The Last Garden of Eden
In the heart of a sprawling metropolis filled with skyscrapers reaching for the heavens stood an oasis of nature, untouched by human interference, known as the Last Garden of Eden.
It wasn’t visible to the naked eye, thus eluding the city's populace. It existed, transcending reality and time. Its presence permeated air, stories told generations after generations until it merged into folklore.
Irwin, a keen botanist, grew up hearing tales of this elusive Eden. Captivated by the mystery, he made it his life’s goal. His grandfather had passed him a cryptic map believed to lead to the Last Garden. The map was neither geographical nor straightforward, filled with symbols and prose that seemed to embody philosophy more than direction.
One day, after years of endless research and deciphering, Irwin found a clue hinting the garden’s entrance hides within a reflection. He sought every reflective surface within the city, but to no avail.
Then one day, while gazing at the city landscape from his window, he discerned his next clue in the cityscape's reflection against the setting sun. The gold-orange hues illustrated the symbol from his map. So, he ventured to that location: The tallest skyscraper.
He bought a ticket to the observatory on the top floor. As he gazed at the sun setting behind the horizon, a brilliant beam of light reflected from a particular window onto a dilapidated sculpture in the center of the city. The sun's reflection drew another symbol from the map.
Irwin rushed to the marked location, finding an ancient-looking mirror concealed in the sculpture’s hollow interior. Uncovering it, he pointed the mirror to align the last sun's rays, so it reflected onto his grandfather's map held in his hands.
Irwin gazed at the reflected image; his eyes widened in disbelief- The once dull and archaic map bloomed into a beautiful, radiant landscape. Meadows, waterfalls, and trees brimming with life, ornamented with blooming flowers of a multitude unknown to jet-setter botanist.
The reflected map pulled him in. A gentle tug at his feet, a blink later, and he was standing with bare feet against the lush grass, a cool breeze whispering ancient secrets. All around him – nature in the purest form, untouched, uncorrupted. Exotic trees reached for the sky, flowers bloomed in a riot of colors, and waterfalls cascaded down in glistening sheets sprinkling halos of rainbows.
Animals he never fathomed roamed freely. The air hummed with the symphony of tweets, buzz, and rustles. A crystal clear river meandered reflecting a sky untouched by pollution. In the distance, a tree towered above the rest, laden with glowing fruits pulsating with a warm, welcoming light- The Tree of Life.
Irwin roamed this hidden paradise for what felt like years, finding new mysteries, discovering new species, and living every botanist's dream. He kept his promise and never disturbed the natural balance of the garden.
Irwin would return to the city elderly but filled with discovery, a serene contentment in his eyes. The garden was his secret, his refuge, an eternal garden of life, living forever in its reflective world.
But the story doesn’t end there. Irwin, before he departed, gifted his precious map to his granddaughter, Eva. A keen botanist in her own right, she held the same promise as her grandfather- to hold the secret of The Last Garden of Eden.
Only time will tell how this garden continues to live in symbiosis with the sprawling city, one promising growth by building vertically, another by staying hidden, nurturing nature in the heart of a steel jungle, echoing the eternal coexistence of man and nature.