While there was still a considerable distance separating them, the voices of the two elves were carried perfectly through the marble hall.

"Come now, a conversation shouldn't be held in the entrance of a home," the older elf gestured for the younger one to follow.

Up the countless marble steps, there wasn't another door waiting, but a platform to carry them through the mighty structure.

It rose into the air and flew like the wind, but the two elves felt nothing since it was in perfect equilibrium.

Just as the moment had passed, they already reached the spire, the very top of the citadel.

Stepping off the platform into the only room available, they finally settled down in a workshop.

Unusual objects were strewn throughout it, chaotic yet possessing a feeling of order.

While they were distinct, familiar but foreign, the younger high-elf felt as though he remembered some of these items.

He wanted to touch them and so he did, while the older elf sat by one of the chairs next to the fireplace

The younger said, "This... this is an engine," after touching a hunk of metal and discovering a viscous black liquid on his fingertips.

"It is, though it's rather primitive," the older man retorted.

The younger looked around the workshop, noting other inventions of the same kind. "You've been experimenting here, haven't you? What else have you made?"

The older elf nodded, a smile playing on his lips. "Oh, a few different things. I try to keep myself occupied. Of course, they're quite a challenge to build with the little knowledge I have."

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He gestured to the other items in the room, all of them of various shapes and sizes. "These are just a few of the things I've been tinkering with. I'm very proud of some of them, although I'm sure there are still kinks that need to be worked out. Most of them I have only just started building. Say, you weren't an engineer before, were you?"

"Before?" The younger asked.

"You're not from this world. That much is clear. Just like I am or now, rather was. You didn't think you were the first, did you? Yet I believe I arrived earlier than most. In this world, at least, I could be the oldest. Where were you from?"

"Me? That's irrelevant. I had no value. Who I had been, Cyrus; he was only a boy who knew very little and had few, if any, worthwhile experiences. You?"

"Before I was Rike? I barely recall the time before I became him so long ago was the time. I remember a soul-crushing existence and hurt but also love and warmth. A light that helped me through that life. It could have been anything, a friend, a partner, or a passion. I don't remember.

Why don't you take a seat?"

He sat down in the chair next to Rike and observed the elder’s eyes with curiosity.

"And you, Cyrus, who are you today?" Rike asked.

"Now, I am Asher Burell. Born a human, although that didn't matter for long. Once again, I wasted my youth to pursue obsessively for some goal I had in the future..."

"So, you're not a high-elf? How come? I also assume that you don't have a spirit then."

"I think I really am and what do you mean by 'spirit'?"

"An ethereal companion which you can call upon."

"I have something like that. She's away most of the time. Say, what has your life been like since getting here?"

Rike sighed and leaned back into the armchair, his gaze wandering to the objects in the room.

"It's been an interesting journey, to say the least," he said. "I have met some remarkable people and have had many incredible experiences. It has been a challenging time, with many obstacles to overcome, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

I have been here for some time, although I do not count days or years like you. I have acquired knowledge from all around, from books, from conversations, from observations, all of which have been collected and stored within me.

I have had the opportunity to learn and grow and have come to appreciate life in a way that I never did before. I have been able to develop skills and gain knowledge which I believe would have been impossible for me to attain in my previous life.

But, more than anything, I have been able to find a sense of purpose that I never had before. To be able to make a difference and help others, however small the impact may be. That has been the greatest gift of all."

Rike looked back at Asher with a hint of a smile. "And you? What has your journey been like?"