Addicted to Eternity

_Prologue ~ Keyonna_

   Keyonna rushed down the hall after hall, panting heavily, though her mind showed no indication of letting her stop to catch her breath. This was the final hall, had she truly been through all the others? She was sure there was more- there had to be. The sword that she had discarded hours ago lay in a room on the opposite side of the castle. Although she was typically in constant danger, a sword wouldn't do anything to help at this point. 

   Tearing down one of the several tapestries that hung tight against the castle wall, Keyonna found herself staring at the series of too-familiar tallies chalked to the dark walls. Her darker eyes scanned the rows as she silently added the numbers to the previous count that had m already been weighing on her. She could count all she wanted, nothing would change it.

   Keyonna hadn't cried in 297 years, though, and she wouldn't cry now just because immortality had a toll. Everything had a toll.

   A moment later, the last five tapestries in the room sat in heaps on the ground beside the first one. Newly revealed tallies surrounding her on every side. Keyonna had been alive 114,728 days now, most living in this small, dark kingdom. Her time was coming to an end, even the tattoo on her wrist of the immortality symbol was nearly aged away.

   At a glance, she had lived long enough. She had lived to see all of the colors in the world fade to black and white in her mind, all of the need for affection and love drained from her, and all of the tastes of both wonderful food and fatal poisons mean nothing. It was only fittingly true that Keyonna, Queen Keyonna, was dying.

   She sank to the floor amongst the tapestries, averting her eyes from the lining tallies that represented her days here. It hardly even bothered her that she was dying. Only that her people needed another leader, and there truly was no other hero that could replace the one that raised her people from nothing. But the third Century Festival was coming, perhaps the stars had aligned themselves for this.

   Keyonna realized she would have to do something that she'd never considered doing before; sit in her throne, go on as her position demanded, and wait for the problem to organize itself. She prayed to the sky that good stars were in command.

   And in a smaller, more selfish voice; that she could hang on to life for another day, or week, or possibly, another lifetime.

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confusing and short for an intro ik, but I intend to add daily. comments and tips would be appreciated as this is my first time posting my writing on here, thanks! - Shanyn