The keeper of the light heard the rocks falling from the cliff and sighed. Another human attempting to scale the impossible mountain and reach the light. Yet one more soul that would fall.

He walked to the edge of the summit and looked out sadly. The foothills seemed to stretch forever, the endless mounds of the bones of those who failed in their quest.

A smile came onto his weary old face as he remembered his own climb, so many millennia ago. A thousand lifetimes it had taken, a million setbacks, with the blizzards of doubt always trying to rip him from the precipice. A warmth ran through him as he recalled his elation at reaching the pinnacle of the eternal light.

A sound caused him to turn, and there was a young man, standing on the summit with him.

His hands were bleeding, and his lips were smiling.