The Last Resort of Starlight
In the heart of the bustling city of Yendir, there stood an ancient observatory, nicknamed 'The Last Resort of Starlight.' The observatory, though dusty and desolate, held a luring charm and intrigued the entire city and beyond.
Dr. Elroy Arvandus, an astrophysicist, occupied the observatory. He was known for his startling intelligence, his stunning discoveries about the cosmos, and his astute understanding of time. Yet, the entire city puzzled over the enigma- Why did the astute doctor keep himself locked in an obsolete observatory?
With disheveled hair and thick rimmed glasses, Dr. Arvandus was beyond comprehension for the common townsmen. He didn't care about the perplexed eyes fixated on him. His only concern was time. Not the time dictated by the swinging table clock, but the time that the cosmos whispered to him in faded echoes.
One fine evening, Dr. Arvandus called upon an eager young boy to the observatory, Sam. Sam's curiosity about the stars had intrigued Dr. Arvandus. He found a reflection of his younger self in Sam, and the twinkle in his eyes whenever he saw a celestial body was the same spark that once led Elroy to an odyssey of time and space.
Elroy shared with Sam his greatest discovery - a map of the cosmos. But this was no ordinary map. It was a map that could warp time, space, gravity, and reality. Using this map, Elroy had traveled across galaxies, seen stars form in beautiful nebulas, and experienced time in a way no human ever had.
One could travel the cosmos in the blink of an eye with the map. But there was a caveat- each journey cost the traveler a part of their own time. Every step into the cosmic abyss would age the traveler’s body and a part of their soul.
Sam was terrified yet thrilled at the idea. His dreams of venturing into the cosmos were finally in his grasp. But the thought of losing time, the precious earthly time, terrified him. He yearned to see the stars, but he also yearned to live an earthly life. The dilemma haunted him until the break of dawn.
Driven by his dreams, Sam decided to venture into the cosmos, just once. He believed that witnessing the grandeur of the universe would be worth losing some part of his time. Ignoring the sense of unease, Sam embarked on his journey, not knowing what lay ahead. He witnessed galaxies being formed, meteors rushing across, and stars dying off. The spectacle left him breathless.
But when Sam returned, he was shocked to see the transformation he had undergone. His hair had turned a stunning silver, his once vibrant eyes looked weary, and his young skin had aged. He now understood the gravity of Elroy's words. Sam had become an old man in the blink of an eye.
The city buzzed with the news of Sam's bizarre transformation. Despite the shock and sadness, Sam bore no regrets. He felt richer for having witnessed the cosmic grandeur and had no qualms about trading his time for it. After all, time was relative, and Sam had stretched it beyond earthly dimensions.
Dr. Elroy Arvandus and Sam spent their final years gazing at the stars, sharing their celestial experiences, and marveling at the mysteries of the cosmos. They had discovered the cost of celestial time, but for them, the price was worth the spectacle. The 'Last Resort of Starlight' shone brighter than ever in the heart of Yendir, bearing the stories of two star explorers who dared to venture into the cosmic ocean.
Thus, this tale teaches us that time is precious yet relative, and that human curiosity is boundless, brave, and beautiful. So was the life of Dr. Elroy Arvandus and Sam - two time explorers who dwelt in 'The Last Resort of Starlight.'