In the squalor of the urban slums, five titans of industry, icons of opulence, descended in all their splendor, incongruous amongst the ragged cityscape. Their goal was simple yet bewildering: a visit to a twenty-year-old young man. This was no ordinary youth, for he was William Johnson, their erstwhile master from a half-century ago. It was from him they had gleaned their first kernels of wisdom, sowing the seeds of the empires they now commanded.
When they reunited, what astonished the nobility was not his humble attire, but his timeless visage. Time seemed to politely refuse to touch William,he was immersed in the glory of youth. The secret unbeknownst to the stunned visitors was that William Johnson had lived an astonishing one billion years.
His life, a grand tapestry of time, had threads woven through the histories and faiths of the world. From founding manifold religions to tutoring the likes of Alexander the Great, he had left an indelible impact on the world. Yet, after scattering his wealthy disciples fifty years ago, he had chosen a long slumber.
But now, William Johnson was awake again…
“A recent discovery has set the world on fire. The local media is abuzz, scholars from every corner of the globe are being drawn in like moths to a flame. Nestled in the brooks of Mount San Juan Teotihuacan, an ancient tomb from a bygone era was unearthed, yielding over three hundred precious artifacts.
Among these, relics were found that are believed to hail from the Classical Period or perhaps even earlier. Astoundingly, some of the artifacts are of foreign origin, perhaps filling in the blanks of our nation’s history…
The discovery in Mexico of ancient artifacts from around the world has garnered the attention of countless scholars and experts.
Meanwhile, halfway up the slopes of Mount San Juan Teotihuacan, a man named William Johnson, dressed in a flowing robe, strolled along the cobblestone paths of the mountain brook. His companions were tourists, a bustling crowd of onlookers marveling at the extraordinary find.
‘Fifty years ago, this place was but a desolate mountain, seldom visited by man. The transformation it has undergone is remarkable,’ he mused.
As William studied the passersby, a soft smile graced his features. His eyes, however, held an unfathomable depth, akin to the endless sea. His handsome face and youthful appearance suggested a man in his twenties, but who could fathom that this seemingly young man had lived through countless years.
Memories flooded in like a tidal wave.
There was a time when gods dueled in the skies, only to incur the wrath of William, who, with a mere palm strike, ended an entire epoch.”
Later, William taught primitive humans to harness fire, educated Asclepius on discerning medicinal herbs, instructed Noah on building the Ark, allowing humanity to flourish and prosper.
To William, these times were rather recent.
Later still, William no longer wished to alter the entire world because of his actions.
But things didn’t go as planned!
Humans built temples for him everywhere, venerating him.
The last Pharaoh of ancient Egypt, Cleopatra VII, faced the calamity of her nation’s fall simply because she uttered a word of blasphemy against him.
Not wishing anyone to remember his existence, William had history rewritten, inventing myths about Uranus and Gaia, Adam and Eve.
Later, Alexander the Great was fortunate enough to be his disciple. After studying under William for three months, he conquered vast territories, including regions of Greece, Egypt, and Persia.
Alexander the Great once asked William how to achieve immortality.
William merely smiled faintly, even he did not know why he could live forever.
Alexander the Great even built an underground palace specifically to house a statue in William’s honor.
…
Over the years, William had mentored a few talented individuals. Those who received his guidance all made their mark in history. However, all of those disciples and students have long passed away, with only William still alive.
The last time he went into deep sleep was around September 1945.
At that time, during World War II, William, who had been living in the deep mountains, emerged to find Pearl Harbor under attack by the Japanese. In his anger, he laid a hand on Japan.
This incident became known as the famous Hiroshima atomic bombing.
Regardless of how future generations interpreted the event, William no longer cared.
This time, upon waking up, he cautioned himself that he must not alter the existing pattern of the world due to personal emotions.
Fifty years for William was but the blink of an eye, but for ordinary people, it was half a lifetime of ups and downs.
