All humans within this world wondered what the purpose of their life was. Some wondered if there was a purpose at all. Despite this, some found solace in the search of that purpose alone.
In the peaceful confines of this lush, tranquil land, the sun shone brightly like it had always done. A colorful, extravagant flower field expanded across the horizon as far as the eye could see. The sun shining against such a landscape served to add an especially "regal" feel towards the already mystical atmosphere of this view that resembled a painting out of a fairy tale.
Isolated from society, yet not quite a lonely place, it seemed to be a kind of heaven on earth. A place to stay forever until the end of times. Both of the figures resting here were fine with that conclusion.
As a cool, gentle breeze swept by, a man and a woman were seated across from each other at a table, leisurely enjoying themselves.
It was not as if this were a particularly special moment, but the bond that these two had shared was surely something special. They had never bothered to engage in superficial acts or the troubles of commoners, as they seemed to both be satisfied with their lives.
The man was reading a book whilst sitting calmly with his leg crossed on top of the other. He appeared to be a knowledgeable man of few words nor wants, and simply enjoyed the time he spent with his beloved, the woman sitting across from him.
The presence of the woman before him was a stark contrast to the rather surprisingly simple make-up of the man in front of her. She was a godly figure, by all definitions. She seemed to be a graceful elf, clad in a wondrous dress that seemed to be crafted explicitly for her. She possessed spectral wings that shone of a beautiful jade hue behind her, giving the impression that she must have been some kind of respected figure.
The atmosphere these two gave off told a story; a story which could only be described as the likes of a religious myth. The elf-like woman had always possessed a liking towards humans, and had come across many adventurers who had come to seek her out in hopes of having their wishes granted.
That was her role in this world. Her quarters laid at the edge of the world, simply awaiting any strong-willed and passionate adventurers, all for the sake of granting them a single wish.
These wishes, of course, had their setbacks and limits, but as long as it were something attainable, then it would not be a problem to grant it to one who made it far enough to the edge of the world.
The knowledgable, almost battle-hardened man appeared to be one of these adventurers, but one thing made him stand out from the others—
He stayed.
He did not leave like the others who had their wishes granted and simply continued on with their lives. In fact, he had no wish at all; he travelled only for the sake of it. He wanted to see and experience the world for himself, and once he laid eyes on this woman...
He decided there was nothing more that he needed right then and there. Despite his mortal hubris, he felt as if his very life belonged to the god who questioned him so inquisitively. Thus, he gave up his remaining years to be with the one who made him happiest.
That is what he wanted to do, at least. At the end of the day, he was still a human with hopes and dreams. As much as he would like to cast away his humanly desires, it was impossible, even for a man like him.
There was one impossibly persistent desire, that kept the man within this mortal realm. It was a simple question, yet one that any could relate to:
What does it mean to be human?
Of course, to be alive and identified as a human, would make one a human by definition. But it was more than that. The true purpose of being born into this world. That was the sole reason the man had decided to explore this world in the first place. And despite stumbling upon something so inhumanly captivating, he still could not help but feel as if there was something beyond him; something he could not understand, but was within the grasp of his fingertips.
As he twiddled with the corners of the pages of his book, he looked towards his beloved and uttered a single, straight-forward statement:
"I have a wish I would like to make."
It was a surprising question to the goddess who stood before him, but a welcome one, as it was his right as an adventurer who's made it this far to be granted a wish. She simply looked back at the man in intrigue, and responded.
"What is it that you wish for?"
Despite it being a customary question, it truly did rack the goddess' mind. She had thought the man possessed no need for humanly desires and had reached an understanding beyond that of superficial wants. Nonetheless, she understood the human desire of wanting to pursue knowledge and a greater understanding of the world, along with life itself. To her, that was the beauty of these curious specimen named "humans."
"I... want to know what it means to be truly human."
The man had uttered these words under his breath to a point where the goddess before him could barely hear his request, almost as if he was ashamed to ask such a question.
The beautiful goddess wondered what had provoked such an intense thought, but dismissed it as the natural ponderings of the human psyche. Deep inside, she felt quite happy that her most beloved felt passionate towards something, and was not some kind of "special" human who had happened to transcend into a higher way of thinking.
After all, it was the raw, unparalleled human vigor within this man that made her fall in love in the first place. That's why his request had confused her so much. To her, this man was already the pinnacle of humanity; curious, dependable, and able to find value in things that seemed meaningless to most. The answer simply laid within his life experiences, or so she had thought.
It was clear the man was not satisfied with himself, and was not capable of answering that fabled question through the long, experienced life he himself had lived.
Thus, the goddess clasped her hands together and granted the man's wish, completely oblivious to the consequences that would come.
"You will experience... what it means to be a true human."
The man would soon be reborn, in a dark, pitch black, and ever-consuming void, to face the obstacles that fate would eventually present him with.
Such is the sacrifice needed to achieve supposed enlightenment.