An old man's rant about life

After the reception and a speech, the attendants went around and mingled with one another. The lumarian royal family had invited many people from all around the world.

Many prominent people from every country were in attendance. These different cultures divided themselves and grouped up sticking to their own comforts but some left and interacted with different people from other nations.

Odin sat alone and drank the wine that was served. He currently didn't have an interest to talk with anyone so he watched the party as he enjoyed the juice.

"You're new here right?" a young voice spoke next to Odin.

Odin turned to look and saw a young man dressed in the royal attire of the Lumarian empire. The young royal reached out his arm for a handshake.

"Hello third prince," Odin said as he shook the third prince's hand.

"It's quite weird for someone to know me and I don't but I guess that's the life of royalty." the third prince joked.

"Yes, you must also be prepared for being hated even if you have done no evil we may be the heroes of our story but we are the villains of others' stories," Odin said as he sipped his wine.

"That's actually quite wise." the prince said as he fell into thought.

'Wise then is me saying the sun rises and sets some profound truth?' Odin thought as he heard the third prince's remark.

"Oh yes which contrary do you belong to?" the third prince asked Odin.

"None I wander the world and do as I wish," Odin said as he refilled his wine glass.

"Such freedom I wish I had that life." the third prince muttered.

"It's best to enjoy your own life than envy another while you see the freedom of adventure I only see an endless march towards the abyss and at some point, till I am consumed by it maybe then will I find another form of peace?" Odin said seriously.

"We all wish for a better life some kings want to be normal men and normal men want to be kings in the end we all just want to be happy without any consequence it's just our instinctive selfishness," Odin said as he looked at the prince.

"You don't want this life and I can understand that but you must either abandon your family and your people or take hold of your feet and live freely with your own life."

"Each holds different ends one might lead to regret and the other to satisfaction what determines the end is how you lived only at the end of life do you truly realize how much you've lived."

"I ask you now will leaving this life truly make you happy or will it just satisfy your unceasing selfish desire for but a mere moment?" Odin said as he patted the prince's shoulder.

"You can have everything you ever wanted yet it will never seem enough the first sin and only sin that ever existed was greed and you must learn to control it first before you can truly live your life." Odin stood up and left the table heading for the balcony.

The third prince looked at the table in his mind the words echoed unceasingly as many visions passed by. It was true he had everything he ever wanted if he wanted money all he needed was to ask if it was woman, weapons, clothes, or food anything he desired all he needed to do was ask and he would receive.

He had all the freedom no life was perfect as they all had something bad with them but what made that life great was to truly live it and not focus on the things they couldn't change.

The third prince smiled and so did the emperor who watched secretly as his son finally understood the privilege he had. The emperor looked at Odin's back and his eyes shined a purple hue the illusionary figure of an emperor stood next to Odin. The aura the figure released was something that made all beings kneel far surpassing even divine gods yet this was only a small part of that emperor.

The rest was well hidden but if you focused you would see such emotions and thoughts that would drown the mere mind of any mortal. The silent but deafening song of a man who searches for an end unknown sounds with every step he takes.

But this vision quickly faded and the world around the emperor returned to normal. The emperor looked around in confusion his ability was active but it seemed to not work.

'I don't mind someone looking at my aura or memories or soul but try to look into my essence and I will make everything you hold dear suffer such pain that it will rival my own unholy birth.' a very soft voice spoke into the emperor's mind and quickly faded.

Odin reached the balcony which was mostly empty except for a few people.

"That's quite mean don't you think?" Scarlet said from behind Odin.

"Would you want someone looking into your secrets without permission?" Odin replied as he looked at the horizon as he learn on the balcony.

"Well no but you do it all the time don't you quite hypocritical isn't it?" Scarlet said as she chuckled.

"Yes, I am hypocritical because I can you on the other hand do not have such a privilege." Odin said.

"Oh, why don't I because I am not you?" Scarlet said as she leaned on the balcony.

"Yes and you will never be me and I will never be you."

"Oh yes, I remember you told me when I was young no one can or will ever be equal still never got it though?" Scarlet said as she rubbed her chin.

"Being equal is such a foolish thing meaning no freedom of thought no freedom of action or freedom of anything it means when one rises all will rise and when one falls all will fall."

"It's like trying to chill your drink with fire and vice versa pursuing equality means leaving whatever made you, once we know that we aren't equal and won't we can point our swords at the stars and take what is rightfully ours."

"Once you see the man or woman in front of you as a pile of organized organic compounds that are bioelectrically controlled by bacteria that have merged with the instincts of that animal to create what you call conscious is when you understand your true purpose to conquer the very heavens as I intended."

"But for now you still believe you are special the only thing that made you special was that I took the time to create you and that is all the rest is all you," Odin said as he disappeared from the balcony.

Scarlet stared out in thought before chuckling and leaving back to the party.

"Such a pessimistic guy but I guess by his age all light is anything but dark by now."