“I wonder if those people from back then are still around,” William mused, his eyes calm yet full of vicissitudes. Dressed in a long black robe, he mingled among the tourists, attracting many gazes.
“Is there a film crew on Mount San Juan Teotihuacan? Is that man here to shoot a movie?”
“I don’t know, but he looks really handsome. I wonder what movie he’s in.”
“His aura is so special, I don’t know how to describe it.”
…
Passersby couldn’t help but whisper as they walked past William.
William used to live at the summit of Mount San Juan Teotihuacan. Before he went into deep sleep, he ordered his companions to disperse. Only his housekeeper might still be alive, and very possibly still guarding that house.
On his way up, William overheard many tourists whispering about a hermit living on the mountain who was adept at fortune-telling.
William couldn’t help but shake his head. Anyone who followed him had gained something. His housekeeper, Timothy Hill, had learned some tricks like divination and stargazing from him and was now revered as a sage.
Divination, to William, was nothing extraordinary. If practiced improperly, it could bring immense harm. Seeing Timothy Hill’s fame, it was clear that he must be offering guidance regularly, which was dangerous.
William hastened his steps. He didn’t like predicting the future, as immortality was boring enough without knowing what’s to come.
However, he had a sudden premonition that Timothy was in danger today.
The name Timothy was known to all. Anyone fortunate enough to meet him and receive his guidance invariably rose to prominence.
Importantly, he was close friends with several world magnates. On holidays, a fleet of luxury cars would line up at the foot of Mount San Juan Teotihuacan, all here to pay their respects.
Even the world’s wealthiest man, Warren Buffett, wouldn’t dare disrespect him.
When William arrived at the top of the mountain, he saw his old house from a distance. Fifty years had passed, and it was still as it was, obviously well-maintained. .𝙘𝙤𝙢
Tourists were virtually non-existent here because security personnel were stationed every few steps outside the house, preventing anyone from trespassing. The house was thoroughly guarded.
Many who wished to see Timothy could only wait at the stone table in the distance.
As William approached the old house, a security guard promptly came forward.
“Who are you? What do you want?”
The security guards here were tasked with barring the way to irrelevant individuals, after all, not everyone could have an audience with Timothy.
Before William could respond, a couple of wealthy young men sitting nearby burst into laughter.
“My goodness, look at how flashy this guy’s dressed. He doesn’t actually think he’ll get to meet Mr. Hill looking like that, does he?”
“Idiot! Even if it was the patriarch of the Smith family, they would need to send an invitation a week in advance. Who knows where this guy crawled out from.”
William turned his head slightly, casting a dispassionate glance at the two young men.
The moment their eyes met William’s, the pair got the chills and involuntarily closed their mouths.
For some unknown reason, their hearts filled with fear. Just a mere gaze from William made these two fearless trust-fund babies tremble, leaving them bereft of the courage to even speak.
The security guard, sensing something off, kept a wary eye on William, shouting, “I’m talking to you! This isn’t a place for the likes of you. Leave at once, or I’ll have to use force!”
William paid him no mind, as at that moment, Timothy was already aware of his return.
Creak!
The door to the old house slowly opened, and a silver-haired old man clad in white linen robes hobbled out.
The crowd waiting to catch a glimpse of their fortune immediately stood up.
“Mr. Hill is out!”
“Could it be that the master is going to see me?”
“Don’t talk. Disturbing the master would be a grave mistake.”
Those waiting at the top of the hill nervously watched Timothy. The security guard blocking William immediately stood respectfully, not daring to utter a word.
Only William remained still, his eyes meeting Timothy’s from afar.
Timothy’s face was etched with wrinkles, the marks of time deeply engraved on his features. Upon seeing William, Timothy couldn’t help but let out tears of old age, stumbling towards William.
William also strode forward. The security guard in front of him wanted to stop him, but in the next moment, William had already appeared before Timothy.
The minds of the people around them went blank. It was as if time had been distorted. They had no recollection of how William had gotten there.