thoughts, and you noticed that he was no longer smiling. "Only one person every 100 years can drink from the fountain, according to this... any other person will be poisoned." You stayed quiet, your mind racing and your heart starting to pound. You didn't like the way Jimin spoke. You could tell he had something on his mind, and it wasn't for your benefit. Then, he slowly turned his head away from the tablet to gaze at you. It was a breathtaking moment, really, accounting for the way he so intently held your gaze. It might've even been romantic if your mind wasn't racing the way it was. Slowly, you watched his gaze turn into a glare, his eyebrows furrowing as he obviously thought deeply, conflicting with something inside himself. His jaw clenched as he developed something, some raw emotion that you knew you wouldn't escape from.

     "You can take the sip, Jimin, it's okay. I don't feel good about this any—" You couldn't finish your sentence as you felt an immense weight slam into you, forcing the breath out of your lungs. Your head hit stone, likely the walkway that you and Jimin were standing on, and pain flashed through your body. The pain quickly disappeared however, as your whole body went numb. You hadn't even known it, but your eyes were closed, as though you were afraid to see what was happening. You slowly opened them, with a heave of effort as you felt control of your facial features diminish, felt blood pool around your head, and felt yourself tearing up before you could even register what you saw.

     Jimin was on top of you, holding you down against the ground. Everything in your body was already numb; if it weren't, you were sure that you'd feel his hands harshly on your throat, keeping you from breathing. You knew your skin would bruise. Well, it didn't really matter much, but you'd rather be at least pretty when you're dead, if that were the final lasting appearance you would have. You didn't say anything... You couldn't. You were physically numb to everything he was doing, likely from the impact sustained by your head, but you were not emotionally numb. You felt such disappointment. Jimin had been your friend since you were both 5, being next door neighbors. Ever since then, for the past 20 years, you'd shared everything together, did everything together, and absolutely were the best of friends. Nothing... Nothing could have prepared you for this level of deceit, for this much betrayal. Everything about this corruption hit you like a truck, with no preparation, no warning. No, this wasn't a truck... a truck would beep its horn, it would flash its lights in warning. No, this was an earthquake, shattering your world just as you thought your life might change for the better. Your mind fogged up as the familiar feeling of unconsciousness took over, feeling every physical ability you had slip away. Your mind slipped from your grasp, and you could no longer think, your emotions eventually falling into the void.

     The worst part? He said nothing. No apology, no farewell speech, he simply watched as the color in your eyes faded, a pale film appearing over them. He watched you take your last breath, he watched your blood trickle until there was no blood left to flow. Your blood stained the stony, rocky ground, and the few weeds that had broken through the path. After he was sure you were dead, watching your limp body lose all signs of life, he stood up, wiping his hands on his shorts. His hands were bloodied. Not from his own blood, however. The only one suffering was you, and the only one bleeding was you. He grimaced as he looked at you one last time, but not in a sense of empathy, He grimaced because you were in the way of drinking from the fountain. He made a wide berth around you, walking to the other side of the fountain so he didn't have to see your lifeless eyes any longer. He took a deep breath, feeling the adrenaline wear off, instead replaced by exhilaration and excitement. He learned over the edge of the fountain, scooping some water up, and sipping from his cupped hand. He had a huge grin on his face, immediately feeling his body tingle. Was this what immortality felt like? You would never know, but he seemed elated to be standing there, feeling the power of it.

     Except... he had collapsed.

     No warning. Like an earthquake. Shattering his world with no foreshadowing.

     He was poisoned, and he knew it. Someone else had drank from the fountain this century. Right when he thought he would finally gain immortality, he died. There was no blood from him, however. Instead of the peaceful exit from the world as you had, he broke into convulsions. His mouth foamed, he spat uncontrollably as he tried and fought so hard to live. Of course, his efforts were all in vain, and eventually he gave his final kick. His seizure ended, as did his life, only minutes after yours did.

     At least you died together.