The Tale of The Eternal City
In a realm far separated from ours, existed a city more scintillating than any the human eye has ever witnessed. Its name was Lumene, but it was more commonly known as the 'Eternal City.' Irvine, a young lad from a nearby province, had always dreamt of witnessing the glimmering towers of Lumene and its ever-awake citizens. This realm, a seemingly mystic dwelling to many, was nothing short of heavenly. Lumene embodied timelessness like no other.
Young Irvine, with a heart full of ambition and eyes dreaming of mesmerizing luminescence, set on a journey to Lumene. With a small pack of food and change of clothes and a miniature wooden carving of Lumene, his beloved mother had gifted him. Irvine bid his humble abode farewell, determined to fulfill his life-long aspiration.
The journey was strenuous and risky. Vast forests, tall mountains, and deserted plains stood between Irvine and his dream city. Nights were fearful with menacing creatures lurking in the darkness, but the lad's courage never waned. The symbol of Lumene and his mother's words, 'be brave, my son' kept him moving. Ivy leaves protected him from the monster-infested nights, and by daybreak, he resumed his journey.
One day, after weeks full of treacherous encounters and relentless walking, a glimmering haze appeared on the horizon. A sense of thrill ignited within him. As he inched closer, the brilliant city of his dreams stood in front of him - Lumene, the Eternal City. Its tall ivory towers shimmered in the sun like diamonds, the people were all bedecked and jovial, and everything there had a different glow, a beautiful luster.
Lumene was a city of its kind. It was said that Lumene never sleeps. It was sheltered by a magic spell that kept the city alive, devoid of darkness and fatigue. Each corner was bustling with activities. Children playing, artists creating, scholars studying, businesses booming; it was an omnipresent liveliness that made the city eternal.
His arrival wasn't celebrated grandly, for Lumene was no stranger to visitors. Individuals from different realms visited the timeless city to revel in its beauty. But for Irvine, it was not just a visit. It was the fulfillment of a dream, a journey's triumphant climax.
Lumene welcomed Irvine with the same radiance it shun every day and night. He spent his days exploring the beautiful nooks and crannies, savoring the culinary delights, marveling at architects, and befriending the residents. Every night, he would gaze at the twinkling towers and pinch himself to assure he wasn't dreaming.
Days transformed into weeks, and weeks into months. Irvine was now part of Lumene. But with every passing day, a strange feeling dawned over him. The city began to lose its glitter. People seemed more machine-like, their smiles more forced than before. The eternal waking hours of the city began to feel like an unending nightmare.
One day, he saw a group of kids playing joylessly. The sight struck him hard, for he too, as a child, had dreamed of this place. The phrase 'be careful about what you wish for' started making sense. Lumene, the dream city of many, the place that never sleeps, was losing its charm. The absence of darkness made Irvine realize that light has no meaning without it.
So, he decided to break away from this unnerving continuity. He chose to leave Lumene and find home in the sweet silence of night and the healing touch of a sleep. His departure from Lumene was as quiet as his arrival. Yet, deep down, he knew he was carrying a story that would give a new perspective about the Eternal City to the dreamers.
As Irvine left the boundaries of the Eternal City, he took a lingering look at the gleaming towers, and for the first time, he didn't wish he was part of it. He still had the miniature carving with him. But now, it was not a symbol of longing, but a token of experiences, and a lesson well learned.
Irvine returned to his village, and shared his tale with other dreamer lads. He explained how the endless vibrance of Lumene became overwhelming, and how he learned the importance of the night in day, of sleep in wake. Lumene, for him, while a beautiful dream, was a reality he no longer desired. Now he found comfort in the cycle of day and night, in the balance, the cycles that prevailed in his village. The story of Irvine and the city of Lumene echoed in the realm, carried by winds, narrated by the travelers, a timeless tale spun around the Lumene, the 'Eternal City.'